Category: Reviews

[Review] FOREVER 1 – Girls’ Generation

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Please excuse my absence over last Friday and the weekend (the album reviews that did get posted were actually scheduled whilst I was away). As a result of my absence over Friday and the weekend, I have been unable to review one major release from last week in a timely manner. I am talking none other than the legendary Girls’ Generation (or SNSD). After a five year hiatus, Girls’ Generation has returned to celebrate their 15th anniversary as a group with the release of FOREVER 1, the title of both their lead track and 7th studio length album. Their last comeback was back in 2017 with the duo All Night and Holiday.

For me, FOREVER 1 is another track that I would describe as extremely pleasant. It hits all the right nostalgic points for me, especially when I hear the individual members in the same song. Needless to say, I was smiling my way through FOREVER 1 from the first listen and throughout the weekend. The melodies and lyrics all had a heart warming and comforting tinge that made me fall for the song, which I am sure was the intention of the producers behind FOREVER 1. It also makes sense to have these feelings and emotions come about, given that FOREVER 1 appears to be a song that thanks their fans. The pop instrumental is very euphoric, which helps heighten those emotions I had already mentioned and gives off a modern/trendy background to the group’s return. This just means that Girls’ Generation is quite adaptable to the changing landscape of KPOP, as five years has a very big difference. My only critic about FOREVER 1 are the hooks. What we got in terms of a chorus was quite smooth and enjoyable already, with that heart warming tinge I mentioned before being the most prevalent during the chorus and was enough to win me over. And I know the direction in which FOREVER 1 heads in doesn’t call for super catchy hooks that become the focal and trendy part of the song. But compared with Girls’ Generation’s past releases (even their last release before this one), FOREVER 1 lacks in the memorability department. That being said, I can overlook that small lacking aspect and still enjoy the likes of FOREVER 1 and Girls’ Generation’s return.

I kind of wished the music video was a bit more than just what we got. After all, it is Girls’ Generation we are talking about! But given the limitations of the song (i.e. pleasantries doesn’t really allow for a wow factor or something dramatic), I understand why the video had a straight forward standard/plain approach. Aside from that, it was still a bright and colourful video, something that I would expect from Girls’ Generation in some shape or form. And the members look stunning throughout. I liked how the video shows each individual member going on their separate journeys – from acting to modelling to singing careers. There were also some shots of Tiffany on the plane, representing that some members went global! During their solo scenes, the members looks glamourous and refined. But in the end, they all come together to be part of Girls’ Generation. And the outfits during the choreography shots reminded me of their past outfits they have worn on stage (particularly, the sailor coloured/patterns ones), invoking a tidal wave of nostalgia, once again, on me.

The choreography looks great from what I could see from the music video. There really isn’t much to say unfortunately in this department, other than the performance looks like it fits the pleasant nature of the song really well. I am excited to see the group perform on stage later this week nonetheless.

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

[Review] Lonely St. – Stray Kids

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The final track from Stray Kids’ ODDINARY mini-album to receive the music video treatment was Lonely St.. And so, before I can proceed to an album review for ODDINARY, I will also be reviewing Lonely St. in this post. It follows the release of music videos for VENOM, MANIAC and FREEZE. Following the album review, there will be one more Stray Kids review next week, for their unexpected release earlier this week. So keep your eyes out for that.

Stray Kids brings the emotions out with Lonely St., with the song taking the form of a ballad. But it isn’t your usual type of ballad, given the hefty pop/punk rock instrumentation and the use of autotune. I don’t mean to suggest that the song is a let down or terrible. It was just an interesting take on a ballad. Obviously, these elements to Lonely St. allows the song to fit the grander picture of ODDINARY, given that Stray Kids music is usually heavy on the synths and autotune and the three tracks from the album that I have reviewed thus far. As expected with a ballad, however, the vocals of Stray Kids are on full display and I quite liked the push the members give to their vocals. Also, the autotune usage was nice and all. It didn’t get too much in the way of showcasing the vocals – though I am always for dialing down autotune to hear a rawer approach to the vocals (such as during their concert). The rappers also have a push on their end, enabling emotionally charged sequences to come about and fit in with the rest of Lonely St. I feel the pop/punk rock instrumentation also enables this. I think the lacking aspect of Lonely St. are the melodies. I find them straight forward and I feel this straight forwardness I find the melodies to be straight forward and I feel this pretty much rubs off on the rest of the song. There is nothing wrong with being straight-forward, but I think Lonely St. could have used something more enticing in this department to be more appealing. I also thought the ending was too abrupt, which you know is something that I don’t personally like.

The music video features the members running away and being isolated, as per the title of the track. I quite liked the mix of studio and outdoor shots in this video, which made it more interesting than it should be. The grey palette of the music video also sets the tone for the video really well, complementing the likes of the song perfectly. The members’ acting was quite decent, as well. The only aspect of the video that I am not entirely sure of is the ending with Lee Know getting up (and all the members lying around him). The abrupt ending to the song does justify something to follow after the ending of the song, but what we got just raises questions regarding that end – like how did all the members get there and what does it all mean?

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] SMARTPHONE – YENA

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We return to the usual transmission of reviews for new releases with the latest comeback. This particular comeback belongs to YENA, who made her solo debut earlier this year with the single SMILEY (ft. BIBI) following her IZ*ONE days. Today, YENA returns with a new single SMARTPHONE and her second mini-album of the same name.

YENA continues to delve into that fun style for this comeback, the same approach she took with her debut track. I must admit that I didn’t necessarily fall head over heels for SMARTPHONE upon the first listen like I did with SMILEY. But this fun style is definitely infectious and I was soon enjoying the track by just having a second listen. The instrumental definitely helps out a lot with this, taking on a very upbeat and energetic pop rock style that is pretty much all the rage now in KPOP. I do think SMARTPHONE‘s approach was more blastful, which instantly earns points for me. There was just so much energy coming from the chorus when the pop rock was at its strongest and coming at us relentlessly. I also enjoyed the extra oomph the synths added to the song, which was gave the song some additional appeal points. The pop rock was the more prominent aspect of SMARTPHONE, so the synths acted like detailing in the song. YENA sounds awesome in this song, with her youthful vocals and raps. The energy she brings into the SMARTPHONE is extremely bright, adding more to that fun and perky style of music I mentioned at the start. And it also helps that SMARTPHONE‘s hooks were catchy and addictive. If I had to be critical, I would point out the pre-choruses were the weakest part of the song, in my opinion. They just didn’t have the momentum I felt it should have to lead from the verses and lead to the choruses. But that had minimal impact upon me enjoying SMARTPHONE!

To match the fun and energetic style of SMARTPHONE, the music video takes it all on board with quite a concept. Essentially, YENA is part of a smartphone game, where she needs to save her friends from the evil and menacing duck, who has kidnapped them. She succeeds, giving the evil duck an uppercut. It was quite cute that the evil duck had sent its duck minions to fight YENA, which she easily defeated. In the end, they all party together – friends and foe – showing the light hearted nature of the video. Aside from the concept, I liked that the video was bright and colourful, and never lets up on these fronts.

The choreography looks great. It embodies the energetic nature of the song really well. I also liked the cuteness element to the choreography. Usually, I am not a fan of this. But I find YENA to be very adorable and her expressions just brought the stage to a whole new level. I quite the like the hand movements during the song’s chorus hooks, and the parts where her tongue are sticking out are quite memorable.

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

[Review] FREEZE – Stray Kids

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It is time to review another Stray Kids release. But not the new one just yet. That is on hold until I complete the other Stray Kids Korean releases that I have passed over so far this year. Instead, I am prioritizing the side tracks from Stray Kids’ sixth mini-album, ODDINARY, that got the music video treatment, ahead of their impending album review which I am looking to (and hopefully post later this week). Last week, I covered their VENOM track. As for this review, I will be focusing on the release FREEZE, the album’s fourth track.

FREEZE is quite an aggressive and abrasive track (if not one of their most aggressive and abrasive tracks to date), something that is pretty much up Stray Kids’ alley. I am sure these are the first words that pop into most people’s minds. I also find it bold, dynamic and packed full of energy, the latter two being noticeably absent from the group’s first track on the album. Therefore, I quite enjoyed the likes of FREEZE. The EDM is, without any doubt, very strong, and I quite like the trap elements in the chorus. It is quite a centrepiece and definitely embodies all the adjectives that I have used thus far in the review (and possibly even taking them to the next level). I would also describe as the bigger picture that is FREEZE to be balanced. Interesting word choice for an EDM track like this one, but not once did I find the overload of synths and texture to be overwhelming. Per usual, the rappers definitely stand out in this song. They were rough and harsh, complementing the abrasive nature of the song. The vocals help bring a bit of relief, and I liked how they stayed on top of the synths. They easily could have slipped and been smothered by the synths. I like the smoothness from the ending, with that contrast being a highlight for me. I did think the ending was a bit abrupt, but I do understand that the nature of this song calls for an abrupt ending. It doesn’t make sense for a fade out to be featured at the ending. If anything, I wished the hooks were meatier. That was the only element I thought was lacking in FREEZE, especially since it relied so heavily on the instrumental for its memorable factor.

It seems like the group are going after the white coat gang in this music video, with half of Stray Kids going undercover into a meeting with said gang and the other half listening close by to the events of the meeting. Not sure if the group are like police, but based on the fiery ending, I don’t think so. An epic shoot out happens (though, I am going also going to describe it as impossible) and the members listening in rush in to provide backup. But the white coat gang manages to capture all of them, and tie them up. The gang then leaves the group alone in a warehouse. Not sure why there is no one watching them, but okay. Stray Kids find the green chemical that seems to be causing some trouble in the media (see the Korean news paper article at the start – I presume the white coat gang are behind such an attack). They then confront the gang and use the green chemical against them, causing that very strong warehouse fire at the end. But the ending seems a bit confusing. We close out the video with I.N smiling in a manner that is a bit suspicious (as if he is making fun of Stray Kids), while posing with a gun. I don’t know if this suggest that Stray Kids is after the wrong people, and should have looked internally with themselves. Aside from the plotline, there were some really great visual effects, particularly during the shootout scene.

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

[Review] Cookie – NewJeans

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It is a new week. And it all starts with the debut of a new group. NewJeans is the group’s name, and they are a five member female group from ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE. The lineup consist of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, Hyein. NewJeans previously released music videos for Attention, Hype Boy (multiple videos in this case) and Hurt. A review for each of these songs/videos (and a hybrid review for Hype Boy) will be posted in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for that. But for now, here is my review for the group’s debut track, Cookie.

First impression of Cookie is that the song is rather flat. I appreciate that the group is doing something different, avoiding the cliches of cutesy sounds or girl crush concepts. The new group went with a minimalistic approach with Cookie. While minimalistic approaches have been praised on my blog before, I felt the same praise could not be applied to Cookie. The feeling I should have got from Cookie was new and/or refreshing. I also expected a track that had more oomph or changed momentum once in a while. Instead, we are provided with a box with limited amounts of fat synths, trap elements and a paced beat. It didn’t go anything further, which is the source of my frustration. There was a bit of a change at the bridge of Cookie, which inserted some dynamic energy. But that was pretty relative and short-lived. Vocal wise, I didn’t get anything impressive out of Cookie. However, I do find the mature vibes and the cutesy lyrics to be an interesting and abstract combination, and the vocal work is charming. To avoid an overwhelming song, I liked that the hooks weren’t too bold or stood out too much. This complimented the minimalistic style in which Cookie was aiming for and paired well with the vocals. I wished there was more to the song, just to give NewJeans that launch they need to show KPOP their potential.

While the minimalistic vibes of the song didn’t work, I enjoyed the minimalistic aspects of Cookie‘s music video. There wasn’t too much to the video. The most we got were some CGI during the bridge, and a large cookie/CD rolling in the background. Other than that, we got a very big room and a bench, which was utilized in the performance. Interestingly, the video was shot in a way where the sets did not feel empty or spacious, despite it clearly being empty and spacious. Clever. I also liked the retro tinge we got from the visuals in the video, which helped add a bit more substance to the video than had it been without it.

Performance-wise, the choreography looked great. It wasn’t too energetic, but it wasn’t a drag, as well. I did enjoy the dance break that we got, which help provide a bit more energy to the entire comeback package that is Cookie. I also like the hip and cool vibe the member brought to the performance, which helped make it engaging for me to watch from start to end each time.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Guerrilla – ATEEZ

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Before I attempt a weekend of an International Song Review and a few album reviews, here is one more song review. It is for ATEEZ’s latest title track release (which dropped today), Guerrilla, the lead track off the group’s 9th mini-album The World EP.1: Movement. It is the first Korean release from the group since the re-release of The Real at the end of last year and their 8th mini-album, ZERO: FEVER EPILOGUE.

If I had to pick one word to describe the likes of Guerrilla, it would have to be aggressive. And this aggression is present from the get-go. The new song opens up very crunchy synths and bass before launching right into Hongjoong’s raps. Your typical hip-hop influences are present in this opening verse. There is also brief taste of screamo. For the pre-chorus, the crunchy factor is lost and Guerrilla enters more melodic territories. Though this is short-lived, as Jongho ramps up the energy of the song with his soaring vocals (I will return to Jongho’s vocals in a moment). The chorus returns to aggressive synth territory and is delivered with shouty vocals that feels fitting for the grungy effect that the group is going for. I wished the hook here was a lot stronger, to give this section some much needed attention and oomph. To me, it seemed like the chorus was the weakest sections of Guerrilla. Then the song enters the post-chorus, a sequence that hybrids very punky and powerful techno synths, and grungy head-banging rock. All is very aggressive still, but it spins Guerrilla in a way that was unexpected. Jongho really shines and I found his soaring notes here to be very clean and precise, which shows you his skills and capabilities. We return to hip-hop roots with Mingi’s rapping, before Guerrilla is stripped to give the vocalists a moment to shine and the chorus is repeated. The bridge brings about very intense rock influences before the final chorus changes the dynamic a tinge with screamo vocals in the background. I think it is safe to say that my description at the start stands fairly well for Guerrilla by the time the song wraps up. Also, from what I described and heard from Guerrilla, it sounds like it should be a mismatch of aggressive sounds, given that there was a lot going on. But interestingly, Guerrilla is quite cohesive and nothing felt out of place. I think that is a feat on its own.

ATEEZ leads a rebellion in this video, setting up speakers throughout the city to get their message across. The video is set in a world where emotions and expressions are forced to be contained, as shown in the trailers. The lyrics of Guerrilla describe the world as a numb feeling. ATEEZ turns up the aggression with their song to combat these restrictions, blasting the world with their message to be more emotive and show expression. In the end, it appears that one of the kids being brainwashed to hold their emotions back escapes the confines of the brainwashing facility. The video ends there, and I am sure we will be seeing more of that kid and the Prestige Academy in future videos. Aside from that, I really like the high-end and sophisticated nature of the video, as it seems like a movie. The feature image for this post is my favourite shot in this entire video.

Aggressive is the word I would also use to describe the choreography for this comeback. I was watching it in awe and found it super captivating to watch. The movements were intense, energetic and powerful, all the while the group were also focused on performing the track. In particular, hats off to Jongho who successfully pulled this performance off without a hitch and his high notes were unfazed throughout.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10

[Review] VENOM – Stray Kids

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Next up on the catch up is the string of Stray Kids’ releases from earlier this year. Alongside the promotions of the group’s most recent title track MANIAC from back in March of this year, they also released music videos for some of the other side tracks from their 6th mini-album Oddinary (an album review is also coming soon, as well!). One of these videos accompanies the opening track of the album, VENOM. Per usual, a music video makes the song eligible for its own song review on my blog.

As an opener for the mini-album, VENOM is definitely an intriguing track, thanks to the bold choice of the song’s ear-catching centric synth. The synth in question is that slow and deliberate strumming of guitar strings (or elastic bands that are stretched out over a box), which brought chills to me when I first heard the song. Multiple listens since March has helped me become more acclimatised with the synth, but there is a haunting factor that remains with it. Its use just really pops out and gives so much profile to the song. Aside from the main synth, the pre-chorus in VENOM also caught my attention. It gave us a brief reprieve from the intensity of the song before ramping back up to the chorus in such a short space of time. Hyunjin’s laidback soft rapping in the second verse was also cool, and contrasted really well with Jisung’s rapping that followed right after. Finally, the closer hook was catchy. The rest of VENOM felt somewhat plain and standard. With the intriguing and promising elements already discussed, I wished this was not the case. I felt the chorus could have been tweaked (but also maintaining that main intriguing synth) in a way to feel punchier. I just feel the song is quite heavy as it is, and could have been even more appealing if the chorus was more dynamic. The bridge, the heaviest point of VENOM, felt very abrupt and this presented a flow issue as a result. Overall, VENOM fits in with Stray Kids edgy profile and style. And while the song has same very promising and bold aspects, it could have gone the extra mile.

Working with the heavy and dark nature of the song, VENOM‘s music video concept goes down that route. Decked out in black outfits for the entirety of the video, controlling robot spiders, having guns directed at your head and being surrounded by darkness in some scenes pretty much feels heavy and dark. But also edgy. And that is something I felt was quite the aesthetic in the video. The spiky ball and boxing gloves really consolidated that thought for me. However, I have no clue what the plot to the video is. Everything felt very disjointed unfortunately for me to really piece anything together and the visuals/aesthetic is quite distracting. Though it seems connected to some of their past videos with that exit door at the end. But aside from that, it is a cool video nonetheless.

VENOM was not promoted alongside MANIAC on stage. But they have performed the track on their recent world tour concerts. The slowness behind that intriguing synth allowed for the performance to go down a sensual path, which I thought was an unexpected route to take with this song. But the moves were still cool and edgy.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] Monochrome (Color) – ATBO

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It has been a while since I covered a newly debut group on the blog. More will be covered over the coming weeks, but I wanted to focus on the group that just debut today. ATBO is a seven-member male group debuting under IST Entertainment, the home of APINK. VICTON, THE BOYZ and WEEKLY. The lineup of ATBO consist of Oh Junseok, Ryu Junmin, Bae Hyunjun, Seok Rakwon, Jeong Seunghwan, Kim Yeonky and Won Bin. All the members participated in the survival show The Origin – A, B, or What? earlier this year, with the final seven lineup chosen to debut as ATBO. However, due to some controversary, the participant who took 7th place (Yang Donghwa) was pulled from the group, and Won Bin (who placed 8th on the show) was confirmed to debut in place of Donghwa.

ATBO’s debut single is titled Monochrome (Color), and it is a a decent debut track. Described as a hip-hop dance track, Monochrome has a balance of strong and weak points. Let’s talk about the stronger aspects of the song. The first are the song’s pre-choruses, with (and apologies if I get the members’ names wrong) Hyunjun’s rapping over a relatively stripped instrumental sequence. There was still a beat and some backing vocals from another member, but the stripping/lacking of the instrumental just helped make the rapping more prominent and the reliance on rhythm here was quite the bold statement. Monochrome also had some catchy hooks. They were a bit shouty and mainstream, but it was still good enough for me to enjoy. I also liked that the chorus had some melody to it, which tends to be left out in dance songs nowadays. The rapping elsewhere in Monochrome help bolster up the song’s body, which helps make the usually forgotten verses more significant. Finally, I enjoyed how the ending was approach, with the layering of high note and rapping and then the combination of an anthem sequence and a fully silent background at the end to close out Monochrome. I like this use of silence to give a monochrome effect in the actual song. Now, onto the more weaker moments of Monochrome. The vocalists’ sequences felt underwhelming to me, in comparison to the rappers (aside from that high note at the end). I am also not keen on the slow change in the bridge. This felt very cliché and typical. I also felt the song, overall, could have been more innovative. There are some hints of innovation during the stripped instrumental, but there were also very standard sequences (i.e. the rest of the instrumental) that got a meh from me. Overall, Monochrome was decent but a good start to a group’s career.

I like the use of colours for majority of the video, reminding us that ‘monochrome’ isn’t just a greyscale palette. Instead, the term ‘monochrome’ refers to one colour. Most of the scenes at the start of the video featured one prominent colour that stood out from the rest, playing with that idea of one colour. Clever. The red lighting in some of the choreography shots at the start, the green grass in one of the solo shots, the yellow sweater worn by another member during their solo shot etc. are examples of this use of one colour. But as the song expresses the members’ desire to paint the world with their own colours (taken from SOOMPI), the use of one colour slowly becomes diluted throughout the video. Also clever.

The performance in the first instance made me go wow. The sychronisation and sharpness of moves in this choreography was very full on. While this is a common aspect of comeback nowadays, it is impressive to elicit that response from essentially the first second. It also looks super cool during the faster moments of the video.

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

[Review] Hurdle – SUHO (EXO)

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It is finally happening. I am finally making a start on the masssssive backlog of releases that I have not reviewed yet. I have a long path ahead. Anyway, back to the review. Here is my review for SUHO’s Hurdle. For those who missed it, EXO’s leader made a comeback back in April this year with Grey Suit, the title of both the lead track and his second mini-album (an album review is coming your way very soon). A few days after the release of Grey Suit, SUHO also dropped a music video for a second track, Hurdle, which will be the focus of this song review.

Hurdle is very different to the likes of Grey Suit. Grey Suit was a slow rock styled ballad that captivated me for showcasing SUHO’s divine vocals. Hurdle, on the other hand, takes on a much more upbeat and energetic style. One that I find to be equally as captivating as Grey Suit. Hurdle features a vintage rock sound, and does a grand enough job of bringing up the tempo on the mini-album from the title track. There is a head nodding vibe to the song that had me enjoying the track when I first heard whilst vetting the album to see if it is worth reviewing (spoiler, it is!). At the 2:15 mark of the song, Hurdle brings forth that an even more intense rock vibe, giving the song a climatic peak and adding some (unexpected) oomph. From then on out, Hurdle maintains the momentum and closes out the song in spectacular fashion. SUHO displays great vocals throughout the song, and I quite enjoyed the autotuned effect during the chorus, adding a fashionable and retro-like edginess profile to the song. The chorus had a great anthem like melody that adds to the memorable appeal of Hurdle. The only aspect of Hurdle that didn’t feel like it live up the rest of the song was the verses. They were easily forgotten in the midst of the chorus and climatic energy. I wished they had something going on that was more prominent, as this would have allowed Hurdle to get a perfect rating.

The song is about being stuck in the beginnings of a relationship, with time being the hurdle that is getting in the way of his partner giving him a clear response on what they are. For the video, it is depicted as working in a workplace where you are essentially ‘stuck in time’ similar to the parallel that SUHO draws about running hurdles to get that answer from his partner. We see what seems to be the usual 9-5 situation that is on repeat each day. SUHO clearly is the different person in the crowd, going the other way and dressing differently from everyone else. His boss does not make things easier and appears to make SUHO’s life hard day-in and day-out. In the end, it looks like SUHO emerges with an answer, as the video changes from boring office to a party and SUHO is not ‘tangled’ in the hurdles as we see him earlier in the video. Quite liked the purple and yellow colours throughout the video, which feels very retro but funky at the same time.

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

[Review] Nerdy – PURPLE KISS

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PURPLE KISS made a quick comeback yesterday, just four months after their March memeM comeback. An album review for memeM (their third mini-album) is coming your way soon. But for now, PURPLE KISS has moved on to promote their new release, Nerdy, the title track off their fourth mini-album Geekyland.

Right off the bat, Nerdy stands out for its quirkiness. To me, it feels like PURPLE KISS could find a niche in KPOP with this quirky direction, given they also have Zombie in their bag (my favourite PURPLE KISS release to date). There are some other successful quirky releases floating about in KPOP, but it has been a minute. As a result of this, Nerdy comes off as having a new, unique and refreshing sound. More specifically, a fun horror like sound style. I personally quite enjoy this, appealing to my taste for something new (even if it isn’t in fact a new sound!). Nerdy‘s fun horror sound comes about from the violin samples in the instrumental and the vocal melodies that help bring everything to life. I quite liked how the violins samples were used thoughtfully, and how the vocals were bolstered in a way to appear powerful and strong. The violins in the dance break were definitely the peak moment of the song, and highlights that fun nature of Nerdy. The upbeat nature brought to you by the synths helps seal the deal by giving Nerdy a vibrant and catchy atmosphere. I do think Nerdy takes a bit of a tumble when it comes to hooks. I don’t think Nerdy was necessarily memorable on this front. But thankfully, the described instrumental, without a doubt, makes up for this memorability factor for me.

I quite like how the music video for Nerdy carries on that horror theme, but in a lighthearted manner to match the fun nature of the song. If the producers of this video thought of something else that wasn’t lighthearted, then I would have some questions. From what I can tell, the members of PURPLE KISS are ghosts in a TV studio. They have a bit of fun, haunting the studio and some of the personnel. But they also mean business, fixing up a disappointing horror show while they are at (because they are ghosts and they know best). In the end, they broadcast the revamped show, infect the world with their music and are able to escape the confines of the TV studio. We close out the video with some creepy laughter. I do think they could have added a bit more to the creepy factor at the end. But it was a great video, overall.

I can only speak about what we can see in the music video, as I have not seen a live performance or showcase for this release just yet. I quite like the bits and pieces of the choreography that I saw in the video, which goes really well with the vocal delivery we get in the song. I also like the girl crush concept they bring into the bridge/dance break sequence of the song.

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

[Review] NO THANKS – HYOLYN

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Queendom 2 wrapped up at the end of May, and since then we have seen the participants make their comeback to ride the wave of attention they have received from being part of the show. On Monday, HYOLYN joined the lineup of participants who have already their comeback (WJSN, Kep1er, VIVIZ and LOONA) with her solo release NO THANKS and her third mini-album, Ice. This is HYOLYN first release since last year’s A-HA and this year’s Layin’ Low with Jooyoung (both of which I have not reviewed).

NO THANKS is a typical track. While I do like her venture into deeper toned territory with this song, I just felt that NO THANKS just wasn’t innovative or mind-blowing. I also didn’t really like how NO THANKS failed to capitalised on HYOLYN’s best asset as an artist – her vocals, especially when I personally felt her explosive vocals could have made NO THANKS more dynamic and a hit (more on this in a bit). The synth based instrumental had a decent zing to it, which I quite enjoyed. There was a refreshing feel to it, and I liked the metallic twangs and touches that added a nice level of detail to the backing to not make it too generic. I do think the instrumental could have gone further during some parts, just to lift up and bring more energy to NO THANKS. The spoken ‘No Thanks‘ hook in the chorus were a bit of a hit or miss for me, which is quite interesting. On some days since the song’s release, I found myself enjoy the hook. Whereas on other days, the hooks felt lazy and too repetitive for my liking. The most disappointing element of the song has to be the vocals. We all know what HYOLYN is capable of, but it just felt like she was too constricted and limited in NO THANKS. I get that she is trying to sound sensual and seductive. But this doesn’t have to come at the expense of her vocals. We do get a bit of a taste of her vocal prowess towards the end of the song, but I think it could have emerged earlier in NO THANKS. Overall, NO THANKS has few positives, and I think the negatives outweigh them for me.

The music video pretty much features your sexy concept, with HYOLYN really showing off with confidence throughout the video. There is nothing wrong with this, and it matches the vocal tones of NO THANKS that I mentioned above. I liked all her looks throughout the video, especially the bold black outfit (completed with the black lipstick) that I put as the feature image for this review. This level of boldness requires guts and I think HYOLYN pulls it off well. Aside from that, the video conforms to your typical sexy and summer concept.

Personally, I think the choreography for this comeback could have been refined. It is a bit messy and better sychronisation between the dancers and HYOLYN could have made the performance look more riveting. The choreography seems to be more on the basic side, as well. This might have been intentional to enable live vocals. But I have seen better routines with similar circumstances.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] _WORLD – SEVENTEEN

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SEVENTEEN is one of the artist kickstarting this week with their latest comeback, _WORLD, the title track off the group’s fourth album repackaged, SECTOR17. Previously, the group made their comeback with HOT and their fourth studio album, Face The Sun (which I have yet to review) at the end of May this year. As part of their return yesterday, the leaders of SEVENTEEN have regrouped as a subunit for CHEERS (which I have also yet to review, and will do so later this week). As for now, here is my review for _WORLD.

Compared to their past tracks, _WORLD is is probably one the group’s most pleasant title tracks ever. Described as a urban R&B track, _WORLD just glides through and I enjoyed that. I liked that _WORLD steps away from the world of electronic music that has been a consistent presence in KPOP since forever, but also SEVENTEEN’s usual energetic style as well. Instead, the group maintains an upbeat nature to _WORLD without feeling heavy or loaded. Light, flowy and very gratifying comes to mind when I think of ways to describe _WORLD. In addition to the urban R&B background, there also seems to be some a subtle touch of funk and brass added to the mix, which helps add some liveliness to the song. Such a pleasant song that takes the focus on a heavy beat allows the song to focus more on the vocals delivery. Even the rapping in _WORLD was limited to just two members (Vernon and S.Coups, in the second verse). Everyone else sounded really neat throughout the song, with a sweet melody adding a warming glow to _WORLD. The slightly stripped back bridge (most of the instrumental disappeared briefly for this apart, aside from some atmospheric presence and a simple beat) keeps the song from falling into an overly consistent state, allowing the song to briefly and subtly reset to give the final chorus a soft explosive feel. I also liked how Joshua got his chance at handling the peak of the song at the end of the bridge. Overall, _WORLD was pleasant listen that I quite enjoyed. Not exactly a smash hit, but it is definitely a good track nonetheless.

I am not entirely sure about the sandstorm start to this video. My guess that this was a way for the producers to connect both HOT and this video together, but I felt it was unnecessary. I think this video had enough to stand alone and didn’t need to be connected with another videos. But who knows, maybe I am overlooking some deep meaning. Aside from that, this was one fine video. The day time scenes throughout this video looked so fitting for the sweet melodies and pleasant nature of the song. The night time scenes felt light and breezy, evoking the feelings of a midsummer’s night. The smiles the members had on throughout this video made me smile as I watched the video.

My exact same thoughts can be carried through to the performance aspect, as I can see from the music video. It isn’t a mind blowing routine, but it is one that appears to fit splendidly well with the song. I really liked the smooth nature of some of the moves, which complements the idea that the song glides along. But yet, the group strikes the right balance with sharp movements and sychronised approach. I also really like the second post-chorus hook sequence. It is an innovative formation and adds a different performance “look”.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Arson – j-hope (BTS)

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As mentioned in the other day’s review for MORE, I will be posting my review for Arson, j-hope’s title track from his debut studio album, Jack In The Box. And here it is! Just to recap, the other review was for MORE, the pre-release for j-hope’s latest album and was released two weeks ago. Arson (the focal point of this review) was officially released the Friday that just passed, along with the rest of the album.

If I had to sum up Arson in very simple terms, it is a straight forward hip-hop track. So if you are looking for something a bit more innovative or different, Arson won’t be the title track you seek. But if you are for a straight forward hip-hop song, then Arson is the song for you. For me, I find the straight forward and no nonsense nature of Arson to be its drawing point. Arson‘s instrumental exudes a captivating flow, a moody rhythm and a strong beat, all of which had me head nodding along to the song. A small part of me does feel that more could have been done to develop the instrumental even further, but I pretty much enjoy how the instrumental is (and this pretty much could have ruined that no nonsense comment I made before). Adding to the moody nature of Arson is j-hope’s delivery. I liked the subtle aggression that comes from j-hope during some parts where he brings a small growl into play or pushes out a raspy tone in his delivery. The layering at the end with the filtered vocals that make the sequence beginning with the ‘If anyone asks me…’ and the paced delivery of the ‘Done, Done‘ was quite cool. Talking about the ‘Done, Done‘ parts of the song, it was so simple, but made Arson so catchy for me. Overall, Arson is a strong showing of j-hope’s skills that we all know he has over an uncomplicated backing.

The world is on fire in Arson‘s music video, which makes complete sense for a song titled Arson. The lyrics of the song expresses a dilemma for j-hope, whether to continue burning brightly or to put out the fire. A bit cryptic, but it appears that fans believe they have cracked the code and that this is a song based on j-hope’s journey as an artist. The flame represents the power and energy that j-hope has developed over the years (thanks to his success as part one of the biggest male groups of all time), showing that he is unstoppable and that only he can put out his own flame. He can harness the energy for his fans, being that bright light to guide them through, and/or burn his haters (as depicted by the people running around on fire in the video). I liked the dark atmosphere of the video, which compliments the hip-hop style of the song, and j-hope’s aggressive and powerful delivery in the song. The visual effects in the video, especially the glowing exposed wounds on his face at the end, were top notch!

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

[Review] MORE – j-hope (BTS)

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Following BTS’s long awaited Korean comeback with Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) and the announcement that the group would be focusing more on their solo careers than group activities moving forward (though HYBE quickly clarified that promotions as a group would continue), j-hope is the first member to begin working on his solo career with the release of a studio album, Jack In The Box, which features the pre-release track MORE and the title track Arson (a review for Arson will be published tomorrow, as this review is just for MORE). It follows j-hope’s 2018 mixtape Hope World and 2019’s Chicken Noodle Soup.

I frankly should have reviewed MORE when it was first released two weeks ago. MORE features a dark atmosphere that really grabs your attention. This is thanks to the grungy direction in which the song went, which isn’t unheard of in KPOP. But it fair to say quite its a rare sight. I really like the escalation of the instrumental – boldness, energy and all – during the chorus. The filtered and shouty vocals from j-hope fits right in. However, I do wish there was more body to MORE‘s chorus, just so there is a substantial melody and hook to the song, which I felt was lacking. As for the verses, I did like j-hope’s simmered rapping and some of his drawn out delivery. It does feel constricted and limited, however. But it was obvious after the fact that the verses were designed to set up the chorus that I already touched upon. I did like how the second verse as a bit more bolstered and not a repeat of the first verse. This adds a bit more variety to MORE and doesn’t make it too consistent (which otherwise would have made MORE a bit dry). As per the stylistic choices that MORE follows, the track is a strong one that caught my attention. It just needed a bit more meat to the song, however, in my opinion.

Just like the teaser images for this release, I could not recognise j-hope. I personally attribute this to the makeup, which gives off a different character to the j-hope that I know of from BTS’ promotions. My comments might be taken to be negative, but I do enjoy it when artists show different sides of themselves, and j-hope obviously hit that brief. His look also fits in well with the grungy style of MORE. Anyhow, the video starts off with a package being delivered (which at the end is shown to be a package of all the rooms we see j-hope feature in this video). j-hope clarifies that each room has a concept and meaning, but he doesn’t go into detail what they are. Based on the lyrics, it appears these rooms relate to him somehow and his journey as an artist thus far – with his lyrics depicting his ambition from when he was starting out to the present as a BTS member. I would like to know what each room represented, just to give more meaning to the video. He did talk about the hallway, which he says shows that there are more spaces, fitting for a song titled MORE.

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

[Review] SNEAKERS – ITZY

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It has been over a month since it was announced that ITZY would be making a comeback in July and embark on a world tour that will run throughout the second half of the year. Fast-forwarding to today, ITZY made their long awaited comeback with their new single SNEAKERS and their fifth mini-album, CHECKMATE. It follows the release of LOCO, which was released in September (almost 10 months ago!) last year. It also follows their first Japanese original single, Voltage, which I have yet to review.

I didn’t necessarily follow their one month long tease towards their comeback (that is just too much), so I had no expectations going into this comeback. As a result, I am genuinely surprised about how much I enjoyed SNEAKERS. It is such a bright and giddy track. Sure, their past tracks have been youthful and energetic. But SNEAKERS brings a whole new level of brightness to their portfolio, in a similar fashion to the likes of ICY but with a cutesy tinge. The bright pop (which seems to have a hint of hip-hop as well) instrumental was quite playful and comes off as refreshing. I do think the backing could have been filled in more and heftier, just to give SNEAKERS some more body and oomph. But overall, I enjoyed the fun nature of the song. Adding to the fun nature are the melodies and hooks. At first, they do feel quite elementary and childish. But repeat listens to the song have helped these melodies and hooks grow on me considerably. ITZY also does a strong showing throughout the song, with the vocals in the first round of pre-chorus being my favourite moment of SNEAKERS. As for the rapping, I enjoyed all rapping sequences including the verses and bridges. But overall, SNEAKERS stands out to me for its fun nature and addictive hooks.

Music video was fine. I like how the video really encompassed the energy that the song exuded. In addition to that, it also emphasised the fun vibe of the song, by story telling how the sneaker travelled through time. It was first introduced to royalty in the first sequence, before a Spread Sneaker Worldwide mission told everyone about sneakers in the second sequence. The bridge seems to show the members opening a shop, with the ending showing them in the future. I really liked the green screen usage in the video, and the members looked great throughout.

I was only recently informed of this, but ITZY finishes all their main title track choreography with a crown. I don’t know how I missed that, especially since I have taken note of these endings before. It made me pay attention to their other hand formations, and I noticed the ‘W’ in this pre-choruses. As for the chorus, I liked how they incorporated the leg movements so the members can show off their sneakers. It is quite clever. Aside from that, I enjoyed the energy and brightness that the members brought to the stage for this comeback, as well.

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

[Review] SCREAM – SF9

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I skip forward to yesterday, when SF9 made their latest comeback with the title track SCREAM and the mini-album The Wave OF9. This is their first comeback since the release of TRAUMA at the end of last year. You might notice that the group is currently promoting as a six member group, as members Inseong and Youngbin are sitting out as they are currently carrying out military enlistment, and Rowoon could not participate due to his drama filming schedules.

Another comeback in which the artist steps outside of their comfort zone. For SF9, SCREAM moves away from the usual darker, sensual edgier tone that their recent and past comebacks have featured (see the likes of Tear Drop and TRAUMA, but also previous comebacks such as RPM, Good Guy etc.) and steps into a relatively more vibrant and upbeat dance territory. I will be honest, this newer sound style is quite foreign and unfamiliar for a group like SF9. I am not 100% sold on this changeup, but I am not against in in any way. SCREAM has a neat instrumental that feels robust, with some nice layering to give the song some interesting and great textures. I do think there was opportunity, especially during the chorus, for the instrumental to be more bolstered, just so there is some more oomph to the song. As for the members, they showcase solid vocals and rapping throughout SCREAM. While skills also contributes to this, I do think the hooks and melodies that come as part of SCREAM plays a big part of shining the spotlight on their vocals and raps. The first time around, I did feel these hooks and melodies were a little lacking. But they have grown on me considerably over the last day. Overall, SCREAM seems to be a solid comeback for the group, although I think I do prefer their usual style over this particular Summer comeback.

As pre-empted in the line above, this is a Summer comeback. And so, the concept for this comeback follows through quite logically. It is a bit disappointing that the music video was shot in only a studio setting, while there was definitely justification for the group to potentially shoot the video pool or even beach-side. But the studio does have some perks, allowing the group to shoot their choreography shots in a more controlled manner. Seeing smiles that are not sensual from the members did feel a bit weird at first to me, but not so much anymore. I did (and do still) think the second verse scenes to be quite cheesy, and I wished they left that out.

Yoo Taeyang gets his time to shine in this comeback with a solo dance sequence at the end of the performance. I liked that energy and power he channeled through his solo moment, going for a fierce look. I also like the use of the X-formation with the dancers and members to complete the performance, as it tied everything together neatly. The rest of the performance looks cool and touch base with the group’s sensual and edgy style in a fitting manner for this comeback.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10