Category: Reviews

[Review] Make Me Happy – Wheein (Mamamoo)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 1 Comment

My next review is for Wheein’s solo comeback, which was dropped on the Sunday that had just past! Leading her latest mini-album, Whee, is the title track Make Me Happy, which music video also dropped on the same day. Both Make Me Happy and Whee is also her first release as a solo artist outside of RBW, which is still managing her Mamamoo activities. In June of last year, Wheein had chosen not to renew her personal contract with RBW, but did sign another contract to stay on as a Mamamoo member so that the quartet would continue on for the next while Her lost solo release under RBW last year’s water color. A few months later, it was announced that Wheein had signed on with THEL1VE, which is a label founded by Ravi (VIXX member), and is also home to Ailee.

Right from the get-go, Make Me Happy is such a pleasant and soothing track. There is a lot of enjoy in the song. To me, Make Me Happy comes off as an upbeat R&B track that has a tinge of retro flair to the song. Not really the most mind-blowing combination, but it is still appreciable and stunning at times. The bass line gives the song a nice oomph, which prevents it from dulling and increases the appeal of the song by many folds as opposed to the track going down the standard R&B sound. Wheein’s vocals bring a delicate touch to the song. Her vocals are whispery and light, while the melodies were smooth and flowy. I liked the pairing of the upbeat instrumentation with Wheein’s vocals. They offset the flaws of each other and creates a harmonious track that I find is very pretty, beautiful and an enjoyable track to relax or chill to. However, I do feel like my opening statement is a bit of a double edge sword to the song. While being pleasant and soothing is a great thing at times, I do think this is Make My Happy‘s biggest issue. And it is simply due to the competition that both the song and Wheein faces. In the midst of releases that have dropped this week so far, I don’t know if ‘pleasant and soothing’ is the right way to go. It is quite a crowd to navigate in. For example, if I wasn’t writing a review blog, I think I would have missed the release despite being a fan of Mamamoo, due to the fact that it is a Sunday release and that I tend to steer towards more lively and dynamic tracks (which yesterday and today is in abundance of).

To compliment the pretty song is an equally as pretty music video. There was such a heavy presence of flowers and butterflies throughout the video, and Wheein’s visuals got more and more breathtaking as the video went on. The purple dress and the flower head piece, as she walked down that hall, was definitely the money shot for me in this video. The visual work at the start and the post-production throughout the video (such as that beautiful hole in the wall and Wheein bursting into butterflies) definitely took the video to the next level. I also like the overall colour palette of the video. There were a mixture of pastels and stronger tones throughout the video, which helps makes this music video look less muted.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Can’t Control Myself – Taeyeon (SNSD)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 2 Comments

Next up is Taeyeon’s Can’t Control Myself, which is the pre-release single for her upcoming third studio album. Her last release was Weekend, back in July of last year. Now regarding this soon-to-be-released album, all we know at this current stage is that it will be dropping some time in February and will feature Can’t Control Myself. Other than that, we are still awaiting further teasers, hints and other tidbits from Taeyeon or SM Entertainment. Until then, here is my review for Can’t Control Myself.

Can’t Control Myself is a ballad that showcases Taeyeon’s vocals, as most ballads do for the singer that is performing them. And like usual, Taeyeon sounds really great in the song. The melodies are also quite gripping to listen to. But what make Can’t Control Myself different to other ballads is the presence of the punk that we get in the chorus, which amps up the song to a whole new level and makes it relatively more powerful. It is also brings a different sound and dynamic to the genre than acoustic, rock or classical ballads that are in abundance in the KPOP industry. Other parts of the song that were quite impressive as well was that guitar work we get in the first pre-chorus (it felt like it was an acoustic guitar, and if so, then the transition between it and the electric guitar in the chorus was quite powerful) and the pairing of the piano melody and the English lines in the bridge (i.e. ‘Feels like heaven, feels like hell‘, the sarcastic laughs and ‘… I don’t care‘). The emptiness behind this sequence alone and the memorable nature of the melody around these lines in the bridge is another reason (on top of the punk ballad sound) to why I have revisited Can’t Control Myself so many times tonight already.

The song is all about how longing for love from someone who would cause them pain in the end (taken from SOOMPI). In this music video, we see the aftermath of a breakdown of Taeyeon’s relationship. This breakup, despite she knowing what it would do to her, literally destroys Taeyeon, who subsequently kills him at some point. Note that she is washing her hands of blood at the start of the video whilst still wearing a ring. That start has to be in the video for a reason. I am guessing she couldn’t accept reality and kills him. What we see on stage (the performance of how they meet and reunite) were all fragments of her imagination and not a retelling of their relationship (i.e. how they met etc.). Instead, I think he is literally attached to this ‘perfect’ world that she had created for herself on stage, where they are preforming the perfect love story. But when we see him backstage and behind the crowd of reporters, Taeyeon is just broken. The way he also carries on as if nothing is happening (i.e. no awkwardness, no anger, no happiness) seems to back up the theory that he is dead, is quite haunting and is a ghost that only Taeyeon can see and hence is constantly being reminded of. This theory also explains why he continued acting as a stage actor at the end of the video, and why no one noticed Taeyeon’s massive breakdown on stage (which I think the constant reminder was a breaking point for her). I hope this theory makes sense, as I think it explains a lot and is quite a different story to have.

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

[Review] VILLIAN – DRIPPIN

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

There are a lot of comebacks dropping today, so expect the reviews to be posted over the next few days or so. Randomly selected to be the first release on the reviewing block is DRIPPIN’s comeback song, VILLIAN, which is featured on the group’s third mini-album of the same name. This is the group’s first comeback since last year’s release of Free Pass and the special single Vertigo (I highly recommend this Universe promotional single).

DRIPPIN revisits the groovy sound in VILLIAN thanks to the funky electronic bass line that runs throughout the song. The grooviness is felt the most during the song’s verses, while it felt somewhat lacking in the chorus due to the other instrumentation overwhelming the plate a bit. The grooviness is still there, however, it just felt less prevalent for me and I don’t recognise its presence as instantaneously as per the verses. This is more of an observation however, and I still thought VILLIAN had a decent backing to it. But when I compare to the wider industry, VILLIAN falters on the innovation side. As the vocals, I liked how powerful and forceful they got with their lines in the chorus. It definitely adds vibrancy and energy to the song that makes VILLIAN better. I also enjoyed the vocals at the very start of the song, as they ease into it. It was breathy and slightly sensual, which I think the members could have explored more in VILLIAN. The soaring high note from Hyeop was also impressive, though I wished it was slightly longer to be even more satisfying. Dongyun and Alex’s rapping were pretty good as well, though I wished they had more than half of the second verse. VILLIAN‘s outro did a good job of maintaining the momentum for that extra bit longer, making the end satisfying as well. Overall, VILLIAN is a decent song from the group with me wishing for (as usual).

Per usual, I am not entirely sure what the story of this music video is. The group became villains for this music video, as per the lyrics of the song, and went out to evoke havoc on the world. While their powers seem to help each other out and earlier scenes suggest that they had banded together, I can’t really tell if they are helping each/banded together for a common mission or whether they just want to cause havoc (or maybe, their mission was to cause havoc because they are villains). I wished the storyline came together to have an endpoint or a conclusion, just so whatever story was happening was clearer. But aside from that, a strong concept potential and awesome post-production.

The performance for this comeback was strong and powerful, which matches up with the energy that is exuded from the song. Nothing really stood out at me, but the entire routine worked well with the song and it is still a worthwhile performance to watch.

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

[Review] skinz – OnlyOneOf

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 6 Comments

Ending the week is OnlyOneOf, who returns with their fourth mini-album, Instinct Part 2 and the title track, skinz. Last year, we saw the group return with the very bold libidO (side note: the song itself has grown on me since I reviewed it), which earned them a lot of attention for their LGBTQIA+ concept and provocative stage performance. The group did release a number of other tracks throughout the remainder of 2021, but they did not get reviews due to their lack of a music video of some sort. Since libidO, the group became less of one member, Love (the now former leader of the group) who withdrew from the group unexpectedly in August last year.

skinz is another bold song from this week, with the boldness attributed to the song’s instrumentation. It features a glitchy bass sound which is a very peculiar choice. Despite the foreignness of this style, however, skinz‘s glitchy nature of background gives the song some uniqueness and individualistic points that sets it apart from other songs. I also felt the electronic components of instrumental was interesting, as it reminded me of a concentrated version of libidO‘s instrumental. Not sure if other people felt that or if was the intentional effect, but I thought it made skinz a good follow up to the preceding title track. We do get some relief from the glitchy instrumentation, which may be jarring for some already, in the pre-choruses, where a slightly smoother texture overtakes the background. I like this reprieve, as I think a consistent glitchy pattern would have made the song a bit too much for my taste, as well. As for the vocals and rapping, I liked the sensual energy it brought to the song. Their extra breathy tones made skinz alluring and intriguing to listen to. Boldness was another idea running through my mind. They retained the breathy tones for the autotuned moments as well. The rapping follows the same effect (and I did like the more whispery touch the rapping in the bridge had). However, I wished the raps had a bit more bite to them or used in a different manner to add a different dynamic to the song. I think this would have developed the song even further. Otherwise, Skinz upon multiple replays, could most likely come across as like and like/too consistent throughout. Overall, a strong track from the group overall

The music video continues the LGBTQIA+ theme that was noted to be a key part of the libidO music video. In this music video, however, it isn’t in your face as much. Instead, it was more subtle compared to last year’s video. We are invited on a road trip with the members of OnlyOneOf, with the video shot entirely in our POV. For the most part, it looked like the members were having fun throughout the music video: going to the beach, singing karaoke, having a munch etc. However, we do get some scenes that seemingly hint at something between the different pairs of members. At the end of the video, we are thrown a bit of a twist – the start of the road trip restarts without us – suggesting that everything about the road trip might have been a piece of our imagination. This might also extend to the concept and apply to the libidO music video as well. The dance performance, on the other hand, continues the boldness from the previous comeback and this was actively portrayed in the choreography shots. I also liked the idea of the glitchy stage, which made the video more relevant to the song.

The performance, as mentioned above, manages to continue the same sensual and bold themes. But compared to their previous comeback, I find this performance to be even more heavy handed, despite it not containing any moves that had the same effect as the bridge section from last year. That being said, there was still a lot of body rolling, skin showing, abs reveals and other striking movements. None of this deters me from the routine, and I quite enjoyed the resultant aesthetics of the performance.

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

[Review] Devil – Max Changmin (TVXQ)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 1 Comment

Today is a Max Changmin day, as I review a third song from the soloist, who made his official solo comeback today. The song in question for this review, along with the title of his second mini-album that also dropped today, is Devil. Serving as pre-releases for this release is Fever and Maniac, which I had just posted reviews for in a double review format. The last time we saw Max Changmin as a solo artist was through his 2020 release Chocolate and more recently his Japanese single Devil in December 2021 (which I am hoping to review soon).

Devil continues the string of unique and individualistic releases from Max Changmin with an epic and bone-chilling track. I have a personal playlist of epic and thrilling sounding tracks that I have heard over time (i.e. movie sound tracks, songs used to back intense moments from TV shows and other general tracks that I have come across with epic vibes that puts me on the edge of my seat), and Devil would fit right into that playlist. From the very first second, Devil itself stands out from the crowd with its acapella ‘hoo hoo‘ background and Changmin’s lower tone. Some striking guitar and percussion work comes into play soon after, but they are kept very minimalistic for the time being. All of this continues up until we get to the chorus, which is separated by a brief moment of silence and a slightly roughed up autotuned ‘So let it rain‘ line, before we are launched into an epic chorus that is made of the exact same instrumentations already mentioned (including the acapella that provides us the ‘Rain on me‘ lines in the chorus). and features an intense drop. It is definitely a bold and worthwhile endpoint. Like the other songs reviewed today, Changmin pairs his voice with the instrumentation and throws in some tension as he raises his vocals. The melodies aren’t as striking, which is a tad disappointing. But that can be overlooked by the execution and epicness of the chorus His vocals are once again shown off in the brief second verse and bright, before we are brought back to the chorus each time. His high notes were so satisfying and just added so much more oomph to the song. He finishes in an amazing manner, with an ad-lib that brought nice closure to an otherwise thrilling song. Overall, Devil leaves me impressed and in awe – which is definitely continuing thread of the whole comeback. Can’t wait to listen to the album.

Per usual, I am not entirely sure what is going on in this video. From the ending (spoiler alert), it appears that Changmin is the devil. So I guess, the video is some sort of origin story. Again, not entirely sure. But what I am sure is that I really enjoyed the dark vibes from the video. It is a dark intensity that I look for when KPOP does ‘dark concepts’, to which only a few acts have managed to pull off before. And the forest scenes in this video nailed it. I also liked how minimalistic the video was as well (like the song), but there was still so much going on at the same time. The flashes in time with the beat for the chorus were also a great idea.

The performance of this release is quite aesthetic. From what I can observe from the music video, it fits the epic vibe and flair of the song quite well. The second chorus looks amazing with Changmin in the middle and the dancers surrounding him. Also the spin in the final chorus looks stunning. I do hope we get to see a live performance of Devil with all these elements in it!

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10

[Double Review] Fever + Maniac – Max Changmin (TVXQ)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 2 Comments

Max Changmin starts the year off with a bunch of new releases. All of these new releases (plus a few more songs) form part of his second mini-album, Devil, which officially dropped today. Per usual, I will be focusing on the releases with music videos. As the post type ‘double review’ insinuates, I will be reviewing two releases in this post which in my mind act as the pre-releases for this new album. The first is titled Fever, which ‘stage’ video dropped on 8 January 2022. The second is for Maniac, which ‘promotional’ video dropped on 10 January 2022.

Fever kicks off promotions for the new album with an impressive and captivating track. Fever opens up with some jazzy influences and teases us with some rock as well. His voice flirts with us for a moment, just briefly before Fever builds to its full potential. Within less than half a minute, Fever has changed its tune. The song now brings out heavier and powerful drumming, while Changmin ups his vocals to a higher and powerful tone to compliment the change in momentum. While percussion becomes a prominent part of Fever from then on, the piano and rock influences do not falter and are consistently present throughout the rest of the song. As Fever progresses, the instrumental gets more intense (especially each time we re-enter the chorus) and Changmin pushes his vocals in both direction, impressively showing off both his high and low registers throughout the song. However, that is not all. For the best parts of Fever, it has to be everything from the instrumental dance break (that forms the bridge onwards). The concentrated rock and the interjection of the piano melody for the dance break, followed by Changmin literally blowing me away with his high notes on top of the powerful drumming that feels more like slams at this point. I am in awe every time I listen to Fever.

Maniac left me speechless when I listened to the song the first time around. Second and third time around, I was enjoying myself and the exciting tempo and relentless energy that was coming from the Maniac. And it is still hard to sit down to review this song without nodding or tapping along to the beat. Maniac takes on a completely different vibe to Fever, going down a more Queen influenced and theatrical path with its style and sound. I just loved the colour and vibrancy that was coming from Maniac, a definite positive aspect of the song. It is also quite unique and is very fresh, as a result. Another positive aspect of the song has to be the showcase of Changmin’s vocals, which are undoubtedly superb in this song. His voice just captivates you in this track as well, and pulls you in. The character behind his vocals compliment the theatrical side of the song, and the vibrancy his vocals bring to the song just amps Maniac to new heights. I really like the different types of melodies used throughout Maniac, including the ascending and descending melodies in the choruses and bridge. Overall, both Fever and Maniac are bold numbers in their own right, with each coming off as different and appealing at the same time.

Fever‘s video is more straightforward, as it is a stage video. Essentially, the performance is the main focus of the video and it appears that Changmin is singing the track live (due to the presence of the microphone on his face – but I hesitate in calling this a live performance for now). The stage looked cool, though I think the lighting at times could have been better. I also wished his outfit was a bit more unique and not cliché. Maniac on the other hand has a more fleshed out music video, with influences from Alfred Hitchcock being a prominent feature of the video. For those who are not familiar, the music video carried influences from Psycho and The Shining, as well as Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy. But to fit the brighter and upbeat tone, the video strayed away from the horror elements (though it looks like we did get a touch of that still) but more so on colour and vibrancy. I also liked how the video was separated into acts, further bringing the theatrical influences from the song to the video as well.

Maniac does not have a performance, so I will skip over that. However, Fever does. And it is a bold and powerful routine, just like the song. What makes it bold would be more so the ambition of pulling off a live performance with this song. And when I mean live, I mean live vocals and the same energy as we got in the video! I would love to see Changmin perform Fever live. I doubt there would be any issue on his part, and I will be very impressed with any attempt of it.

Fever
Song – 10/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

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

[Review] Marvelous – MIRAE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2 Comments

Returning today is MIRAE, with their new single and third mini-album, Marvelous. The new release comes after MIRAE wrapped up 2021 with their debut single KILLA and first comeback single, Splash. The group have been receiving nominations for Best New Male Group or Best Rookie Group throughout the current award season, with them also receiving a nomination for the equivalent award in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. I will be announcing the winners in the near future. But until then, here are my thoughts on Marvelous (the title track).

Marvelous is a bold dance track that just really jumps right out at me. The boldness and ‘jumps right out at me’ part can be attributed to the catchy hook at the song begins with (i.e. the ‘Ma Ma Ma Mars‘ and the ‘Na Na Na Now‘). And this alone is quite addictive. Otherwise, Marvelous is a strong dance pop genre song. It is on the more typical side, but it is still a clean and upbeat dance track. The catchiness of the hook adds a vibrant tone to Marvelous and takes the song to the next level. The verses were pretty good, with solid vocals/rapping from the members and an intense instrumental buildup paired with some slightly monotonous yet powerful rapping for the pre-choruses. Said pre-choruses were actually another highlight in Marvelous for me. As for the bridge, it was the most interesting part of the song. There are two halves to it. The first half features vocals that seemingly adds a bit of flirty attitude and flair to the song. I quite enjoyed it. The second half of the bridge is more so an EDM break, where a shrilling texture is added to the song. Some vocals remain here, but the melody is lost in favour for the instrumental. This was a more dynamic change, but it added a different flavour to the song. Overall, I appreciated how the bridge kept the charge and momentum of the song, despite changing Marvelous a bit. It also added excitement to the song, which is a common theme across the board throughout Marvelous.

I am not entirely sure what is happening the video, but I might have a theory. It opens up with Dongpyo running away from someone. He is also coming from the direction of Mars based on the ‘To Mars’ sign on the door, which might indicate his origin as Mars. Anyhow, he later wakes up and looks into the space via his telescope, before donning an astronaut’s helmet and appearing in front of the other members (which I am guessing are on Earth). His presence intrigues the other members (and also felt slightly creepy during certain parts) and they follow him to the room with the big telescope and planets around them. I am not entirely sure what the significance of this big room is, but my big guess is that the room awakens everyone (they had no idea who he was at first, but at the end seemed to know him quite well). It appears like the entire mission was Dongpyo to reunite with his friends who also used to be on Mars as well (based the scene we get of them on Mars and the existence of the photograph), but they were somehow taken to Earth and their memories were wiped. In the end, the friends reunite. A slightly confusing storyline, but overall a good concept.

The routine looks dynamic and energetic, fitting the song quite well. The bridge section of the routine also adds to the powerfulness of the choreography. It is a bit hard for me to make further comments as we are limited based on what we got in the music video. But for now, I think what we saw is good enough for a 8/10 rating.

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

[Review] Unforgettable – Kim Jae Hwan

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

One of the comebacks that occurred whilst I was on break for Christmas and New Years was made by Kim Jae Hwan. The soloist wraps up the year with his fourth mini-album (The Letter), which was released as soon as the Christmas holidays had passed and we were in that limbo awaiting the new year. Leading the charge on this mini-album is the title track Unforgettable. This is Kim Jae Hwan’s second comeback in 2021, with the first being April’s I Wouldn’t Look For You.

Unforgettable is a ballad that captivates me. And I am sure the song has captivated a lot more people as well. Without a doubt, the standout element of Unforgettable is Kim Jae Hwan’s vocals, who really portrays the heartfelt emotions and sadness behind the lyrics so well. I really enjoyed how powerful and piercing the vocals are during the chorus, with this really pulling your attention right into his vocals and helps with captivating me. The instrumental for Unforgettable is more on the typical side of ballads, with an orchestral backdrop to Kim Jae Hwan’s vocals. But this doesn’t weaken the song. In fact, I feel that the orchestral elements help build Unforgettable, allowing Kim Jae Hwan’s vocals to reach its powerful nature in a balanced and regulated manner. And like other ballads that captivate me, Unforgettable gets me closing my eyes to take the entire song in and swaying along to the melody – signs of a great ballad. To me, there is nothing wrong with Unforgettable, earning the second 10/10 of the year!

In addition to the emotional vocals we get from Kim Jae Hwan, the music video brings an additional emotional layer that really gets to you. Well, it did for me, at least. Kim Jae Hwan sings about unforgettable memories, which the music video shows he shares with the female character. The pair appears to be quite close, donning matching wooden rings. However, we do see that there is a bit of hesitancy in the relationship from both parties. Soon, we are lead to believe that the couple breaks up and we see Kim Jae Hwan adjust to the lack of his companion. However, I think the ending reveals that she in fact had passed on (this was a bit of a hazy detail in the story, and I wished it was better clarified) and that he was laying flowers at the site where she died, with the flowers bounded to one another with the same wooden ring in which the pair had exchanged with one another. While this wasn’t a plot twist, it just made the story incredibly sadder to watch and made the song more emotional upon reflection. Kim Jae Hwan’s acting in the video was also very good in this video.

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

[Review] Blessed-Cursed – ENHYPEN

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 4 Comments

Also beginning the week off is ENHYPEN, who is back with their latest single, Blessed-Cursed. The new single is the title track from the newly released repackaged version of the group’s first studio album, once titled Dimension: Dilemma and now retitled as Dimension: Answer (both of which I will be fast-tracking/reviewing as one album review post this coming weekend!). Previously, the title track for Dimension: Dilemma was Tamed-Dashed, which was released back in October 2021.

Blessed-Cursed in a mix of hip-hop and rock. which is an interesting blend of styles. The electrifying rock was more so in the background, coming through underneath the trap elements. Both blended well with one another, brought on great energy and were a satisfying combination that ENHYPEN pulled off well. Naturally, I feel that the two genres do go hand-in-hand with one another, as intensity is something I associate with both genres of music. And no surprises here, I feel like this intensity was a common thread that pulled the two sides together to form Blessed-Cursed. It was quite a tense track to listen to, and for some reason I felt wrong to pause the song half way while listening to it. You could also feel the intensity in Blessed-Cursed via the vocals and rapping. I do wish that the ENHYPEN members were more ‘in-your-face’ with their delivery. They seemed to come to us in that direction, but as usual, I wanted more. Blessed-Cursed also ends in an unsatisfying manner, and I wished the song had better closure. Overall, I feel like Blessed-Cursed was a pleasant track, with a few minor improvements to make it even better. But I do feel like it is a bit safe. I wished Blessed-Cursed was more experimental. While staying safe seems to be the way to go with newer groups, I do feel like ENHYPEN’s in a position to try something new and stand out (with their success thus far and their company to back them up if it the experimentation were to backfire).

The music video goes back in time to the moment in which the world ticked over to the new century and millennium (i.e. the countdown between 1999 and 2000). Concept-wise, it was fun to see cinematography and outfits from that era. Only people in 1990s could pull off wide ankle pants like what we saw in the video, and make it not be a terrible look. Well, with a few exceptions – ENHYPEN now falls into that group. But other than that, the crispness of the quality of the video and the vibrant colours we did get (blue, white and red) are all definitely from a modern era. It was a good video overall that showed off visual and choreography. Fun fact: I found it funny that the concept went back to 1999/2000, given that none of the members were born then (the oldest member, Heeseung, was born in 2001).

The choreography for this comeback incorporates that intensity that I mentioned earlier in the review really well. It is a strong performance from the group, as always, but powerful in a subtle manner. I really like the various hand work in the performance, particularly the vibrating hand movements we saw when the members sing ‘Don’t Stop‘ in the pre-chorus.

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

[Review] DESSERT – Kim Yo Han (WEi)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 1 Comment

Kickstarting the new week is Kim Yo Han’s solo comeback. For those who don’t know Kim Yo Han, he currently the leader of WEi (a six member male group under Oui Entertainment) and is a former member of the short-lived X1 project group formed via Produce X 101. He is also an actor, currently known for the recently ended School 2021 drama. On the music front, Kim Yo Han made his solo debut a month prior to his debut as part of WEi with No More back in 2020. Today, Kim Yo Han returns with the mini-album Illusion and title track, DESSERT.

Kim Yo Han’s return is a more track when compared to No More. That one I was not much of a fan of. As for DESSERT, I feel that it fairs a bit better. However, reading over my review of No More, I can’t help but notice that a few elements of his solo debut track were also brought over into DESSERT, namely his vocals. I still find them dry and bland in DESSERT as per my main gripe about his solo debut track. They just don’t excite me, nor provide much expression or character to the song. There was a bit of amplification for the chorus. And while I did enjoy the pop melody here, I am still of the opinion that more can be done on the vocal front for this song. The bridge was interesting, with Kim Yo Han playing towards his strength here. Instead of a usual high note as per most KPOP songs, he instead opts to fade his vocals out. It isn’t spectacular, but it different aspect to other songs which I had noticed, and made the relaunch into the final chorus satisfying. As for DESSERT‘s instrumentation, I felt that it was too mainstream and safe – not really offering more than other KPOP dance tracks. However, I do appreciate the funky touch it had, which helped make the song a bit more appealing to my ears. This really helped pull me through the song and made DESSERT‘s centrepiece a bit more enjoyable. Once again, Kim Yo Han’s rapping was the song’s best part and pairing it with the funky nature of the instrumental was wonderful. Overall, DESSERT is a step in the right direction but still doesn’t show Kim Yo Han off as much.

Like the song itself, the music video and overall concept for this comeback takes on a much darker concept than when we last saw him as a solo artist. The mysterious vibes at the start of the video really pulled me, and I naturally wanted to find out what happens in the video. In the music video, we see Kim Yo Han tied up and undergo a transformation from pure to dark. At one point in the music video, we see Kim Yo Han take a bite of an apple, representation of the forbidden fruit, which caused the transformation. The forbidden fruit in this video represents the irresistible love in which Kim Yo Han likens to dessert in the lyrics. It is a topic that has been approached by many concepts in the past, but it is interesting to see how different companies and groups portray the story. And I feel like this music video did it clearly and well, whilst also using a lot of red.

The performance has a sensual tinge to it, which made the performance interesting and kept me around for the whole performance. Some of Kim Yo Han’s facial expressions were also on point. I also liked the laidback vibes that I also got from the performance, which were well incorporated and helps makes it more alluring.

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

[Review] Universe_ – ONEWE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

Returning earlier in the week was ONEWE, with their new lead single, Universe_. And yes, the underscore is purposely present in the title of the song for whatever reason. Universe_ is featured on the band’s second mini-album, Planet Nine: Voyager, which dropped on Tuesday. This comeback follows the June 2021 release of Planet Nine: Alter Ego and Rain To Be, the release of single STAR (which I will review at a later date), and the release of the collaboration single with their brother group ONEUS, STAY (which I will also review at a later date).

I found Universe_ to be a stunning and beautiful track. The new song is a ballad for the most part, though the song develops more into a rock ballad as the song builds. Universe_ starts off as a very delicate piece with soothing and warm keyboard melody and soft vocals from both Yonghoon and Dongmyeong. This lasts for all of the first verse, before Yonghoon takes us into the chorus. I love the breathtaking nature of Yonghoon’s part. The instrumental is stripped to its bare minimum (i.e. the sparse use of keyboard once again) before the band instrumentation comes into play. His vocals were also so delicate and soft like how the song started, but ended up escalating in such a satisfying manner as the band instrumentation comes into play. The second verse was a lot shorter, given that it didn’t need to build as much as it maintained the band instrumentation. However, I thought the melody to be so beautiful in this part of the song. Not sure why, given it was the same melody throughout the song, but it just felt so pleasant and neat here. After the second chorus, ONEWE brought to us a relatively powerful electric guitar solo that just has the right punch of energy for Universe_, after which the final chorus is played out with the energy from the guitar solo also being maintained throughout via the presence of some high notes from the band’s two vocalists. To really reiterate Universe_‘s roots as a ballad, the song slows down for its outro, bringing back the song’s delicate and soothing start to close out the song. Overall, Universe_ delivers a great song and addition to ONEWE’s discography.

The emotions didn’t really hit me as much when I listened to the song alone. But it definitely hit me when I listened to the song in tandem with the music video. I liked the homey vibes of the first half of the video. We see the members individually, and then with their love ones. Not entirely sure if they are really the members actual love ones, but I assume the additional characters represent either siblings, friends, lovers, mothers, grandmothers and pets. The members then go on a road trip to bury a time capsule-like object. At first, this part threw me off. It was such a warm vibe video, but then they switched it a industrial mining site in the night time. It was a random change in scenery that I wished wasn’t the case. Maybe something closer to home would have been approriate (i.e. trip down to the beach, for example). Anyhow, after burying the capsule, the members start running around in like a celebratory manner as the song reaches it peak. Those additional characters run alongside them, making it look like whatever is buried in the capsule is actually a piece of those additional characters that the ONEWE members hold dear to their hearts. This got to me (just loved the beauty of this final set of scenes) and it brought a tear to my eyes.

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

[Review] Do It Like This – P1Harmony

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 6 Comments

Next up is P1Harmony’s comeback single, Do It Like This, which is featured on the group’s third mini-album since debut, Disharmony: Find Out. This release is their first comeback in eight months, following the likes of Scared, which earned them a nomination in the Best Rap & Hip-Hop Song and is one of my picks for Best Song in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. I will be announcing the official winners of the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards (voted by the fans) later this month, so you will need to wait and see if P1Harmony emerges victorious. In the meanwhile, check out their latest song!

From the get-go, Do It Like This steps back into a more generic territory of hip-hop dance music. This thought registers even before I started comparing the new song with Scared (which holds onto its title as P1Harmony’s best song). Compared to Scared, Do It Like This is definitely less innovative and individualistic. But even though I describe it as ‘generic’ simply because Do It Like This is exactly what I think of when I think of hip-hop and dance together, it isn’t a terrible song whatsoever. Do It Like This is a fun, energetic and party-anthem like song that feels just right. Nothing in the song did not disappoint. The vocals and rapping were nailed perfectly by the members, delivering as much energy and drive to the song as the instrumental had. And while on the topic of the hip-hop dance instrumental, there was a nice sense of groove to the song that made Do It Like This so much more appealing to me (and that is saying a lot given that I am not too much of a hip-hop fan). The hooks make Do It Like This lively and memorable, which adds an additional layer of appeal and catchiness to the song. Furthermore, I think the hooks and overall energy to the song are growing on me, so I see myself diving deeper into the song in the coming days and weeks. The vocal bridge is the section with the biggest question mark for me. I find it doesn’t fit the rest of the song’s hip-hop vibes and would have liked if they went with something more appropriate sounding/fitting. Overall, while a step in a generic direction might have been the case here, Do It Like This still manages to deliver.

I am not entirely sure what the story line for this video is, but it seems like it has something to do with the start of a new age. Piecing the music video and the prologue together, it appears the members finding the place where ‘the light divided from the darkness’, which is where the group ‘resets’ their watches to realign them with the ‘first day’. In other scenes of the video, it appears that the members are partying it up prior to finding that location (based on the dusk like lighting we get) and the night time scenes. And there seems to be some celebration after finding the location, based on the scenes in the day time with the dancers.

The synchronisation is insane in the stage performance for this comeback. It is definitely a highlight for me. Other parts of the choreography that also stood out to me was the platform (made up of the dancers legs) at the start of the performance, the lead member at the start of the chorus rejoining the rest of the members/dancers after having a mini solo moment (again, insane timing and synchonisation here) and the airplane formation we get in the second verse.

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

[Review] Crazy About You – UP10TION

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

The next comeback from yesterday to be reviewed is UP10TION, who returned with their 10th mini-album, Novella, which is lead by the title track Crazy About You. This is the group’s first comeback since the release of CONNECTION and SPIN OFF back in June of last year. As per their last comeback and since their 2020 Light comeback, UP10TION continues to promote as an seven member group, with no news of Lee Jin Hyuk or Kim Woo Seok returning to the group any time soon and leader Jinhoo is still serving in the military.

Crazy About You is another decent song, though it might be another forgettable release from the group. Personally, I don’t find anything special or innovative with the song. It just feels like a standard release with a sentimental tone and EDM/orchestral blend instrumentation. Nothing memorable pings me from Crazy About You, which is bit of a disappointment since I think the song is a good indication of UP10TION’s abilities. Following the likes of SPIN OFF, which was a lot more vibrant and punchy with its vocals and instrumentation (though this may be attributed to the Summery season in which it was released), Crazy About You feels like a meh and boring release. But that being said, KPOP has delivered vibrant and punchy dance tracks in the Winter season in the past, and so I think this shouldn’t have limited the song. Anyhow, while Crazy About You does falter in comparison on their previous comeback and is a lot safer in terms sound, there was enough within the song to like still. And well, the entire package was quite enjoyable to listen to. The vocals and rapping from the members were solid work, and the EDM/orchestral blend instrumentation was fine as well. Once again, I reiterate that Crazy About You was not innovative, but as mentioned earlier on, it is still a strong showing overall. I think a strong melody or hook would have made Crazy About You stand out more.

It appears that the UP10TION members have taken on board a more mature look for this comeback. While Crazy About You does take on an undeniable sentimental tone, the members looked sensual and sophisticated look in their choreography scenes and the art gallery scenes. It does sound like a bit of a mismatch in terms of sound and visuals, but I think it works. On the flip side, the members also show boyfriend or boy next door visuals during their flashback scenes, which comes about when they inspect the artworks within the gallery.

I think the main reason to why those outfit works with the sentimental tone is that the choreography takes on the sentimental side of the song. The moves weren’t crazy powerful to match the instrumental, nor sexy as per their outfits. Rather, the moves were more so on the delicate side of things. Like the song, nothing original. But it was a good performance overall. I particularly like the backwards walking in the chorus, and how that helped make the chorus feel fresh each time.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Review] WA DA DA – Kep1er

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

Kickstarting what is already shaping to be a busy 2022 is a very long list of comebacks and debuts. The first release that I have selected to be the first review of the year is Kep1er’s debut single, WA DA DA, which officially dropped yesterday. For those who don’t know, Kep1er is a nine-member project group under WAKEONE and Swing Entertainment, formed through the survival show Girls Planet 999. The final lineup of the group consist of Choi Yujin (former CLC member), Shen Xiaoting, Sakamoto Mashiro, Kim Chaehyun, Kim Dayeon, Ezaki Hikaru, Huening Bahiyyih (sister of Heungkai from TXT), Seo Youngeun, Kang Yeseo (former member of Busters). The group was originally meant to debut back in December 2020, but some of the members contracted COVID which resulted in the postponement of their debut to yesterday.

WA DA DA definitely has potential as a debut song. For the most part, I quite enjoyed the song. But there were some parts that I did not like and created holes in an otherwise decent track. I would personally put WA DA DA into the ‘girl crush’ style of music. I know it is a generic sound in KPOP, but I just wished the producers of WA DA DA kept to just that. There seemed to be a desire to capitalise on the member’s youth, and so there are all these cutesy elements inserted into WA DA DA that I believe do not fit in with the the ‘girl crush’ concept. A prime example of this occurring is the two halves of the chorus. I really enjoyed the sassy attitude of the first half of the chorus. This felt great following the promise from the verses and rapping elements in WA DA DA. The second half of the chorus disrupted this energy and diverted the song into a more cutesy direction with high-pitched vocals, which I felt was a wrong move. The producers of the song could have just picked one direction and done that one extremely well, with my obvious preference being the girl crush sound. In other promising areas, the bold and strong vocals in the pre-chorus stood out for me. The other part of WA DA DA which I am a bit torn about is the song’s title and main hook. Looking back, it has its merits and is catchy. But I feel WA DA DA is a bit elementary and childish. It didn’t really fit in with the intense moments of the song, and hence I felt that it brought down the quality of the song. For a debut track and all the hype behind Kep1er, I expected something more solid for WA DA DA and not as flawed.

The music video was definitely going towards that girl crush concept direction, which I didn’t mind. Generic as it is, it isn’t a terrible concept/idea. Just unoriginal. I did like the post-production effects on this video, like how the members kept on disappearing and reappearing during the bridge/first half of the final chorus. Plus all the mini lightnings that were coming from their hands. It added a much cooler vibe to the video.

The performance overall was quite good. Again, I wished the performance went in one of the two directions (i.e. girl crush vs. cutesy). We get a mix of both here. I understand that the performance would need to conform to the song, so they did fine in this department for the WA DA DA that we got. I did like the different ways the members got into formation throughout this performance. I am, however, unsure of the various hand movements they had in the choreography, not sure what what they were to represent, if anything.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

[Review] Poison – Pink Fantasy

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2 Comments

Poison is nominated for Best Rock Song in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Poison by clicking here to vote today!

The final song that I am reviewing from the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Song which I have yet to review is PinkFantasy’s Poison, which I have nominated as part of the Best Rock Song category. Poison was released way back in June of this year, and is the title track of the group’s first mini-album since their debut, Alice In Wonderland. This is also my first time reviewing PinkFantasy, which is currently eight member female group under MyDoll Entertainment. The group has undergone extensive lineup changes since their 2018 debut and the current lineup consist of Daewang (the unknown masked member – to be revealed in the future), SeeA, Yechan, Harin, Momoka, Arang, Miku and Heesun.

Personally, I have not followed PinkFantasy that much since their debut. My exposure to the group has mainly been their more cutesy and cringy music. Some of them were flagged for review in the past, but never went forward with a review for them due to priorisation of other releases. As a result, Poison also went under the radar initially. I only gained knowledge of the song’s existence after reading many reviews for it. And I am glad I did read those reviews, as Poison is purely an underrated rock song this year. It is an intense dance track that taps into the rock genre for some of its instrumentation. After the first chorus of the song, Poison concentrates this rock sound into screamo rock, which aligns with the intense feeling that the dance part of the song exudes. It also makes Poison a unique track in KPOP, as screamo rock isn’t really explored that much (based on my memory, which is already on holiday mode for your information!). Based on what I read, PinkFantasy has explored rock before, but Poison really shows a different of the group from what I gather. And based on my initial thoughts on PinkFantasy, that is also my personal impression. Poison also featured strong vocals from the members, complimenting the mature vibes of the rock influence song. I got J-POP vibes from Poison when the members sing in unison with one another for the chorus. Definitely a satisfying section of the song that I find extremely memorable. But the peak of these strong vocals have to be the vocals (courtesy of Seeya and Yechan) during the bridge and high notes that we get at the end. It gave Poison a wow factor and amazes me each time I listen to the song. Overall, Poison is a highly recommended rock song to check out from 2021 if you have yet to do so.

Amazing visuals throughout this music video. It definitely gave me the creeps and had me on the edge of my seat, even though the storyline wasn’t as developed as I hoped it to be. As a horror movie lover, I find this incredibly disappointing. I would have loved for the video to explore something scarier and I feel that the music video definitely has the set up for this direction. The video opens up with this cult-like ritual. I would have loved for the director/producers to really explore this in depth, as there is so much potential behind such a concept. I also feel like the video can be creepier. For example, the choreography scenes had a hallway off to the side with curtains blowing about. You can see a bit behind the curtains, and this would have been a great opportunity to have a ghost (perhaps some related to the ritual) stand behind those curtains intensely staring at the camera. Anyhow, that’s just my imagination running wild. What we got is also fine and worked well enough.

The performance for Poison took on a mature and sensual route. It definitely gives me a different vibe and impression from what I personally associated to the name PinkFantasy. I find their facial expressions to be fitting for the concept of the comeback and really helped made the stage more captivating to watch. Their live performance was impressive, especially considering how tiring the choreography looks. I also like the dance breaks we get during the screamo part of the song, and at the very end. Definitely intensifying.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

[Album Review] Rumination (10th Mini Album) – SF9

Posted in Album Reviews, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

SF9 is nominated for Best Male Choreography (Group) for Tear Drop in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support SF9 by clicking here to vote today!

Next up on the album review agenda is SF9’s 10th mini-album since their debut, RUMINATION, which was released at the end of November. RUMINATION is headlined by the title track TRAUMA, and also wraps up their 9lory series that has spanned two years now. Alongside TRAUMA, the mini-album also consist of six other sides tracks, all of which will be reviewed in this post today. RUMINATION and TRAUMA follows the release of TURN OVER and Tear Drop earlier on in the year.

RUMINATION Album Cover

1. TRAUMA (Title Track) – Click here for TRAUMA’s full review. (8/10)

2. Memory – I really enjoyed the minimalist vibes of Memory. There was a bit of a beat to the R&B track, but it does not get in the way of the piano that plays eloquently throughout the background. The rapping in Memory is superb, delivered in a manner that was quite airy, breezy and ballad-like in a way. The vocals were also really nice, with the melodies and hook being quite catchy. Dawon’s ‘Faded Love’ was quite a showstopper from the vocal department as well. (9/10)

3. Dreams – Dreams takes it up to notch with a more upbeat and heavier dance instrumentation. While the electronic parts of Dreams are very typical, it is still quite a dynamic and robust piece, and I can imagine a very strong performance from the group if they had chosen this as a side promotion track. The vocals stand out in this song, thanks to the melodies and hooks we get from Dreams. Their technique was quite good. The rappers had a nice bite in their parts and the song satisfyingly edgy. (8.5/10)

4. Gentlemen – Gentlemen takes on that sophisticated style that I have grown to associate with SF9 following the likes of their previous title tracks such as Good Guy, Summer Breeze and Tear Drop. There is a bit more energy out of this song thanks it the instrumentation, however, which makes Gentlemen a bit punchier and livelier. I also like the violins in the song. Both the vocals and rapping were quite strong and well-executed in this track. (9/10)

5. On and On (잠시) (Youngbin, Inseong) – On and On is a track from Youngbin (one of SF9’s rappers) and Inseong (SF9’s main vocal), taking on R&B genre. I liked the elegance of the instrumentation of On and On, which felt sensual and felt appropriate for a classy club at the same time. I really like the pairing of the two members, with Inseong bringing the emotions in his vocals and really nice ad-libs, and Youngbin provided fitting rapping that added a nice intensity to the R&B song. (8/10)

6. Scenario – Scenario seems to follow a similar thread as Dreams. It is a very upbeat and fast-paced dance track that I think SF9 would have nailed on stage, as well. The percussion that followed the first chorus was quite playful and gave the song an interesting notion. Great and smooth vocals in this song, as well. That high note at the end was amazing, and I liked the jaggered entrance to the final chorus. Once again, the rappers of SF9 nailed their sections. The rapping in the second verse felt classy, while the sequence at the end threw in a last-minute punch. Overall, Scenario was a highly dynamic track and would be a song that I recommend you check out. (9/10)

7. For Fantasy (오늘이라서) – Based on the title alone, you can tell that this is a fan-service song. Its tone brought a smile to my face, and I am sure SF9’s fans would find this song touching, wholesome and lovely. Objectively, I find For Fantasy to have nice melodies and nice pop ballad orchestral instrumentation. The members also sound really nice. Overall, a nice ender to the album and this era of SF9 releases. (8.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

RUMINATION Teaser Image