Category: Reviews

[Review] OVERDRIVE – TWS

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Yesterday, TWS dropped their 4th mini-album, PLAY HARD, with the single OVERDRIVE serving as the title track to the mini-album. It follows the pre-release of Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes, which dropped two weeks ago. It also follows TWS’ earlier comeback, Countdown and the mini-album Try With Us (yet to be reviewed), which occurred in April.

OVERDRIVE seems to bring together the edgy influences that were heavily present in Head Shoulders Knees Toes and combine them with the ‘boyhood pop’ that the group has consistently put out since their debut. And together, we might have a new direction for TWS that feels refreshing and different. I really enjoy the slight rock influences that come through the instrumentation. The bass guitar riff is super dominant and gives OVERDRIVE a standout characteristic. The humming that accompanies some of these guitar riffs post-chorus was definitely a clever tool to key the riff into our memory banks! The drums are punchy and make the song feel buoyant and energetic, which matches the energy we have seen from TWS through past releases. Even the members’ delivery is full of life and adds excitement to the song, with the chorus being super catchy. My only gripe about OVERDRIVE is the “I’m getting hot in here” spoken lines that felt like a take on a rapping segment. It just doesn’t fit the rest of the song that well, and similarly, the lyrics of the song, which speak to their feelings of being in love and how that is putting them into a state of overdrive.

Conceptually, the music video has two sides. The first is where members of the group are infatuated with their crushes. These scenes occur in everyday life, with the members being distracted, looking to spoil their crushes, and being love-struck by them. Think ‘I won’t tell people I am in love, but there will be signs’. The second part is a video-game-esque concept, where if the love puts the members into overdrive, they will respawn in the video game setting. It is quite an interesting and abstract way of looking at love, and I like how it aligns with the boyhood concept TWS has been known for. I do like the light-hearted moments, like DOHOON protecting his hand at all costs (after coming into contact with his crush) and JIHOON leaning on the sign, causing it to fall onto the other members (and how that leads us back into the dance performance).

Like always, TWS performances have always been a highlight of the comeback, and this one is no exception. Per usual, I really liked the energy they put into the performance. But I also liked how their expressions brought brightness and additional colour to the routine. The final chorus is my favourite bit, with the exciting jumps and flips.

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

[Review] ULTRA – CHANGBIN (Stray Kids)

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Stray Kids recently made their comeback with their fourth studio album, KARMA, led by the title track CEREMONY. However, I still have a backlog of song reviews related to Stray Kids that I have yet to post, including the solo tracks from their Hop mixtape and the unit tracks from their Mixtape: Dominate album. I have already made a start on this backlog, with CHANGBIN’s solo single from Hop, ULTRA, up next. For the other reviews of Stray Kids’ solo songs from the Hop mixtape, see the links below the music video.

It came as no surprise to me that CHANGBIN’s ULTRA would be the most powerful of all the solo singles. This resonates with his rapping in Stray Kids’ title tracks. ULTRA features two sides that showcase its power. The first is, as expected, CHANGBIN’s rapping. He always ensured his delivery had impact in ULTRA, with the parts where he gives his most angsty delivery being the peak of this power. I really liked how he played with the tempo of his delivery, helping make ULTRA dynamic and engaging for me. I also really liked it when CHANGBIN went slightly into vocal territory, which was something a little different and unexpected from CHANGBIN. The second form of power we got from ULTRA was the instrumental breaks. These breaks, each featuring a different synth and EDM profile, build upon everything I have mentioned about CHANGBIN’s rapping and help him expand into other areas (more on this in the next section). Overall, ULTRA comes together to emphasise and push further CHANGBIN’s usual powerful style and dynamic from the Stray Kids track.

The music video for ULTRA is dark and edgy, fitting well with the music. I really liked the green lighting in the background, which helps convey a villainous and angst-ridden energy with minimal effort. To me, CHANGBIN’s leather long coat look is probably one of the most iconic looks in this series of the Stray Kids’ solo work. I just wish they had explored the chemistry or the drug creation in the video further. I feel that there is a storyline here worth expanding on.

Earlier, I mentioned that the instrumental breaks allowed CHANGBIN to expand into other areas. What I meant by that was CHANGBIN’s top-notch performance. I personally felt he outdid himself with his performance, with the instrumental breaks/choruses giving him a chance to explore a sensual yet powerful side. The flexed bicep and body wave move is definitely one of the memorable moves in this series of solo works, and I liked how each break was something different, performance-wise.

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

I.N’s HALLUCINATION | SEUNGMIN’s As We Are | FELIX’s Unfair | HAN’s Hold My Hand
HYUNJIN’s So Good | CHANGBIN’s ULTRA | LEE KNOW’s YOUTH | BANG CHAN’s Railway

[Review] ME+YOU – TWICE

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It is almost 10 years to the day that TWICE made their debut with the mini-album The Story Begins and the hit single Like OOH-AHH. TWICE has gone on to have multiple hits since then. Not many groups go on to celebrate their 10th anniversary, so to commemorate this fantastic milestone, TWICE released their special album titled TEN: THE STORY GOES ON yesterday, alongside the title track ME+YOU. Featured alongside this title track are extended versions of solo tracks from each member previously revealed on their THIS IS FOR world tour.

ME+YOU is an all-English R&B pop track for their fans (ONCEs). It is a pleasantly smooth song, with a straightforward instrumental and neat vocals overall. Personally, I find it to be a nice listen. Other than that, there isn’t much else to the song. Because of this, I don’t think ME+YOU is the type of song that I would actively look for on my playlist to play. It is interesting that TWICE chose such a song to celebrate a significant milestone in their career. While the lyrics of the song have a warm and nostalgic feel, which feels fitting for a song that looks over the last 10 years, the music itself doesn’t really convey that celebratory sentiment that we were promised. I wish there were a whole lot more to ME+YOU.

While the song won’t garner much interest from me, the music video has. I really like the sitcom vibe that the members have going on as they move into a new apartment. It was amusing to watch the members in the video, especially in relatable scenes like SANA incorrectly plugging the USB into the player, or NAYEON and SANA struggling with the PowerPoint. Seeing the members give us a throwback to the bus scenes in the Like OOH-AAH music video was a really nice nostalgic touch, even though the members found themselves amusing and cringey. The video also features actor Uhm Tae Goo, who plays their awkward neighbour across the hall, who becomes frustrated but ultimately shy with TWICE. His cameo and interaction with TWICE add another layer of comedy to the video.

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

[Review] Who Are You – SUHO (EXO)

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Last month, SUHO from EXO made his solo comeback with his 4th mini-album, Who Are You, and the title track of the same name. It follows his 3rd mini-album released in May 2024, 1 to 3, led by the title track of the same name and the pre-release single CHEESE.

Who Are You is another pop-rock single. While this one is quite a decent listen, I found the instrumental to be the more engaging part of the new single. In particular, the electric guitar riff that recurs in the background of the chorus and during the instrumental breaks. I liked the way it was layered over the basic foundations of Who Are You‘s background and how it gives the song a bit of a dynamic flair. As for SUHO, he sounds pleasant and familiar throughout the song. But the melodies and delivery were just too wispy, and so his vocals just don’t stick. And since Who Are You is shorter than usual, there just isn’t much to really remember the song by. Overall, a decent listen is the best way I can find to describe SUHO’s new single.

I am not entirely sure what is going on in the music video, but it looks like SUHO is hanging out with some friends. These friends are masked, which I assume is related to the fact that he likens them to strangers in the song’s lyrics. The video does depict them fighting at one point, so perhaps they feel like different people to SUHO when they fight, which he was in the middle of at one point. However, that is resolved relatively quickly, and the rest of the video shows SUHO embarking on a road trip in regional areas of Australia with these friends. I recognise the driver’s seat on the right-hand side of the car and the license plates. We do see SUHO attempt to remove their mask at the end, but the video ends there.

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

[Review] My First Love Song – KickFlip

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Rookie group KickFlip has been on a roll this year, debuting back in January with Mama Said (yet to be reviewed) and the mini-album Flip It, Kick It! and returned with their first comeback in June with FREEZE and the mini-album Kick Out, Flip Now!. The group recently pre-released the single Band-Aid (review to come) ahead of their September comeback with My First Love Song and the mini-album My First Flip.

My First Love Song is a super energetic pop-rock track that instantly grabs my attention. Opening the song up with the chorus, in this instance, was super effective and had me hooked from the start. What KickFlip does super well throughout My First Love Song was use the energetic dynamism to show off their youthfulness. You can hear it in the instrumentals, their vocals, rapping and tone. And I find it to be quite infectious. While the verses don’t live up to the same momentum, there is a constant upbeatness and presence of the pop-rock influence during the verses that keep the song on track and moving forward. The pre-choruses and (really short) bridge of My First Love Song do slow down that momentum even more. But its placement is clever and makes the subsequent return to the chorus punchy and powerful each time. Putting this altogether, My First Love Song is extremely likeable and definitely grows my attention towards KickFlip even further.

My First Love Song sees the KickFlip members help KEIJU confess to his crush, from planning to executing the very moment he asks his crush out. It goes well with the lyrics of the song, which speaks to doing something they wouldn’t normally would do, but for the sake of love, they will do it. I quite like their energy and vibrant charms that are on full display throughout the video. In addition to the confession playing out, there is also a fair bit of focus on fellow member MINJE, bringing in what I suspect is a bit of a side-plot. MINJE appears to be jealous of KEIJU – perhaps he has the crush on the same person or that he like MINJE. The video does leave this side-plot open-ended, so we might see more of this story evolve in future videos.

Like the song and music video, the energy really makes the performance. The chorus never lets up and shows us a dynamic flow that keeps the performance going. The other parts of the routine are not as intense, but still shows off sharpness and energy. I think some fine-tuning of the synchronisation could have lifted the routine up slightly to make it consistent with the other elements of this comeback.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.9/10

[Review] Doctor! Doctor! – ZEROBASEONE

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A while back, I mentioned I would go back to review ZEROBASEONE’s pre-release single for their BLUE PARADISE mini-album. Well, today is the day. Doctor! Doctor! was released back in January, a month in advance to the release of BLUE PARADISE and the lead single BLUE. Keep your eyes open, as with this song review posted, an album review for BLUE PARADISE will be posted soon.

Since its release, Doctor! Doctor! has always been a pleasantly consistent listen. I use both ‘pleasant’ and ‘consistent’ in a positive way for this the purposes of this review. But I think more can be done to elevate the song further. Doctor! Doctor! is a contemporary R&B track that enables ZEROBASEONE to show off their vocal abilities. Their vocals are nicely executed throughout the song, and this vocal exclamation of the song’s title at the start and during the chorus is something that I instantly think of when the song does pop in my mind. The melodies are also quite nice. Doctor! Doctor! also features some rapping, and I liked the way this cuts through the vocals to give Doctor! Doctor! some much needed contrast and punchiness. The instrumental is where Doctor! Doctor! could have done more, in my opinion. It felt very standard for the most part, but I do appreciate the bass and percussion that do pick up the song.

The lyrics of Doctor! Doctor! likens falling in love to a illness, and asks the doctor for help to cure one of such illness. In the video, we see the members suffer from the symptoms of being in love, seeking the help of a doctor (played by South Korean actor Jung Kyung Ho). I thought the haziness and colour palette of the music video were particularly interesting, in the sense that it makes the video look dreamy, but also blurry like when we are unwell. Overall, a solid music video.

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

[Review] SHOOT (Firecracker) – CHAEYOUNG (TWICE)

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CHAEYOUNG from TWICE made her solo debut last month with the single SHOOT (Firecracker) and her debut studio album, Lil Fantasy Vol. 1. She is the fourth member of her group to embark on a solo career, following NAYEON, JIHYO and TZUYU. In other related news, TWICE made a comeback with THIS IS FOR earlier this year and will be making a comeback in a weeks time to celebrate their 10th anniversary with the album Ten: The Story Goes On and single Me+You.

Personally, I didn’t know what to expect from SHOOT (Firecracker) and CHAEYOUNG in general, so this solo debut was quite an intriguing one to me. Right from the get-go, SHOOT (Firecracker) proved to be a decent track. I admire its softness, thanks to dreamy retro-pop instrumental and CHAEYOUNG’s vocals. While this combination isn’t necessary the style that would enable the track to stand out in a sea of KPOP releases, SHOOT (Firecracker) does enough to get onto my radar. I particularly like how she delivers SHOOT (Firecracker)‘s repetitive hook. It was lightly upbeat, comforting and repeated listens to the song have helped it become earwormy to me. I was also quite surprised with the fact SHOOT (Firecracker) was all in English. I would have liked some sort of development in the song, especially as it progresses. Maybe some more pronounced vocals in the layering of lines towards the end of the song, or some sort of change-up in momentum to steer it away from potential neutrality. SHOOT (Firecracker) was good overall and I do enjoy it. But more could have been done, particularly to offset the softness that consistently recurred in the song.

The music video sees CHAEYOUNG in her own little distinct world that draws upon elements of Alice in Wonderland. CHAEYOUNG was quite cute throughout the video, especially during the scenes where she is ‘outside’ gathering ingredients to bake a cake. She also invited some felt friends over for a tea party. I quite the pastel look of the video, which fits in with that dreamy motif that I mentioned earlier in regards to the song, as well as concept of being one’s world (i.e., a dream). This is backed up with how CHAEYOUNG first appears in the video in between a mattress sandwich, suggesting that she might need to be asleep to enter her own world.

I quite liked the performance aspect of this solo debut. CHAEYOUNG definitely brought a vibrancy to the routine that helped it look engaging, and the moves were pretty solid. There was ‘bow and arrow’ shooting and handgun moves during the chorus that made perfect sense. My only critic about the performance is similar to what I said about TZUYU’s performance for Run Away. There is a certain stiffness that feels apparent in CHAEYOUNG’s initial performances of SHOOT (Firecracker). Fortunately, it did lessen as CHAEYOUNG performed the song more.

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

[Review] 5, 4, 3 (Pretty Woman) – CxM (SEVENTEEN) ft. Lay Bankz

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Earlier this week, SEVENTEEN debuted their latest subunit duo CxM, becoming the fourth subunit of the 13-member group after BSS (HOSHI, DK and SEUNGKWAN), JxW (JEONGHAN & WONWOO) and HxW (HOSHI & WOOZI). Following a similar naming pattern, CxM is made up of SEVENTEEN’s leader S.COUPS and fellow member MINGYU. Their debut single, 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman), dropped on Monday, along with the mini-album Hype Vibes.

For me, 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) is a fun debut single. S.COUPS and MINGYU takes the primary hook of Roy Orbison’s Oh, Pretty Woman (lyrics and music), turning it into an energetically funky and groovy hip-hop number. The guitar riffs is a stronghold of the song and its consistency throughout keeps the momentum of 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) going. Said energy of 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) definitely suits summery season. However, I think an earlier release date of 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman), say in the middle of Summer, would have allowed the song to hit harder. Interestingly, the entire second verse (a large portion of the song) was handed over to Lay Bankz. There is no question that she is a strong artist – her part in 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) absolutely hits hard. But that does mean we didn’t get to hear as much of either S.COUPS and MINGYU. What we do hear is good (I am loving the pre-choruses), but I don’t think 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) particularly used their talents and abilities as well as it could have. Overall, a well executed and crafted song that builds on a classic’s hook. But I would have loved to hear something more distinct from the pair.

The music video sees S.COUPS and MINGYU hanging out in LA, getting ready, partying it up and turning heads wherever they go. It is honestly rather simple, but it works well in the context of the lyrics and vibes. I liked how each time the chorus come on, the video turns into a little party. The bright sun and settings were also well selected. I also liked that the video featured Lay Bankz, as well, particularly given the large bite of the song she has. Given how short the song is, it did feel a bit odd to have a minute worth of ending credits, but the outtakes make up for it.

The choreography incorporates the groovy and hip-hop vibes of 5, 3, 4 (Pretty Woman) in a manner that is simple, laidback and cool. Their charisma and playfulness also makes sure to emphasise the coolness and easygoing nature of the routine.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] I’ll Never Love Again – WOODZ

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It has been a while since we last heard from WOODZ. The last time I reviewed him was for his previous comeback, Amnesia, from 2023, before his military enlistment. More recently, WOODZ unexpectedly resurged on the charts this year with Drowning from his 2023 Oo-Li mini-album (which I never reviewed, but I did review its pre-release and lead singles). This week, WOODZ made his first official comeback since completing his military enlistment, I’ll Never Love Again.

WOODZ really puts himself out there with I’ll Never Love Again. This song begins soothingly, almost like a ballad. The vocals in this moment are soft and delicate. Still in the first verse, WOODZ earns his first wow from me when the song briefly introduces the intense rock guitar riff and his passionate vocals. From then on, I’ll Never Love Again provides a little more to itself to make it richer, before leading into the song’s ultimate form—a powerful rock song. Again, I love WOODZ’s passionate display throughout I’ll Never Love Again. He doesn’t hold back his emotions, and this elevates I’ll Never Love Again to new heights. The raspiness of his vocals, especially during the song’s most intense moments, adds so much texture and colour to the song. The gospel choir and its influence in the background provide the rock song with additional depth and dimension, making it even better. And I love its satisfying end. WOODZ did a fantastic job with this single, and I hope that everyone else can also appreciate it in I’ll Never Love Again.

The lyrics of I’ll Never Love Again speak to the emotions one experiences at the end of a relationship, with WOODZ expressing the idea that someone may choose not to love again if it ends in heartbreak. Within the music video, we see multiple couples experience love and heartbreak, with WOODZ cleaning up after his own heartbreak (the fire and mess represent potential thoughts and emotions he may have had during the moment of his own heartbreak). What I really liked about the video is that it doesn’t just show young love, but also depicts an elderly couple (where the older man is experiencing poor health), love for a pet and even a hobby (which I think is what the photoshoot scenes are about). It shows us love comes in many forms, as well as heartbreak. What makes this more interesting are the comments WOODZ made in relation to the song (as summarised in the SOOMPI article): “The song reflects on the moment of a final breakup or the end of love, and asks: ‘If that moment comes, would you choose that love again—or not?“. This makes the video a lot more thought-provoking than expected.

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

[Review] Head Shoulders Knees Toes – TWS

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TWS is gearing up for another comeback next month, following on from April’s Try With Us mini-album and Countdown single. But ahead of next month’s mini-album release, TWS has pre-released the single Head Shoulders Knees Toes.

When you just glance over the title of the pre-release single, your mind probably clicks over to the nursery rhyme of a similar name. And that did worry me for a bit. But TWS’s version is far from the nursery rhyme. Instead, Head Shoulders Knees Toes is very much ingrained in the hip-hop genre. We do get the repetition of the song’s title as the main hook and chorus, but it isn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. I appreciate the members delivering ‘Head Shoulders Knees and Toes‘ with a little more heft and punch than how we would have sung the nursery rhyme as younger kids, fitting in with the hip-hop profile that the song is going for. As for the instrumental, I actually like the brass elements in the background as well as the backing’s overall explosiveness. It helps show a more edgy side of the group. However, I wish there were a bit more to the trap-based instrumental. At times, it felt lacking and empty, leaving me wanting more. As for the members, intense rapping and really nice vocals were showcased in Head Shoulders Knees Toes. The pre-chorus and bridge were stunning parts of Head Shoulders Knees Toes.

An edgy urban city is how I would summarise the concept for the music video. To be fair, it does sound like it fits the likes of a KPOP hip-hop song. I will admit the start was rather intriguing, with everyone surrounding the TWS member before launching the members and the song at us. The best aspect has to be the elevator scenes, where we see multiple elevators and the members dancing in them. That looked super cool. I also really liked the bullet scenes, which were a close second for best aspect of the music video. However, while the music video was visually strong, I am unsure how it connects with the lyrics of Head Shoulders Knees Toes.

As for the choreography, it reimagines the dance associated with the nursery rhyme as a cool, hip-hop-based chorus routine. I really liked the bounce and energy that came off the performance’s centrepiece. The dance break we get towards the end allows the members to flex their edgy performance skills, which aren’t typically shown in their title track dance routines.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] So Good – HYUNJIN (Stray Kids)

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Stray Kids recently made their comeback with their fourth studio album, KARMA, led by the title track CEREMONY. But I still have a backlog of song reviews that I have yet to post relating to Stray Kids, namely the solo tracks from their Hop mixtape and the unit tracks from their Mixtape: Dominate album. I have already made a start on this backlog, with HYUNJIN’s solo single from Hop, So Good, up next. For the other reviews of Stray Kids’ solo songs from the Hop mixtape, see the links below the music video.

So Good is a very percussive hip-hop dance track. There is something very alluring and dynamic about the percussive nature of the instrumental, especially as the track diverges into a more instrumental-focused ending to be more performance-forward. Even when the synths were introduced, particularly towards the end of So Good, it brought a bounty of texture to the song, in line with So Good‘s starting point. To me, this is definitely HYUNJIN’s style. As for the vocals, HYUNJIN does a fine job. The texture of his vocals also adds to the song, while the second verse rapping was very slight and captivating. So Good‘s hooks were a little too straightforward for my liking, but I did enjoy the echo that follows, and I don’t think this should deter you from listening to So Good.

HYUNJIN’s performance style in So Good is very much enchanting and dynamic, well-suited to the song. The way he carries himself in the music video was very captivating to watch each time. To give the music video some complexity, the video uses transitions. I quite enjoyed them, but also liked how clean they all feel. The transitions also felt reminiscent of Stray Kids’ transitions in their music videos from the past.

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

I.N’s HALLUCINATION | SEUNGMIN’s As We Are | FELIX’s Unfair | HAN’s Hold My Hand
HYUNJIN’s So Good | CHANGBIN’s ULTRA | LEE KNOW’s YOUTH | BANG CHAN’s Railway

[Review] PARADISE – TREASURE

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Earlier this month, TREASURE made their comeback with their 4th mini-album, Love Pulse, led by the title track PARADISE. TREASURE’s comeback follows on from their Pleasure special mini-album and single YELLOW from February 2025, as well as news of a leadership change to Junkyu and Asahi and early contract renewals with YG Entertainment.

TREASURE’s PARADISE is a pop track that suits the summer season quite nicely. It’s bright, upbeat from the onset and a lot of fun, particularly thanks to the brassy elements in its instrumental. There is potential for PARADISE to become super-infectious in my life because of these brassy elements, had I put the song on repeat in the last week. I just didn’t have the time to do that in the past week, with me wrapping up some work and reviews to take a break. That being said, the instrumental is probably PARADISE‘s strongest asset. While I do appreciate the vocals and rapping in the track, PARADISE isn’t the most definitive showcase of their abilities. The hooks and melodies are also quite bright and lively, but they also aren’t TREASURE’s best effort to date. But altogether, everything in PARADISE comes together to become a pleasant summer listen with a light pop bop instrumental.

I quite enjoyed the music video. TREASURE does a good job of making me want to dance along to the music when I watch this video. The mood is also extremely bright and smiley throughout, which helps convey the constant desire to dance and makes their music video even more likeable and enjoyable. PARADISE is about escaping to a place of pure happiness with someone special, hence why we see a lot of imagery of the beach, sunset and fireworks throughout the video.

Like the rest of the comeback, the performance for PARADISE is just as energetic and bright. I liked the dance break during the bridge of the song. The “P to the A to the R to the A” move kind of reminds me of the “Woo to the Young to the Woo, Dong to the Geu to the rami” move from the 2022 Extraordinary Attorney Woo K-drama.

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

[Review] Goodbyes & Sad Eyes – MOON BYUL (MAMAMOO)

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With MAMAMOO being inactive as a group, it has felt like it has been a while since we have heard from the group or the members. It probably doesn’t help that I don’t cover their solo comeback as soon as they occur. MOON BYUL recently made her return with her 3rd mini-album, Laundri, and the title track Goodbyes and Sad Eyes. MOON BYUL also pre-released the single ICY BBY (also from the new mini-album, but I yet to review). Her last comeback was last year’s Is This Love?.

Goodbyes & Sad Eyes is MOON BYUL’s answer to the ongoing rock trend in KPOP. There have been some good songs of this style lately, with the potential for Goodbyes & Sad Eyes to join the ranks with its electrifying guitar riffs in the verses. These riffs amps up and intensifies the song greatly. I am totally for exploring this sound further in the song. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as the rest of Goodbyes & Sad Eyes opts to hold itself back to sit more generically in the pop-rock realm. While I appreciate the cleaner sound and how well it showcases the resultant melodies of Goodbyes & Sad Eyes, I just feel like the chorus missed an opportunity to give us something more powerful, cooler and explosive as the centrepiece. MOON BYUL does sound great throughout the track. But like the instrumentation, her vocals loses the edginess that she builds into the pre-chorus. The pre-choruses and bridge slows down Goodbyes & Sad Eyes into soft territory, but I like how we get to hear MOON BYUL’s familar rapping style before launching into the choruses each time.

Goodbyes & Sad Eyes celebrates an eventual break up, with that being the vibe carried through to the music video. There is no upset or sad MOON BYUL throughout the video. Instead, she is having the time of her life, choosing to look beyond the breakup and enjoy what she has in the moment. She is going out to the club, dancing around while packing her bags, but most importantly, she is genuinely smiling through everything. I do like the little anime sequences that appear at each pre-chorus sequence in the song. Definitely very cool to watch, but I also liked how it shows her at ease with the situation she is in.

I liked the energy that MOON BYUL and her dancers exude during the choreography. For the stage performances, she chooses to focus more on her live vocals, which shows us her immensely growing confidence in her live performances. It does mean that she tones down her participation, but the dance performances I have seen of Goodbyes & Sad Eyes was good to watch overall.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] Rendezvous – AHOF

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Once again, there have been several debuts that I have not yet gotten around to reviewing. I am hoping that I will be able to cover more of them in the coming weeks, but to start things off is a review for the AHOF’s debut single. AHOF, which stands for All-time Hall Of Famer, is a nine-member male group formed through the survival show Universe Legend, consisting of Steven (former member of Luminous), Jeongwoo, Woongki (former member of TO1), Shuaibo, Han, JL (former member of Filipino group Pluus), Juwon, Chih En, and Daisuke. They made their debut on 1 July 2025 with the mini-album, Who We Are, and the single Rendezvous.

To be honest, I didn’t pay too much attention to AHOF when they first debuted. I don’t think it was for a particular reason, but rather I had a bit going on work-wise when Rendezvous dropped. It wasn’t until their song kept on appearing on shuffle, and more specifically the punchiness of the “Hold me back, Hold me back, Lost in a dream and falling fast” line in the bridge, that I started to pay more attention to Rendezvous. In addition to being quite punchy, there is also a slight edginess of that particular line, contrasting with the rest of the track’s pop-rock and dreamy atmosphere (which was a powerful and characteristic aspect of Rendezvous), that really put the song on the map for me. Pleasant melodies within Rendezvous, combined with the instrumental, calls back to 2nd generation KPOP, which was the generation I started to listen to KPOP (and have been here ever since!). There was some nice vocals and rapping throughout the track, though I wished there was something to make them a little more pronounced. Altogether, Rendezvous comes together quite well to produce a song that both puts the group and nostalgia out there. I definitely am looking forward to what comes next for AHOF.

Rendezvous is a song that reflects on what it feels like to start from nothing (or from struggle) to reach one’s dream. In the music video, we see the members experience struggles (isolation, feeling lost or tired, stuck in one place etc.) before coming meeting another member feeling a similar struggle and rejoining the rest of the group. The colour palette chosen during the moments of struggle was rather muted and dark. But once the members became united, there was bright tones in the video’s colour. I also liked how their own logo was used to show them being connected and give them a sense of belonging. And as a newly debut group, this also speaks to their identity as a new group.

I quite like how the stage performance for this comeback develops. For the first portion of the routine, the choreography was more aligned with the pleasant melodies of the song. But it changes gears once we get to the bridge, increasing in intensity and energy. It feels very similar to story that they were portraying in their music video.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] EXTRA VIRGIN – YOON SAN-HA (ASTRO)

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YOON SAN-HA made his solo comeback back in July with his second mini-album, CHAMELEON, and the single EXTRA VIRGIN. It is his first solo release since his solo debut last year with DUSK (led by the single Dive. He also made his return to acting recently through the Korean drama My Girlfriend Is The Man!. Meanwhile, fellow members MJ and JINJIN have formed a subunit, ZOONZINI (their debut single, Some Things Never Change, dropped last week – review to come), while CHA EUN WOO recently enlisted in the military.

EXTRA VIRGIN is such a snazzy track. Right off the bat, it is hard to avoid the extremely funky and upbeat nature of the song. Amongst this, EXTRA VIRGIN brings us groovy percussion, a tinge of country twang and interesting synth choices that consistently have made me think my phone notifications were going off, when in reality my phone is always on silent mode. YOON SAN-HA is extremely charming throughout EXTRA VIRGIN. His delivery was very bright and energetic, capitalising on his youthful personality. While the chorus did feel inherently strong, particularly with the shouty beginning, I did think stronger melodies would have strengthened the chorus further. But my personal favourite part of EXTRA VIRGIN was the bridge. The instrumental break was enjoyable, while the build-up from YOON SAN-HA that follows was really satisfying. The ad-libs at the end were also great, but I think there was room to be even punchier and not feel as constrained.

EXTRA VIRGIN‘s meaning is funny yet abstract and different, with YOON SAN-HA confirming the song is about being premium and top-tier, similar to how ‘extra virgin’ olive oil is relative to other types of olive oils. In the lyrics, YOON SAN-HA expresses the idea that he can be anything his partner wants him to be, proving himself to be of a premium standard. The music video sees YOON SAN-HA attempt to find a way to get into the city from outside the town. I suppose the country twang in the song and the cowboy hat he wears during the video imply that YOON SAN-HA starts off in the countryside and wants to be a city person, to be with the person he is pursuing. That is only what I got out of the video and lyrics, so I could be totally wrong with my interpretation of it all.

YOON SAN-HA was awesome on stage throughout this comeback. Just like what the song calls for, the choreography is energetic and upbeat. But the main selling point was how YOON SAN-HA really got into the performance. His facial expressions gave off a mischievous vibe (which was what he was going for, as confirmed in an interview that I read for this comeback), which adds to the fun vibe the song had.

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

[Review] Hold My Hand – HAN (Stray Kids)

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Stray Kids recently made their comeback with their fourth studio album, KARMA, led by the title track CEREMONY. But I still have a backlog of song reviews that I have yet to post relating to Stray Kids, namely the solo tracks from their Hop mixtape and the unit tracks from their Mixtape: Dominate album. I have already made a start on this backlog, with HAN’s solo single from Hop, Hold My Hand, up next. For the other reviews of Stray Kids’ solo songs from the Hop mixtape, see the links below the music video.

If I were to pick an all-rounder in KPOP, HAN from Stray Kids is one of the idols I would definitely think of and perhaps even put forward as my ultimate pick. He is definitely known for his rapping, but he boasts a set of vocals that rivals the main vocalist of his group. Hold My Hand showcases both his rapping and singing spectacularly, alongside an explosive rock-based instrumental that is bound to get you out of your seat and just to ‘dance it out’ to. His rapping is energetic and has excellent flow, and adds to the dynamic flair that the electric guitar gives the song during the verses. But HAN really takes the cake with his soaring vocals in the choruses. I liked how you can tell he really pushed himself towards the end of the central piece of Hold My Hand via the way his vocals become raspy. It just gives off a nice texture in the song. Towards the end of Hold My Hand, through the line “‘Cause all I want is you, not your tears“, we hear the two forms of HAN’s delivery merge together as the vocals remind me of his rapping voice. Overall, I think my praise for Hold My Hand speaks to the fact that it is a strong contender for best song on HOP.

The lyrics of Hold My Hand speak to wanting to bring happiness (and not sadness) to the people he cares about, which some fans have theorised to be a continuation of his past SKZ-PLAYER songs – Alien and Human. In the music video (and this is just my theory), we see HAN struggle to place his own song on the jukebox machine, which causes him to feel anxious and as if he is letting down the people who depend on him. But he soon learns that his music doesn’t need to be on the jukebox. Instead, it needs to be expressed in his own way, which leads to him performing the song in the alleyway. It isn’t the easiest way, but it is a sure way to get his music out there.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 9.2/10

I.N’s HALLUCINATION | SEUNGMIN’s As We Are | FELIX’s Unfair | HAN’s Hold My Hand
HYUNJIN’s So Good | CHANGBIN’s ULTRA | LEE KNOW’s YOUTH | BANG CHAN’s Railway