Category: Reviews

[Review] Siesta – Weki Meki

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Today sees the return of Weki Meki, with the group making a long overdue comeback with Siesta (the title track) and I Am Me (the 5th mini-album). Their last comeback, COOL, was over a year ago in October. Since then, I don’t think we heard much from the group. I think some of the members ventured into acting, but other than that, it has been pretty much radio silence from the group. Until today, of course.

My first impression of Siesta was that it was somewhat plain and lacked that creativity and innovation that I look for in a song. But with some repeated listens of the pop song in the bag, Siesta now comes off as super catchy thanks to its infectious hooks and melodies in the chorus, and also its vibrant energy thanks to its instrumentation. Unfortunately, the plainness is still there. But I feel is localised during the verses. There just doesn’t seem to be anything memorable about them. There is some deep house in the verses that hints towards the direction of the song, but it just doesn’t enough. The nature of the chorus in Siesta just outshines the verses. From the start of the pre-choruses, Siesta ramps up in a spectacular fashion, bridging the plain nature and the energetic chorus together. The energy that comes from the chorus is almost explosive, thanks to the brass, electronic and percussion elements that make up. Paired with those already mentioned memorable hooks and melodies, it is definitely a blast and fun part of the song. I also find that the chorus comes off as somewhat light in the chorus thanks the hooks/melodies, balancing out the heaviness of the instrumentation and also contributing to a refreshing and revitalizing tone, for me. For the vocals/raps, I thought the members sounded great throughout Siesta. The outro of the Siesta was also quite satisfying, with the extension of the chorus and the funky guitars easing us out. I am sure there are in Siesta elsewhere, but I just thought it was a nice detail to have at the end. I guess I wished more was done to the verses to ‘level up’ Siesta.

The music video opted for an aesthetic direction, which I thought looked fine. I think the aesthetic push behind the video adds a plain tone to the visuals, similar to the song’s verses (and it feels a bit heavy handed as well, extending throughout the video . But I am not as troubled by it. It is also nice to see a video that is paired with an energetic song that doesn’t conform to the need of bold (and sometimes harsh) colours that you might expect to see from set designs. Shooting the video outside also really helped sell that refreshing and light tone that I got from the video as well. The fireworks and the members being more happy/enjoying life at the end was a nice compliment to the blasting nature of the choruses and lyrics of the song as well.

The performance was fun and also somewhat cute. But nothing that memorable, to be honest. I just liked the vibe coming from it, and the energy the members bring to it.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Double Review] Should’ve Known + No Good in Good Bye – 2AM

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While T-ARA returned earlier this week, another 2nd generation KPOP group returned two weeks ago (shame on me for not covering them sooner). 2AM, known for their ballads and being a brother group to 2PM (who also made their grand return earlier this year after a hiatus), has returned for the first time in over seven years! The quartet (made up of Jo Kwon, Changmin, Seulong and Jinwoon) was last on stage together with Over The Destiny, way back in 2014. Since then, the group parted ways for their solo careers, venturing into music and acting careers, along with their military enlistments. Earlier this year, the group confirmed a reunion was on the cards, and on November 1, they released the mini-album, Ballad 21 F/W, and double title tracks Should’ve Known and No Good in Good Bye.

Given that ballads is what the group is known for, it comes as no surprise to anyone that both Should’ve Known and No Good in Good Bye are both ballads. And it comes as no surprise that both ballads sound amazing, given that they mastered the style back during their prime. Should’ve Known has the edge for me, however. I feel the instrumentation of Should’ve Known was a bit more complex, with acoustic guitars, classical strings, piano and drums coming together to form up a ballad that feels timeless. In addition, the melodies in Should’ve Known brings forth that unconscious swaying that I use to measure the effectiveness of the ballad more readily. They also help make this ballad more memorable. The members’ voices appear to be more piercing at times and are quite commanding throughout the song, which gives off a jolting effect that keeps your actively engaged. I also enjoyed the harmonies that made up the second verse.

But while I do prefer Should’ve Known, No Good In Good Bye is still a good ballad. No Good In Good Bye has a more straightforward classical instrumental. But it also has its individual style. Instead of acoustic guitars, electronic guitars are used instead, and there is a bit of a delay at the start of the chorus, which helped added some punch to the background and make the song more engaging. When it comes to the melodies in No Good In Good Bye, I find it a bit lacking (relative to the previous song) and hence not as engaging. They were undoubtedly present and evoke that same swaying effect. But the melodies in this ballad just don’t seem as memorable as the other song. However, the vocals were powerful (and commanding like the previous song), which worked well with the classical instrumentation. I also felt the emotions from the members a bit more in No Good In Good Bye. So essentially, which song I preferred seemed to come down to the tiniest of details, and in this case the melodies in Should’ve Known was the additional element that really sold me the song.

The main purpose for this review, however, are the music videos. Talking about them separately will just be confusing, so they need to spoken about together (hence the double review format). I find the pair of MVs to be quite creative and unique, even though they might sound mind-boggling at times. Should’ve Known‘s music video starts with the ending of No Good in Good Bye‘s video, while No Good in Good Bye‘s music video starts off with the ending of Should’ve Known. So essentially, you are stuck in a loop. Whichever video you pick up first is the starting point of the story you get, which then leads into the other video. So if you start off with Should’ve Known, you find the story starts off with Kim So Hyun (the female actress) breaking up with Lee Jun Ho (the male actor). She regrets her decision and the memory of her boyfriend brings them back together. In No Good in Good Bye, the video begins with their reunion and the restart to a happy relationship, to which Kim So Hyun breaks off at the end of the video. If we start off with No Good in Good Bye, we see a happy relationship between to the two that ends up with Kim So Hyun breaking it off, before realizing her mistake in Should’ve Known, to which the pair reunites at the same train station they had broken up in. I liked how the video works both ways, and how they worked in tandem with each other with the small details of the letter than Lee Jun Ho writes and leave behind for her and the hair tie scene as a reality/memory.

Shouldn’t Known
Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 10/10

No Good In Good Bye
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Review] TIKI TAKA – T-ARA

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Another second generation group has returned! T-ARA has officially made their long-awaited return today with the new single TIKI TAKA. The last time we heard from T-ARA was through What’s My Name back in 2019, after which the group left their company (MBK Entertainment) and went their separate ways. However the group consistently reminded and reassured fans that T-ARA had not disbanded and would return one day. And after four years, the members delivered on their promise with an actual comeback! I am excited to see what T-ARA in store for us, so let’s dive right in!

While I am super excited for a T-ARA comeback given their wide range of title tracks, I will be honest and say that TIKI TAKA is slightly underwhelming at first. It isn’t that bold or upbeat track that I guess I was expecting from the group. Instead, the group went with a mature dance track that feels drawn out at times (in terms of its style) to sound more sensual and mature. I guess this makes sense given that T-ARA has matured over the years themselves and this style works well with that in mind. However, TIKI TAKA just lacks innovation and imagination for me, and felt like a standard mature dance track that we have heard from many female groups over the years. However, I note that I used the word ‘slightly’ in that first sentence. And that is on purpose. While TIKI TAKA‘s first impression was as I have discussed, I am ever so slowly warming up to the song. The TIKI TAKA repetition in the chorus is actually quite catchy and the melodies in the second half of the chorus makes me sway along unconsciously when I repeat the song for the purposes of this review. I am also digging the extension at the end of the song after the final chorus, which to me really emphasised the mature tones of the song, but also attempts to end the song on a more powerful, focused and impactful note as well. As for the instrumentation, it is pretty standard (as I already had mentioned) and that hasn’t really budged for me. If anything, I liked how slightly groovy vibes in the chorus. Overall, TIKI TAKA seems to be a slow grower and I might be completely on board with the song with more listens. But for now, it isn’t what I had expected initially, but it is still a decent song.

The music video really pushes that mature vibe from the song, opting for elegant visuals from the members. I feel that this is a great homage to T-ARA and reflects their current status in the industry really well. The video appears to be set in a very sophisticated bar for the most part. In addition to the bar, every other place chosen as a backdrop in the music video had a similar wow factor to it that worked extremely well with the bar setting, adding more heft to the video. Overall, a fitting video for the group and their grand return.

To me, the choreography was okay. Like the song, it isn’t their best work. But I still think it works well with the song and the mature/sensual vibes. But I am also glad we still got an opportunity to see T-ARA to perform again in some form.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Do 4 Me – EPEX

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I start off this week with a review for another track which I should have reviewed sooner. This particular track, Do 4 Me by EPEX, was released on 26 October 2020 and is the very first comeback by the new male group who debuted earlier this year with Lock Down. Do 4 Me is featured as the title track on the group’s second mini-album, Bipolar Pt.2: Prelude of Love, which also dropped on the same day.

Swapping out the hip-hop dance track style their debut had gone for, Do 4 Me opts for a much different vibe – a funkier, colourful, vibrant dance track with a lot more personality and individual style. I quite enjoyed this change up and found it to be fun and lighthearted. So out of the gate, Do 4 Me is already ‘speaking to me’, as one would say. What makes Do 4 Me a bit more interesting is the way it is described. Their company has described the song as a homage to ‘Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust, INXS’s Need You Tonight, and Dua Lipa’s Break My Heart‘. While I am no music expert, I kind of get hints of the three songs in Do 4 Me. Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust comes through quite faintly the Do 4 Me‘s main hook (i.e. the line ‘So what are you going to do for me‘). It gives off a similar vibe and I feel the melody of the line to be somewhat similar. INXS’s Need You Tonight influence seems to come through the guitar work, with the heavy strumming present throughout both songs which both sound somewhat similar. To me, Dua Lipa’s Break My Heart is most prominent, with it influencing Do 4 Me‘s retro instrumentation style and the first line that opens the choruses. To be honest, the idea of the three songs in one is a bit out there and left field for me (especially with Dua Lipa’s song being part of the mix), but it somehow works extremely well. I liked how defined everything felt in this song, making it heftier and more pronounced. What EPEX do exceptionally well, in addition to the top three influences, was make themselves prominent over the instrumentation. Their vocals and raps were pretty strong and well-showcased throughout, adding additional boldness and defintion to the song. Overall, Do 4 Me comes off as a unique song, stands out in the crowd, and is ideal as a follow up song following a debut.

The song is about the feelings of falling in love for the first time. And the music video showcases that well through the group scenes, where the members look like they are crowding around a phone screen to compose the perfect text message to their crush. I am unsure if their solo shots adds to that. but they appeared to have a fun vibe that works well with the song. Elsewhere, I quite enjoyed the video – from the vibrancy that the colours offer, to the cool post-productions and transitions, to the camera shots. The only aspect that I disliked was the elementary boarding school boy outfits they wore (i.e. white/cream jumpers and black shorts). I get that they are trying to incorporate the idea of ‘first love’ into every aspect of the comeback (in this case – when does one experience their first love). But I found that it made them look way too young and the style just doesn’t suit them.

On stage, they are dressed much better and look like high school students, which is a better image for them. No specific moves stand out for me, but I enjoyed the bounce in the choreography and felt that it works extremely well with the song.

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

[Review] SWIPE – ITZY

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In preparation for their album review later today, I am reviewing ITZY’s SWIPE! For those who may have missed it. ITZY returned with LOCO (the title track) and Crazy In Love (the 1st studio length album – coming very soon) back at the end of September. In less than a week, ITZY also unveiled a music video for the sidetrack SWIPE, which ultimately became the group’s follow-up song, following the conclusion of LOCO‘s promotions.

When I first heard SWIPE whilst browsing the album when it was first released, I wasn’t much of a fan of it. That is the case with most hip-hop dance tracks, with exceptions. But SWIPE definitely benefits from its really infectious hook that really helped the song grow on me over the last two months. And since the song has grown on me, I have found some aspects of SWIPE to be quite interesting and well-executed. The members’ rapping and vocals in the song were pretty good, and their delivery definitely works well with the song’s leaning into the hip-hop genre. Their spoken delivery of the song’s main hook in the chorus helped it be memorable, and surprisingly kept it fresh and fitting for the group. I also found myself enjoy the ‘Ring Ring Ring Ring‘ hook that featured in the bridge of the song. It was clever of the producers to incorporate that into the song, given that the song’s theme revolves around mobile devices. But I also thought it was catchy and added a nice melody to the song. The biggest part of SWIPE that I am still not on board with is with the instrumentation. It definitely aligns with the hip-hop genre, and I do like how it is pretty low-key throughout. But I found the high pitch whiny vocal effect in the background following the first chorus and just before the final chorus to be quite obnoxious. Not a fan of it. I also find the entire backing to be quite plain and lacks excitement. I feel a more vibrant and poppier instrumental would have worked fine with the song, and this would have done a lot to boost the appeal of SWIPE. Overall, SWIPE is a decent song that I am in the middle of. Some of its good, other parts are not so good.

I liked all the mobile phone references throughout the music video. From the portrait orientation of some of the shots to the QR code that I am sure we are all familiar with to the massive green/red accept and deny call buttons. There are also some swiping references, such as in the choreography (more on that in the next section of the review), and the fun swiping Tik Tok trend. Everything just made sense. I wasn’t a fan of the choreography sets and the colours used in the background of the ‘portrait modes’, however. They felt noisy and had a lot going on.

The choreography looks good and suits the edgy vibes the song was going for. I particularly enjoyed the swiping move in the chorus, along with the vibrations they incorporated into the section for the ‘Ring Ring Ring‘ part of the song. Definitely some memorable moves there.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Review] SCIENTIST – TWICE

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And now I bounce back to the present day with a new song release. TWICE returns to the stage with their latest comeback today with the song SCIENTIST and the third studio album, Formula of Love: O+T=＜3. This is the group’s first comeback in five months, the last being Alcohol-Free. Since then, TWICE has been active in both Japan with the release of Perfect World and in the Western music scene, with their debut English single, The Feels (where at the end of the music video, they had teased this particular comeback).

Compared to the previous song I just reviewed, SCIENTIST seems to have the same issues but in the opposite places. For me, SCIENTIST‘s verses stand out. I really like the deeper tone the members had opted for with their vocals, complimenting the deeper and funky instrumentation. Even though it was brief, I also enjoyed the order in which the lines were presented to us (i.e. vocal, rap, vocal, rap) and how they flowed into one another. The pre-choruses were also quite promising and brought my hopes up for the chorus. Unfortunately, that hope didn’t come through. The chorus that we got in SCIENTIST ended up not carrying forth or building upon the elements and undertones from the verses. By no means in the chorus is terrible. It was just safe and doesn’t evoke much excitement as you would expect. Maybe SCIENTIST‘s chorus will grow on me into the future, but for now, it just felt lackluster. I also wished the English pronunciation was a bit clearer, as it felt a bit messy to me. Dahyun and Chaeyoung’s rapping part in the bridge was awesome. I actually liked the start to the final chorus with their staggered approach. It changed things up in a way that helped make the feel less repetitive and kept the song dynamic as much as it could be with a plain chorus. The dance instrumental outro we got was pretty cool as well, adding in a bit of that funky tone from earlier in the song. Overall, I would say that SCIENTIST is a good song from TWICE, even though the chorus could have been more fun and exciting.

As a bit of a science geek myself, I am pretty happy with the idea of the science concept. I liked how they tried to interlink the lyrics with the visuals as much as they can and kept it creative throughout (a big emphasis on ‘creative’ here). Their visuals were also very strong throughout the video (though I do question Dahyun’s standing hair – it looks really childish). The cutesy vibes and visuals in this music video seem to throw it back to their earlier videos (i.e. TT, Cheer Up etc.), which I thought was pretty nice given the string of mature comebacks from the group. Some of the video it was good, whereas some had some questionable/exaggerated acting which I don’t really get (or like), such as the crying in the crowd over a bit of dancing at the end of the video. It felt a bit too much. Other than that, I enjoyed the sets and the post-production.

The choreography here looks decent. While the video looked like it was cutesy and takes you back to their early days, the choreography opts for TWICE’s style nowadays (which is a bit more complicated/mature and doesn’t have that simple and repeated ‘main move’ as like their early comebacks). The best part for me has to be the dance outro we got at the very end. It was by the far the coolest part of the whole routine. I also liked how they represented the title of the album for this comeback in the second verse.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] XOXO – Jeon Somi

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Time to bounce back around the timeline and cover some past releases. This post covers Jeon Somi’s XOXO, which was released two weeks ago! XOXO is the title track off her very first album release since her solo debut in 2019, which also shares the same name as the song! The album is also her very first studio length album and it also consists of her past hits, like her solo debut single, Birthday, and her most recent solo comeback prior to XOXO, DUMB DUMB.

When XOXO was first released, I didn’t care for the pop song as much. I found it to be quite plain, with her earlier solo works being more memorable and catchy. Two weeks on, XOXO has grown on me. But I am still of the opinion that this is Jeon Somi’s plainest song since her debut. The song’s anthem-like chorus is without a doubt the song’s centrepiece (as a chorus always is) and is the main reason why the song has grown on me. It has a nice fluid melody, which in combination with her vocals and backing, adds oomph and definition to the chorus, which in turn provides a substantial and satisfying feeling. The ‘XOXO’ in the chorus is quite catchy. Altogether, the chorus now does come off as memorable and definitely is my favourite part of the song. Unfortunately, the rest of the song was pretty plain. Even after just finishing listening to the song, I don’t think I can even properly describe the verses as there just isn’t anything memorable or interesting. On a more positive note, XOXO is vocally driven and it is a fair showcase of her vocal abilities. The one thing I did pick up on was the reference to Jennie’s (from BLACKPINK) solo song, SOLO (from 2018) in the second verse. I guess that means that XOXO could potentially be a song passed up by Jennie (but this is just me speculating). I wished the instrumentals were more striking, similar to her past releases. I also miss the ‘switch-up’ that usually comes in the final chorus, as per her previous songs. I find that keeps Jeon Somi’s songs dynamic and maintains interest for me, which was lacking in XOXO. Overall, a pretty safe and standard pop song with a catchy chorus. I just wished XOXO was more than that.

XOXO‘s music video is a continuation of the story from DUMB DUMB, but the story turns goes from a high school crush to heartbreak. Essentially, the guy in the DUMB DUMB video (which was confirmed at the end of the video when the dog mask came off) has been cheating on Jeon Somi. Jeon Somi and her friends kidnap him and torture him with a variety of methods, and I think in the end, they end up killing him by crushing him in a car. I liked the edgy change that we saw Jeon Somi undertake for this video, which I think works really well with her visuals and the story. There were also some laughable moments, such as the disclaimer at the start of the video that this video is fiction, and when the police officer drove past and they made it look as if the guy was not kidnapped. Not suspicious whatsoever. I also liked how she ‘accidentally blew up the building at the end, despite rigging it with explosives just a matter of seconds prior.

The choreography was pretty decent. The song restricts it, so it can’t be as punchy as some of her past performances. But it is still good to watch. I really like the big X and O she and the dancer make on stage when the title XOXO comes up.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

[Review] LUNA – ONEUS

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As mentioned in Monday’s review for ONEUS’ Life Is Beautiful, ONEUS would be making their comeback the very next day (a.k.a. yesterday!). Well, yesterday, ONEUS returned with their 6th mini-album, Blood Moon, and the title track LUNA (the focus of this review). This is the group’s first comeback since the release of Black Mirror in May of this year. Between their May comeback and now, the group has been super busy with a return to the Japanese pop music industry with the Japanese version of Black Mirror, released two songs as part of their ONEUS Theatre series (Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot! and Life Is Beautiful), and held an online/offline concert for the first time in nearly two years!

As soon as LUNA started for me, I was practically on board with the song. The traditional Korean instrumentation at the start was so beautiful, making it a promising start to the song. The first verse was pretty good, working well with the tone of instrumentation. The synths present give you an indication that LUNA would be much more than just traditional elements. We have previously heard traditional elements from ONEUS through the release of Lit. There, the traditional elements contributed to a much bolder sound, whereas in LUNA, the traditional elements are used in a much smoother way. The build in the pre-chorus was quite satisfying. The chorus is where the song is strongest, with a well-delivered chorus. The instrumental has this continuous momentum to it, which made it satisfying as well. The emphasis on some of the syllables of their lines was quite subtle but impactful at the same time. Both instrumental and melody resulted in a chorus that I could not stop thinking about once LUNA had wrapped up. For the second verse, I really enjoyed the idea of a ‘traditional only’ backed rap sequence. But the follow-up vocals were probably the most lacking aspect of the song. For the second chorus, I enjoyed how they added textures via the jaggered backing in the first half. The dance break was awesome, with a really good blend of traditional and contemporary delivering a bold and powerful sound. I really enjoyed the lead-out of the song, from Leedo’s rapping to the folksy ad-lib that we were greeted to the textural touches brought on by the synths. I would have liked more folksy ad-libs in the background, but I guess the producers were short on time. Overall, LUNA is a very strong song with a beautiful and bold blend of instrumentation, creating a very unique sounding track.

I thought this was a really cool video, simply due to the fusion of traditional and simplicity. The traditional aspects were quite obvious, from the outfits, some of the backgrounds, the styling of some of the sets. The simplicity aspects come through the colour scheme used in the sets, the way the camera was focused and the way the sets were styled. This resulted in a visually stunning video. The members’ visuals are also showcased really nicely in the video, showcasing their handsome profiles. I am quite sure there is some sort of story or message from the video, and I will presume that it surrounds itself around that image of the sky we saw one of the members painting. Just a wild guess.

Choreography-wise, I really liked how it channelled the song’s beauty, through the use of the fans and the coloured/white scarves. I liked how they really emphasised the sound of the fans opening throughout certain parts of the choreography in the stage version of the music, which really draws your attention to their fans. That being said, the group still manages to show off their dance skills throughout the more modern sequences of the song (i.e. the chorus and dance break), creating a well-balanced routine.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.2/10

[Review] Sweet Travel – VICTON

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VICTON is back as a six-member group (without Seungwoo, who has recently enlisted into the military) to celebrate their five year anniversary since their debut. Back in 2016, VICTON kicked off their careers with the title track, I’m Fine. Fast forward five years, the group has released six mini-albums, two single albums, one studio album, with the most recent release being What I Said earlier this year. Considering that some members (Seungwoo and Byunchan) did participate in Produce X 101 and that two members have made their own solo debuts (Seungwoo and Do Hanse) as well, it definitely sounds like the group has been busy over the last five years. Hopefully, there are many more in them! VICTON’s fifth-anniversary single is titled Sweet Travel and is the focus of this review.

I have to admit, I enjoyed Sweet Travel a lot more than expected. While it does sound I am rooting against the release, that is not the case. Usually, with songs dedicated to fans (like this one), I find it a bit awkward to express my disappointment in such songs. Simply because the song’s intention is meaningful for both the members and fans alike, and I kind of feel rude to say something negative about the song. Thankfully, I don’t think I have even run into a fan song that is that bad and more often they are simply pleasant and touching. Sweet Travel is a lot more than just pleasant and touching, however. The song features a fun and upbeat pop-rock sound that instantly drew me in. It is quite vibrant and powerful but also in a lighthearted and likeable manner. It is also another song that is consistent throughout, but it does not bore me. Maybe it could be repetitive to some, but I don’t feel that (at least, not yet). What really jumps out at me was how much the song’s chorus stands out. The instrumentation really bolstered up the energy of the song, but this was only one-third of why I liked the chorus a lot. The other thirds were the vocals and catchiness of the lyrics, which the members all had a hand in delivering both (as the members both sang and also penned the lyrics to the song). Including everyone in the first half of the chorus really helped add so much definition to the song and emphasise a lot of the descriptors that I have already mentioned. The English was super catchy and added more fun elements to the song. Elsewhere in the song, the vocals and rapping were fine. Sweet Travel was definitely an unexpected song for me that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I have very little to say about the music video aside from pointing out the members clearly had fun throughout the video, as seen in the video and that little outro. It makes a lot of sense and shows a more down-to-earth profile of the members, which is miles away from their darker and mature concepts. I particularly liked the members’ dancing at the end when they were shooting outside at night. It made me chuckle, and like the rest of the video, brought a smile to my face.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] Life is Beautiful – ONEUS

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There will always be a bit of time jumping for me, with the next release on the reviewing block coming out a month after BDC’s MOON WALKER (which I just reviewed). But there is another reason why I want to cover ONEUS’ Life Is Beautiful over many others today. For those who may not be aware, ONEUS is making a comeback (tomorrow in fact), and I wanted to review this particular release before their next comeback. So essentially, the deadline for this review is tonight. Life Is Beautiful is the second release in the ONEUS Theatre series, following Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!.

Add why I hadn’t reviewed Life Is Beautiful sooner to the list of world mysteries out there because even I cannot figure out why I completed passed over the opportunity to review this amazing release much closer to its original release date. I freaking enjoyed Life Is Beautiful‘s refreshing tone and its breeziness, which doubles as a great Summer release. It is also a very soothing and calming pop track that I just want to continually go back to. Just listening to the song brings a smile to my face, and I quite liked that in a song. Compared to what ONEUS usually puts out, Life Is Beautiful is very different. Not only does this release steer away from the group’s heavy dependence on synths in their title tracks, but the pop song is also light, extremely pleasant and quite upbeat. It is pretty much a straightforward song in retrospect, staying quite consistent from one end to the next. But is that an issue in Life Is Beautiful? I don’t think so. There are a few standout moments in the instrumental. The guitars in the second verse felt so right and the flutes used in the song’s post-chorus instrumental hook were fun and added so much colour to the song. Otherwise, all the descriptors that I started off within this paragraph can be applied to the rest of the song’s backing. When it comes to the chorus, I loved the melodically driven approach that the pop sound enables. The melody is charming and exudes that happy feeling that the song is effortlessly conveying to the listener. Their vocals bring this to life and they sound so good, highlighting their vocal versatility. The English lines in the chorus were very catchy and addictive to listen to. Even the rapping we get in Life Is Beautiful works really well. I do wish there was some sort of peak in the song. I felt like that was the only thing that was missing and would have made the song less consistent (not that was an issue in this particular track). Overall, Life Is Beautiful is almost a perfect song that I want to continually listen to.

As mentioned previously, the music videos released as part of ONEUS Theatre are based on movies. For Life Is Beautiful, the inspiration for this video was the movie Dead Poet’s Society. I personally haven’t watched the movie, but upon some reading of its themes (you can get a sense of those themes by reading the plotline of the movie on Wikipedia), you can definitely tell that they were carried throughout the lyrics and scenes of the video. The members played students in what seems to be an uptight school. They are taught the exact same thing as the movie’s main character had taught his students – ”Carpe diem”, which is Latin for ‘seize the day’ (i.e. make the most of present-day). And we see that when the members enjoy their time with one another on the beach and by the sea. I liked the camera work for most of the video (sans the shaky camera work for the indoor choreography scenes), especially the drone used to capture footage as the members dance. It made the video seem more epic and amazing.

From what I can see from the music video, the choreography looks pretty good. I liked the way it captured the energy of the song, along with the song’s breeziness. It might not be as complex as their other tracks but I think the group managed to find an amazing balance of their skills for this song.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 9.1/10

[Review] MOON WALKER – BDC

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With no major releases today, it would be a great opportunity to jump back into the past to review some of the releases that I have missed (again). First up today is BDC’s MOON WALKER, which was released at the start of August of this year (3 months ago!). MOON WALKER is the group’s fifth single since their debut, following the likes of MOONLIGHT (the lead track for The Intersection: Contact). MOON WALKER is a special single as an epilogue to their Moon trilogy.

As a song released during the final weeks of Summer, MOON WALKER was a fitting song for the season, more so than their previous release. There was a vibrancy and refreshing energy that was I quite enjoyed and goes hand-in-hand with the season in question. The song itself (overall) was quite light, despite the thumping and heaviness of some of the percussion we got in the pre-choruses of MOON WALKER. I quite enjoyed the strumming guitar work in the verses, leading into that epic thumping and heavy-handed percussion. It was simple, but it felt good. I just wished the rest of the song followed through with the energy and tone of the pre-chorus. To me, the thumps and percussion in the pre-chorus alluded to a drop that is more bolstered and defined. What we got right after as the main drop isn’t exactly that. The producers opted for a delayed drop approach, which I couldn’t help being disappointed with. I do appreciate the bolstering in the second half of the chorus (as this is what I wanted) and see that the delay enabled for the performance big moment (see next paragraph), but I kind of wanted it as soon as we launched into the chorus. The epic potential just fizzled out with what we got and the delay just left me hanging. Another aspect of MOON WALKER which I was rather disappointed in was the vocals/raps. It kind of was the reason why I hadn’t dived in to review this song earlier. I thought the members’ tone was rather plain and didn’t carry much excitement. I wished they exuded some sort of excitement or energy from the song, as this would have made MOON WALKER better. Overall, I would say that MOON WALKER is a decent track and what we got was good enough. It just didn’t deliver what I had hoped for, and this just left MOON WALKER in a less favourable light.

We didn’t get a music video for this release. Instead, we got a performance video in which the members are dancing on the moon in front of a green screen. Not really the most exciting concept, but it felt like a nice wrap for the trilogy. I think the one thing that I was most upset about in this video were the outfits. I wished they had something cooler on, as this would have made the video better, in a visual sense. As it was a performance video, the focus was more so on the choreography, and I thought the performance for MOON WALKER was alright. The biggest moment of the choreography was the moonwalking in the chorus, which was cool. And it clearly was a no-brainer, given the title of the song. But apart from that, the rest of the choreography looked and felt pleasant.

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

[Review] No More X – TO1

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Next up is TO1, who made their comeback yesterday with No More X. This is the group’s second release under the name TO1 following Son of Beast, and their fourth release overall since their debut under the group name TOO back in 2020 (they rebranded earlier this year when their two co-managing companies had a conflict with one another).

No More X amps up the aggression compared to their previous comebacks, going for a more powerful and dynamic EDM backing. It is abrasive and rough around pretty much every corner. However, I also detect an air of typicaliness from the song, as it feels like your standard song from male groups nowadays. That being said, I still appreciate the blastful energy, aggression and rough textures that are present throughout the entirety of the song. No More X is just isn’t innovative. There is a still fair bit of the song I quite liked. No More X starts off with the main hook, the very catchy ‘Dum Dum Dum‘. It doesn’t appear so at first, but once it presents itself in the chorus, you come to the realisation that it is catchy and also adds a somewhat fun tone to the song. The dance instrumental break we got was probably the most promising part of the instrumentation, feeling quite vibrant. I also quite liked how grabbing the layer of instrumentation, hook and rapping was in the final moments of No More X. It seemed like there was a lot going on in that moment, but I found it to be a bold part of the song. The rest of the song is pretty much standard raps and vocals. There isn’t anything wrong with it, but I think they could have pushed themselves in the song more to make it even better. Overall, No More X seems to be a decent song, though I feel the producers/groups could have done more to make it even better.

The music video for No More X was pretty good. From what I understand (and from what I have read), TO1 becomes beast in this music video via some wine. We see the before (i.e. the scenes in which the members are wearing white and have this white light shining throughout the windows), and the aftermath of developing into a beast (i.e. the scenes in which the members are wearing black). I like this play of opposites. I do think the outdoor scenes when the members are wearing their black outfits (and hence have converted to the dark side) could have been a bit more edgy, with the choreography scene shot at night and in the rain being a good example of what they should have aimed for. But I think what we got did a good job of wrapping the song up in a visual manner.

I also thought the choreography for this comeback was fantastic. I like X formation that appeared during the first pre-chorus, and the X’s incorporated via their arms throughout the choreography. Highly relevant. I also enjoyed the boxing moves and the dance break was very powerful and fitting for the instrumental sequence we got in the song.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Kiss Kiss – LABOUM

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It is time to get back into review mode. There is a lot to catch up on over the last two weeks and before that, but let’s start on more recent releases and work our ways backwards. For this post, I will be focusing on LABOUM’s Kiss Kiss, which officially dropped yesterday. Kiss Kiss is a notable release for the group for a number of reasons. Firstly, the release marks seven years since the group’s debut. Secondly, it is the first release since the release of Firework back in 2019 (they did release a single titled CHEESE in 2020, but never promoted it). Kiss Kiss also follows the resurgence of Journey to Atlantis (one of their 2016 singles) earlier this year; is their first release as a four-member group since Yujeong’s exit from the group, and is their first release under Interpark Music Plus. Definitely a number of changes and milestones.

Pretend there is a spectrum. One end of the spectrum is the group’s earlier cutesy work, such as the recently popular Journey of Atlantis or Hwi Hwi. On the other end, you would find the group’s more refined and mature comebacks like Firework and Between Us (the latter song grew on me considerably since I reviewed it). Somewhere along the middle is Kiss Kiss. In a perfect world, Kiss Kiss would have taken the best of both worlds and created a really nice blended track, and I would have fallen for the track as both ends of the spectrum are favourite sounds from the group. But the resulting Kiss Kiss we did get doesn’t hit the mark. It is a pleasant track, so it isn’t all bad news. But I think that is the furthest extent I would go with describing the song. Kiss Kiss is rather forgettable, and I found that I had to really focus on the song to really get something out of it. The instrumental, while soothing and pretty, did not have any memorable elements within it, leading to a background that felt like a grey blur. If you were listening to Kiss Kiss casually, the instrumental won’t draw your attention. Likewise, the vocals were really nice when you focus on them and have a sweetness to them that made me smile. But the melodies just don’t pull you in as much. Solbin’s rapping was a nice touch and was well incorporated into the softer sound of Kiss Kiss. But like the vocals, not really something to pull you in. The hooks were weak and forgettable, as well. I wish each element really stood out from afar/if you were to listen to the song casually. If this was the case, I am sure I would have found myself gravitating back to the song. But Kiss Kiss just doesn’t do that and may become a victim of the skip button.

The Kiss Kiss music video looks good. It isn’t the most interesting music video, and the sets did look quite cheap (I think the main choreography one is one that we see often). But there were some good shots in there and their visuals were very strong. Like the song, there is a pretty and sweet aesthetic to this video, which made it pleasant to watch. I liked the post-production additions to the video, but I thought the style the producer/editors opted for suited a more cutesy style/concept than Kiss Kiss‘s concept (which I would say is slightly more mature).

The speed at which the choreography was at made the song seem more upbeat than what it felt like if you were to listen to the song by itself. I actually quite liked that. It gives off a different feel, and makes the song a little more inviting (but not enough to really change my thoughts above). I liked the ‘Kiss Kiss‘ part of the choreography (the one that outros the chorus).

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

[Review] MAVERICK – THE BOYZ

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Returning this week is THE BOYZ with their new single MAVERICK. This is the group’s first comeback since the release of THRILL RIDE, which just came out in early August and has been a hit for me ever since (even scoring a nomination for Best Song of 2021 in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards – shameless plug right here). Let’s see if MAVERICK is up there with other great THE BOYZ singles.

As much as I really want to be ‘head over heels’ for MAVERICK, especially since I really enjoyed the likes of THRILL RIDE, I can’t really say I do. It is another song in which I had listened to with a straight face and equally stiff body. It isn’t a terrible song, as I always say. But it just doesn’t have that same level of excitement that THRILL RIDE threw at me. MAVERICK attempts to stand out with a bolder, darker and intense hip-hop sound, contrasting significantly with their brighter and upbeat hip-hop sound in their previous comeback. To a degree, they hit that brief. But instrumentally, I did not find MAVERICK as dynamic or unique as it could have been. Instead, I thought the backing for MAVERICK was pretty ordinary. There were some attempts to be explosive and bombastic, but nothing memorable stuck out at me. I feel like the same can be said with the vocals and rapping. The feeling I got from the members was rather muddled. Some parts I liked, such as bridge and the very epic high note we got in MAVERICK, or the vocal singing parts in the pre-chorus/chorus. Other parts felt dull and dry, such as the monotonous delivery of the song’s main hook (I had high hopes for ‘I’m a Maverick‘ when I first heard it, but the hopeful effect faded as it appeared throughout the other choruses, especially the final chorus). Or just unpleasant, like the squeamish ending to the words in the first rapping sequence that kicked off the song. Overall, MAVERICK doesn’t exceed any standard set by THRILL RIDE or their other past hits. But it was still bearable.

The trailer for this comeback sets up the premise of the music video. The members are part of this game, where the game has one rule – to not follow any rules. The person who wins the game is the Maverick. I am not too sure what the rules were, though I wonder if they are the lyrics featured on their teaser images. I assume the members have to kill one another in order to win. Anyhow, it seems that Eric is the winner and hence the Maverick, as he is the last member to appear on the screen. But there seems to be a plot twist at the end with the word/rule ‘Protect yourself from what you want’ appearing on the screen before the lights are out. We do get to see Eric make a quick glance over his shoulder upon this revelation, wary of what is about to come. I really liked the action in this video, along with the cinematography and acting from the members. It is different, intense and definitely a video to watch.

The performance does not disappoint, and I am not surprised. THE BOYZ have aimed high with their performances, and I did not expect anything otherwise. I really liked the powerful nature of this performance, with the choreography looking quite bold and dynamic. I don’t think it is their best work, but you can definitely tell of the effort and energy put behind this routine.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 6.2/10

[Review] Tick Tock – JUST B

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Also making their comeback on Wednesday of this week was JUST.B. Their first comeback since their debut with DAMAGE comes in the form of the single TICK TOCK and their first single album, JUST BEAT. Let’s see if TICK TOCK has what it takes to put JUST B on the map, following the likes of DAMAGE, which has managed to secure the group their nomination for Best New Male Group in the 2021 KPOPREVIEWED Awards (voting will open mid-November).

If I have to answer that above proposition right away, I would have to say no. TICK TOCK, as JUST B’s second step into the industry, doesn’t really live up to the same standard as DAMAGE had set for them. To me, TICK TOCK is not a bad or terrible song. But long story short, TICK TOCK is just rather stagnant and plain. Despite all the abrasive synths and edginess that comes from the song, TICK TOCK‘s instrumentation sounded one-dimensional and lacked charm. It was pretty much neutral throughout, with nothing memorable or worth mentioning. The exact same could be said about the vocals and rapping. The member just didn’t infuse much character or personality, and hence TICK TOCK just doesn’t come off as a strong release. There, however, seems to be two somewhat decent elements to the song, but it isn’t really enough in hindsight to rescue the song from the pits of the song’s boring nature. The first element in question is the song’s repetitive ‘Tick Tock‘ hook. At first, it came off very monotone like the rest of the song. But as usual, a few repeats of TICK TOCK since its release has shown some hope for the song’s repetitive phrase. But it isn’t as strong as many other hooks in KPOP. The second is the glitchy effect in the song’s background. While I did like the effect in the song, I don’t think I can get past the rest of the dull instrumentation to really dig back into the song. It is quite disappointing, but there is (hopefully) next time for the group to show something of DAMAGE‘s calibre or more.

From what I understand, the video is all about tackling your own fears and getting that feeling of fear controlled. The video begins with the members in these futuristic machines that place the members into their worst fears or situations. Fires, lack of sight or not knowing what is happening around you, darkness, being chased by someone, underwater and loneliness (the mirror scenes) are fears or situations that the video zones into. I am not sure what the butterfly represents, but it seems to help the members overcome the fear – maybe its presence evokes a sense of calmness. But anyway, once the time is up, the members are pulled from their scenarios and wake up, with their fears controlled. I quite like this concept, if I interpreted it correctly. The sets looked industrial and futuristic, which helped with the edgy appeal.

The choreography for this comeback is its strongest element by far. I really enjoyed the impact the entire hook sequence had on stage, with said sequence consisting of their Tick Tock hand movement, the zombie walk and the vibrating bomb. The bridge was cool, with the x formation.

Song – 5.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating -7/10

[Review] Don’t Teach Me – Ailee

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With the big post of the week out the way, it is time to return to the usual programme of reviews. And there is a lot to cover this week. For this post, I will be looking at the long-awaited return of Ailee, who returned on Wednesday with Don’t Teach Me and her third studio-length album, Amy. This is Ailee first release since the pre-release single Make Up Your Mind from earlier on in the year, which is also featured on this album. This release also marks her first major release under THE L1VE, which is also home to Wheein (of Mamamoo).

Don’t Teach Me delves into the old swing genre with its brassy and old-style instrumental that just has this golden yet vintage glow. You will very much know that I enjoy brass elements, especially when it is used in upbeat applications. And so Don’t Teach Me ticks that box instantly. When the song hits the chorus, the instrumental makes me want to get up and dance. I had to refrain from doing so, or else there would be no review! What makes Don’t Teach Me even better is Ailee herself. It has been a while since we heard a powerful display of vocals from Ailee, and she just takes Don’t Teach Me to the next level. At the start of the song, Ailee’s vocals (paired with minimal piano) added suspense to the song and intrigued me into listening further to Don’t Teach Me. When we get to the choruses, Ailee really throws powerful vocals at us, as we get to the end of the segment. This naturally adds definition and oomph to the song that just takes the song to the next level. I think the song could have used some more interesting hooks. The ‘Please Don’t Teach Me‘ hook that follows the second and third choruses felt somewhat one-dimensional and didn’t really feel like it matched the rest of the song. It worked well, but I think Don’t Teach Me would have been a vastly better song with something bolder and punchy. But overall, Don’t Teach Me is a fantastic comeback from Ailee. It has been a while since we heard from her in this light and it was definitely satisfying to finally get something so.

Unfortunately, the music video didn’t fare as well as the song. While the setting, outfits (and damn, does Ailee look great throughout this video) and concept match the song and its lyrics wonderfully, I found the video to be dry. Essentially, the video is about Ailee making a statement to ‘all the boys who think they can control a woman’ and hence makes all the heads turn in her direction. I wished they did something more with all those people in that ballroom, that would have made the video a bit more interesting. However, there was one ballroom segment which I thought was pretty cool. At the start of the final chorus, Ailee’s vocals and energy broke a mirror and statue in time with the music. It was a clever and fun nod to both the message of the song/video and Ailee’s powerfulness.

The performance itself was quite good. There isn’t anything really special about the performance, but I liked that it was well-fitted to the song and had an element of fun to it as well. Ailee offset the lack of something special with her live vocals, which is still something to be in awe of.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 6.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10