Category: Reviews

[Review] One (Monster & Infinity) – SuperM

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

If you are a fan of the SuperM (the ‘Avengers’ of KPOP) members (that is Baekhyun, Kai, Taemin, Taeyong, Mark, Lucas and Ten), then you must be excited for their comebacks that are ongoing or ‘soon-to-be’ occurring. Here is just a quick rundown for these busy members. Taemin made his solo comeback earlier this month with Criminal, whilst NCT is gearing up for NCT 2020 in October (NCT and WayV members combined!). On top of that, Kai has been confirmed for a solo debut some time in the future, while I remember reading somewhere that Baekhyun might be releasing new music. But while we wait for those comebacks, check out SuperM’s latest title track, One, which follows the pre-release of 100 and Tiger Inside.

One is a hybrid track, merging two of the side tracks (Monster & Infinity) from the group’s first studio album. It is similar to how SHINee’s Sherlock, which merged Clue and Note from their Sherlock mini-album back in 2012. So the concept of a hybrid track isn’t new, but it is rather rare in KPOP. This alone already makes the song stand out. However, I wish I could say the same for majority of the song. For the purpose of this review, I wanted to delve into One only. This proves to be a little difficult, however, as I feel like we are constantly reminded of the fact that it is two songs merged into one. I find One to be slightly disjointed, especially around the start of the chorus. It didn’t feel like it was a natural blend. In addition to that, I find One‘s instrumental to be a generic form of EDM. The chorus does bring a grand and adventurous vibe to it, which I liked (it also brought me back to their debut track, Jopping). But everything else wasn’t as adventurous by today’s standard. The vocals and rapping work performed by the members are a lot more captivating than the instrumental and I give them ticks of approval. Unfortunately, I found the melodies were pretty generic and I didn’t really find a hook in the song to help make the song catchy. That being said, there was one part that really stood out to me. This part was the climax of the song (Taemin’s husky vocals, Baekhyun and Ten’s high note, followed by Mark’s rapping), leading into the final chorus. The intensity and epicness of the EDM during this part really help make the climax more fulfilling and the members involved made it pretty dynamic. At least, there was something in the song worth waiting around for.

The music video on YouTube made it pretty clear that there was some paid promotions, which I assume is the mobile phone that we see during and at the very end of the music video. I wonder if there was more to it, as the music video seemed to look like it was based or modelled after a game of some kind. I just got that type of vibe from the teasers they released and the overall setting of the video (even though most of it was literally inside a box). There were some snippets throughout the video, whilst the ending went through a very quick flash of various visuals of the members that I don’t remember seeing anywhere else before (unless my memory has completely failed me). I find them to be captivating, mainly because I had question marks about what was going on in those mysterious and unfamiliar shots. Any one knows?

The performance was good to watch. But I didn’t see anything impressive or ground-breaking, but I liked that they went hard and didn’t hold back in the performance.

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

[Review] ARISONG – cignature

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

Dropping their latest comeback yesterday was cignature. The new song is titled ARISONG and is featured on their first mini-album since their debut earlier this year. ARISONG follows the groups Nun Nu Nan Na debut and ASSA comeback in April.

ARISONG does not hold back. It takes a matter of seconds before the song blasts us with this messy noise. I caution those who wish to listen to the song on ‘full blast’. At a low volume, the song is quite bearable. But at a much higher volume and I would say the intensity and chaotic nature of the song is quite overwhelming and can best be described as an ‘assault’ on your eardrums. I cannot believe I just said that regarding a song. To me, the best parts of the song came during the verses. Everything was a lot calmer and more palatable. Nothing overwhelms, with the vocals and rapping opting for a more normal sound. The instrumental featured synths and textures that I thought were interesting and even fun. When it came to the chorus, things started to get a little more intense and chaotic. And with the instrumental for the main part of the song labelled with such words, the overly cutesy vocals were just a no go for me. I get that they tried to infuse a bit of character into the song through their vocals and rapping, but it just felt too much of a mismatch of styles once you factor in the instrumental. As the song climaxed, everything goes haywire. I found myself to be overwhelmed and didn’t know what to exactly focus on. Nothing really a good ‘last’ impression of the song to leaver the listener with. On the plus side, ARISONG does earn marks for memorability, given everything does standout in one way or another. But in this context, it might not be a positive thing.

The school student concept isn’t a brand new or groundbreaking concept for KPOP. I wished there was a bit more to the music video to make it memorable. They could have gone with more wacky visuals, along the lines of that orange hand tree that featured midway into the video. I think that would have made the video more interesting and it could have enhanced the chaotic nature of the song within the music video. I guess I just found the solo scenes and closeups to be quite tame, relative to the music.

The performance fits more of the cutesy side of the song, rather than the intense or chaotic side of the song. And for a cutesy centric performance, it isn’t a terrible one. Nothing was that groundbreaking once again, but this wasn’t a major deal breaker this time.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 5.9/10

[Review] La Di Da – EVERGLOW

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

After their amazing and catchy DUN DUN comeback earlier this year, EVERGLOW is finally back with their latest single, La Di Da. The new single is featured on the group’s second mini-album, -77.82X-78.29.

EVERGLOW has once again managed to exceed the expectations that they had set themselves through their previous comebacks. La Di Da is exciting thanks for the upbeat energy that it packs through its 80s retro electropop instrumentation. It is also rather unique. There are a few KPOP songs that have preceded La Di Da in this genre, however none of them have managed to exude as much appeal by going hard as La Di Da has. Even when it came to the rapping in the verses, EVERGLOW manages to wow us with trap sequences that fit in with the retro vibes that the song is built upon, but also remaining fresh and unique at the same time. The vocal work and rapping are superb. There is so much power that comes from these two elements that brings it up to par as their other powerful tracks, but is refreshing given the retro twist. I also love the short instrumental break we get right after the second verse. The only issue I have with the song is that their vocals and instrumentation during the peak of the chorus seems a little blurred. But this doesn’t compromises the hooks and catchiness of La Di Da in any way, so it literally be can be glossed over. Definitely give La Di Da is a listen. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Once again, the music video takes on a choreography and closeup formula. But it manages to captivate nonetheless. I applaud the director for managing to capture really good visuals of the members, but also managing to capture the best angles of the choreography as well. I love how the shots were clean and didn’t employ any of those shaky effects that a lot of music videos are incorporating in their music video in hopes to replicate an edgy vibe. This song could have enable this, but I am glad it didn’t go down this route. Instead, the music video adds that edgy flair using the sets and their outfit, which were really well executed.

La Di Da emphasise what EVERGLOW does best. A powerful choreography. As weird as it might sound, I enjoyed the use of their arms throughout the performance. It adds a visually appealing complexity that makes it worthwhile to watch. I also like that while the group is powerful, they can still be sexy with no compromises. I also find Yiren’s ‘La Di Da’ just before the final chorus so memorable and can simply be classed as a ‘killer part’.

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

[Review] The Stealer – The Boyz

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 3 Comments

It is fair to say that The Boyz has had an action-packed 2020, so far. In March, the group returned with their first studio album and title track of the same name, Reveal. Later in June, the group emerged was the victors of Road To Kingdom with CHECKMATE, earning them a one-way ticket to the upcoming season of Kingdom (which has been pushed to next year). And now the group has returned with their new title track, The Stealer and mini-album, Chase.

The Stealer starts with a short peaceful piano piece, before launching right into the chorus. The contrast between the two makes the start become quite bold and it really pulls you in. The chorus itself is paced, employing a dragged out effect within the dance instrumentation, and the vocals come off shouty (in a good way). I would have loved a more captivating hook, but the combination of shouty-like vocals and strong instrumentation that makes up the chorus is well-rounded and dynamic enough for me. The choruses are followed by a snappy drums and cool bassline instrumental break, which also makes up the basis of the instrumentation throughout the rest of the song. It also gives off stylish vibes, adding extra appeal to the song no doubt. When it comes to the verses, I find the song blends the rapping and vocals extremely well with one another. Unlike the dragged out nature of the chorus, the verses kept you on your heels with the instrumental being consistently fast paced. The second verse is when I realized that the song is a hip-hop dance track. I somehow didn’t get this vibe during the first verse, which is odd as the chorus basically sets up the same hip-hop route. To me, the best part of The Stealer is the bridge. It simply comes down to an awesome vocal line, followed up with dynamic rap sequences, before launching back into the final chorus. The Stealer could used some extra oomph to close out the song in a much stronger manner. But that is just an additional want from me.

The song itself is about how the members are attempting to steal their lover’s heart. But at the last moment, their lover disappears after. It seems like their lover is onto them, as the music video does depict them going on a mission to steal their lover’s heart. But at the end, the heart is gone and the members are left behind bars and fences (even the lighting was set up to look like a fence in some choreography shots), meaning their lover had played them. I thought this was a nice twist to the storyline they were trying to depict within The Stealer‘s lyrics. Aside from my quick interpretation, I really like the boldness and dominance of the red colour. The members are dressed up stylishly in black outfits, popping out of the red background.

Given that this is the comeback following their Road To Kingdom appearances and win, I expected something with a little more wow factor. While that wasn’t delivered (I mean, how do they top the jump from their Danger cover?), they opted for a more stylish and trendy setup and vibe for this performance. I quite like this alternative direction, with the choreography exuding masculine energy that really sets them apart from other male artists who have more recently returned.

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

[Review] I LOVE YOU – TREASURE

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2 Comments

Making their first comeback literally weeks after their debut is TREASURE, with I LOVE YOU. This hastiness to make a comeback is quite rare in YG Entertainment’s world, given that their artists tend to go for months and years on end with no signs of a comeback. That being said, YG Entertainment have already confirmed plans for an ambitious end for 2020 with confirmed BLACKPINK and AKMU comebacks and it is rumoured that iKON, WINNER and BIG BANG will be also making their comebacks before 2020 wraps up. Today, the focus is on YG Entertainment’s latest addition to their family and their comeback single, I LOVE YOU.

In my BOY review, I noted that the group stepped away from YG’s strong association with the hip-hop genre, going with what felt like a pop sound instead. I am not sure if I LOVE YOU confirms that observation, as it seemed to take a step back towards the hip-hop genre. It isn’t strong throughout the track, but it prevalent during some parts (i.e. the second verse). Personally, I don’t mind this as both BOY and I LOVE YOU manages to breath some freshness into their company’s discography. I LOVE YOU‘s opening verse promises more of that pop feel. I really like the lightness of both the guitars and their vocals. The pre-chorus brings about a build up that felt typical, but makes total sense given the fast-approaching epic, deep and abrasive drop for the chorus. I personally enjoyed this drop as it totally throws your expectations for the song array. I liked how the chorus doesn’t stay in this rough gear for its entirety, instead emerging out of the deep and abrasiveness nature to help bridge to the other parts of the song. The second verse was a typical trap-based rap sequence. I am not entirely against this trap-rap sequence, but it did feel dry and unoriginal. Skipping forward to the bridge, we return to that pop feel briefly before we are launched right back into the pre-chorus. The one part of I LOVE YOU that I am not a fan of is the anthem-half of the final chorus. It is very YG to do an anthem at the end of the song and (as I have mentioned before) it is pretty cliche. I wished that they just made the second half of the final chorus be the actual final chorus. I would have been fine with that. They could have also thrown something dynamic into the mix to change up the final chorus if they wished. To sum up, a good followup to BOY in my opinion.

The song talks about their feelings towards their lover and the music video was a pretty good representation of that. There were a lot of love hearts and youthful visuals throughout the video, matching with the song’s innocent theme. I wasn’t a fan of the closeups of some of the members during the second half of the rap sequence. It felt a little try-hard and mis-matching. I actually preferred the visuals and choreography closeups during the first half of the rap sequence, as it binds nicely with the rest of the music video. My favourite bit of the entire music video has to be any scenes in front of that huge screen. Especially when it came to the chorus and the screen showed this huge wave and a really nice blue/green hue to it.

The choreography is fantastic. I liked how powerful they made the chorus feel from just the moves alone, emphasizing the bass and power that the chorus had musically. The head bopping and finger hearts was definitely a killer part in my opinion. This might just be a visual component in the music video and not necessarily replicated on stage, but the dancing in the water looked epic.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] RIDE – KNK

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

Another group who has been absent from the stage for a year and three months is KNK. It has definitely been a while since we have seen this group as well, with their last comeback being Sunrise in July 2019. Today, the group returns with RIDE and the mini-album, KNK Airline. Here is a fun fact related to this comeback: this comeback is funded by fans after the group and their company started a MAKESTAR project earlier this year. This makes it KNK’s second comeback funded by fans, with Sunrise and KNK S/S Collection being their first! To me, that is pretty cool and shows how strong Tinkerbell’s (their fandom’s name) is.

Something that I find common with KNK comebacks is that they never fail to draw my attention. It is the same case with RIDE, instantly drawing me into the song from my first listen. You might think that I am easy to satisfy, which I agree to a degree. However RIDE manages to have a few tricks up its sleeve that I personally did not expect. I have to begin by saying that RIDE does feel significantly weaker as a whole compared to their previous title tracks. This is partly due to the generic nature of the instrumentation that doesn’t really have much boldness or character to it. However, it is what they add to the instrumentation that gives the song life. Firstly, let’s focus on both the vocals and the melodies in the song. While they aren’t explosive or powerful as they could have been, the choppiness to the melody was pretty unique. And it is more interesting, as the rhythm to RIDE made this choppiness feel smooth (which is contradictory, but KNK and the song’s producers struck a fine balance between the two and I like this very much). The melodies also make this song quite catchy. Secondly, the rapping adds some stability to the song, in my opinion. They help keep the song grounded (or anchored), while the rest of the vocals and melody provided upbeat energy that made the song feel like it was floating about. Thirdly, the energy that I just mentioned was pleasant and enjoyable. It isn’t as hard-hitting as I expected and I thought that was quite nice. Overall, I enjoyed listening to RIDE. It may not be up to par as their past comebacks, but they managed well with it.

Another music video with strong visuals from the members during their closeups. But aside from adopting that same choreography and closeup formula that I have mentioned time and time again, there isn’t much else to the music video. I personally do not understand the setting of the music video. The members are dressed up as pilots and do some choreography on the airplane runway. That makes sense. But it is the desert scenes that I have question marks over. There might be a reference to the desert (or some place isolated and away from civilization) in the lyrics, but I haven’t picked up on anything yet.

The start to the RIDE choreography with Heejun being lifted into the air, after he ‘levitates’ off the ground by holding onto the member’s legs is really cool. There is a subtle smoothness to the choreography that I really enjoyed. I also liked the fast paced nature of some parts, matching the tempo of the music quite well.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

[Review] Feel Good (SECRET CODE) – fromis_9

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 1 Comment

Next up on the comeback list this week is fromis_9, who makes their return for the first time since their FUN! comeback, one year and three months ago. Such a long gap between comebacks is not ideal, especially for a group who was starting to gain momentum following their Love Bomb and FUN! comebacks. However, as I always say on this blog, it is better late and than never. The group returns today with Feel Good (SECRET CODE), their third mini-album, The Little Society, and a eight-member lineup (as Seoyeon is sitting out of the promotions due to an injury).

Whilst Feel Good is track filled with funky guitar riffs (and hence complimenting current trends to a tee), the track is interestingly not as retro as I had hoped for. While I believe that fromis_9 would have one of the few female groups currently active that would have nailed the retro style and sound, Feel Good opts for a clean, modern and quite refreshing spin on the whole idea of a funky sound. There isn’t much going in the instrumentation apart from the funky guitar. In hindsight, it is rather plain (This was a thought when I first heard the song, but it has long disappeared from my mind now). However, that isn’t really an issue as the members really do help cover it up this barely noticeable flaw with their vocals. The rapping isn’t as great as I felt they wasted an opportunity to go down a more dynamic route for Feel Good, which could have been incorporated into the song via the actual rapping or instrumentally. But the vocals are really well thought out. They go with a lower tone for the verses, which I think gives the song a mature flair on top of the funky instrumentation. I really like the ‘Woo Hoo Hoo‘ that we get in the pre-chorus, for no other reason other than it felt classy. Once we got to the chorus, the members sang at a much higher tone, adding a subtle but appreciable amount of energy that doesn’t overwhelm the listener, complimenting the instrumentation. The chorus itself is also quite catchy, thanks to the vocal melodies and hooks.

The music video has nice visuals. But other than that and the choreography/closeup formula, it is incredibly plain to watch. I liked how they held back with the colours though, which suits the song style. But from what I have seen in KPOP music videos over the years, the producers could make the video a lot more dynamic and visually appealing whilst also complimenting the song’s style (as they have with the colour choices). A much strong balance between these two elements would have made the video more appealing to watch.

From what I can see in the music video, the choreography looks good. There isn’t anything ground breaking or new in it. But it works well with the music video. There seems to a mature feel to the choreography, as well. It is subtle, but it feels different for the group, especially since fromis_9 has been known for more cutesy and innocent concepts in the past.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Bad Idea – Moonbin & Sanha (ASTRO)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 2 Comments

Yesterday, ASTRO launches their first duo unit with Moonbin and Sanha joining forces to bring us Bad Idea, which is featured on the pair’s first mini-album, IN-OUT. This comes after the entire group returned with Knock earlier this year.

It seems that funky is now the norm in KPOP. Bad Idea continues the ongoing trend of reemerging funky and groovy numbers in the industry, a trend that KPOP has definitely experienced in the past. Some of the best and widely known KPOP tracks over the years fall into this category! While Bad Idea does fit in with that particular crowd of songs (based on genre alone), it just needed a bit more to potentially be given that status. And that ‘bit more’ could have easily been a rap sequence. Sure, the addition of a rap sequence would have been cliche move. But I felt that Bad Idea was missing an element to give the song a kick and some additional intense energy. The entire song is vocally centric, which makes complete sense given the vocalist label that both Moonbin and Sanha carry whilst promoting with the rest of the ASTRO members. There isn’t anything wrong with that. I just believe it is missing that oomph to bring it to the next level. But aside from that, what we got was perfectly nailed. Both Moonbin and Sanha did amazing with the vocals, especially when we got to the falsetto pre-chorus. That pre-chorus was super sexy sounding, admittedly. The chorus was quite simple and catchy. The instrumental has a nice bass feel to it and the guitars work very hard to bring the funkiness to life. Maybe that ‘bit more’ could also have been delivered with a bit of a change up in the instrumentation, but it would have been most effective as a rap sequence (in my opinion).

The music video for Bad Idea is super interesting. The pair take on a dark sensual concept with their choreography and solo shots. That itself is something quite exciting, as it takes ASTRO’s previous concepts a step further. But that is embedded throughout a time-loop story line, where Sanha constantly dies after drinking a poisoned drink and wakes up right after. He becomes confused and lost. Moonbin isn’t the centre of this time-loop, so suspicion is on him almost immediately from the start. It is revealed towards the end that Moonbin indeed did poison Sanha, causing him to die. I think Sanha had shot Moonbin in the past, which might give Moonbin a motive. Though I am not sure why. That is just my take on the music video though and I am sure other theories have determined by Moonbin is killing Sanha and how Moonbin better fits into the story line (i.e. I didn’t understand meaning behind the fire and broken glass scenes).

The choreography looks quite good. I liked how they carried that dark sensual concept from the music video into the choreography. I really like the move that did when they repetitively sang ‘Bad’ during the chorus. Their chemistry was also note-worthy during their duo moments!

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

[Review] Back Door – Stray Kids

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 7 Comments

At the very end of the music video for their previous comeback (God’s Menu), the members of Stray Kids were seen walking through the Back Door, which is also the title for the comeback title track they just dropped a few hours back. This means that Stray Kids and their management had planned this comeback and teased it since the beginning of their God’s Menu era. It astounds me how much planning goes into these comebacks, especially when they are all interlinked like this. Back Door is featured the repackaged version of their first studio album, GO生, which has been renamed to IN生.

Opening up Back Door is a very groovy background instrumental piece. It isn’t profound or something that the members pushes to the forefront of the song. Instead it remains in the background and feels subtle, which to me makes it more powerful. They keep the groovy background for the majority of the first verse. Why is this of significance? Well, it is a change up to the usual intense synth-heavy sound that Stray Kids has been going with through their title tracks and it is definitely intrigued me with the direction in which Back Door was going in. When we enter the pre-chorus, the funkiness dissipates and we are slowly brought back into Stray Kid’s usual intense style in time for the chorus. The main centrepiece of the song is made up of thumping synths and percussion, which works hand in hand with the idea of the door knocking we get at the start of the chorus and is quite catchy. I also really like the shouty vocals part of the chorus, which brings a more dynamic feel and additional depth to the song. While I am on the topic of the vocals, I feel like the chorus was the best showcase of the vocals in the song. Unfortunately, I did not care for Seungmin, Bangchan and I.N’s parts (i.e. pre-choruses and bridge), mainly because their parts of the song were incredibly plain. Back Door felt more like it was well set-up for the rappers, who were able to show more of their intense delivery style without the need for the intense instrumentation. Overall, I am liking the grooviness in the verses and the catchy nature of the chorus. I just wished there was a better bridge between the two parts to make this a more dynamic song.

Back Door is a song that invites you through the back door for a party. And they essentially do that with the actors from their previous music video. We have the scientists, the masked people doing measurements (not exactly sure what profession they are meant to be representing) and the school girls from God’s Menu. They are among the suited people in the art gallery, who do not like the idea of the part and continually switch off the lights preventing the members from partying. But that doesn’t stop the members as they turn on the lights and continue on with their dancing. In the end, the members get their epic party going with everyone in the background dressed in white hoodies. I wasn’t a fan of a number of things in this music video though. Firstly, the tan coloured tops they wore underneath their outfits looks pretty cheap. And secondly, the overuse of the shaky camera effect. It just makes those scenes look exaggerated.

The choreography was awesome. I really like the whole chorus routine, especially the second half of the routine (i.e. some of the members intensely knocking on the door, whilst the rest paired off and acted like arches/doors that spun around the knocking members – that sounds complicated just in words). The first half was equally as cool. The door knocking and that whole final sequence when the funky backdrop comes back was memorable.

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

[Review] OH YA YA YA – LUNARSOLAR

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged Leave a comment

Remember that I should be catching up on reviews? Well, they are slowly coming. I guess I will be drip-releasing the reviews as I finish them. The first track that I am reviewing as I return to the “catch-up” phase is LUNARSOLAR’s debut track, OH YA YA YA. This recently (like start-of-the-month recently) debuted female quartet hails from JPlanet Entertainment and their lineup consist of Eseo, Jian, Taeryoung, and Yuuri. The group has quite an extensive resume, with their lineup being associated to the Produce 101, MIXNINE, The Unit and a number of previous female group including the Korean S.E.T and the Japanese I’S9.

To me, OH YA YA YA is a song that has been heard before. One listen in and it felt generic enough to stop and skip to the next song on my playlist. However, I held onto hope that maybe OH YA YA YA would change and become a little more interesting. But unfortunately, it just didn’t. The song is a mixture of electronic music that we have heard before. Trap and tropical is what comes to mind when I am trying to figure out the exact genre of OH YA YA YA. A combination that we are all quite familiar about. The hooks and melodies, which could serve as the saving grace of this debut song, were okay. But they weren’t impressive enough to compensate for the generic nature of the instrumentation because they are pretty standard themselves. What this song does extremely well, however, is show off the potential of the group. Their vocals and rapping are really strong. It is just a pity that the song didn’t do them justice and give them an opportunity to shine on stage or the charts with a memorable song that impresses. I will definitely put the group on my radar given their skillset, but I wouldn’t be going out of my way to search for this song.

OH YA YA YA was all about breaking free from society and having fun. And the music video shows exactly that with the office scenes. But they don’t show the members as part of the office staff. That would have made the video cheesy. Instead, the members are already inserted into the scene ready to have fun. They just had to break the boring and dead atmosphere of the office. Aside from that and the rest of the music video, there was a lot of references to the group (aside from group/solo shots). I would have been fine with the use of their playing cards that featured the group’s logo. That was actually quite cool. But the insertion of those images that simply flashes between frames is a bit much for my liking.

Performance-wise, the group definitely holds their ground with the live vocals and rapping. Good on them for that! As for the routine, I am rather impressed as their legs seem to be in uncomfortable bend/formation during the key parts of the choreography. I also like their bright energy they bring to the stage via their smiles whilst they performing. Definitely exudes the upbeat energy from the song.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6/10

[Review] Bon Voyage – YooA (Oh My Girl)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 3 Comments

2020 has been a very successful year for Oh My Girl, probably exceeding the success the group achieved in 2019. Despite dropping their Nonstop/Dolphin comeback four months ago, the two songs are still ranking high on the digital charts, outperforming many artists and songs released more recently! And now it is time for Oh My Girl to step into new territory with solo promotions. First up is YooA with Bon Voyage!

Through Bon Voyage, it can be agreed that YooA has managed to show the best of herself. It a really great track and it stands out due to its unique sound (relative to other KPOP releases). Bon Voyage is a very airy and light in tone, diverting us away from the synthetic and heavy music influences of today’s music and opts for more a sound and vibe that feels fresh and natural. In many ways, the song feels like the it is reconnecting us with nature. Take the percussion, for example. It sounds wooden-like, rather than metallic and hence man-made. The instrumental also makes use of tribal-like chanting in the background, which also has that natural tinge to it. That being said, there are synths used throughout the song. But they are selected carefully to emphasis and highlight the nature vibes. The lightness of the song pairs up with YooA’s light and breathy vocals, helping create an aesthetic atmosphere overall. To me, the best parts of Bon Voyage are the choruses. They pretty much sum up everything I mentioned above and brings about a memorable feeling. The first chorus reminds me of Shakira’s Waka Waka, whilst the second chorus features YooA’s harmonies with the chanting background and is rather short (but sweet)! I did wish it was longer, so more charm could have been exuded from the song. But despite that, what Bon Voyage already had done before the final chorus was enough to warrant a positive review.

What a visual masterpiece. This music video captivates all possible senses and it is hard to look away when there is just so much going on, despite so little happening in each scene. The cinematography and especially the drone shots were extremely artistic and aesthetic. Definitely a video to watch if you want to see something stunning and are willing to be blown away. Fans have been floating some ideas about the concept of the music video. Personally, I like the idea of YooA reconnecting with Mother Nature, as that is what I initially thought of when I first watched the music video. I think the idea of YooA being a ‘child of Mother Nature’ to also be suitable, but I am unfamiliar with that story.

YooA is the main dancer of Oh My Girl, so I had high expectations for the performance for Bon Voyage. And those expectations were definitely exceeded. While the music video showed a lot of freestyle and interpretive dancing, the routine on stage is pretty much set. But the set routine carries the same vibes over and we get a glimpse of something similar to what we saw in the music video towards the end of the performance. I also like how artistic it looks, overall.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.8/10

[Review] Bird – Kim Nam Joo (APINK)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 9 Comments

Following the solo releases of Jeong Eun Ji since 2016 and the solo debut of Oh Ha Young last year, the next member of APINK to go solo is Kim Nam Joo. When I first heard that she would be making her solo debut, I wondered how Kim Nam Joo would differentiate herself from the well-known name of APINK and establish a new image of herself under her own name, with her new solo single, Bird. Well, it is time to have a closer look at both the song and music video to find out just that.

Unfortunately, Bird fails to excite me. If I was being generous, Bird would be considered a ‘decent’ song, at best. But Bird is just so boring and lackluster that I tend to fall to the more negative side of the ‘decent song’ descriptor. Upon first listen to Bird, I could hear the hint of (G)I-DLE Soyeon’s influence. And while it seems like I am part of the minority when it comes to her songs, Bird is probably her weakest associated track yet. It felt like a track originally intended for (G)I-DLE, but the management and group decided it was best to part ways from this flat song. Aside from use of the wooden wind instruments throughout the song and the acoustic guitars in the bridge, everything else just felt generic to me. The instrumental failed to give much hype and the Eastern-influenced chorus could have been more dynamic by a mile. The bird sound effects felt a little annoying, especially as it went on. The song’s melody was pretty weak. Save the pre-chorus melody though, as I felt there was a decent climb within it that alluded to what I had expected to be a good drop. for the chorus (which Bird did not deliver). But that weak melody essentially rubbed off onto Kim Nam Joo’s vocals, which was at large pretty boring throughout the entire song. Hook-wise, the song didn’t have much, so I am pretty sure Bird will be long gone from my memory once I wrap up this review. Bird failed to impress or chirp up my day.

The music video fares a lot better in comparison to the song. Despite going with the basic choreography and closeup formula, the closeups are captivating given the story that I have managed to get out of it. To me, we see Kim Nam Joo wear white in the beginning to represent innocence and a newly born bird. As the music video goes along, we get different evolutions of the ‘bird’, which I could guess represents the many phases we have in our lifetime. But finally, just before the final chorus kicks in, we see Kim Nam Joo in her final ‘bird’ form, which is evidently quite elegant and mature. This represents her ‘rebirth’ (which was what the song was all about) is complete. Aside from that, I really liked how they used the one set at the start and end, but changed the lighting and colours to just give it a complete different feel.

The choreography is pretty decent. This ‘decent’ is more positive, in comparison to my other use of the same word. I really liked how she shows her strength and power through this choreography, and especially how she fits it in with the song she had to work with. Nothing really stood out for me individually, but the performance as a whole did.

Song – 4.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 6.2/10

[Review] Criminal – Taemin (SHINee)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , 4 Comments

Within the last month, Taemin has been super busy by being part of four different music releases (including today’s comeback). We first saw him in his 2 KIDS pre-release track, dropping in preparation for today’s comeback. His second release was 100, the first pre-release single of SuperM’s upcoming end-of-September comeback. We saw him again in Tiger Inside, serving as the second SuperM pre-release track which just dropped last week. And now, we find ourselves tuning in with his fourth release – the title track Criminal and his third Korean studio album, Never Gonna Dance Again.

I am just going to get right to the point. Taemin killed his comeback. And this comment is simply based on just one listen to Criminal. He tackles the synthwave genre, a genre that is pretty much new in KPOP as far as I can remember (and one that I am going to need to search up). The song’s instrumental is rather consistent, but there is still a lot going on. I love the slight tick up in energy that the chorus gives up (relative to the verses). It is small, but its impact is quite large. But the most important detail with this synthwave instrumental is that is compliments Taemin’s vocals. He sings rather low and seductively at the start and it slowly builds ever so slightly as the song progresses along, before his vocals climaxes (i.e. gets louder) after the ‘Destroy My More‘ line at the end of the bridge and we get some ad-libs for the final chorus. These pairings of vocals and instrumental just have so much chemistry with one another, creating a sensual and seductive atmosphere that I just want to continue to replay. To me, the best part of the song has to be his vocal climb during the verses. Once again, it is small effect, but it has such a large impact. It just leaves me in awe and it stuns me when I replay the song (even though I know it is coming). The ‘La La La La‘ was also another strong, suspenseful part of the song that I also love. Overall, Criminal is artistic, aesthetic and plays with Taemin’s strengths.

The music video of Criminal looks so good. Based on the lyrics, the song is about wanting to escape an relationship as it torturing oneself. But the more you want to leave, the more you want to stay. It is a similar concept to Stockholm Syndrome, which is where the victim of a kidnapping or hostage situation feels trust, affection and need for the captor to be in their life post-crime in order to survive. It is very interesting to see him play that out in lyrics. But it is very captivating to watch him be tortured throughout the music video. And we don’t actually see the explicit torture that whoever is inflicting upon him. Rather, we see Taemin’s self torture of wanting leave (and even contemplating death at some points) but is unable to do so in the final seconds because of his need for this relationship. His acting is so good and the set design is really stunning.

The music video shows me enough of the choreography to make write this part of the review. And as per my past reviews for Taemin’s choreography, this one is equally as good. I really liked the bounded wrists at the start, showing us that captive situation. We then see him take it off effortlessly before doing to the ‘good stuff’ in this routine, where we see him show off his performance skills. The best part of the choreography has to be the bridge of the song, where the dancer’s engulf him with their hands, seemingly making it look like he is enjoying the euphoria of returning to the relationship.

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

[Review] Open Mind – Wonho

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged 2 Comments

It has been a while since we have heard Wonho. Aside from his pre-release single (Losing You) release last month, Wonho has been absent from the music industry after his abrupt departure from MONSTA X. After his name was cleared from all allegations made about him (which lead to his abrupt departure from his former group) in March of this year, he signed with Highline Entertainment (a subsidy of Starship Entertainment) and started to prepare for his solo debut to the excitement of his fans, whom have been named WENEEs. His solo debut title track is Open Mind and is (obviously) the focus of this review.

Right from the start, you could tell that the driving force of Open Mind is the groovy instrumentation. But this isn’t some standard fun filled groovy KPOP track. It matches Wonho’s style, going down a classy, expensive-sounding and sensual direction instead. I like the pulsating nature at the start and how the song built to accommodate this pulsing effect. When we approach the first chorus, we get some funky guitars and a strong retro-centric instrumentation. As Open Mind progresses and we approach the second and final choruses, we get smoothness vibes from Wonho and lyrics as well! I liked that the first chorus was simply instrumentation, allowing Wonho to flourish with his performance skills, before getting down to business with vocals in the later sections. I also liked his voice in Open Mind. No doubt that the song was tailored to Wonho’s voice. Smooth (as I already mentioned), refined and mature. All great signs for a groovy track like this. Personally I would have preferred a strong hook when it comes to the choruses. The melody is great, but I felt it was lacking that something that we could always associate to Open Mind and Wonho in the future. But apart from that, big ticks for Open Mind.

Whilst it was expected that abs and muscles would be on full display for this music video, Wonho still manages to blow me away with his visual game throughout the music video for Open Mind. Sensual and masculine is the concept and Wonho nailed it! And I am quite sure fans aren’t complaining about the heat coming from this video. Aside from the visuals of Wonho (which are so damn captivating – he is making it hard to talk about everything else), I really like the straightforwardness of the sets throughout the video, which works excellently with Wonho’s visuals (literally keeps on coming back to this).

When it comes to the performance, I don’t think any other KPOP artist can pull off a choreography like this. There is a uniqueness that Wonho brings with this sensual choreography. It might be his visuals (well, well, well), but it could be his charisma and skills that make Open Mind‘s choreography work perfectly for him and just him. The best moments of the dance routine is whenever he moves slowly. There is just a captivating aura when he does just that and it wows me each time.

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

[Review] B.A.D – Super Junior-D&E

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , Leave a comment

Super Junior-D&E has taken over the title as the most active Super Junior subunit over recent years, thanks largely to their annual comebacks that they have been having since 2018. The last time we heard from the pair (Donghae and Eunhyuk) was early last year with Danger, which faired pretty well. And after one year and four months, the pair returns with B.A.D and their fifth mini-album, Bad Blood.

B.A.D is a mix between the funky retro tunes that are slowly creeping back onto our playlists and the now classic trap genre. And it isn’t too bad of a mix. The funkiness comes through quite nicely through the use of guitar in the background. And I feel that the trap that is present in B.A.D is enough to give the song some intensity and fierceness. And everything was pretty sound, until we got to the bridge. And I quite like the bridge (it is one of the best bridges I have ever heard in a long time). But I question the need for the brief pause right after, which was filled with the cheesy ‘Bad…Bad‘. I felt like they could have bridged it better to the final chorus and avoided the whole cringe and cheesy ordeal. Similarly, I would have lost the ‘Na Na Na‘ at the end, which was layered on top of the rest of the track. There was a lot going on already and this additional layer also felt unnecessary. Aside from that, Donghae and Eunhyuk’s vocals are good. There were some good hooks that the pair presented quite well, especially when it came to the two-part hook, which as a whole was catchy. Their rapping packed a punch (as usual from the pair) and helped infuse more intensity and edge to the song.

I liked half the video and felt the other half was pretty confusing and dry. Interestingly, there was no story line to this video, so you might be wondering how I felt one half was good and the other half was confusing. Well, all the sections shot outside in the parking lot had a nice edgy feel to it. This is what I liked, which matched the whole idea of being bad. The whole sequence of them being caught being bad was a little funny. As for the confusion and dryness, that title went to the studio sets they shot in. I felt that wasn’t a good representation of whole concept. The whole idea of horses confused me at the start and I expected them to expand on that whole idea elsewhere in the video (which I don’t think they ever did). The sets also didn’t reflect the edgy vibes of the song and I felt the overly fast flashing lights for the tent they performed in was overkill.

While this is a good routine and the pair can still dance, I wished the moves were sharper and faster. This could have made the performance a little more impactful and not as soft at first glance. As for the best part of the whole routine, I have to vote for the bridge sequence (everything up until the brief pause).

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

[Review] Beautiful Scar – Lee Eun Sang ft. Park Woojin (AB6IX)

Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged , , Leave a comment

When I think all the members of X1 had made their re-debut in some capacity, another member pops up with their new release. The next former member of the now disbanded project group to debut is Lee Eun Sang, who debuted earlier this week as a solo artist. He is currently signed to Brand New Music, the home of famous Korean hip-hop artists, AB6IX and BDC. His solo debut, Beautiful Scars, comes roughly one year after X1 made their debut with Flash.

Beautiful Scar is a R&B hip-hop track, which is pretty much no surprise to me, given that this is Brand New Music’s forte. The instrumental is quite heavy thanks to the bass and serious nature of the song. It does lack character and personality, as it feels pretty typical and alike any other R&B hip-hop track. There really isn’t anything ‘new’ about Beautiful Scar that we haven’t heard before. Interestingly, I am not too troubled by the consistency of this song. By being consistent, Beautiful Scar ended up being sophisticated, refined and mature. However, I was lowkey expecting a change up or a breakdown along the way that still fits the mature R&B hip-hop nature of this song. I felt like that would have given the song that much needed flair and allow Lee Eun Sang to show off his character a little more, let it be in song or in performance. I guess Park Woo Jin’s featuring was the mechanism of this, as I thought his rapping delivery and flow was really good. They was a captivating energy coming from his section alone and I would personally seek out this song for Park Woo Jin. Though, this is a bit harsh for the main artist of the track. However, I do think Lee Eun Sang did a pretty decent job with this as his solo debut track. His vocals are solid throughout Beautiful Scar. His debut song just lacks that mentioned personality and also some strong hooks/melodies that would make the song bold and memorable.

The song’s sophisticated and refined profile was brought over into the visual aspect of this comeback. The music video is just this and I really quite enjoyed it. The hotel lobby was a really good choice to shoot in and the lighting during his scene was on point. I also liked the darker sets in which the choreography shots were also shot in. There seems to be some symbolism throughout the music video, such as the butterfly and a kaleidoscope. Not sure what these mean exactly, though I assume the kaleidoscope is in reference to the fake love he experienced (i.e. nothing he looked at was what it seems). Also thumbs up for Park Woo Jin’s featuring the music video as well. You probably know that it is my wish to have featuring artists featured in the music video. It just makes the whole experience better. Though in this case, I guess featuring artists are a lot easier to invite if it is done in-house.

Lee Eun Sang does not look nervous during his first performance. I applaud him for that, especially since it has been almost a year since his previous debut and he has had a lengthy break in between. Plus going solo is always a big step in one’s career. As for the choreography, I really liked the whole routine. It wasn’t anything too crazy. But it looks refined enough to still be impressive looking.

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