Category: Reviews

[Review] C.I.T.T (Cheese In The Trap) – Moonbyul (Mamamoo)

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I am jumping around today with my reviews this weekend to focus on solo artists who have released songs over the last few weeks that I have yet to cover on my blog. First up is actually a release from this week. Moonbyul is back with a new single, C.I.T.T (Cheese In The Trap). This is a pretty quick comeback for the solo artist, given that Moonbyul just release a mini-album earlier this year, headlined by the title track LUNATIC. But I am not complaining!

C.I.T.T doesn’t give me much to complain about, anyway. I am a big fan of upbeat tracks, in general. Extra points are given if the song makes me smile. And C.I.T.T fits the bill perfectly, fulfilling both criteria that I had outlined just now. C.I.T.T has this strong and satisfying pop rock sound that energises you as you listen to the song. Its undoubtedly fun, playful, bright and catchy. I am of the opinion that more could have been done to make the instrumental a bit more exciting and unique, but it works extremely well as it is presented to us. What makes C.I.T.T even more enjoyable is Moonbyul herself. The song plays towards her strengths in both the vocals and rapping departments, My favourite part of the song is the pre-chorus, with the raspy nature of her vocals perfectly highlighted for the ramping up sequence of the song. Her vocals in the chorus and second half of the bridge are also great moments. The melodies and hooks were catchy enough to make the song memorable and addictive. I can definitely see myself returning to C.I.T.T, which is the highest compliment that anyone can pay a song.

In this video, Moonbyul is a student who wants to experience love. Everyone around her is getting confessions, flowers or are in a relationship. She turns to a tape that teaches her how to put the ‘cheese in the trap’, which in this case is code for ‘make someone fall in love with her’ (i.e. trap them). But instead of following the tape itself, Moonbyul decides to embrace her true self to find that someone, instead of following some cheesy instructions from a tape. She would be more comfortable and this will be attractive to many people! Aside from the cute storyline, I really liked all the different looks that Moonbyul donned throughout the video. From the typical school student look to the punkish rock star at the end, she definitely showcased multiple sides of herself, which is fun and appealing.

I liked how the choreography embodied the fun side of the song. Nothing stood out, but it was a great routine that matched the energy of the song well.

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

[Review] Undercover – VERIVERY

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Quick comebacks do not happen often (not counting pre-releases, as we are usually given a heads up to the bigger releases that would follow shortly), but they do occur from time to time. And the most recent group to attempt this feat is VERIVERY. Just a month ago, the group dropped their digital single O, which I described as ‘a solid track from start to end’. No one was aware that the song would ultimately serve as a side track on the album that would drop after a months time. Fast forward to earlier this week, the group returned with their first studio length album, Series ‘O’ Round 3: Whole, and the title track Undercover.

If Undercover and O were compared to side by side, O would emerge as the superior song. My thoughts on the earlier track have already been documented in its own review. In regards to Undercover, it is considerably underwhelming. Personally, I think the start of the song and the first verse was just fine. The preachy sample that kicked off Undercover was intriguing. But the verse was quite plain, and plain is never a great impression to start off with. But I have heard songs recover from such starts. Unfortunately Undercover doesn’t do this and just proceeds to the chorus without any acceleration, ramp up or intense building of any sort. Within the chorus itself, there wasn’t any memorable synths, hooks or melodies that would have made Undercover engaging for me. And then the cycle continues onto the second verse and chorus. It is not until the bridge does Undercover gets interesting thanks to the guitar work. There was some guitar work with potential in the verses/chorus to begin with, but they didn’t really make much of a statement until the bridge. From the bridge onwards, the guitars definitely added an oomph factor (however, subtle though) to the song, which I would emphasis as much needed. The guitar work continues on, and paired with the bass ended up being quite appealing to me. The deep vocals and the rapping that follows closes out Undercover was miles away in terms of strength and memorability to what the song’s centrepiece was. Overall, Undercover was quite lacking for majority of its body and needed something dynamic to spruce up the song. As result, it underwhelmed.

Unlike the O video, I might have a bit of an idea of what is going on in the video (but I am not entirely too confident about my interpretation). The Get Away music video introduced the idea that there were alternative versions of each member. And from the ending of Get Away, the alternate versions take over their identities in the ‘real world’. In TRIGGER, the group we see are the main character are the version of the group that died in the previous video. They are tormented by a different version of themselves, but end up escaping after the circular building collapses (which opens this video). In this video, the members escape and go on the offense, by seeking their alternative selves (that took their lives in Get Away), defeating them and restoring the balance between the two worlds (based on the barrier between the two sides at the end of the video). That is my best guess to what is going on in this universe of different worlds, though I am unsure how O fits into the video. Maybe that can be an investigation for a future Music Video Theory series.

The stage performance helps makes the song feel a lot more dynamic. This is a good definitely a good thing, as without it, the entire comeback would have become lacking. While the routine is good, there just wasn’t much within it that was memorable.

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

[Review] LOVE – MONSTA X

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MONSTA X made their official comeback to the stage yesterday with a new song and mini-album. Titled LOVE and Shape of Love respectively, it is the first time we are seeing the group (sans Shonwu, who is currently serving his military enlistment) since November of last year through their Rush Hour comeback. This comeback also follows KIHYUN’s solo debut with VOYAGER which occurred last month. The comeback was originally scheduled for earlier in April, but was postponed by two weeks due to COVID-19. But the members have since recovered and are ready to crush the stage with LOVE.

MONSTA X’s affinity to EDM in the past for their title tracks has made it synonymous with the group’s sound. I quite liked this aggressive, powerful and intense side of the group, even when others didn’t. LOVE steps away from that reliance on EDM and re-enters old school R&B and hip-hop territory. Despite how I started this section of the review, I must say that there is definitely nothing wrong with this sound profile as MONSTA X expertly executes and showcases the two sides of song really well. What I quite enjoy about LOVE is how within the instrumental, the two sides of the song were distinct and clearly identifiable. But what really glued the song together were the vocals, which blurred the boundaries a bit (i.e. hip-hop melodies in the R&B instrumental territory and vice versa). It is an interesting blend, and one that MONSTA X pulls off successfully. I also like the colourful nature of the instrumental, from the brass that literally felt oozy to the punchy synths. For me, the standout member for this comeback was Jooheon. His vocals and rapping worked so well on both sides of LOVE, and I quite liked how energetic and upbeat he was throughout the song. Definitely made it captivating. His growls were very alluring and hit at the right moments. The other members did excellent in the song, as well. In terms of weaknesses, LOVE should have stronger hooks that were more defined and memorable. What we got just didn’t really feel enough for this song, and there was moments where they could have gone further. But overall, LOVE was a nice departure from their usual sound.

Visually, MONSTA X shows off two sides of themselves in this video. The first is a more casual side, and the second is a more elegant side. Both were captivating to watch, but the elegant side was a lot more alluring. Though I might be bias due to that cool stage set and the gold on black colour palette that made everything feel so expensive. I guess that might say something about my taste. The glittery closeups of Hyunwon and Kihyun also may have played a part. I also liked how the video acknowledges that MONSTA X is a six-member male group even though they are promoting as a five member group at the moment. At the very end of the video, we see six microphones, with the sixth microphone corresponding to Shownu (who is currently enlisting as already mentioned). What a warm way to end off the video.

The choreography felt extremely fitting for this song, with the choreography’s intensity feeling just right. I also enjoyed the bounce the choreography had, particularly in Hyungwon’s part in the bridge. Some other observations I had whilst watching the stage performance includes wanting better utilization of I.M’s cane (its adds a classy touch, but felt under used) and that Minhyuk’s visuals were so good.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] Flower – Park Bom ft. Kim Min Seok (MeloMance)

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Once again, I am travelling back in time to a few weeks back for the next review. Making her comeback on 11 March was Park Bom, with the single Flower. It features Kim Min Seok, who is part of the duo MeloMance, and has been trending recently for his remake single Drunken Confession (originally released by Feel in 2005). This is the first time I am covering Park Bom on the blog since her 2019 release 4:44, which featured Wheein from Mamamoo. However, she has had a few releases since then that I didn’t review, including First Snow (with Sandara Park) and Do Re Mi Fa La Sol (with Changmo).

Following her track record of recent solo singles, it comes as no surprise as Flower opts for for the ballad genre, as well. But while ballads are in huge abundance in the KPOP scene, Flower manages to stand out as a stunning piece that I find quite indulging. It starts off with a simple piano backdrop (with a brief hint of strings). It isn’t anything amazing instrumentally, but the repetitiveness of the piano was rather striking in its own way. The simplicity of the background also allows for Park Bom’s unique vocals and tone to take centre-stage, and she sounds amazing in her solo verse. For the chorus, strings are added to the background and Park Bom’s vocals build in a manner that makes the chorus stilling and gripping. Kim Minseok, the other half of the Flower collaboration, takes over the second verse and chorus, and adds a hint of smoothness to Flower that was missing from Park Bom’s section. Here, Flower‘s instrumental also stands building, developing the simple piano instrumental into an orchestral piece. Despite that, I really liked how Kim Min Seok’s nasally tone pierces through and manages to stay on top of the developments underneath it. The pair comes together for the bridge and final chorus, with Park Bom leading the vocals and Kim Min Seok handling the ad-libs. I quite liked they weren’t forced to harmonise for majority of this section, and were instead allowed to focus on their own strengths and complement each other at the same time. A clear balance was achieved. We did get one line at the very end of the Flower in which the pair does sing together, closing out the song with the expected union of the two. It also felt fitting to keep this moment until the last second, based on the breakup of sections for each singer preceding it. The instrumental became dramatic (in an orchestral sense), peaking alongside the singers and helped really drive momentum in Flower. Overall, a captivating listen that salsifies my personal craving for a rousing ballad.

The music video was also quite striking. The grayscale filter really helped set the serious tone of the video. I also quite liked the location. It felt very different from your usual setting for a ballad, but the producers really knew how to use the space to help emphasise the dramatic side of the song. As for the ‘content’ of the video, Flower‘s music video can be split into two halves. One half of the video features both Park Bom and Kim Min Seok in their closeup shots, singing their sections of the song. Even though they would be consider ‘solo shots’, some of the wide shots showed the pair were in somewhat close proximity with one another, allowing Kim Min Seok to walk over to bring the pair ‘together’ for the song’s final moments. The other half of the video features two interpretative dancers, with the female dancer intertwined with Park Bom’s solo moments and the male dancer intertwined with Kim Min Seok’s solo moments. And like the singers who came together in the final moments, so did the dancers.

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

[Review] X-Ray – GHOST9

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One last review for this week before I head off for the long weekend (Happy Easter to those who celebrate!). For this review, I have decided to bounce back in time to last week to review GHOST9’s X-Ray, which dropped last Thursday. It is the title track off the group’s sixth mini-album, Arcade: V and is also the group’s first comeback since the release of Control in November of last year.

When I consider the verses of X-Ray, the song is pretty much your standard dance track. Nothing more, nothing less. I wished the instrumental hit harder, as the song’s intention of being powerful and heavy just doesn’t hit the mark for me. While there are some productions that excel at this style, there is a large majority of releases that tend to fall into the ‘typical’ pile of this style and doesn’t 100% deliver. And X-Ray‘s verses falls into the latter pile. However, X-Ray has its chorus to thank for disrupting this typicalness, inserting a refreshing element and taking it in a different direction. The chorus features Junhyung (standout member alert!) delivering his line at a higher tone, which offsets the intended heaviness of the song. The melody was also quite memorable. Had the instrumental been a bit more innovative (it is fine as it is, just it lacks some sort of punch that potentially could have taken the song to the next level), X-Ray‘s main centrepiece would have been aesthetic as heck. But it is still a standout moment in this song. I like how the song’s main hook’s melody was repeated in a chanty form at the end, which finishes off X-Ray in a neat yet revamped manner, but also keeping it close to its foundations. Elsewhere, the vocal work and rapping were fine. Though, I felt they could have gone harder to infuse and give off more energy, intensity and power. This would have been a big help to X-Ray.

Most of the music video also felt typical. The settings chosen by the producers for the video had that (i.e. the abandoned room, the hallways, the outside of the building scenes) were staged to look edgy, but I necessarily didn’t get that vibe from those scenes. However, the grayscale scenes and some of the editing of the music video (i.e. transitions) looked really cool and had a level of visual aesthetic that was memorable. I particuarly enjoyed the grayscale closeup that focused on hair colour instead. That was the most promising aspect of this video.

I liked the performance’s ‘snap & release’ moves that featured heavily in the chorus. It looked good, and definitely showcased the song in much stronger light. But other that, it was a good performance, but with little else standing out.

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

[Review] MAISON – Dreamcatcher

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Dream Catcher also made their comeback earlier this week with MAISON and their second studio length album, Apocalypse: Save Us. MAISON follows the release of July 2021’s BEcause and the special mini-album, Summer Holiday.

MAISON is Dreamcatcher’s most electrifying title track yet. Right off the bat, the song brings in a electronic guitar riff that definitely promises great things. This keeps MAISON within Dreamcatcher’s niche of rock influence title tracks, as synths are shortly brought in and infused with the electronic guitar to create a dynamic and powerful backing piece. I liked the balance shared between the two sound profiles during the verses, but I was left disappointed with how the balance was continued into the chorus. As it stand, I find it incredibly hard to pinpoint the end of the verse and start of the chorus for MAISON, no matter how listens I have given it. It just sounds too alike. I wish one profile (either the rock or the synths) popped out more during the chorus in an intensified manner, This would have really helped give the chorus more definition and not have it blend in with the verse. At this stage, I have decided the section that contains the ‘Save my home in the …‘ to be the chorus, as it is MAISON‘s main hook and it is very catchy. For a brief moment, MAISON does take a breather from the intensity by inserting a melodic piano piece and I quite like how this climbed in intensity to return the song to its original mix of rock and synths. I also liked how they inserted that choir backing in the final chorus, for an additional dynamic touch. As for Dreamcatcher’s vocals and rapping, both were solid throughout and showcased intensity that complemented the powerful nature of the instrumental. MAISON is another strong song under the group’s wing, but does need a bit of refinement in its production.

The entire video was shot in front of the green screen. Not entirely sure how I feel about this. Usually, the green screen is applied to the background of a built set (especially for the choreography shots), and I think MAISON should have gone down this route. But this style isn’t that bad. It just feels overly artificial when it didn’t have to be. MAISON “sends a message to those who shamelessly destroy the environment in this current state of the earth, which is gradually losing its original state due to the actions of humankind” (taken from SOOMPI) and you could see this message in this music video, as it shows the world in an apocalyptic state. It also affects their world, which appears heavenly and beautiful in one scene, but broken and destroyed in the next.

I quite enjoyed how powerful the performance looked. This might appear to be an obvious statement as the performance matches the music and it reflects well, given Dreamcatcher’s past stages. But I found the group to be super charismatic on the stage whilst performing this track. Their moves, formations and transitions were strong, and it left a strong impression on me.

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

[Review] DICE – ONEW (SHINee)

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After another brief absence, I am back and coming to you with more reviews. This review focuses on the second comeback that occurred on Monday. The track in question is DICE and belongs to SHINee’s leader ONEW, who is returning to the music scene as a solo artist for the first time since 2018. He debuted as a solo artist in 2018 with the single BLUE and mini-album Voice. Since then, ONEW completed his mandatory military enlistment and last year returned as part of SHINee through Don’t Call Me and Atlantis. He also resumed his acting and musical careers, whilst also releasing a few collaborative singles and solo OSTs.

DICE is a retro city pop track that is extremely pleasant. For those who have been reading my blog knows that the word ‘pleasant’ can either be a good or bad thing. With DICE, the use of the term is a bit ambiguous. The pleasantness of DICE makes it palatable and balanced. But at the same time, however, the pleasantness is a bit of a disappointment, as I expected the song to kick it up a notch along the way. But it never did. ONEW sounds really good in this song, with smooth vocals bringing life to DICE. It was silky and the flow from one end of the song to the other just felt flawless. The retro influence on the instrumental gave DICE a very nice subtle groovy touch, whilst also being rhythmic. For the final chorus, I liked the leadup and that refinement when it came to the mini explosions in the instrumental. There were some smooth hooks and I can see the song growing on me even more as I continue to replay the song. But whilst DICE comes off as a great song, it ultimately lacks oomph. There is definitely potential for DICE to really have a bit more meat to it in both the instrumental and vocals department. It didn’t have to just be pleasant. We all know how good ONEW’s vocals are, as evident through the many hits SHINee have provided us. And we all know how good city pop songs can be if the instrumental was just a tad bulkier or bolder. Overall, DICE is promising and a nice return for ONEW, but it definitely felt like more could have been done.

The music video features ONEW as the main character, who notices the female character from afar. But she is soon kidnapped by these pale green masked people and ONEW goes in pursuit to find her. At the start, you can tell that ONEW is a bit scared and timid when going into the hotel and following the path of green gloop. But as he roles the dice, he becomes more comfortable and relaxed in his surroundings (though there are parts of him that is still scared and timid). He notices some unusual practices in the hotel including injecting lemons with some mysterious substance (that seems to be the life source of these masked people) and the use of chainsaws throughout the hotel. He later finds the female character, who has dealt with the masked people herself (i.e. ending their lives with high heels), and she runs away with ONEW in a happily ever after type of ending. I thought it was a neat video, with a small plot twist and creepy factor, all rolled into one.

The performance felt pleasant as well, which works well the version of the song that we got. But it is bit plain and looked loose. Had DICE had what I felt was lacking from it, and the choreography was intensified and made to look sharper and tighter, this would have been a smashing performance piece.

Song – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Anthem of Teen Spirit – EPEX

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A new week means new comebacks. And starting off this week is EPEX, with Anthem of Teen Spirit. This is the title of the group’s latest comeback and the title track of the group’s third mini-album, Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 1. ’21st Century Boys’. Anthem of Teen Spirit comes after the group’s debut with Lock Down and Do 4 Me comeback, all of which occurred last year.

Anthem of Teen Spirit has all the hallmarks for a standard intense dance track. The key word in that statement is ‘standard’. Unfortunately, for the most part Anthem of Teen Spirit was pretty generic. You have to get through the first verse and first half of the first run of the chorus to get to anything worth talking about. And since this was the case, Anthem of Teen Spirit was a bit bland from the start. The opening verse didn’t have much going on, and the first half of the chorus has that stock standard shouty nature to make the song seem edgy. The hooks here are pretty shoddy here, as well (i.e. ‘Click, Clack, Brrr, Like‘). The instrumentals were also pretty generic and doesn’t score points for innovation. However, Anthem of Teen Spirit takes a turn from the second half of the chorus onwards. The ‘Brom pom pom‘ caught my attention for fully encapsulating that intended intense nature of the song within a span of two seconds. Highly effective, if you ask me. It doesn’t make up for the start, but it is a sign that Anthem of Teen Spirit is heading the right direction. The chorus is then followed up with some really fast rapping that left me impressed. Powerful rapping also featured in the bridge, and my impressed thoughts extended to the bridge as well. I also like how the instrumental intensifies in the bridge as well, creating a nice and satisfying peak to the song. Overall, the generic nature of Anthem of Teen Spirit outweighs the positive aspects of the song. But it does get better as it progresses along.

My thoughts on the music video also follow a similar pattern. The video is dark, suitable for an edgy sound. But this one is just dark. You are pretty much thrown into this world without any context. Some of the members are being hunted by other members, but for an unknown reason. My best guess is that this whole video is based on a fight between two members. But it is unclear. Ambiguity is good in some case, but not when it leaves question marks throughout the whole video about what is going on. I also question the dance set with the diamond fixture, but with a more curious demeanour. Its intriguing and could be a symbol that represents one side of the members. But once again, it is unclear. However, it does look cool.

The choreography portion of this comeback fairs the best. I liked how powerful and intense the stage looked, and it also helped translate to a better listening experience. The moves during the ‘Brom pom pom‘ hook was cool and best part of the performance.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] LOVE DIVE – IVE

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In December 2021, IVE made their debut and took the industry by storm with their first single, ELEVEN. Four months on, the monster rookie group is back with their first comeback, LOVE DIVE, which dropped earlier this week. The group surely has some tough competition this week, but they are definitely have proved that they can hold their ground on the charts.

My first listen to LOVE DIVE yielded a very bland response. I just wasn’t feeling it the first time around. Not entirely sure why, but maybe I was feeling a bit off that day or I didn’t pay close enough attention to the song. But that response was short-lived, as I was reaching for the replay button after my second listen to LOVE DIVE. A lot of LOVE DIVE ended up appealing to me. It felt just as catchy and momentous just like ELEVEN, but it was more subtle and lowkey, whilst also taking on a mature and darker profile (compared to their title track). I also felt that a lot of the different segments of LOVE DIVE were quite dynamic, textured and robust in their own right. For example, the opening verse left a strong impression on me (just like how ELEVEN‘s did); the ‘Narcissistic, my God I love it‘ line was super memorable and impactful (and I quite enjoyed the subtle knocking sounding that played during this part); and the choruses’ ‘Woo‘ was smooth and ambient. These sections do repeat themselves, but they still felt fresh the second time around. LOVE DIVE‘s weakest point, but not by much, was the instrumental break we get in place of a bridge. While I liked the whispery vocals and the light but consistent percussion, that constant alarm-like whistle just didn’t work right for me. The part did need something there to fill the void, but the chosen sound just didn’t cut it. Once again, there were strong vocals from the members, with some of my favourite moments already mentioned above. Overall, LOVE DIVE is a strong addition to IVE’s portfolio that adds to the groundwork laid out by their debut track.

The music video was fun and worked well with the song. But there was not much of a personal connection to really ‘pull me’ into the song. For the most part, the video showed images of the members enjoying their time and hanging together. I didn’t really get much else of the video. The song had a strong independence message, with the lyrics portraying how one should dive into love anytime if they have the courage to love (description taken from SOOMPI). I would have liked to see that better reflected in the video. The good thing was their choreography shots showed us confidence and power, which aids with the first bit of the song’s description.

The entire performance for this comeback is top notch! I liked the entire look and feel of the choreography. It showed off the charisma and stage presence of the group extremely well, with this being felt strongly during the dance break section of the performance.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] Glitch – Kwon Eun Bi

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Also making her comeback earlier this week was Kwon Eun Bi, who returns with her new single Glitch, and mini-album, Color. This is Kwon Eun Bi’s first comeback, following her solo debut with Door in August of last year. Since then, the former IZ*ONE member/leader also released a single titled ESPER (which I highly recommend you listen to as it is an awesome dance track) for Universe Music and UNIVERSE mobile application.

The instrumental for Glitch takes on a ‘glitchy’ approach, which felt extremely appropriate for a song titled as Glitch. What I like about this glitchy approach is that it isn’t contained to just one part of the song. Instead, it run as a common theme throughout the song, making the entire 3:45 minutes a unique and aesthetic listen. Glitch is described as having ‘neuro bass sounds’, which itself is a unique sound in KPOP and unexplored territory. The latter description of Glitch having a ‘minimalist start and a dynamic second half’ was quite accurate as well. The start had minimal instrumentals, yet it was still textured enough to give off an interesting vibe. The funky underlay to the instrumental provided momentum and the buildup to the chorus was extremely satisfying. As for the chorus, I quite like the consistent beat, followed by return of the upbeat and funky instrumental that is slightly amplified to help give the centrepiece a bit more definition. From there, the dynamic nature of Glitch is stepped up, with an abrasive turn in the instrumentation for the second verse, before a turn towards dubstep-like territory at the end in a successful last ditch effort to incorporate some energy to Glitch. You don’t really expect these turns and changes in sound, so Glitch definitely keeps on your toes. As for Kwon Eun Bi herself, I liked how light she kept her tone and vocals throughout the song, contrasting really well with the bass of the instrumental. It also came off as striking, and helped increase the uniqueness to the song. If anything, I wished the song had more hooks, just to make it even more memorable. But as it is, Glitch is already quite memorable already.

As for the music video, the glitchy effect comes through in a visual sense thanks to the post-production. It makes sense that they also went in this direction for this music video. But I like how it the video wasn’t just an overwhelming amount of just post-production that made the video look cool. There was actually really promising shots and cinematography throughout this video. Some of the choreography shots relied on a glitchy background displayed on the big screen, and I liked the subtle yet prominent blue colour theme in this video. Kwon Eun Bi also looks awesome and very pretty throughout the video, with her outfits showcasing an awesome sense of style.

Not exactly sure if this choreography would be described as tutting, but there were some moves that reminded me of tutting, in general. But for the most part, the performance was more delicate rather than sharp (with the latter being a hallmark for tutting). But the delicate nature was also offset by a strong attitude vibe, which helped make the choreography and Kwon Eun Bi sleek and confident. The dubstep part also looks powerful.

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

[Review] Grey Suit – Suho (EXO)

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Starting off this week is SUHO, who makes his long awaited solo comeback with Grey Suit, the title of both his second mini-album and title track. This is the first time we are hearing from SUHO after his solo debut back in 2020 with Let’s Love and Self Portrait. Following his solo debut, SUHO enlisted into the Korean military and recently completed his civic duty back in February of this year.

I quite enjoyed Grey Suit as it is. The slow and soft rock style of the song is totally up my alley. And I found that there was a lot to like about the song. Within Grey Suit, SUHO showcases divine yet emotionally loaded vocals that are just so captivating. Within the delivery of Grey Suit, I found that SUHO brought a hint of huskiness to some parts of the song to give it a really welcoming texture, while there was also a presence of a higher tone during the bridge and chorus that sounds charming and heavenly. All of which helped emphasise and reiterate the pleasant side of Grey Suit. The melodies in which SUHO brings to life in Grey Suit are drifty and gives off that swaying effect I commonly refer to when I review ballads. As for the instrumentation, I liked how it clearly differentiates the different parts of the song by amping up the background and playing with the intensity. It is quite appreciable, especially when there are a number of recently released songs that blur the different parts together (in some case, too much). I guess it is the small things that ultimately win me over. I did feel that Grey Suit could have been a bit more adventurous. I did notice that there was some backing ‘spoken words’ that resembled a bit of rapping for me. I think this could have brought an interesting dynamic to the song and given Grey Suit a bit of uniqueness. But overall, a nice track.

There really isn’t much going on other than SUHO feeling grey throughout the entire video, which is the whole point of the song. I quite liked the idea of the closet full of grey suits. Your outfit is where you would bring out the colour from within you (i.e. your mood, your personality etc.), and grey is usually a used to depict emptiness and plainness. To reiterate the emotions he is feeling, I noticed that the colours are glitchy around SUHO at first, to represent the conflicting emotions. But this also suggests that it is something that can be changed and it is most likely one’s outlook is preventing from experiencing the colours again. At the end of the video, when SUHO escapes the wardrobe, you will notice the colour is consistent and confirms that he had moved on from post-breakup emotions. I also like how they managed to also bring the band into the video, which works extremely well with the rock sound.

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

[Review] memeM – PURPLE KISS

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Another group to make their comeback this week was PURPLE KISS, who returns with their third mini-album and title track, both titled memeM. This is their first comeback, following their debut with Ponzona early last year and Zombie comeback in September of last year.

memeM feels like it is a song that sounds like it has been done elsewhere in KPOP before. It feels familiar, but not nostalgic as I mentioned in my last review. Rather, it is more typical. And this is the case of most synth heavy dance tracks in KPOP nowadays. Of course, there is the odd release that I like as it comes off as fresh. But for the most part, songs like memeM don’t really offer anything new to the playing field. At least the producers of memeM and PURPLE KISS were able to infuse a few elements that gives the new song some uniqueness and individuality. Such elements include a unique repetitive hook, the ‘Look at my eyes, Deep inside...’ line over no instrumentation that opens up the second verse and, interesting vocal textures and deliveries (which includes that soaring high note). Whether they are enough, I can’t be 100% sure. Talking about vocals (which also leads onto their rapping), I did enjoy how powerful the members were throughout memeM. This helps creates a powerful tone and adds onto the already powerful nature of the metallic and clangy instrumentation. One thing I thought was a massive letdown to the song was the ending, in particular that weakening/winding down ‘memeM‘. After such power and energy in memeM, the ending just weakens the integrity of the song for me. Overall, a fair comeback. Though I wish to see more individuality from the group.

I was amazed with this music video. The spinning mirrors during the first dance shot, the floating black orbs and the other dance shot with the arms in the background (which zoomed out was inside a statue’s head) was super cool. I would love to see more of this imagery in future music videos. The closeups help give off an edgy vibe, which suits the powerful nature of the video. Other post-production edits applied to the video made it look cooler. Overall, I am impressed with this music video.

The choreography looks good, as well (based on what I can see in the music video). I like the intensity, edginess and darkness they infused into the choreography. It matches the powerful nature of the song and shows off their performance skills.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] JAWS – BAE173

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Coming back earlier in week was BAE173, who returns after almost a year with their new single JAWS and mini-album, INTERSECTION : BLAZE. Very little has happened since their last comeback, Loved You, as far as I can remember. Let’s hope their next comeback is a quicker turnaround. But until then, here is my review for JAWS.

Loved You earned high praises from me thanks to the nostalgia it had. I ended the song section of Loved You‘s review with the statement ‘… putting them on the radar for new artists to look out for…‘. Well, I hate to say it, but I have since scrapped that thought. Not only didn’t they make a second comeback in 2021, they chose JAWS as their next main track. JAWS doesn’t really offer anything new to the music scene in KPOP. Their last comeback also didn’t offer anything new technically, but at least it had nostalgia. JAWS didn’t even have that. Instead, it is a very boring ‘noisy’ track. Emphasis is placed on the ‘boring’ part of that description, because it has such a profound effect on the song. For example, the intention of a song like JAWS is showcase the group in an edgy light. But the boring nature of the song just doesn’t let it get through. The synths are pretty lackluster. I noticed that the producers used the same main synth (the mechanical-like whirling) throughout the verses and chorus to different degrees, and then employed very typical trap and percussion to fill out the rest of JAWS. Not really groundbreaking or exciting stuff. The shouty nature of the chorus (and the chant half of the bridge) also don’t add much value to the song in terms of excitement or hype. As JAWS was a hip-hop song, it was quite heavily focused on the rapping. For the most part, the rappers sounded fine in the verses. A more dynamic instrumental would have helped enhance their parts. The vocal moments were the most promising aspect of JAWS, with those moments at least giving me something interesting to sink my teeth into. Overall, a disappointing comeback track.

Another video you can tell from afar was shot with a small budget. But I liked the simplicity of the video. The locations were good, and they played with the white background with coloured lighting and filters to make it feel different. I also like the application of the green colour to the background of the helipad. To make the video appear edgier, there were glitchy effects added post-production. I personally didn’t mind them. However, I felt the comic-like images they added to the video detracted from the goal and made the video seemed childish.

I liked the edgy vibe the performance gave off. along with the synchronisation of the choreography between the members. The intensity during the chanty half of the bridge was top notch!

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] Real Love – Oh My Girl

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Also making their comeback on Monday was Oh My Girl, who returns with their second full length album as well, titled Real Love. The title track for their promotions this time around also shares the same name. This is the group’s first comeback since the release of Dun Dun Dance last year.

Real Love comes off as a mixture of their more recent releases (i.e. Nonstop and Dun Dun Dance) and the sound in which that got them into the spotlight (i.e. The Fifth Season and Secret Garden). To me, the chorus reflects that upbeat side of the group. Chirpy and feel-good is how I would describe the centrepiece of Real Love. Everything within it (i.e. the brass and the vocals) were extremely pleasant and has a nice delicate feel to it. I did wish the choruses were a bit more fleshed out, with a longer sequence to give the melody a bit more room to grow. As for the verses, they align with that sophisticated side that I associate with the sound in which got them into the spotlight. But instead of a fairytale-like approach, Real Love adopts more of a mature level of sophistication, which makes the verses so much more interesting. The vocal work in the second verse in particular was quite striking, while the instrumentation was sleek and bouncy. The weakest aspect of Real Love, for me, was the bridge. It literally felt disjointed from the rest of the song. And while the slow down was pretty, it felt a bit too drawn out for my personal taste. In some good news, Mimi’s rapping here was quite good. Also not a fan of the abrupt ending. Overall, Real Love is not a song that I have fallen in love with, but it still a nice addition to Oh My Girl’s portfolio of great songs.

The music video is extremely pretty. From the outside shots to those shot inside the studio in front of our good friend the green screen, everything looked spectacular. Their visual game was on point, and their dresses and outfits worn throughout the video looked amazing. They also added a nice splash of colour to the video. Yubin’s (formely Binnie) blue dress and headpiece was probably the best look in this video. But aside from visuals, there really isn’t much else to this video.

The performance was quite good. I liked every second of it. The moves were either graceful, pretty, fun or mature, depending on what the music was beckoning at that particular second. My favourite move was the sharp movements when Hyojung sung in the opening chorus. Talking about the chorus, I like how each chorus was different in the performance, giving the stage variety.

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

[Review] Glitch Mode – NCT DREAM

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After a mini-break from tiredness and feeling unwell, I am back to finally review the new releases that started off this week. First up is Glitch Mode, the title of both the lead single and second studio album from NCT DREAM. Without a doubt. 2021 was an extremely big year for the NCT subunit, who returned with their Hot Sauce and Hello Future hits (along with participating in NCT 2021 promotions). It is definitely going to take a lot of work to replicate or even exceed the success of their 2021 promotions. But it appears that NCT DREAM is already outshining their last comeback, with reports that Glitch Mode has already outperformed their personal records for best first day sales and pre-ordered album sales.

I found Glitch Mode to be an alright song. Not too bad, but not that great either. I found the instrumental of Glitch Mode to be lacking substance and oomph. Described as a hip hop dance song, there were some good moments within the instrumental, such as the retro arcade accompaniment they had in the pre-chorus section and the awesome/powerful sounding rock-based dynamic dance break (which was the highlight of Glitch Mode for me). However, the rest of the instrumental felt mediocre and boring. Had there been that substance and oomph as mentioned, Glitch Mode‘s instrumental could have been more fulfilling. But sadly, the version we got was not the case. This issue then flows onto other elements of the song, such as the rapping, which needed that oomph to be more powerful sounding. The vocals, on the other hand, faired a bit better. But they too could also have been enhanced by what I mentioned already. As for the chorus, I don’t mind it as much. Sure, the shouty nature is becoming a cliché for them. But in the first half of the chorus, I thought it was fine. I just wished they changed it up in the second half of the chorus to be a bit more melodic and vocally driven. That would have made Glitch Mode more interesting. Overall, Glitch Mode wasn’t as exciting as I hoped it would been, but it was a fair comeback nonetheless.

Compared to the song component of the comeback, the music video receives a better review from me. I liked that despite the group went with a video game store concept for this comeback, they managed to incorporate the ‘glitch mode’ that they sing/rap about in the song when you are in front of the person you like. It adds an extra level of depth to a pretty random setting that I didn’t think was possible for this video. The icy end to this video was also bit random, but I guess we can say it is a ‘glitch’. I also liked how their outfits complimented the colours of the scene, which helped make the video look visually appeal.

I quite liked the glitchy party of the choreography, which really shows off their dance skills. They made it look so clean. It is quite clever and probably needed a lot of hard work to get it right, but it pays off. On a side note, Chenle is unfortunately unable to fully participating in the comeback due to an injury. A performance of Glitch Mode released today saw him edited/incorporated into the choreography poorly. I wish that if he is part of the stage performances, that they better incorporated him into the routine (like Felix in MANIAC).

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Review] Too Bad – WEi

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Last week’s reviews aren’t over just yet. Today, I will be reviewing WEi’s comeback track, Too Bad, which was released last Wednesday. It was dropped alongside the group’s fourth mini-album since debut, Love Pt.1: First Love, which appears to also be the start of a new series. This is the group’s first comeback since last year’s BYE BYE BYE and Kim Yo Han’s solo debut with DESSERT earlier this year.

Too Bad delves deeper into the upbeat pop side of the group that was previously explored in their last comeback by taking on more of a bright bubblegum-like profile. The repeat listens (well, it has been over a week since its release) I have given the song should be thanked for helping make me enjoy Too Bad more. Now, Too Bad comes off as pleasant and fun number to enjoy. There are a few drivers of this. Firstly, the melodies and vocals have this Goldilock’s ratio to it – not too slow, not too fast, not too heavy and not too light. Just right. The ad-libs at the end were just what the song needed at that exact moment and its presence was very much appreciated. Secondly, the lightness of the overall track. All of which contributes to the pleasantness of Too Bad. But to ensure the song isn’t too light, Too Bad also features some hefty rap sequences that do not depart from the pop sound as much. I liked this balance and allowed doesn’t distract from the true essence of the song. The instrumental was a nice mix of guitar and percussion, creating an enjoyable atmosphere that gives of Summery vibes, especially towards the end of the song. I guess Korea is heading for Summer very soon (as I am heading full speed ahead for Winter) and WEi is preparing us for that. The lacking aspect of Too Bad was the hooks. Nothing substantial came from it, and the song relied more on the other aspects that I have praised earlier in this section. Had the hooks been more pronounced, profound and memorable, Too Bad would have been a smashing track with ultimate balance.

As the music moved towards the bubblegum side of pop music, the members showed a sweeter and cuter side of them in their vocal work. And that, without a doubt, was also reflected in this music video. Usually, I would not have enjoyed the video as much for its direction. But the music video for Too Bad was actually decent to watch. The acting wasn’t terrible or overly exaggerated (though I kind of wished they were fanboying over the girl in a more discreet fashion/location and not like two steps away from her). It was also quite colourful, but I liked how they also incorporated a ‘dark’ atmosphere in this video as well.

I think the choreography was the element of this comeback where their image change became a reality for me. The cutesy vibes and youthful charms are turned on completely for the stage performances, with the members having great camera chemistry. The fun atmosphere was in full effect as well. The dance moves, on the other hand, weren’t anything amazing.

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