Category: Reviews

[Review] HELLO – TREASURE

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TREASURE is nominated for Rising Star and Best Electronic Song (for JIKJIN) in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support TREASURE and JIKJIN, and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today!

I know I promised this review a few weeks back when HELLO topped the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd Week of November 2022, but it unfortunately slipped from me. Apologies for that! But now, I am finally getting around to having a deeper look at HELLO, TREASURE’s latest comeback single. It was released as part of their second mini-album, The Second Step: Chapter Two, at the start of October. It is also the first comeback to not feature Bang Ye Dam and Mashiho, who were both on hiatus at the time but subsequently withdrew from the group a month after HELLO‘s release.

I didn’t pay much attention to the track upon its release as I had a lot going on in my life at the time. But listening back now, I am disappointed I missed and didn’t pay attention to such a fun, energetic and lively track like HELLO. I find it interesting that TREASURE is releasing music as vibrant and colourful as HELLO, especially since I feel like YG Entertainment aims for a certain niche within the KPOP community. Songs like JIKJIN, which are more heavy handed and serious sounding, are what I expect from YG Entertainment’s output, though 2022 appears to be changing that up. I guess their company is trying to captialise on TREASURE’s youth and energy. Anyhow, whilst the song does fall into the dance pop category thanks to its heavy (and at times, explosive) EDM approach, there are some typical YG Entertainment tropes, namely the chanty chorus, the hip-hop tinge and the anthem approach at the end of the song. All of this pretty typical arsenal for any YG artist, but TREASURE manages to breathe fresh life into these elements and really make it feel different. And I appreciate this ‘reinvention’. I also enjoyed the rock elements to the song, which is definitely on trend in 2022. Again, still not tired of it, hence why I enjoy it a lot! HELLO is also quite catchy, with strong hooks (which is the result of the chanty delivery of the chorus), which ultimately adds to the fun and liveliness of the track. I do think the song could have used some bolder moments in terms of vocals and rapping, just to give HELLO a bit of an edgy and a more memorable front. While what we got in HELLO was pretty solid, I do think more of the instrumental, rather than the vocals or rapping, after the song is over.

With a song like HELLO, I expected a party in the music video. And we got just that! HELLO is a song about coming together to combat the loneliness and emptiness that some might feel, and we got representation of that. At the start of the video with the members being alone and in their own worlds. But as the song progresses, the song brings the members together. And then a crowd, which finishes off the video in a party like fanfare. The fireworks work really well with the instrumental and heightens the viewing experience. I also like the simplicity of the dance choreography scene inside the white studio, with the coloured lighting and the big HELLO in the background.

The choreography for this comeback was on point. I love the vibrancy and energy that the members brought to the routine, which was also quite vivid and powerful. What amazes me is that the routine doesn’t give them much opportunity to take a break, but as we hurdle towards the end of the performance for HELLO, the members are still full of smiles and energy, which ends off the performance in such a positive and satisfying manner!

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

[Review] How We Live – KANG DANIEL ft. sokodomo

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KANG DANIEL is nominated for Best Male Soloist, whilst Upside Down has been nominated for Best Solo Choreography (Male) for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support KANG DANIEL, and your other favourite artists, songs and performance by clicking here to vote today.

This week is finally going to be the week where I finally post KANG DANIEL’s album review for The Story, which will now be expanded to also cover The Story: Retold, the repackaged version of the album that was released two weeks ago. But there are still two tracks I want to review by themselves since they received the music video treatment. One of these songs is How We Live, which features sokodomo. A music video for How We Live dropped mid-June, a month after The Story (and its title track Upside Down) was released. More recently, KANG DANIEL made his solo debut in Japan and returned to Korea with the new single Nirvana.

As a side-track, How We Live is quite a neat number. It is a simple old school hip-hop track that aims to be fun and vibrant. And I am happy to report that How We Live nails this quite well. Now, How We Live might not be the most riveting track on the entire album, nor do you find the track to be a show-stopping piece. It is also not a track that really shows off KANG DANIEL’s skill sets. Instead, How We Live keeps it simple, with a light tone that was enjoyable through Summer (the song was released on the cusp of Summer). I personally feel that this simplicity and light tone works in KANG DANIEL’s favour, as it complements the soloist’s vocals really well. In addition to that, there is honestly not much to the track, just those light old school hip-hop influences for the instrumental brought to life by fun and playful piano and some touches of brass (which is the instrumental of fun when it comes to KPOP), a simple melodical hook that is super easy on the ears and catches on quite effortlessly, and some really good rapping courtesy of sokodomo. sokodomo’s input to the song gives How We Live a bit of variety, and thus keeps the song from falling into a single constant state, which would have rendered the song boring and ineffective. All of these elements contributed and helped make How We Live quite enjoyable. And a comment that I pull out often for songs like this, but I appreciate that it is isn’t muddled or overwhelmed with synths or intensity. It is carefree and easy to get into. Hence why I quite enjoyed the likes of How We Live.

Just like that last comment about the song, this music video pretty much carries a carefree and no-nonsense vibe. All we see throughout the video is KANG DANIEL, sokodomo and the dancers enjoy a bit of unworried and casual atmosphere in the video. It is as if they rented an expensive home to escape life for the weekend and enjoy themselves in the company of some friends. Simple, straight to the point, but also exudes a bit of that fun and easy-going energy.

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

[Review] Wild Flower – RM (BTS) with youjeen

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For the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, BTS is nominated for Best Stage Presence and Best Special Performance, while BTS members j-hope, SUGA and JIN are nominated in a range of other categories, including Best Rap Performance, Best New Male Soloist and Best Collaborations. Support BTS and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.

For some, RM’s solo debut is probably the biggest release of the week. Yesterday, RM joined fellow members j-hope and JIN in solo release territory through the release of Indigo (the title of his solo debut studio-length album) and the title track Wild Flower, which features youjeen, the vocalist of Cherry Filter, a South Korean rock band. Earlier on in the year, RM confirmed that the BTS members would be focusing on solo ventures for the time being for the foreseeable future ahead of the impending military enlistment of the individual members with plans to regroup in 2025 following the completion of the group’s enlistment duties.

For those who don’t know, hip-hop and rap songs are not my go-to genres when I want to listen to music. I have just never been drawn to the style of music. But through KPOP, I have slowly grown accustomed to the genre and enjoy a few tracks from the genres. For RM, it was expected that we would heard delve into this style of music, given his role as main rapper in his group’s releases. What I did not expect was to be completely swept away by this song. Wild Flower was super captivating. To the point where I have to stop whatever I am doing (for example, writing this review). Usually, I can write a review (or do other things) whilst listening to the song in question. But with the likes of Wild Flower, it is one of those songs where the only way to appreciate is by taking it in purely and to do so without distractions. Wild Flower begins off with an atmospheric instrumental, before RM kicks it into gear by continuing the atmospheric underlay but also giving Wild Flower some momentum with the insertion of rock sounds. It creates for a powerful piece in such the opening section of the song. For the verses of Wild Flower, RM adds brings forth a more calming demeanour that effortlessly exudes passion. It is such an interesting balance that I find so interesting to listen to. The violins probably add to the calmness, and I thought that was clever. The verses are then followed by a second chorus, which features youjeen’s soaring vocals. I love the texture she brings to the song, adding to the captivation factor of Wild Flower. I quite liked how the violins and rock elements merge for the bridge and final run of the choruses of the song, combining the best of the two worlds that make up Wild Flower. Overall, I am definitely singing praises for Wild Flower, a song I didn’t expect to be the best release of the week.

The music video was stunning even without sitting down and interpreting the video. After all, Big Hit Music definitely have the budget to create such aesthetic videos. Based on SOOMPI’s article for this release, Wild Flower is about RM’s desire to live like a tranquil wild flower rather than an extravagant but quickly disappearing spark, which may be connected to RM’s desire to rediscover himself in music, which he has spoken about before. The video does a great job of depicting this, with RM present in a stunning outdoor setting that sets him up as a ‘tranquil wild flower’. Dark stormy clouds come by (which might be a representation of the stress and bad energy that RM experiences as an artist), but RM stands strong throughout, which allows him to passionately perform on stage at the end of the video. Overall, a literal but clever video.

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

[Review] Cheshire – ITZY

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ITZY is nominated for Best Female Group in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support ITZY and your other favourite artists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today!

Also making a comeback this week (and performing their new song for the first time at the MAMA Awards) is ITZY. Their new title track is titled Cheshire and is featured on the group’s sixth mini-album of the same name. Cheshire follows the release of their fifth mini-album CHECKMATE and their July single SNEAKERS. It also follows the pre-release of Boys Like You, which is an English single also featured on the Cheshire mini-album that I will review one day in the future as part of the International Song Review segment.

Despite being for a few days now, Cheshire doesn’t give me much rhyme or reason to be grinning. To be more accurate, I find the song to be quite dull. Again, the song could potentially grow on me with even more listens. But I just don’t see it possibly climbing to the likes of their past hits from their earlier days or even the recent SNEAKERS single (which I really enjoyed). The opening verse wasn’t exciting enough to pull me into Cheshire, which isn’t an ideal start, though you can fill the momentum accumulating in the background of the song. And this momentum eventuates into a questionable chorus. I think the producers were aiming for a similar explosive effect (given the contrast between Cheshire‘s chorus and lackluster verse), similar to the contrast from the previous song I reviewed. Unfortunately, I don’t think the intention is delivered. And it comes down to the ITZY’s vocals, which were very strained. The boastfulness that comes from the strained vocals just didn’t sit well with me and it distracted me from the rest of the chorus. You can’t really focus your attention much on the dance pop instrumental (though the ping-pong effect synth does poke through) nor the melodies, as the vocals are just in the way. They do a much better in the verses. The rapping was a positive aspect of the song, with the quieter rap sequence in the second verse showing off Ryujin’s charsima in audio form. Yuna’s rap segment in the bridge follows the same concept as the vocals in the chorus, but I find Yuna do have a much better handle on it. The plentiful post-chorus ‘La La La’ was pretty catchy, but I wished there was a bit more innovation to it. Overall, Cheshire is a slip for the group. Hopefully, next time around, their title track is better executed and punchy enough to make it an ITZY standout.

Not entirely sure what the concept of this music video is, but it seems like a magical performance of some kind. The members carry out a lot of magic tricks, transformations and special effects. And towards the end, there was a Cheshire Cat influence on the video, via Yeji’s smile being the last thing I could remember from the video – the Cheshire Cat in Alice In Wonderland folklore is known for its wide grin that remains behind momentarily after the cat itself disappears. What I quite enjoyed about the video is the changing background, especially around the second chorus segment of the song, that had to be applied in post-production. It was a really cool effect that gave a dynamic profile to the video.

Aside from the combination of the small swaying movement and the hand movement that makes a smile that pairs alongside the ‘La La La‘ post-chorus hook, there isn’t much else to talk about for the performance. It was rather bland looking performance, which I think was the intention. But it just felt like they did so much of it that it just ended up being bland.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] WHEN I MOVE – KARA

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KARA is one of many second and third generation groups who have made their comeback this year for the first time in while, joining the likes of BIGBANG, GOT7, SISTAR, SNSD, T-ARA and WANNA ONE, whom are nominated for the Best Comeback or Reunion in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support your favourite Comeback or Reunion of the year, and your other favourite artists, songs and performances of the year by clicking here to vote today!

KARA makes their grand return after a 6 year hiatus to celebrate their 15th anniversary! For those who may be new to the industry and KPOP, KARA was a five member female group who debuted back in 2007, and had very big hits like Mister, Lupin and Step (just to name a few). They unfortunately became inactive upon the departure of  Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon and the late Goo Hara from DSP Media (the company that established and managed KARA for 9 years) in 2016. As of the 29 November, KARA had regrouped and reunited as a five member group consisting of Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon, Heo Youngji (who joined the group in 2014) and former KARA members Kang Jiyoung and Nicole (who both left the group in 2014). WHEN I MOVE (the title track) and Move Again (their 15th anniversary mini-album) dropped earlier this week, and the group held their first comeback performance on the same day at the 2022 MAMA Awards, held in Japan!

For me, without a doubt, KARA’s first comeback in six years was the biggest comeback of the week. In addition to their hits I have listed above, KARA has a few underrated title tracks, such as Pandora, CUPID and Damaged Lady, that I have grown to love over the years since their release. WHEN I MOVE is probably going to fall into their ‘underrated territory’, simply because I don’t think the masses would turn their attention to a group they probably do not much about (since KARA is considered to be second generation, and the masses are more focused on the fourth generation and lesser so of the third generation). WHEN I MOVE, however, is a great song. I really enjoyed the way WHEN I MOVE starts, opting for a subtle approach that just feels sleek and stylish. The minimalist nature of the instrumental at the start backs this up. I liked the way their vocals adopted the ‘subtle approach’ as well, which not only complements the approach of the instrumentation and set-up of the song, but also pulled me into an alluring captivation. The choruses of WHEN I MOVE contrasts strongly to this, with all the members joining forces together to deliver an explosive line that really takes you away from that captivation from the verses and still maintains your attention with such a chorus. The house beat that forms the basis of the choruses brought a cool and somewhat retro touch to the song, and it builds on the energy and tone that the verses had pulled together. The hooks and melodies that follow in the choruses were catchy and memorable. The raps and the trap that follows the rap/accompanies the vocals in the bridge were probably the weakest aspect of WHEN I MOVE. It just didn’t have the same flair and appeal as the rest of the song, and felt pretty basic. I wished they upped the ante for the bridge, just so it really honed into the already mentioned energy and vibe that I quite enjoyed in WHEN I MOVE. Despite that, I still think WHEN I MOVE is a great song and return for KARA. It could have been better, but I am happy to take it as it is.

The music video did exactly what I expected it to do, based on the model and catwalk-like sound that WHEN I MOVE had. The music video wasn’t necessarily a fashion parade, but it was definitely a celebration of KARA, which is the focus of this comeback/reunion. As an extension of that thought, I really liked the fact that the group and the producers of this music video paid homage to the late Goo Hara, who took her life a few years back. The addition of a sixth microphone stand at the end for Goo Hara was very touching and I am sure fans enjoy this small but meaningful gesture. Aside from that, I quite enjoyed the different colours (and schemes) they had in this video, which does give off that celebratory and stylish flair that the song calls for.

No matter which performance I watched for this comeback (at the time of writing, only the MAMA Awards and the Music Bank stages are available), it felt like KARA never went on hiatus nor any member left the group. The chemistry between the group members were there and well-developed, and their stage presence spoke volumes. Their command of the stage, their performance (even though it would not be as iconic as Mister‘s butt waves) and their solid vocals/raps are all elements that junior artists should definitely look up towards.

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

[Review] Birthday – Red Velvet

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Red Velvet’s Feel My Rhythm is nominated for Best Group Performance (Female) of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Feel My Rhythm and your other favourite performances, songs and artists in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED by clicking the link here to vote.

Kicking off this week is Red Velvet, who returns after 8 months with their new single Birthday and the second part of their 2022 The ReVe Festival 2022 series, The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday. It follows Feel My Rhythm, their last Korean comeback from March of this year, and the release of their first Japanese studio length album in April of this year (which was headlined by the single Wildside).

To me, Birthday comes off as a muddled and underwhelming song. The instrumental of Birthday is what I considered to be muddled. Birthday continues the similar composition that was present in Feel My Rhythm, where a classical sample (for this track, the piece in question is George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue) is merged into a pop release. And for the purposes of Birthday, the classical sample ends up being mashed with trap elements. It ended up being a decent mix in my view, but I feel like the backing could have been more balance. Birthday places more emphasis on the trap elements, and I personally feel that this overpowers the delicate classical sample. My guess is that this is intended to make the song more riveting in the modern era. But I just feel it doesn’t do the classical element of the instrumental justice. As a result, we don’t get that same satisfaction that we got from Feel My Rhythm. As for the melodies, this is the side of the song that I thought was underwhelming. I feel the melodies and hooks were both underbaked and childish at the same time. This type of melody would have been perfect if the group was starting out. I have no issues with the group embracing a youthful side to their music, just not with an elementary and empty sound that we got in the final product. And preferably, one in which did not feel mismatched to the image they are aiming for/had created for themselves. I also feel like the melodies could have been weightier and more fleshed out. This would have helped Birthday build more character and feel more prominent. Throughout all of the song, there was only one element which I thought was interesting, and it would be cool for the group to explore this element in their releases into the future – the tinge of rock that we got in the bridge. More of it would be on trend this year and would have been great to explore now given that I am not over this rock genre trend. Overall, I think it is safe for me to say that this is not their best work ever.

The music video for Birthday begins with Red Velvet being denied from attending a party by the cartoon Gingerbread Man. In a rather petty move, the members return to the site of the party. But instead of presents like in the initial scenes, the members bring bats to infiltrate the party. They successfully do this, as per the ending scene. But after they defeat the Gingerbread Man. That is what I got out of the video, which was oddly childish in my opinion. I guess it complements the song in that regard. However, there are mature themes in the video, such as the cult-like fashion in which they summoned that balloon bear that shoots from its eyes. Aside from that, I quite enjoyed the colourful nature of the video and the fun energy the members did a great job of conveying throughout the video.

As for the choreography, I don’t see much potential in this department. I am quite surprised at this. I tend to look for the positive in all the negative, but I just thought this routine was relatively weak compared to their past routines. The only aspect that I thought might be worth flagging is that the routine was quite smooth. But aside from that, nothing really stood out..

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

[Review] Funky Glitter Christmas – NMIXX

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NMIXX is nominated for Best New Female Group of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support NMIXX and your other favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED by clicking the link here to vote.

NMIXX is back with the first holiday-themed KPOP track of the season. There is definitely a few more confirmed holiday-themed releases coming out way, so definitely keep your eyes open for those. But the focus today is on NMIXX and their new single Funky Glitter Christmas. This comeback follows the likes of O.O (their debut single) and DICE (their first comeback single).

NMIXX definitely made a splash in the industry for their uniqueness in smashing different sounds and styles into one singular song each time. This time around, the group turns down the exact thing that drew attention to them, instead opting for a more ‘standard’ sounding track to close out the year. And I quite like it. Not only was Funky Glitter Christmas was cheerful, upbeat, wholesome and bubbly, it was also stable and enabled a focus on the group’s vocals. On the stable front, we did get a bit of familiar melodies and classical carols mashed into the song, which is similar to the approach that NMIXX and their producers have taken for their other tracks. But it isn’t exactly jarring and comes off as cohesive, hence it feels stable. As for the vocal front, we have heard potential from the members in their past promoted tracks, but Funky Glitter Christmas is my first time hear a substantial vocal piece from the group. And I am very impressed with the flair and prowess that the group brought to Funky Glitter Christmas. I was particularly impressed with the the way the song swung back from the Christmas carol slowdown of the bridge to the final chorus, especially when it came to Lily’s high note. The rapping, whilst quite good, felt like it could have been a little more naturally incorporated into the song. Also, I feel that Funky Glitter Christmas could have more funkiness. This would have really made Funky Glitter Christmas more enjoyable, stronger and stand out more. Overall, a great track for us to acclimate to the holiday season and the countdown to the new year.

The entire music video showed the members getting ready for a party, and ultimately ends with that party showing everyone having fun and enjoying their time. This music video is no serious video, just telling you (visually) to have fun and enjoy the final moments of 2022 in the best way possible. It intends to be lighthearted and send out a happy message. It works well with the song and seeing the members have fun left a smile on my face.

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

[Review] DRAGON – TEMPEST

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TEMPEST is nominated for Best New Male Group of 2022, while their last comeback single is nominated for Most Underrated Song of 2022. Support TEMPEST and your other favourite artists, songs and performances in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED by clicking the link here to vote.

TEMPEST is back after a quick turnaround from their August comeback with Can’t Stop Shining and second mini-album (not yet reviewed, but will be reviewed). This time around, the group is promoting their third mini-album release, ON and ON, and the new lead single Dragon – both of which dropped on Tuesday this week. The single Taste The Feeling, which is also featured on this new mini-album, is also being promoted with a music video release (and I will be reviewing this some time into the future, as well).

Dragon is definitely a 180° change from their more pop centric Can’t Stop Shining, which I really enjoyed (so much so that it is now nominated for Most Underrated Song of 2022 in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards – sorry about the duplication and shameless plug). While I am not too bothered by the switch-up of style, my biggest concern with Dragon is that it doesn’t offer anything new in terms of output in the KPOP scene. Described as a hybrid trap song, Dragon is a somewhat solid track. It manages to put the members on display with solid display of vocals (i.e. the pre-choruses) and rapping (i.e. the powerful rapping we get in the verses). This is one aspect of Dragon that I really enjoyed. But unfortunately, it doesn’t strike me to be a memorable song. The choruses relied on shouty-like motif that didn’t give Dragon the opportunity to really hook me in. Whilst on the topic of hooks, Dragon was lacking in this department, as well. The instrumental was probably the most riveting aspect of the chorus, but it got repetitive by the time we got to the second chorus if I am being honest. Had the song been memorable by way of a more substantial hook, a less predictable instrumental or maybe a little creativity with the delivery of the chorus, Dragon could have been much more. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and we are left with a song that makes me want to relive their debut and previous comeback.

With a title as cool as Dragon, I kind of wished the music video featured more of the mystical beast. The glimpse of it that we did get was definitely serves as awesome peak. But I wished they had teased out the presence of the dragon a bit more. Aside from that, the video feels like your edgy styled music video, which works well with the song. I did quite liked the blue background with the white strips of fabric hanging above. That actually looked quite cool. I found the masks scenes to be a bit scary, but it worked with the edgy style quite well.

The performance for this comeback was just as you would expect. It is intense and has a powerful oomph to it, which complements the hybrid trap that we get in the song. I did like the kicks in the pre-choruses, which worked well in hyping up the performance. But nothing really stood out from this expected routine.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.8/10

[Review] Nirvana – KANG DANIEL ft. pH-1 & WDBZ

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As I had mentioned yesterday, I will be covering some new releases from this week today and tomorrow. It is slightly hard with artists whom I have not yet reviewed their previous comeback yet making their return this week and I want to at least review their releases in chronological order. So those releases will be on hold until I post a review for their preceding release. But there are still some new tracks from artists whom I have already reviewed their previous comebacks. One of these artists is KANG DANIEL. While I have yet to review two b-sides that got the music video treatment from his first studio album (and thus have not reviewed the full album, The Story), it might have been a smart unintended move. Following the release of The Story and Upside Down back in May, KANG DANIEL has returned 6 months on with a repackaged album that has been retitled as The Story: Retold and the new lead single, Nirvana.

Of all the different tracks that I have heard from KANG DANIEL since his solo debut, the ones that ends up going harder are the ones that I much prefer, like Who U Are and PARANOIA. Joining that list is Nirvana. It just takes a bit of time for the track to have momentum, and I like quite like it for the fact that it doesn’t delve into a dark context. The verses of Nirvana are more atmospheric and airy. There isn’t much to it, but I do find the synths that make up the background of the verses to be appropriate for KANG DANIEL. The meatier parts of Nirvana, which ends up being in the chorus, really sells the song for me. I quite enjoyed the contrast between verses/bridge versus choruses. It makes the electronic pop chorus just feel so much more intense when compared to the verses. But it also gave purpose to the atmospheric vibe that the verses had opted for. Without such a chorus, I feel like I would have been bored with what was presented to us in the verses. What I also enjoyed about the chorus was the beat, bass and rhythm, which I thought had a sense of style and sleekness to it that oozes out charisma as KANG DANIEL sings. I liked the more refined approach that his vocals took, keeping in line with that sense of style, sleekness and charisma that I just mentioned. And the melodies and lines had a memorable ring to them. pH-1 has always been a great addition to songs, and his featuring in Nirvana helped prevent the song fall into a consistent state that would have felt ended up Nirvana potentially going into dry territory. His flow and energy fits in quite well. Overall, Nirvana is a successful and great comeback track in my books.

The music video for Nirvana features WDBZ, who performs the choreography alongside KANG DANIEL. For those who don’t know WDBZ is a dance crew that is made up of dancers who normally already perform alongside KANG DANIEL on stage. They are signed under with Konnect Entertainment (the home of KANG DANIEL himself) and participated in the recent MNET dance crew survival show, Street Man Fighter (which KANG DANIEL also was a host for). Anyhow, the music video was pretty cool. I also like how KANG DANIEL is carefree for the verses. I find the scenes throughout the video shows him as likeable and friendly, especially when he dons a wide smile that also makes his eyes smile. The choreography scenes coincides with the choruses, as the music here features that the intense momentum. And I feel like the producers of this video really captured impactful moments of the routine. I also really enjoyed the runway scenes, which also works really well with the music/chorus.

As touched on briefly, the choreography has it moments, with the start of the chorus being the most impactful move from the routine. But that might be influenced by the cuts we see in the music video. The rest of the choreography really showed off KANG DANIEL’s charisma and both KANG DANIEL and WDBZ’s performance skills.

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

[Review] Sugarcoat – AB6IX

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As previously flagged, there is a lot to cover. And the past releases keep on growing as the days go by, so let’s chipping at those releases today starting with today’s singular review. I will be looking at some newer releases tomorrow and on Friday, so don’t worry. The first review today is for AB6IX’s Sugarcoat, which was released back at the start of October. It forms part of AB6IX’s sixth mini-album, Take A Chance. This comeback follows the release of 1, 2, 3 and SAVIOR earlier this year and a number of collaborations with Reiley for Moonlight.

The more I listen to Sugarcoat, the more convinced I become with the following conclusion – this is AB6IX’s weakest song to date. And that is saying a lot, given that I don’t remember all of their tracks from the top of my head, if I am being honest. But for some reason or another, Sugarcoat manages to just scream out that it is the group’s weakest song. Let’s break down the song to see why that is the case. The start of Sugarcoat was promising, with the light fade-in of instrumentation and a groovy base to kick off the song. I quite liked Daehwi’s vocals in the pre-chorus, as his vocals were much firmer and contrasted nicely with everything around it. And in the first instance, the chorus was was smooth and velvety (which contrasted nicely once again with the synths that make up the background), which is with thanks to the nicely done falsettos. But as Sugarcoat progresses, we never get anything new from the production. The funky instrumental simply repeats, with the members and the melodies forced to do the exact same thing to complement the repeating instrumental. The falsettos, though praised in that first instance of the chorus, was done so much throughout the song that Sugarcoat pretty much became overtly light and drifty. Again, I have praised songs in the past for this. But in this instance, this pretty much dulls the song for me. I wished Sugarcoat was grounded in some way. Usually, I would look to the rapping to do this, given that rapping tends to be a heftier and a more intense portion of a song. But because the song was so light and drifty, Woojin’s raps just couldn’t really override this. I have no doubts that he did a great job. I think the song could have used something meatier. In terms of trajectory, Sugarcoat is quite linear that the song doesn’t even peak. Even the dance break doesn’t venture far that the linear, opting for the same synths, rhythm and composition to the rest of the instrumental. Sugarcoat just hasn’t aged for me whatsoever. I pretty much have the exact same impression listening to the song today as I had when it was first released in October.

As for the music video, it is one of the videos that I don’t have much to say about. Half of the members are experimenting in the kitchen and lab, trying to develop the ‘Candy of Love’, while I think the other half are searching for it. Not really a riveting story, but it checks the box. The sets were colourful and neat. Their outfits were okay. I liked the denim and suit look. Not really a fan of that casual look that they went for – it was all pretty shaggy looking, to be honest.

The choreography aspect of this comeback was pretty good. I did like the mix of faster/sharper movements, and the slower/smoother moves in the chorus. This was clever and worked well with the lines in the chorus. The start was also pretty cool, though I wished that was kept for a routine which called for a lot more sharpness and intensity.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

[Review] Spray – WEi

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With my focus on debuts for majority of October, I have been unable to cover a wide range of new releases in KPOP due to time constraints. As previously specified, I will be slowly catching up on reviews as much as possible. Today’s focus is on WEi, who made their comeback a month ago with their new single Spray and their 5th mini-album, Love Pt. 2: Passion. This is the first time we are seeing WEi on stage since their Too Bad comeback and their Japanese debut with Maldives earlier this year (yet to be reviewed, but will be soon).

WEi reverts back to the edgy and tough-guy sound of KPOP with the release of Spray. I find this to be a little disappointing, given that I thought WEi was excelling with their brighter pop releases that they have more recently released (i.e. Too Bad and Bye Bye Bye). While reverting back to old sounds isn’t necessarily a bad move, I can’t help but think that Spray fails to really standout in the current crowd of KPOP releases and ultimately feels generic. Spray definitely had the foundations to be a successful track and there was opportunities for it to go big. The producers just missed the opportunities to concentrate this song into something more intense and impactful. And I feel the instrumental could have been boosted had the producers opted for (or at least experimented with) some more interesting and unique synths, rather than the standard ones we get in most dance tracks. The short dance break after the second chorus had the right idea, with a slightly different synth as a central piece. I also feel like the vocalists could have left a deeper impression in Spray, had the melodies been more developed and provide a more memorable ring to Spray. I feel like their parts were underbaked and more like a fizzle than a decent ‘spray’. But as always, I do want to point out some moments within Spray that I thought were quite good. The opening and end of Spray had this low groan-like “Love“, which I personally thought was intriguing. The chorus had a good set up with the line by line switching of vocals and rapping. The “Spray … Spray” hook ended up being quite memorable in my books. As it is a more edgy type of song, the rappers really stood out strong in Spray. They were given a more prominent role in the song, and I was impressed with the intensity they had delivered. The high note also shows promise from the vocal department (just a pity that their parts weren’t as stirring), and I really liked concentration of everything right after the final chorus and just before the final moments of Spray (this was what I was looking for when I mentioned concentrating the song earlier). Overall, I feel that Spray could have done more in some regards to not be a mix bag.

When I thought of the edgy and touch-guy sound, along with the title, I instantly thought graffiti and an underground-like premise to the video, leading to an industrial setting. And we pretty much got just that, just without as much graffiti as I had expected. There also seems to be a bit of a story to the video, with the members running at one point from a machine (and then confronting it), and some contraption of some kind was being built/installed to blow something up. I am just not too sure of the specifics of the storyline. But it did look cool. Another thing that looked cool was the instant switch between dry and wet environment during the bridge. It goes well with the title and was probably the most memorable aspect of this music video.

The key point of the choreography was the spray can action they did with their hand, which I thought was clever and highly relevant for this release. The rest of the routine was quite good and intense. They did a good job of selling that edgy and tough guy concept on stage.

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

[Review] Selfish – YooA (OH MY GIRL)

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Today’s review focuses on OM MY GIRL’s YooA, who makes her return as a solo artist with the single Selfish. She also dropped her second mini-album of the same name on Monday. This is YooA’s first comeback as a soloist and follows her debut with Bon Voyage back in 2020. As part of the promotions for this comeback, YooA also released two pre-release singles from the mini-album, Lay Low and Melody ahead of Selfish. I will return to these releases when I have time in the future. As for now, here are my thoughts on Selfish.

After listening to the song the very first time on Monday when it was released, I went away with one pretty brief thought about Selfish – that it is overwhelmingly repetitive. I like the use of repetition to help make a hook memorable and have praised its usage in many songs when others didn’t necessarily like it. And while the opening hook “I want U babe I want U” (which is repeated throughout Selfish) does get keyed into your mind, its the dull spoken and monotone delivery of this hook that pretty much makes it lackluster. And since it is repeated at the start, makes up the first half of the choruses and features as part of the second half of the choruses, this lackluster is consistently brought up and I am pretty much over it by the time we get to the second chorus. Whilst on the topic of the second half of the choruses, I am a bit shocked at how much of the monotonal approach is adopted in the song. I appreciate the shouty and chanty style of the second half of the choruses, as it brought some life and body to Selfish. But YooA’s monotone and flat delivery layered under the chant just brings the energy down. Luckily, the chant was pretty intense, otherwise that low toned line might have canceled out the energy. As for the rest of Selfish, I am okay with it. The verses decently displayed YooA’s vocals (just wished the drumming R&B instrumental was a bit more tight and had more meat to it). The repetitive (its a theme with Selfish!) “Zom” bridge was pretty interesting at first. A bit weird in the first instance and hilarious upon reflection. But listening back, I do find it somewhat charming now. It might be due to the fact that YooA gives the lines wispy ends which I find to be pretty nice (relative to everything else we got in the song). Her vocals that follow the “Zom” section were probably the best we got from her. Unfortunately, Selfish was a disappointing return riddled with elements that were intended to be memorable, but instead were dry and dull.

The lyrics of Selfish likens frustrating feelings stemming from an uncertain relationship due to an indecisive significant other to a fish inside a bathtub that is being drained (taken from SOOMPI). While we don’t necessarily see the fish in a draining bathtub (this would have equated to animal cruelty), we do see the frustration in some scenes courtesy of YooA, particularly when she is slamming her keyboard and looks somewhat angry. Other than that, the music video is bright and colourful. It pretty much felt like an OH MY GIRL’s video. I kind of wished that the producers created a different visual environment for YooA and her solo releases to help differentiate between group and solo work. But it was still a decent video.

Despite the disappointment I have expressed with regards to the song, I actually thought the performance for this comeback was very well done and recommend that you check it out. I really liked the way the dancers were utilised in this performance to add more to the performance. Take the first chorus as an example, where the male dancers were doing this on-the-spot break dance move to the side of the stage, while the YooA and the female dancers were doing the main twist move at the centre of the stage. We also see a bit of mature vibe to the performance, with the bridge showing off a somewhat sensual energy, especially when YooA and co. bend backwards on their knees.

Song – 5.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 6.7/10

[Review] Don’t Regret – WONHO

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Just over a month ago, WONHO made a quick comeback with the single Don’t Regret and his second single album, Bittersweet. It is WONHO’s first comeback in four months, following the release and promotion of CRAZY over Summer. And as announced yesterday, Don’t Regret will also be his last comeback for a while as he is preparing to enlist into the military in early December.

Following the number of dance tracks WONHO has given us since his solo debut, it is intriguing to hear that WONHO brings us on a slightly different direction with Don’t Regret. For this comeback, the new song steps into the trendy territory of rock that has dominated KPOP in 2022 with its many shades and forms. In the case of Don’t Regret, we get a moodier and emotional alternative heft to the rock, which does differentiate it from the rest of the rock styled songs we have heard this year. I quite enjoyed the consistency of the instrumental in this one. Yes, I didn’t find the consistent energy to be a flaw of the song (i.e. make the song boring, monotone or lackluster). Rather, it helped create a whole piece that flowed from start to end quite well and really sold the song to me. WONHO’s vocals in Don’t Regret were a solid effort. The definition in the chorus that accompanies his vocals helped make the centerpiece feel impactful and memorable. If I were to be critical about Don’t Regret, I think that certain parts of Don’t Regret would have benefited from an angstier approach from WONHO. I am on the side of being unsure whether he can pull that off, given how smooth and higher pitched his vocals are. But this would have better complemented the rock side of the song, make the song more interesting and give Don’t Regret more oomph. Despite that, what we got was really good in itself already and suffices. Overall, a strong release from WONHO that leaves me satisfied for the next while as he goes on his hiatus.

The song talks about having no regrets over a breakup, knowing that it was the right decision for both parties. Given that the song does have that emotional undertone since it touches on a breakup, the moody aesthetics and darker lighting we get in the video does a good job of capturing those emotions. I also believe we see snippets of the breakup happening midway into the video. Interestingly, the video largely stays with a similar aesthetic to the very end, so it does beg the question how does the video paint the picture that the lyrics allude to having ‘no regrets’ over the breakup. While there are some scenes where WONHO does appear to be smiling, I liked how the video at the end showed the two walking away in different forms, suggesting that no one is no longer hung up over the breakup. They are moving on and it shows that they have no regrets. Clever and works within the boundaries that were set when producing the video.

I appreciate the fact that WONHO chose no choreography for this comeback (thus, I will not be including a performance part in the final rating). It allows WONHO to focus on his live vocals and emotions that the song packs. And he does a good job of doing just that.

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

[Review] Tap Tap – VERIVERY

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Monday saw a lot of comebacks. And so, there is a lot to tackle. For this next review, I will be focusing on VERIVERY’s return, which to me was an unexpected comeback. I didn’t see much promotion ahead of the comeback, which was why I was surprised to see their new release on my feed yesterday. Though, me being on leave last week might have caused me to miss the articles. Anyhow, VERIVERY’s newest song is titled Tap Tap and is featured as part of their 3rd single album, Liminality – EP. Love. This is their first comeback since the release of O and Undercover earlier in the year.

I will be honest here. I didn’t have high hopes for the song in the moments before clicking on the music video to check it out yesterday. And this simply is due to the fact that their more recent releases have been underwhelming and less than memorable. But I was genuinely surprised with how much I enjoyed Tap Tap. This more lively side of VERIVERY instantly boosts Tap Tap‘s appeal. If you follow my blog closely, you will know that I have an affinity for these types of songs. The pop choruses were energetic, fun and quite catchy – descriptors that I have not used for a VERIVERY release for quite some time now. I just enjoy the feel-good energy that comes from such choruses and they just want to make me dance. Unfortunately, it isn’t all good news for Tap Tap. While the choruses were the highlight of the song, Tap Tap‘s hip-hop centric verses dragged the song down, thus counteracting some of the appeal the pop choruses had given Tap Tap. There is a strong contrast that is so blaring obvious and unsettling. While I have praised contrasting sounds within the same song in the past, the issue with the contrast in Tap Tap is that there isn’t cohesion between the two parts. The pop rock pre-choruses does help bridge the two sides of the song to a degree, but it doesn’t do enough. I personally could have done without the hip-hop verses, as a result. There isn’t anything wrong with Tap Tap being a full fledged pop song. Vocally and rapping-wise, Tap Tap was a solid effort from the group. It is not the most memorable offering in the industry at the moment and I think there was room for the group to amp themselves up. But I really like the rap-speak that opens up the pre-choruses. Overall, I think Tap Tap would been a great song had it kept to the pop style that was on display during the choruses.

I quite enjoyed the fact the entire music video was lighthearted and showed the members having fun. While parts of it were definitely staged, it didn’t feel unnatural. A complete change to their last music video, where the setting and atmosphere was much weightier and darker toned. I liked the comic elements that the post-production department have added to the video, whilst the home video styled parts made the video feel more natural. I quite liked the Friends inspired start and scenes for the second chorus. I think this is the first time I have seen the 90s show in a KPOP music video. The collages also looked cool. Overall, a well-rounded music video.

I liked how the choreography embodies both the hip-hop and pop sides of the song, and works well within the boundaries that have been set by the song. It makes for a decent performance that encapsulates both the more serious nature of the hip-hop influence during the verses and the more fun nature of the choruses.

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

[Review] Last Scene – CHEN (EXO)

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For this next review, I will focus on a new release from this week, just so I don’t fall behind with the new releases whilst also reviewing past songs. But despite it being only one day into the working week, there are already quite a large number of songs to choose from to review. In the end, I have settled on CHEN’s Last Scene as the first release of the week review. Last Scene is also the title of his third mini-album and his first solo release since Shall We? in 2019. Originally scheduled for a 31 October release, Last Scene was postponed due to the tragic events in Itaewon during the Halloween weekend.

It comes as no surprise to me that CHEN once again delves into the ballad genre with Last Scene. And I love that he embraces the ballad genre each time. Ballads tend to get a bad rap, just because many find them boring, empty and commonly associated with a sad emotion (and no one likes being sad!). But I like them for a number of reasons. I won’t get into the specifics to why I personally like ballads as this would be a tangent from the review. But put simply, I love the idea of getting lost and taken away by ballads (and other slower types of songs). And I feel that CHEN and Last Scene does just that wonderfully. Listening to Last Scene, you can definitely hear how much of the balladry style showcases his vocals the best. The husky and raspy tones behind his vocals give the ballad such a mesmerizing element at the start, while his vocals just effortlessly drifted me away as the song progresses. The classical orchestral backing to Last Scene was just so enchanting and felt quite flowy. The violins were my favourite part of the instrumental and they really captivate my attention whilst listening to the song. However, the best part of Last Scene to me is the way in which CHEN’s vocals soared and followed the trajectory as the instrumental builds. It just gives body and intensity to Last Scene, and just allows the song to speak volumes.

The music video features Park Hae Soo, who for most of the video, is behind the wheel. Combined with CHEN’s vocals and the song itself, you could feel the heartbreaking emotion behind his facial expressions quite prominently. Between shots of Park Hae Soo driving, we see footage of his partner (for this music video) wandering on the beach and very much in an emotional state as well. Based on the lyrics, we can tell that the pair had broken up. Park Hae Soo does make the decision to return to the same beach, presumably to hopefully rekindle with his partner. But once he gets there, she is no longer there. This goes back to the idea behind the title of the song, that their last scene together had already passed and now everything is to fade away.

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

[Review] Alone – HIGHLIGHT

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As mentioned yesterday, I am back on on the reviewing train starting from today. And I kick things off with a review for a comeback from last week. HIGHLIGHT, the 13-year-old quartet (formerly known as BEAST/B2ST), returned on 7 November 2022 with the new single Alone and their fourth mini-album After Sunset. This comeback follows the group’s comeback with their the single DAYDREAM and fourth studio album of the same name.

HIGHLIGHT goes down the funky and groovy roots of KPOP with this new release. More particularly, the mature side of those roots. This isn’t anything new in this day and age (Alone checks many of the boxes of such releases, such as heavy bass, funky guitar work etc.), but I do still find Alone alluring to a degree. The key part in that sentence is the ‘to a degree’, however. There could have been so much more potential to the song had Alone became more dynamic as it progresses, just so the song can be even more riveting and ear-catching. Instead, it just stuck to a neutral drive for majority of the song, which ultimately dried up Alone‘s appeal. It was a massive missed opportunity, in my opinion, for the melody to not really develop and concentrate. I was also quite disappointed when Alone just looped it back to the same initial chorus in its final moments, instead of a final hurrah to close out the song. A suggestion I kept on thinking about whilst listening to Alone is that the song could have benefited from a more hard-hitting and full-fledged rap sequence. I know former member Junhyung’s departure was a big blow for the group at the time, and I appreciate that HIGHLIGHT has not forced any of themselves to fill in the shoes of main rapper that Junhyung’s absence has created. But I feel after two releases with no substantial rap sequences, it is time we reintroduce the element back into their repertoire, just so Alone is more dynamic. We do get a rap-speak like motif from Doojoon in the second verse, but it just wasn’t enough to scratch that craving. On a more positive note, Alone does display a solid set of vocals from the four members. I liked it when the members went with low tones and this subsequently brought forth husky and raspy vocals from some of the members. Overall, I think my thoughts from the DAYDREAM review stands for Alone – ‘… sounds like your typical dance track. Nothing more, nothing less.’.

Alone depicts the darker side of falling in love, which is an interesting topic to approach. Visually, we see the world around the members come literally crashing down or breaking apart, which is largely caused by the absence of their partner. Based on the lyrics, I don’t think the members have broken up with their partners. It is just the members are completely infatuated with their partner, that even a small absence can lead to disastrous outcomes. I did like how the sets were largely simple in this video, with the focus just being on the members and whatever was to be destroyed in the set. Also, HIGHLIGHT looks amazingly stunning throughout this video. They do not look like they have been around for 13 years whatsoever.

The choreography looks great. It focuses on that mature side of the song that I pointed out earlier. Nothing too mind-blowing individually. But as a whole routine, it looks sleek and neat.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10