Category: Reviews

[Review] Summer Comes – OH MY GIRL

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Making their comeback at the start of the week is OH MY GIRL, who returns for the first time in 16 months with their 9th mini-album Golden Hourglass and the title track Summer Comes. Their last comeback, Real Love, occurred back in March of last year. This comeback also is the first time we see OH MY GIRL as a 6 member female group, following the departure of Jiho, who left the group and WM Entertainment to focus on acting instead.

For me, my main issue with Summer Comes is that it is a bit of a blur. It felt like it was whizzing past to the next section, and this does give the impression is over-stuffed. I don’t necessarily think the latter is the concern in reality. But the impression does play a big part in reducing the song’s appeal, especially when I reflect upon the continuous string that is the second chorus, bridge and final chorus. I did wish there was more opportunity to digest and take in the song, either by making it feel more paced and/or utilizing breaks that are either better placed or more innovatively or creatively used. We did get two brief breaks in the music prior to the first two choruses, but there wasn’t much of a change to the fast tempo and momentum that preceded and followed these breaks, so they didn’t make much of a difference for Summer Comes. This causes a bit of a ripple effect on other parts of the song, which I will touch on in just a small moment. Some good news such that, the song brightly upbeat and felt appropriately summery. I really liked how Mimi had more opportunities in Summer Comes to show off their rapping, and the vocals were decent. Again, I felt the speed and momentum of the song does causes some issues with the vocals and instrumental. There were moments where the vocals felt almost chipmunk-like and the instrumental had a shrilly type of effect. Had Summer Comes been a bit more paced, I think this potential issues would not have existed and Summer Comes would have been more appreciable.

The music video looks like the members are in some sort of video game against some ghosts, zombies and scary clowns. For majority of the video, the members do struggle in their battle. But they do prevail in the end. While I am not entirely sure what the connection with the song is (taken from SOOMPI – the song “convey the joys of hearing the voice of a loved one, which feels like the heart-fluttering excitement of summer arriving”), my best guess is that the members are seeking the voice of a loved one to help them through their battle. And for the video, it looks like Yubin is that voice given the heaven-like scenes during the bridge, where she grants Mimi a second chance at the battle. But aside from that, I like the brightness that stems from the colourful nature of the video, and the summery/beachy-like setting the green screen brings to the video.

The fast-paced nature of the song does lend well towards a great performance, which I find to be evident in the chorus sequences of the song. I also liked how the bubbly and upbeat the performance is, which does make it fit very neatly in the range of performance we have seen stem from the summer season.

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

[Review] ETA – NewJeans

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As mentioned last week’s review for Super Shy and the day before yesterday’s review for Cool With You, NewJeans was scheduled to make their official comeback yesterday with the release of their second mini-album, Get Up, and the mini-album’s third lead single ETA.

While I was impressed with Super Shy and disappointed with Cool With You, I find myself to be on the fence with ETA. I find the upbeat nature of the song to be a strong aspect of the song, and it sounds like that is a bit of a party flair to it. The vocals were solid, and I liked the chanty nature of the “What’s your ETA?” hook that forms part of the chorus. All of this brought a nice level of excitement to the song. One of the issues with ETA is that repetitive nature of the instrumental. While I usually don’t have much of an issue with repetition (which NewJeans and their producers employ a lot in their songs), I did feel like the repeated brassy-like synth was a bit much for me. I already didn’t enjoy as much in the first instance, and having it on repeat for majority of ETA doesn’t really help much. It stole the attention away from the vocals and clashed with the rest of the song by being overly prominent. Also, I didn’t remember that much from the verses and wanted more from them. Those were the big sticking points of ETA for me, but the rest of ETA falls into the nice and pleasant category.

This entire video was a product placement for the iPhone 14. I don’t think it was necessary to have the members hold a mobile throughout the entire video, as this just felt so forced and made for a distraction from the storyline, which I felt was the main star of the video. On that front, however, I am impressed. The video features a dark twist, in an otherwise vibrant video. The NewJeans members call up their friend after noticing her boyfriend was getting friendly with another girl at a party. The NewJeans members proceed to keep tabs on the boyfriend and his new friend, while their friend beelines to where the group is. A lot of emotions is felt by the friend, who surprises the boyfriend and his new girl by hitting them on the road. At first, it was a no fatality/injury crash with the boyfriend and his new girl on the car bonnet. But I guess her anger sees her drive over the pair off-screen, with the guy (and presumably his new girl) stuffed into the boot of the car as she drives to an isolated place to get rid of the evidence of their murders (as alluded to by part of the boyfriend’s shirt sticking out from the boot).

The performance for ETA is both familiar and refreshing. It felt very much like NewJeans’ style in terms of formation and execution, but it is also felt summery and vibrant. The members members felt like they had a more relaxed demeanour/mindset to the performance, and the appeared to look like they were having genuine fun on stage.

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

[Review] Cool With You – NewJeans

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As mentioned in last week’s review for Super Shy, NewJeans will be making their official comeback this week. The group has earmarked Friday as the official release of their second mini-album Get Up and a third lead single for said album. But earlier today, NewJeans have unveiled their second lead single from the mini-album, Cool With You. As part of the teasers leading up to the release, ADOR announced that two global stars would be featuring in the music video for Cool With You. Continue reading to find out who featured in this music video!

Just as simple as Cool With You is, my thoughts about the song is just as simple. This could either be a good or a bad thing, but I am not speechless over the song because I am amazed by it. Instead, I find that I more so lack words to describe Cool With You as I found to be an empty vessel and boring. There are some things to appreciate in Cool With You, such as the more mature sound profile that the group brings to the KPOP landscape (a complete change to Super Shy), the instrumental’s chill and atmospheric vibe to it, and the nicely soft and flowy vocals. But somehow when these elements come together, Cool With You doesn’t come off as memorable piece. It also didn’t help that the song was very quick to end, lasting less than 2.5 minutes. Instead, I find myself skipping through the song, particularly when I watching the music video as there isn’t much within Cool With You to focus on. The song does have one primary hook – the repetition of the title with the elongated “Cool“. But as we get to the end of the song, I felt like I heard the primary hook one too many times. Overall, I think Cool With You is a miss and a disappointment following the likes of Super Shy. Hopefully, tomorrow’s release of ETA is more promising.

As mentioned above, two global stars feature in the music video Cool With You. Furthermore, there are two versions of the music video! In the Side A version of the video, Jung Ho Yeon (who rose to fame in Squid Game) features as the main character. She plays the role of a ghost who becomes infatuated over a guy she sees in the art gallery. I am not entirely sure what happens exactly, but I think her character becomes tired of being unseen and her embracing the rain at the end of the video is her way of wanting to be seen and interact with the world around her. NewJeans, for some reason (maybe it is because they are angels), are the only people to notice her (which Jung Ho Yeon’s chraacter is aware of). In Side B of the music video, we are treated to choreography scenes with NewJeans (it looks artistic, but I don’t think I can say much else towards the choreography aspect of this comeback – hence no choreography section of this review) and Jung Ho Yeon is granted the chance to be seen and interact with the world (I assume NewJeans granted her wish, given they are angels). The first thing she does is become friends with the guy she was infatuated with. However, that opportunity is cut short when she disappears once again from the world (and her guy friend forgets about her) following the appearance of Tony Leung (who is the second global star to appear in the videos). Again, not entirely sure what his role is, but he has the ability to revert Jung Ho Yeon’s wish. At the end of Side B, we hear a bit of Get Up (the single) and Jung Ho Yeon sees NewJeans. But she smiles as she turns around, which might represent a subtle thank you to NewJeans for granting her wish. I personally would love to read alternative theories, as I am sure there are a few flying about at the moment.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] ISTJ – NCT DREAM

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Making their explosive comeback yesterday was NCT DREAM, who returns with their 3rd studio album ISTJ. This new album is lead by the title track of the same name as the album and the pre-release single Broken Melodies released a couple of weeks back. As mentioned in the pre-releases’ review, a fair bit has kept the subunit busy since their last Korean comeback with Candy, such as releasing their 1st original Japanese single Best Friend Ever (still yet to be reviewed) and the continuation of their first world tour.

I could potentially see ISTJ rivalling the likes of BOOM (which has grown and remained my pick for most favourite NCT DREAM track ever) had it not flip back and forth between melodic vocals and intense raps/hip-hop moments. I wished the sections were more cohesive and blended into one another, rather than be fragments (which is more or less the trend nowadays particularly with NCT to fit in multiple styles into one song). Such an example is the calmer and ‘introverted’ vocal focused pre-choruses. I personally felt this was too much of a slowdown and it really cut the amazing flow the verses/choruses had going on. That being said, however, ISTJ still manages to pack a massive punch in one way or another. The start of ISTJ‘s verses really kicks the song into gear, especially the starting combination of Mark and Jaemin’s rapping, and the instantaneous fast pace instrumentation that literally launchpads right into the song. As for the choruses, they can be described as ‘extroverted’ sections of the song. The choruses are very much the concentrated moments of intensity that makes ISTJ super memorable, with the rap-singing in first part, followed up by some powerful vocals from the vocalists and finally the ‘Let’s Get Down‘ refrain at the end of each chorus. The bridge mixes in a dreamy-like sequence that doesn’t really fit into the bigger picture of ISTJ, especially with the choruses serving as bookends on either side of the bridge. it does raise the same issue about cutting the flow of the song and needing to be more cohesive with the rest of the song. But I thought it was an impressive display of vocals from the entire vocal line, the rapping was a lot more soothing to a degree and I appreciated the dreamier instrumentation that accompanied it. In other words, I appreciated the blissful moment that was the bridge amongst the high-energy packed choruses. Overall, ISTJ is a strong track and it does work in terms of appeal. However, I wished the issues I touched on were improved upon to make ISTJ a better listening experience.

I am not entirely sure what is going on in this video. Supposedly, the lyrics depicts an ENFP type person trying to understand an ISTJ type person in their own way, thus breaking the stereotypes of the MBTI indicator personalities. And I think we see that in some capacity in the video, with the group hanging around ISTJ people, being conditioned to become ISTJ types after kidnapping a doctor, trying to teach themselves of the trait etc. But based on the scene in which the members are walking around the maze (which is later shown to be the brain), not all the members are ENFP types. Personality aside, the video had some really cool styling and sets, and I liked how the lighting made things chaotic and erratic during the more intense moments of the song.

With the calmer and more intense parts of the song, there is a good mix of moves to represent either side of the song. My favourite has to be the more intense parts, simply because NCT DREAM really thrives in these moments. And the synchronisation and execution are on point! I particularly enjoyed Renjun’s solo moves in the final chorus, which appear to be moonwalk-like.

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

[Review] Small Talk – Kim Sung Kyu (INFINITE)

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The countdown to INFINITE’s long awaited comeback is officially underway. But prior to the group’s comeback, INFINITE’s leader (Kim Sung Kyu) has managed to slide in a solo comeback with his latest single Small Talk and his fifth mini-album, 2023 S/S Collection. Last week, Kim Sung Kyu and Small Talk topped my Weekly KPOP Chart for the 1st Week of July 2023. And in that post, I promised to review Small Talk during the week – so, here we are! We last heard from Kim Sung Kyu through his Savior comeback from mid-2022.

If I am being honest, I personally do not have much to say about Small Talk. This shouldn’t be taken as a criticism, however. To me, Small Talk is straight forward song with some groovy and fun appeal. The mid-tempo upbeat nature of Small Talk does make it stand out in Kim Sung Kyu’s discography, given that Kim Sung Kyu hasn’t really venture down the more upbeat nature of music with his solo work. Even though this is new territory for himself, Kim Sung Kyu does keep true to his roots in Small Talk by having band instrumentation make up the entirety of the song’s background. The guitar work was charming and made the song likeable. I particularly really enjoyed how they were utilised in the instrumental break, bringing a funkier groove to the song and consolidating the already mentioned funky and fun appeal that the song had consistently going on. Small Talk also serves as a nice refresher for Kim Sung Kyu’s vocals, as it has been a while since we heard from the artist. And the melodies and hooks in Small Talk were catchy and had a nice ring to them. Overall, Small Talk is a really nice yet different addition to his solo repertoire. And given how it is lined up right before INFINITE’s comeback, it serves as a nice way to ease back into my Inspirit (INFINITE’s fanclub name) mindset.

The music video sees Kim Sung Kyu’s desire to communicate with the people around him (even if it is just some small talk), despite being in a society where people are more isolated due to technology, social norms and the active decision to not participate in conversations (me, every time I find myself in some sort of training at work). The video captures all of this in a slight comedic manner, with the people around Kim Sung Kyu refusing to acknowledge him even as he is pushed around or as he has a breakdown (i.e. the train scenes), actively seeking ways to avoid communicating with him (i.e. the office scenes), or just decide to film him whilst he is doing something wild (i.e. him sitting on an utility pole, and everyone just filming him instead of trying to get him down or talk him out of the dangerous stunt). At one point, someone does listen to him, but ends up bleeding from the ear. Yikes! Apart from the concept, the video features a nice pastel brightness that fits in with the song and a small amount of choreography that adds a bit of more fun to the video (but not enough to warrant a separate section for this review).

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

[Review] Super Shy – NewJeans

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Ahead of their upcoming comeback next Friday, NewJeans made their return with their pre-release single Super Shy last week. Since its release, the song has risen to the top of the charts, proving once again NewJeans’ power and popularity in the industry. We last heard from NewJeans through their very successful Ditto/OMG comeback at the very end and start of this year.

Whoever is choosing the songs for NewJeans’ comebacks is doing a fantastic job. Their releases thus far have been top notch, consistent and super catchy. And Super Shy is no different to the small yet impactful discography that NewJeans boasts thus far. Super Shy‘s instrumental is just like the song title and lyrics – super shy. For the most part, the song features atmospheric synths that can just be barely heard and staccato drumming that feels quite prominent and brings good rhythm to the song. Both the synths and drumming weren’t bold or spontaneous, but rather they stay in their lane and is quite consistent. Towards the end of the short song. Super Shy bring in a light sprinkling of electronic synths that gives the song a very subtle funky/groovy undertone, which keeps the song from feeling too consistent for its 2.5 minute run. The members adopt a very consistent lighter and innocent sounding tone in Super Shy that gives off the impression of the members being shy, which reflects well with the title and lyrics of the song (which is about finding the courage to confess to a first love). The combination of this lighter and more innocent sound from the members also brings a very appreciative level of brightness to the song that just fits super well into that summery vibe the industry is going through at the moment. And it helps that Super Shy has super easy and enjoyable melodies to tie everything up together with. Overall, a strong pre-release that promises great things for the actual title tracks (yes, double title track situation once again) that will be released in a weeks time.

The music video for Super Shy was quite bright and vibrant, in terms of both energy and visuals. Both regards suits the song quite well. The idea of flashmobs feels refreshing (however, it isn’t the first time we see a music video use flashmobs in KPOP) and the place in which they shot the music video feels lively. It is my understanding, from the Wikipedia article, that the video was shot in Lisborn, Portugal. I also like how the world is still going around them.

The choreography was quite cool and was an interesting watch. There were moments in the song where there wasn’t a prominent beat, and to see the members still pull off choreography during these moments was quite the aesthetic. The up-tempo and speed of the choreography makes it a difficult routine, particularly during those non-beat moments. Definitely a worthwhile performance to watch.

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

[Review] In Bloom – ZEROBASEONE

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Officially making their debut yesterday was ZEROBASEONE, the new male group formed via the Boys Planet survival show that aired earlier this year. The final lineup of the group consist of Kim Ji-woong, Zhang Hao, Sung Han-bin, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae-rae, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin, Park Gun-wook and Han Yu-jin. It has also been confirmed that the group will be active for 2.5 years. But for now, let’s focus on their debut with In Bloom and their first mini-album, Youth In The Shade. ZEROBASEONE is already setting records with this first mini-album, which earns the group the title of million-album seller already within one day of its release and sets a new record for the most pre-ordered and sold debut album in Korea.

In Bloom is a pleasant dance track to debut with. And for the most part, I think it is a strong effort from the group. The instrumental for In Bloom earns a big tick of approval from me. The recognisable and iconic synth line of Take On Me by a-ha adds such a bright pop to the song, while the beat and other instrumentation of In Bloom mordernises the song towards the 2020s trends It also enables a fast paced atmosphere that in turns allows for an upbeat choreography (more on this in the last part of the review). Altogether, In Bloom feels quite fresh (even though the song does feel safe) and is quite vibrant without doing too much. It helps that the vocals and melodies keeps the song from going overboard, with the aforementioned pleasant side of In Bloom coming through these elements. The members do infuse a youthfulness to the song and I do like the flow of both vocals and rapping. This creates an harmonious approach with the instrumentation, which in turn gives off that bright and energetic atmosphere that I found to be enjoyable. I did think more could have been done to make the song more memorable and potentially punchy like the song it pays homage to, such as stronger hooks and melodies that really stay with you after the song finishes. At the moment, In Bloom doesn’t really pull me back in via this department when the song ends. And as already mentioned, there is also a relatively feeling of safeness to In Bloom which I cannot seem to shake despite the couple of listens I have given the song so far. But as a debut track, I think the new group has done a great job as putting In Bloom as a foot forward into the industry, which they will undoubtedly soar in.

For the music video, I quite enjoyed their concept. The song is about the group’s “determination to sprint toward “you” as they take their first meaningful step toward an inevitable end”, and I quite liked how the producers introduced a gaming concept to bring that to life. The members are searching for flowers individually that are required for them to progress onto the next stage of the game. We see the members work together to clear the first stage, while the second stage is a bit harder given they have to work alone. In the end. all the members arrive at the final door, completing the second stage of the game. There was also a brief moment in which the members “left the game”. Not sure what the significance of this part of the video is, but I guess it could be that the members had the option to explore a different world, but chose to go back towards that “inevitable end” with “you”. Overall, a well concepted video that works nicely with the pleasant side of the song.

As for the choreography, it feels energetic and youthful – all of which suits ZEROBASEONE at this stage of their careers. The group has good chemistry with one another and there was a vibrant element to the choreography that made it enjoyable to watch.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] Cream Soda – EXO

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After two pre-releases over the last month (Let Me In and Hear Me Out – the latter I have yet to review) and a bit of uncertainty with EXO long awaited comeback due EXO-CBX’s threat of withdrawal from SM Entertainment (which has since been resolved), we have finally arrived at the release day EXO’s 7th studio album, EXIST. The title track off the album is Cream Soda, which music video also drops today with the rest of the album. While this is the group’s first comeback in two years (their last being Don’t Fight The Feeling), it does not feature KAI and LAY, who are sitting out of the comeback due to military enlistment and solo promotions in Japan respectively. KAI’s vocals, however, is featured on the album and the pre-releases’ music videos.

Cream Soda revisits the sensual and mature sound profile with this dance pop track, a sound profile which the group previously visited most infamously in Love Shot. However, while the former song really went for the some very concentrated sensual energy, Cream Soda‘s dance pop side gives the newer song some bounce and liveliness. This helps give an upbeat and refreshing tinge that feels right for EXO’s trajectory given their vast repertoire of past releases, and also keeps the group’s new song trendy and relevant. The brass and drum beats gives Cream Soda fanfare and some intensity (which in turn allows for some strong choreography – more on this later). Cream Soda is also described to have an exotic rhythm, which I can totally hear and this adds to that refreshing vibe. The vocals are amazing and showstopping in this comeback, with the members slipping into falsettos effortlessly for the chorus. The rapping was punchy as it is presented to us, with Chanyeol and Sehun giving as a dynamic and energy-packed rap sequence which goes super well with the verses’ instrumentation. The melodies and hooks in Cream Soda are slowly catching on, and I can definitely see Cream Soda growing on me in the near future (if it has not reached its max appeal yet). Overall, both Cream Soda and EXO served and delivered in this long-awaited comeback.

I found Cream Soda‘s music video quite good and alluring to watch. I liked the moody lighting, which goes well with the sensual lyrics and meaning behind the song. The members gave off a luxurious vibe for their dinner party, even though they ended up trashing the place. Elsewhere in the video, the members looked super good and amazing. Out of all the members, D.O stole my attention in this comeback. The more concrete looking dance set was super cool and minimalist, though the choreography set with the building front as the background felt like it has been done one too many times. It reminded me of the background of their 2023 Love Shot performance at the SMCU Palace show and brought nothing new to the table for EXO. I liked that the video still acknowledged KAI with a name card at the table. But I didn’t notice anything for LAY, which was odd. I know he left SM Entertainment, but he still an EXO member at the end of the day and deserves to be acknowledged in some form.

It doesn’t feel right that KAI is missing from this choreography. This routine would have been within his wheelhouse. But the remaining seven members did a really good job. The music video, which is what I am basing the choreography aspect of this review on, fails to really highlight a key move in my opinion, which disappoints me a bit. However, I liked the subtle sensual moves in the routine, and that there were moments where the members did reflect the intensity in the relevant sections to give off a strong performance.

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

[Review] HWEEK – TEEN TOP

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TEEN TOP is one of the growing number of second generation KPOP groups that have recently announced their return to the KPOP scene for the first time in years. And earlier this week, TEEN TOP officially returned with the single HWEEK and their 7th single album 4SHO. Since their last comeback in 2020 with the 2020 version of their hit single To You, the group went on hiatus due to the member’s military enlistment requirements. All the members have since returned from the military, but leader C.A.P departed from the group earlier this year following some controversy. As a result for this HWEEK and 4SHO comeback, the group reformed into a four member male group.

My thoughts on HWEEK are my actual initial thoughts of the song, as I have only gotten around to listening to the song for the first time today (it has been a busy week back at work, so I hadn’t had a chance to listen to new releases in the background). But I can already tell you just after one listen that HWEEK garners a positive review in my mind. What I really like about HWEEK right off the bat was its fun, lively, foot-tapping energy that I can definitely see being super infectious and catching on (if it hasn’t already). Based on the group’s more recent outputs in the late 2010s, I kind of expected a darker and more mature sound from the group. But HWEEK‘s brighter and upbeat appeal was much appreciated, given the summery season Korea is now in (and my yearning for such weather). The retro vibe of the rock instrumentation is quite refreshing take on both the rock and retro genres in KPOP, and I like how consistently upbeat and energetic the instrumentation was. I also liked the shorty snappy lines and melodies of the chorus, which helps build on the catchiness of HWEEK. They also made it easy to get into the song. I found the pre-choruses, handled by Changjo, to be an intriguing part of the song (but in a good way). It infuses a bit of a hip-hop vibe to the song, which changes up the momentum and direction of HWEEK momentarily. But it doesn’t feel too out there and works. The members did a solid job in the track with their vocals, as well. Overall, I think it is needlessly to say that I found HWEEK a very likeable song with strong potential to grow on me over the coming weeks.

The music video was alright. The video nails embracing the summery and upbeat vibes of the song, particularly when it came to the outdoor scenes (i.e. the beach and the road trip). I also liked the energy the members brought to the video. However, when it came to the use of the green screen, I wished the editors/post-production team made the background felt a bit more natural. The use of the green screen cheapens the video in my opinion, especially when it came to focusing on their footwork in the video.

The choreography was indeed a fun aspect of the comeback. I liked how there was a slight bounce to the routine and that it felt lighthearted, and not as intense as their usual choreography. This allows the members and dancers to bring a likeable level of energy to the performance. Their consistent live vocals made it enjoyable to watch, as well. I also liked how they threw in a Rocking dance reference to the end of the choreography. Obviously not as intense as the usual Rocking choreography, but a nice homage to one of their iconic dance routines.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] HARD – SHINee

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Here I am with my first review since returning from my week off. You know I have to start with the biggest comeback from last week – SHINee’s grand return to the KPOP scene with their 8th studio album and title track, both titled HARD. The group previously pre-released The Feeling a few weeks back, raising the excitement for this comeback. HARD also celebrates the group’s 15th anniversary since their debut back in 2008 with Replay, one of the most iconic and legendary KPOP debut songs that have stood the test of time. Unfortunately, only three members (Key, Minho & Taemin) promoted the comeback on stage, with Onew sitting out due to health issues.

My first impression of HARD was that it felt too hip-hop oriented for SHINee. It actually sounded more like a NCT release than a SHINee release, and I wasn’t exactly sure what I honestly thought about that. But as usual, the power of multiple listens since its release has helped HARD grow on for me. I still don’t see the SHINee influence, but I find HARD to be strongly executed (as one expects when it comes to a SHINee comeback) and its production and energy to be one of the strongest points of the track. I really liked how ‘hard’ the track ended up going in the hip-hop direction, especially when it came to the choruses. The choruses kick off with an anti-drop and whispery vocal approach, which help builds anticipation to the second half, which is where the energy peaks and HARD feels very hype, 90s and punchy. There is also a catchy appeal to the chorus here. KEY’s take on the whispery half of the chorus was the best version in the song, while Minho’s execution of the second half during the second run at the central piece was my standout. As for the verses, they were not as memorable. They contain a bit of the hip-hop influence in its backing, with the first verse pairing it off with piano flourishes and the second verse doesn’t do too much else than electronic elements. The piano flourishes gives HARD a trendy dynamic and allows the song to dip into a melodic mode for the pre-choruses and bridge. Vocally, the group doesn’t miss a beat and delivery another strong track. Unsurprisingly, they do branch out into a rap-like territory, which allows them to fit more neatly into the hip-hop driven HARD. While this hip-hop side of SHINee is a bit foreign to me still, HARD has grown immensely on me.

As for the music video, I felt like the video had that SHINee artistic flair, which fits it neatly into the SHINee videography. The sets look quite cool, such as the twisty piano keys structure and the broken/smashed piano set. The stylists did an amazing job with their outfits for this comeback. It had a modern flair, but felt very appropriate for the 90s hip-hop music influence. It is also nice to see ONEW make an appearance in the video alongside the other three members, albeit not as much in the choreography side of the video. I do hope he is doing okay.

A strong performance rounds out this comeback. They really embraced the hip-hop influence of the song in the choreography. I really liked the routine for the choruses, starting off with small and softer movements to fit with the whispery vocal approach and then stepping it up with a bouncy on-the-spot bop in the second half where the music was livelier and hype-like.

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

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 3rd Week of June 2023

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I am back from my break! Now back to the drafting and writing of new posts for the blog! But first, as mentioned previously during the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 2nd Week of June 2023, the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd and 4th Weeks of June 2023.

Unfortunately, I have misjudged the time it takes me to make prepare and draft up one of these posts. As such, I will only be posting the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd Week of June 2023. Instead, you will see the 4th Week of June 2023 post tomorrow before I proceed back to standard transmission of reviews (which I may get to tomorrow or Wednesday). But without any more delay, here is the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 3rd Week of June 2023.

The Charts

Congratulations to The New Six (TNX) for rising to the top spot on KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart for the very first time with their latest single Kick It 4 Now. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down.

3rd Week of June 202318th Jun – 23rd Jun 2023
Pos.SongArtistStatus
1Kick It 4 Now The New Six (TNX)(▲ 24)
2LUCKY!KIM JAE HWAN ft. BOBBY (iKON)(NEW)
3S-ClassStray Kids(▼ 2)
4Broken MelodiesNCT DREAM(NEW)
5#menowfromis_9(▲ 15)
6BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)ATEEZ(▼ 3)
7SOSKANG DANIEL(NEW)
8One & OnlyBOYNEXTDOOR(▲ 13)
9WastelandKANG DANIEL(▲ 18)
10WATERFALLYOUNITE(▲ 36)
11MACERENABLITZERS(▲ 7)
12Freakin’ BadXdinary Heroes(▲83)
13CharismaticDROP THE Beat & PICK on the top(▲ 15)
14Hold TightFlash (from FANTASY BOYS)(▲81)
15SerenadeBOYNEXTDOOR(▲ 66)
16ISLANDThe Wind(▲ 29)
17Slam DunkMighty Mouth ft. EUNHA (VIVIZ)(▲ 78)
18BITE MEENHYPEN(▲ 6)
19Spicyaespa(▲ 76)
20FREEDOMJOOHONEY (MONSTA X)(▼ 18)
21DesignerVAV(▲ 47)
22ICKYKARD(▲ 29)
23BONVOYAGEDreamcatcher(▲ 7)
24But I Like YouBOYNEXTDOOR(▼ 11)
25Movie StarMIJOO(▼ 16)
26UiKON(▲ 52)
27Wind & WishBTOB(▼ 20)
28ERASE MEONEUS(▼ 16)
29Cherry GeneACID EYES (tripleS)(▲ 66)
30GET LITStray Kids(NEW)

Songs leaving the charts

The following songs have wrapped up their nine week run in the charts system, and will no longer be on the charts from next week:

  • Sunny Road – NCT 127
  • Macarena – BLITZERS
  • Harmony – DKZ
  • Cheetah – Jackson Wang
  • Sunday Night Driver – Jay Park
  • Dream – OMEGA X
  • F*CK MY LIFE – SEVENTEEN
  • Super – SEVENTEEN
  • Tantara – iKON
  • Seed – Taeyang (BIGBANG)
  • SHOONG! – Taeyang (BIGBANG) ft. LISA (BLACKPINK)
  • I Miss You – VROMANCE
  • THROW A DICE – XODIAC
  • SUNSHOWER – EPEX
  • Rule Breaker – GRAY ft. Coogie
  • everland – Issac Hong & Chin Sooyoung
  • her – Issac Hong & Chin Sooyoung
  • Journey – WOODZ
  • Freakin’ Bad – Xdinary Heroes
  • Easy Breezy – Jueun ft. Seo In Guk
  • UP – LUO
  • our first love – Kwon Jieun
  • AMYGDALA – Agust D
  • Unforgettable – ONEUS
  • Sirius – The Wind

[Review] F*ck My Life – SEVENTEEN

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Alongside Super, F*ck My Life was also a title track for SEVENTEEN’s 10th mini-album, FML, which was released back in April of this year. A music video for F*ck My Life dropped two weeks after the album’s official release, hence why I did not review F*ck My Life on the same day (or there abouts) as Super. And I was unable to fit it into my schedule for review at the time of the music video’s release. But today, I will finally get around to reviewing to F*ck My Life.

Despite having a very bold title, F*ck My Life is surprisingly subdued and mid-tempo. While the title does make sense in the context of the lyrics (more on this in the music video section of the review), there is still a certain boldness that I wished was reflected in some way in the song. I felt like this boldness and its potential was pretty much swept under the rug. But based on what we got as the final product for F*ck My Life, I would describe this song as pleasant (for its overall sound) and thought-evoking (for its lyrics). But what this pleasant means is a bit iffy, even after two months. F*ck My Life is vocally centric, which isn’t unheard for SEVENTEEN. While I do agree with the notion that SEVENTEEN did well in making the track pleasant and flowy with their vocals, I personally felt the vocals gave off a neutral energy, which in turn doesn’t hold its ground after the song finishes. One of the things I did like was how the song felt like a conversation, rather than an overly emotional piece. This helps the thought-evoking impression come to life upon considering the lyrics. The instrumentation was also nice, but it isn’t wasn’t memorable. The only element of the instrumentation to leave an impression were those electronically modified vocals that feature at the start and end of the song, even after the song ended. This does raise the concerns that the vocals didn’t do as much in the song. Personally, I did think there was room for some rapping in the song, which I think would have made their pleasant track a bit more impactful. But, altogether F*ck My Life was a nice song, overall.

The lyrics of the song speak about wanting to “fight for your life” amidst all the dispiriting hardships life throws your way (taken from Soompi). In the video, the members fight for their lives after realizing the life around them is staged. A lot of the music video appears to be inspired by the Truman Show. Moments where the members had the realization of their staged life occurred after key turning points that occurred in the actual Truman Show movie, like the fallen stage light, the rain falling in one spot away from the character, the background people appearing to “block” members on what felt like command, a controlled sky, the appearance of cameras and the feeling of being watched etc. Even the departure of a friend was written into the music video, who dropped a “Fight for you life” badge behind for Joshua to find. In the end, all the members escape from their staged lives on a boat.  Overall, it is a nice callback to a great movie and works well with the lyrics of the song.  

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

[Review] One & Only – BOYNEXTDOOR

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New group alert! BOYNEXTDOOR made their debut back in May with a triple title track situation – But I Live You, One and Only & Serenade. All the tracks come off the group’s first single album, Who!. Good question. BOYNEXTDOOR is a six-member male group from KOZ Entertainment (a subsidiary company of HYBE LABELS) and is produced by famous KPOP producer and Block B member ZICO. The group consists of Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan and Woonhak. This review will focus on their highest charting and what I think is their more recognisable title track, One & Only. But I do have intentions to return to review But I Love You and Serenade in the near future.

I found One & Only to be a cute number. I think it has been a while since I have described a male artist’s release like that, but it does take me back to the cringy days of KPOP when cuteness was the only thing male groups were putting out. One & Only appears to be more refined, without it going into obnoxious territory. I am very appreciative of that. The chorus was a fun little jingle that I cannot get out of my head. It was also playful vibe and suits the youthfulness that BOYNEXTDOOR clearly brings to KPOP. That being said, One & Only is not the perfect KPOP release, let alone a debut release. I don’t remember much from the song other than the chorus jingle, and the members don’t have much opportunity to really showcase their individualistic talents or skills in the song. This is particularly a major problem given that this is one of their first releases, and I don’t see anything that helps differentiate the team from their competition (which I believe will be heating up later this year). Thankfully, the other title tracks do provide this opportunity. But overall, One & Only does enough to attract attention to the group, and serves as a good starting point of the newly debut male group.

Given that the group’s name is BOYNEXTDOOR, I thought it was clever to make a door a recurring element in their music videos. Hopefully, the producers keep this up in future music videos, as this could be a trademark element for the group and it would be intriguing to see how this would be interwoven into future concepts that are not as casual as this one. As for One & Only specifically, the music video feels refreshing and has an exciting energy coming through it. The cuteness comes through as well, and it also isn’t obnoxious from a visual sense. The members look like they are having a fun time, which works well with the joyful and bright energy the group exudes from the song.

While the song doesn’t showcase the members as it should, the performance does a good job of showcasing their cohesiveness. And just like the rest of the comeback, there is a fun and playful vibe coming from the choreography that instantly makes me smile. I like how the door was incorporated into the performance, especially as it helps introduces the members and hides the members throughout the performance. The best part, however, was when one of the members shakes the door to make the others “fall” out.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Review] Rose Blossom – H1-KEY

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Today, I will finally get around to reviewing one of the earliest releases of 2023 – Rose Blossom by H1-KEY. For those who might not recognise the group’s name, H1-KEY is a four-member female group (currently consisting of Seoi, Riina, Hwiseo, and Yel) who made their debut in 2022 with ATHELTIC GIRL. I did review their debut song, but did not review their later release of RUN, which dropped in July 2022.

Honestly, I didn’t know if I was ever going to return to review Rose Blossom. It has been five months (nearing six months) since its release and all I can remember was passing on it when I had a chance to review the song. I don’t even remember my first impression of the song. But a few repeat listens recently of the song caught my attention and traction to review Rose Blossom has snowballed from there. There are a few reasons to why Rose Blossom has caught my attention now. Firstly, there is a nostalgic factor to the song. Rose Blossom reminds me of past 2NE1 releases, which is one of the groups that I grew up on. Secondly, the members did a really good job with their vocals and rapping. Rose Blossom really benefited when the members had definition behind their vocals (i.e., during the chorus), which gives off a strong impression. Furthermore, the nasally approach to their vocals felt unique. Thirdly, the chorus has a neat ring to it. Nothing amazing or ground-breaking here, but it added to the appeal of the song. Fourthly (and finally) was how chilled and easy-going the instrumentation ended up being. The synths and trap beats combination in Rose Blossom isn’t the catchiest, powerful or innovative piece ever. But with everything else, it was surprisingly pleasant and complementary to the rest of the elements of Rose Blossom. More could have been done with Rose Blossom. But as it stands, it is a satisfying listen that I recently got into.

I feel like the music video is a literal take on the lyrics. In Rose Blossom’s chorus, there are lines that say “I’m a rose among the concrete, until this bleak city becomes filled with colour, I’ll keep my head up, stand my ground until the very end…”. For the most part, the entire music video can be described as bleak. There isn’t too much colour going on in the video, until the members stumble upon the hallway that is spewing roses onto the outside. The red colour that comes from this scene is quite bold, in comparison to everything else in the video. We did have a tinge of red throughout the video, which probably hinted at the fact the members are red roses waiting to blossom, but it was fairly muted and fitted into the bleakness of the video. Following that red rose hallway, the members returning to the current bleak world, waiting for their time to blossom. I kind of wished there was a heavier red presence, just to represent that realization for aesthetic and completeness purposes.  

I liked their all-smile approach to their performance, which gives this comeback a more uplifting presence. Choreography-wise, it was fairly standard. But it was enjoyable to watch.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Review] Kick It 4 Now – The New Six (TNX)

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It is now time to turn our attention to The New Six’s latest comeback. Wait, don’t recognise the group name? Well, that was because TNX underwent an unexpected change to the way they style their group name overnight. For some reason, The New Six adopted their full name that has been with them since their debut and dropped the acronym TNX (though I think said acronym is still. While no statement was made for this change, it is speculated that this change would help avoid confusion with other group names. Anyhow, that is the big piece of news involving the group out the way. Now, here is my review for Kick it 4 Now, the lead single off their 3rd mini-album BOYHOOD.

Kick It 4 Now swings back to the 80s/90s with The New Six’s take on the new jack swing genre. Even their promotional material and concept was inspired from that era! There is no meddling or alteration to the idea of the new jack swing genre, as Kick It 4 Now is very much a straight forward copy of songs from the genre from that era. You can hear the sound the most during the main chorus, which serves as a great uptick in energy, in comparison to the verses (more on this in a second). I also liked the part that follows the choruses (i.e., the “Nostalgia, Déjà vu, I am coming back to you”). There is something about stripping that part back to not have a new jack swing influence that feels aesthetic and subtly groovy. Altogether, the whole chorus package of Kick It 4 Now was super catchy and addictive, drawing me back into the song each time it wraps up its 3 minutes run is up. On the other end of the spectrum are the verses, which are the lacking element in Kick It 4 Now. This is mainly because the verses feel empty and lack drive. They do make the choruses more impactful and defined, which I appreciate. But I wished there was more to the verses. But that is honestly the only major problem I see in Kick It 4 Now. The vocal work was super nice, and did a good job of giving a modern side to the retro genre. The rapping was also successful, though I felt like it could have used some oomph so it doesn’t appear to be an underplayed section of the song. Altogether, Kick It 4 Now is a great comeback and, hopefully, a strong attraction for new listeners and fans of the group.

While the promotional material does have a clear 90s influence, I would have liked to see more of this in the music video. I can see a sense of it in the group’s outfits, that white spaceship-like set and the way the music video opens up with the analogue TVs. But I think it would have fitting for their concept for that older style to come through in a more profound manner. That being said, the music video that we do get does feel fresh and crisp. It also does a great job of showing their youthful side as well.

The New Six definitely show energy and liveliness with their performance, which is fitting for the new jack swing genre. A lot of the moves in the choreography feels reminiscent of the 90s era as well. I particularly like the chorus move, where one of their arms is behind their heads and they end with a few shoulder bops. It is such a smooth and suave move to have in the performance.

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

[Review] seOul drift – OnlyOneOf

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OnlyOneOf has been busy for the latter half of 2022 and early 2023. They completed their undergrOund idOl series, where each member released a solo song (i.e. Yoojung’s begin, KB’s be free, Junji’s be mine, Rie’s because, Mill’s beat and Nine’s beyOnd). The group also made their Japanese comeback with Cunning Woman in 2022 and chrOme arts earlier this year. They are also been on tour lately. But today’s focus is on the group’s return as a full group to the Korean stage in March of this year, with their fifth mini-album titled seOul cOllectiOn and the title track seOul drift.

Following on from the undergrOund idOl series, I had high hopes for this comeback. But seOul drift leans towards the more typical “noisy” sound (as some might call it) that many male groups have released (and will release) in this era. There are some good aspects of seOul drift, which I want to start off with. seOul drift is aligned with their past tracks, which have also been synth heavy singles. I appreciate that seOul drift is grungier than ever, which does give off a slightly different vibe to their competition. I also liked the idea of the high-octane energy that the members put into the song with their shoutier approach to the choruses. The drifting car sounds that are built into the instrumentation also makes the track unique. But compared with other releases, seOul drift does not have anything that I would consider unique to OnlyOneOf. I also found it hard to get into the track (part of the reason to why it has taken me a while to sit down and review the song), simply because the instrumentation for seOul drift was just overwhelming and overpowering at times. This masks the rapping and hides the vocals of seOul drift, in my opinion. The song also lacks the charm of a memorable melody or hook that would have helped it stay in my mind after the song finishes up. However, what seOul drift does create for a great performance piece (more on this in the final section of the review).

While it appears like this is a separate video from their undergrOund idOl series, there are nods towards the series in this video. The two that screams the loudest is probably the presence of telephone box (which was a recurring object in their solo series) and the fact the members are paired off in the same manner. The music video does feature less of the LGBTQIA+ themes that have previously attracted attention. But there some subtle nods towards those as well, such as the chemistry between the members and Rie holding a rainbow shopping bag. The lighting, dynamic nature of the camera work and the background of the Seoul lights (which the description of the video points out) were also positive aspects of the video, as well.

As mentioned earlier, the high-octane energy from the song lends well towards the performance element of the comeback. And this very true for seOul drift. The performance is one powerful and intense piece, and a relentless routine in which the members kept on moving without any breaks.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10