Category: Reviews

[Review] Gotta Go – Soyou

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The next release that I want to review is Soyou’s solo comeback, Gotta Go. The release came on Tuesday on this week, so I apologise for the delay with the review. However, as I always say ‘better late than never’. Gotta Go features a different sound from the former girl group member and follows the release of her previous solo singles, The Night in 2017 and All Night in 2018. Since 2018, she hasn’t been active much as a solo artist on her own, but rather through collaborations, such as Rain Drop (with Ovan).

I want to break this paragraph into two parts. The first part is based on what I remember of the song from the few times I have played it while it sat on my ‘to review list’. Admittedly, the only thing I could remember from Gotta Go has to the ‘Gara Go‘ that Soyou sings as part of the chorus. This one thing should not be seen as a bad thing, however. It is super catchy and memorable. Unfortuately, the rest of the song was forgettable and I just wished that it lived up to the same standard that the song’s main hook had set. From this point onwards, everything I mention is based on what I note from relistening to Gotta Go. The song contains a fair amount of sass that gives it a interesting colour. The instrumental is quite upbeat in the verses, which add to the that interesting colour. It mainly delves into the tropical genre that is quite common to the Summer season. Though I admit that this direction was a little unexciting, it was still quite decent. I also didn’t enjoy chant bridge. It just felt over the top and the transition to said part from the second chorus was too sudden, so it was pretty overwhelming the first and current listens. I did like the ‘return to the roots of the song’ that followed in the second half of the bridge. Soyou’s vocals were good, with her husky voice being put on full display in this song. Overall, another decent but different style song from Soyou.

The music video for Gotta Go is really good. It starts off with Soyou has part of a fashion show crowd. And while the attention was on the runway, Soyou grabs attention by joining the fashion show without security jumping at her. Interesting. I do like this set up though, as the runway soon becomes her stage for the first chorus. As we dive in the second verse, we are taken behind the scenes of the fashion show. I really like it when she is dancing in the midst of the hectic behind the scenes shots of the fashion show. It just feels very different from most videos and works the choreography shot so naturally into the music video. I also like how she returns to the runway for the final chorus, bringing the video to a close with her walking off the runway. I enjoyed this video and everything looks good. Soyou also has a really sexy figure that she shows off throughout the video, which works with the theme of the video, as well.

The choreography looks good. I liked the use of the piece of fabric. She wraps it around herself and she uses it almost like a curtain during some parts. The chorus also had a memorable move, which was quite nice. I won’t be doing it when I think of the song in the future. But I will definitely imagining the move!

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Now or Never – APRIL

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It is time to catch up on reviews that I should have reviewed during the week but was unable to for whatever reason. First up is APRIL’s Now or Never, which is the group’s first comeback single since LALALILALA earlier this year. The single is featured on their first special Summer single album, Hello Summer. Prior to this comeback, Naeun was swept in a bullying controversary, which has since been proven to be a lie (as confessed by the person who spread the rumours). It was announced that Naeun would not be promoting this single due to shock. But from what I could see on the group’s comeback stages, Naeun is well and continuing her duties as a APRIL member.

APRIL’s take on a Summer single is pretty much what we have heard previously from other female groups. But that impression changes once we get to the chorus. The surprising incorporation of brass during Now or Never‘s chorus was a pleasant one. But I just wished that it was better mixed into the instrumental. To me, the brass seems like it is between two layers of instrumentation. It comes off alright, but it does not feel as explosive or energetic as the many examples of brass I have heard in KPOP previously. For example, I felt the brass in the song’s pre-chorus was nicely mixed into the instrumental. The brass that faded in the pre-chorus was a great teaser and buildup to the chorus (I had no issues with this). Their shouty ‘Now or Never‘ hook was pretty catchy and I really like the brightness that comes from this element. I also really like the ending, which (to me) added some classy style to this bright and upbeat track. Their vocals were good, but I wished the melodies were a lot more memorable. So far, everything I have described seems positive and neutral. Unfortuately, there is one bad element to the song that I felt was unimaginative and unnecessary. I am talking about the rapping. The short rap line at the end of the chorus is not the issue here though. I find that to be a good addition to the song. The issue is regarding the rap sequence that follows the first chorus. It just felt unneeded and cheesy with its trap-based setup. But apart from that part, Now or Never is still a decent track to bring some freshness to Summer.

The video was nailed perfectly. It is pretty hard to stuff up a Summer themed music video as the things we would associate with the season is quite obvious. Water, sun, sand and smiles. This video had it all. The bright lighting and colourfulness of the video is probably my most favourite aspect as everything just pops right out at you. In terms of content, there isn’t much to the video. Though for a Summer video, you can’t really expect for much, other than the members having fun.

Unfortuately, the choreography for this comeback wasn’t that impressive. Aside from the chorus, the rest of the choreography just didn’t seem as interesting. What I enjoyed in the chorus was that subtle bounce that made it look appealing. That was lacking in the rest of the performance.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Review] INCEPTION – ATEEZ

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Without a doubt, ATEEZ is one of the groups to look out for during 2020. After a successful year of promotions and non-stop releases, the group rounded out their Treasure series earlier this year with Answer. So what was next for the group? Well, they were meant to embark on their Map The Treasure world tour. But that has been postponed due to the ongoing global health pandemic. And since then, we haven’t heard too much from the group, aside from virtual concerts and some special stages. But that all changed yesterday, after they returned with their fifth mini-album Zero: Fever Part 1. On this mini-album were two tracks (INCEPTION and THANXX) that fans got to vote to become the title track. In the end, INCEPTION was announced as the title track for this comeback.

The entire Treasure series has really built the group a powerful and explosive reputation. That is what I remember and think of the most when I hear of ATEEZ. INCEPTION, to me, felt like it stepped back from this reputation. It felt underwhelming and relatively safe. While it did have a powerful and explosive profile, it neither rivaled or exceeded their past releases, which is disappointing. Take that instrumental break we get after the first chorus. While its placement dared to be a bit different, it felt very weak thanks to the use of unexciting hollow drum synths. That section would have been a great catalyst to amp up the rest of the song and increase the intensity by many magnitudes. But it just fizzled and didn’t really help boost the song. And hence the rest of the instrumental stayed relatively linear and didn’t get exciting as it could have been. The song did have some positive aspects, however. These mainly revolved the members. Its quite a vocally-centric song. The melodies have a pleasant ring to them and I find them to be potentially catchy (I need more listens to confirm this). The rappers did a really good job of increasing intensity in the song. And both aspects come together to form a powerful bridge, which was my pick of best moment. But at large, INCEPTION has all the elements to be their next big track, but it unfortunately underwhelms.

I am confident to say that there is a plot line in this music video, given that the fans got to see story line previews prior to selecting the title track. From what I got out of the lyrics and visuals, it looked liked the members are trying to get back into a dream they once had of their lover. But each time they do so, the setting gets more worse, as if foreshadowing how dangerous this lover is. The music video starts off in a brightly lit classroom (kind of an innocent dream). But later in the video, we see the classroom supposedly ‘lit’ on fire. It gotten so bad that Hongjoong entered a dream of nothing (and from the ending, it looks like he is stuck in that dream). I wonder how the next music video will link up. Everything looked quite good, though I must question whether Seonghwa’s abs reveal was necessary for this particular music video.

Performance-wise, INCEPTION delivered, as well. You can tell that they were extra powerful with their performance given the energy and effort you could see behind each of their moves. I liked how they split into two groups for the second chorus. I also surprisingly enjoyed the dance break they had during the instrumental sequence that I previously described weak. When I listen to the song by itself, it definitely comes off weak. But when you see the moves they put together for that part, it actually helped the sequence come off intense.

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

[Review] Lonely Night – Yoon Do Jun (HIGHLIGHT)

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It has also been a while since we heard from HIGHLIGHT. That is because HIGHLIGHT has reached that stage of their lives where they needed to enlist into the military, a hurdle that all male KPOP idols have to overcome. Yoon Du Jun finished his enlistment earlier in the year and is currently awaiting the return of his fellow members before promoting under the name of HIGHLIGHT once again. But while he is waiting, Yoon Du Jun jumped right back into music promotions with his solo debut! Today, Yoon Du Jun released his first mini-album, Daybreak, which features the title track, Lonely Night.

Given that Yoon Du Jun has been active in the music industry through his works with HIGHLIGHT (or Beast), I wasn’t exactly sure what direction he would take his solo work with. Lonely Night seems to be a R&B dance track and I have concluded that this really suits him. There is that sleek feel to the song which one would commonly associate with R&B. But the rest of the instrumentation indicates something a little heavier and more upbeat, like a song that you would associate with choreography. And the combination of the two that results in Lonely Night creates a classy atmosphere and an engaging energy that draws my fingers and mouse pointer back to the replay button. What I also really enjoy in this song is his vocals. I never really picked up on Yoon Du Jun’s vocals during his group promotions before. But here, it sounds like he has been the main vocalist of his group since forever and that I have completely overlooked him. His vocals have a subtle husky nature to them that I really enjoyed. During the chorus, his harmonies with his own backing vocals was superb. There was also interesting melodies/delivery, such as the opening sequence to the second verse. Overall, Lonely Night was a great debut track and does Yoon Du Jun’s vocals justice.

The song is about the loneliness that he feels after a busy day. The feeling comes during the night, as during the day he has to pretend that he is okay. Throughout the video, we see Yoon Du Jun throughout the night, all alone. The way I see this video is that regardless of what life he lives, he will always be lonely. The first half of the video makes it looks like he is rich and he gives off movie star vibes. It looks like he was just part of a fight, so I am assuming he is an action movie star. But at night, he goes to the bar and drinks alone, which draws our attention to his loneliness. The people around him looks in his direction because I presume they recognise him due to his movie star status. The second part of the music video shows Yoon Du Jun living a humble ordinary life in his apartment. There isn’t people there to highlight his loneliness. Rather the director chose to have everything around him frozen in midair, while Yoon Du Jun moves about normally. That was a clever way of showing his loneliness in a more profound and explicit manner. The rest of the video showed Yoon Du Jun alone in multiple contexts, all complimenting the song’s lyrics.

At this stage, there is no choreography for this comeback. I am not entirely sure whether he will be promoting his solo debut. I do hope he does and if we get a stage version of this performance, I will come back to update the review accordingly. For now, I will keep the ‘overall rating’ focused on the song and video.

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

[Review] MIL (Make It Love) – Song Ji Eun

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It has been a while since we have heard from Secret, one of my favourite female groups in the KPOP industry. The most recent news of Secret (as a group) was the unfortunate news of their disbandment, which occurred in 2018 when Song Ji Eun (and fellow member Jun Hyo Sung) left TS Entertainment. Since the news of her departure and the group’s disbandment, Song Ji Eun has been active as an actress. For the most part, she has been absent from the music scene, with her last release being the 2016 Bobby Doll. However, that all changed yesterday with Song Ji Eun returning as a solo artists yesterday with the title track MIL (Make It Love) and her third mini-album, Dream.

If you travel back in time on this blog, you will notice that I was a super duper big fan of Song Ji Eun’s solo releases. My personal favorites have to be Hope Torture and Don’t Look At Me Like That, while Pretty 25 (which I reviewed as a bad song initially) has grown tremendously on me. But that’s a brief trip down my memory lane. With her most recent release, all I can do is yawn at MIL. MIL lacks all character that she had built up previously. Sure, she may have decided that she needs a new sound, since those previous releases are quite dated (going back in 2013). But she could have picked genres that are a lot more exciting and different, as her previous releases have been just that. Instead, she opts for an overused tropical synth based instrumental. It is something that feels very mid to late last decade. On a slightly more positive note, MIL has nice and easy to follow melodies. And the hooks were catchy. However, I do feel that the instrumental weighs these more positive comments down. The most positive comment I can give regarding this song (that is untouched by the instrumental) is that I like her voice. Personally, I miss her voice and MIL gives a nice dosage of her voice.

The lack of choreography in the music video suggests to me that Song Ji Eun isn’t promoting this song. That kind of stuck out at me, as I was hoping to see more of her in the coming weeks (so I can admire her beauty and continually remind myself of the good old days of teenage me fanboying over her). Instead, MIL features a bunch of cute shots of her singing and having a bit of fun. But this music video is a good opportunity to refamiliarise ourselves with the solo artist and her good looks (she literally doesn’t look like she has aged), it felt dry to watch. I wanted more people to be in the video to make the fun look more convincing. I wanted a memorable atmosphere to be created and help compensate the lacking points of the song. For example, a poolside party concept would be suitable. It works with what she already has planned here and it creates a more enjoyable and fun atmosphere. And a poolside party would compliment the tropical synths we had heard in the song. Don’t misunderstand, there isn’t really any issue with a music video of just her. I am just extending the idea of the video to make it go one step further.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 5.4/10

[Review] RUN – GreatGuys

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Earlier this month, GreatGuys made their comeback with Run, which is the title track of the group’s third mini-album, We’re Not Alone_Chapter2: You&Me. I am not familiar with GreatGuys at all. The only song which I have reviewed from the group was their 2019 release, Be On You, which was the title track off Chapter1 of this We’re Not Alone series. Based on a quick Google search, the group is made up of nine members (Jaei, Uiyeon, Horyeong, Daun, Baekgyeol, Donghwi, Hwalchan, Haneul, and Dongin). They are under DNA Entertainment and have been around since 2017. Chapter2 also features the remake track In Summer, which also serves as a title track for this release. I haven’t decided whether to review it yet, but if I find time, I will try to. In the meanwhile, here is my RUN review.

Despite being an unknown group to me, RUN was an enjoyable track. I prefer it without the horse neighs at the start and throughout the song. But I will give the producer some points for using that unorthodox way of drawing/keeping the attention of listeners into the song. What I really like about the song is its intensity and its fast-pace. The trance-like instrumental just continues to come at you while the members are singing or rapping. It packs a punch when it matters most, such as when the members are singing and during the very important chorus. But it also knows when to hold back on the punches, such as the stripped back pre-choruses. The instrumental also has this thrilling side to it. Replay it a few times and you will probably hear what I mean. It felt like the music you will get in a thriller or action movie when the character is running away from death or the antagonists. This is probably intentional, given that the song is titled RUN. Vocally, the group had some really good moments. But overall, I thought it was decent, at best. I just wanted a little more to the song in the vocal/rapping department so it can go that additional mile and pull in some more listeners. Overall, it is a really cool track that is exhilarating. It is safe to say that RUN has put the group on my radar.

For a music video from a smaller company and an obvious low budget, this one was pretty good. Their company didn’t opt to use any of those overused music video sets. The water fountain background that they shot majority of their choreography shots and some solo shots actually looked very unique. I am also glad that they didn’t have outfits that intentionally expose their bodies like in their previous comeback. Though, some abs were shown towards the end of the video. Overall, everything looked quite good in the video. However, I am going to picky with one particular element. The post production addition of flames during the second verse rap sequence looked really cheap and unnecessary. As far as I could remember, that was the only appearance of it throughout the entire music video. Glad it didn’t make its way to anywhere else in the video, as that would really lower the quality (which should be avoided given that the video already does have a ‘low budget’ feel).

It was an okay performance, overall. I felt that the moves could have been punchier, refined and cleaner. This would have matched the intensity of the song quite well, but also give off the impression of being in sync. I am quite sure we all know the reasons for the latter. It just looks better.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

[Review] HOLO – Lee Hi

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Like all YG artists, past or present, Lee Hi was heavily under-promoted during her time under the widely known company. It made complete sense for Lee Hi to move to a different company once her contract with her former company was up for resigning. The company she ended up moving to was AOMG (the home of some of the biggest Korean hip-hop and R&B artists). This was only announced yesterday despite it being heavily rumored over the last few months. And the day after the announcement (i.e. today), Lee Hi makes her grand comeback with her first AOMG single, HOLO. Hopefully it is the start of countless others from the popular soloist.

Lee Hi’s HOLO goes down the ballad route. It is a breathtaking song that left me speechless when I listened to it for the first time earlier today. And that speechlessness remains each time I have listened to the song since that initial listen. When I am not speechless, I am admiring all the fine points of HOLO. The song starts off with a nice piano melody. It is simple, yet it is prominent enough to really set the momentum from the first second. Lee Hi’s vocals come into play alongside this piano melody. You get a sense of emotion during the verses, but it is subtle. And note that it isn’t really a saddening emotion. Instead, I find a soothing and comforting emotion coming from her voice. She doesn’t dive right into it and overwhelm us, though. She restrains herself and doesn’t let her powerful vocals off until we reach the chorus, where she amps up her vocals alongside the song’s instrumentation. And from that point onward, her vocals just keep on building. This inclining climb is something that I don’t ever remember Lee Hi doing before and it is because of this that I find the song refreshing. The song had stunning melody and it pretty much had me swaying along to the music the entire time. I really like how the backing vocals help lift the song and added a golden tone/definition to her vocals. Overall, HOLO is one beautiful song that you cannot afford to miss.

It seems like Lee Hi takes the role of a guardian angel in this video, which makes sense since her vocals are comforting and soothing. It seems the young girl in the music video is depressed and alone. When she tries to take her life, Lee Hi is seen swimming to her to get her out of the water. There are a number of scenes that depict Lee Hi with wings, which further proves this. The ending is a little more cryptic. At the start of the video, we see Lee Hi leaning over a person in a black and white dress. At the end of the video, we see Lee Hi standing in the exact same dress. I think the ending suggests that Lee Hi was the one being saved. We don’t see the figure at the start to identify the figure as the young girl, despite seeing the young girl clearly throughout the rest of the video. Why keep her identity hidden? It only makes sense if the young girl was Lee Hi when she was younger. The song is about ‘convey[ing] a message of consolation to herself for overcoming a period of solitude and to those who are living in a confined environment’ (Taken from Soompi). So this theory of the young girl and Lee Hi being one person makes total sense.

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

[Review] AWay – Jeong Eunji (APINK)

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It has been a while since we have heard from Jeong Eunji as a solo artist. Her last solo release was titled Be There and this came out in 2018. However, we have seen her more recently through APINK’s comebacks, such as %% in 2019 and Dumhdurum a few months ago. A few days ago, Jeong Eunji made her comeback with her fourth mini-album, Simple and the title track, AWay.

Jeong Eunji’s solo releases have shown us her ability to be versatile in the ballad realm. If I remember correctly, her solo debut track and first solo comeback (Hopefully Sky and The Spring) were folksy ballads. Her most recent solo release was more acoustic based. And now, she takes on a momentum-heavy pop sound approach with AWay. One may argue that this isn’t a ballad and I understand what you mean. But given the lack of choreography and how it is vocally-centric, I would say it is coming from a ballad root. It just has a different instrumental style to the more typical ballad. As mentioned earlier, there is some heft to the song that adds impactful energy and an epic vibe to the song. It also feels refreshing and suitable for the Summer season. It carries her vocals and forces her vocals to soar (which she handles really well). This, in turn, adds even more momentum to the song. The chorus had good hooks that helped made the song somewhat memorable. I felt that the hooks had to compete with the instrumental to be the standout memorable element of the song. In the end, I felt that the instrumental, due to its nature, nudged ahead of the other. Overall, all the elements in AWay works neatly with one another, forming another great song to go under Jeong Eunji’s name.

It is a pity that this comeback isn’t being promoted. This song really needs to be out there on the music shows for it to gain attention. I just don’t want this to be another forgotten song. But I guess we just have to settle for a music video. The song is about wanting to escape the feeling of being lost. Majority of the music video was essentially seeing Eunji being stuck in this lost feeling. Despite her life changing around her (i.e. the change from the green fields to the yellow sand), that lost feeling remains. We don’t see her resolving this predicament that she in by the time the video wraps up. She sings about charging back up to help escape that feeling, which I assume she does through the video’s happier moments. Apart for that lack of explicit resolution, it is a fine video that compliments the song well.

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

[Review] What You Waiting For? – Jeon Somi

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Jeon Somi was one of the most anticipated solo debuts of 2019, given her status as the number 1 trainee during the first season of Produce 101 and her promotions as part of I.O.I. And I felt that she exceeded my expectations with her solo debut single, Birthday. But she just disappeared after that and she did not release anymore songs in 2019. In fact, it has taken her over a year to return with What You Waiting For?, her comeback single released just today. Since her solo debut, Jeon Somi has been busy with variety shows and her own reality series, which I believe captured the preparation for this comeback (which ended up being delayed due to the ongoing health pandemic).

Described as a R&B dance track, What You Waiting For? is a definitely step up from Birthday. The first reason for this ‘step up’ is also the only flaw to the song. The melodic wooden xylophone-like synth that the song features during the verses really stood out to me due to its prominence. I liked its freshness and vibrancy in the first verse. While I did enjoy it in the first verse, it didn’t sit right with me in the second verse. I know they tried to keep the momentum going by having part of the chorus continue in the second verse. But the combination of said momentum from chorus and the wooden xylophone-like synth just didn’t blend with with one another and this unharmonious sequence just stuck out too much. But apart from that detail, everything else in this song was really good. I liked how they switched up the instruments for the final part of the song, opting for a metal xylophone-like synth and cow bells. It had that familiar melody of the start, but also an added level of freshness that made the song even more exciting. Somi’s vocals were fabulous. Autotune was used but it was balanced and not over the top. I also liked how the chorus brought a club-like atmosphere to the song. Definitely another memorable aspect the song.

I am not sure if I follow the story line of the video. The song is about waiting for love. So basing everything off this, Somi is waiting for her prince charming to come and save her from being trapped in that room. But instead of her prince charming, alter egos of Somi break her out. These include Black Somi, Hotel Somi, Boat Somi, Singer Somi and Dress Somi. I just love that credit sequence. My favourite part is when Singer Somi (I think) takes the industrial digger to the wall of her apartment. That was pretty epic.

[Updated] I am not exactly sure that I like this performance. The moves were plain and just didn’t fit in with the song. Maybe this is why they decided to omit it from the music video? It is hard to put my thoughts into words to explain myself. I do have to emphasise that I am no choreographer, so I can only speak about how the performance looks visually. It just looked like the focus was put on Somi looking good and not really on the music.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 5/10 [Updated]
Overall Rating – 8.2/10 [Updated]

[Review] Naughty – Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi

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You may know that I have been withholding a few reviews as the corresponding music videos were released after I already covered them in my album review segment on this blog. And as promised, those missed music videos reviews will be out soon. But I do still watch them! Today, I had a listen and watched Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi’s latest music video release for Naughty and just knew that this needs its standalone review. And that is why we are here. I have yet to review their Monster mini-album but I have previously reviewed the Monster title track, which you can read after this review.

With Irene & Seulgi’s mature and dark turn with this Monster unit debut, Naughty‘s presence on the album felt appropriate, but also a missed opportunity. When I first listen to the album, Naughty seemed to be the most logical choice for the title track over Monster. Monster had a dullness to it, which let down the chosen title track. Naughty, on the other hand, had a level of dynamism and hypnotic appeal that just clicked. And this helps overtake that dullness that I was disappointed with in the actual title track. This song takes on deep house and features many crunchy synths to give Naughty a wonderful sense of texture. I really liked the sassiness that started the song and stayed in the background during the verses. I liked the bass that comes along with the song, adding to the already mentioned dynamic atmosphere of the song. I liked how the chorus had a chant-like delivery, which was thoroughly interesting and helped with the said appeal. The vocals during the rest of the song was quite good. I still do think Naughty could have used something more, like a rap sequence to add some further edge to the song or add an additional layer of intensity. But what we got anyway is already enough to satisfy me. And given how positive my thoughts on the song were, Naughty is obviously a superior track on the album.

The ‘Episode 1’ in the title of the music video confuses me. Does that mean that the unit will be releasing music videos for all side tracks? Or is something else coming our way? No one knows. I guess we just have to wait and see. In the meanwhile, I thought the music video for Naughty was terrific. It is more of a performance video, given its focus on the choreography and it strays away from the use of closeups. I felt the start and end of the video where the two are walking towards and away from each other felt a little unnecessary, unless they are what connects the ‘episodes’ together. I would have been fine with the choreography centered shots as they had really good post-production and its simplicity with the grey-scale tones made it aesthetic. I really liked the solo shots where the member in focus is dancing opposite the member behind the camera. It definitely looks like we are doing the performance and adds a unique depth to the video.

The performance for Naughty definitely leaves a wowing impression. The mixture of voguing (Not too sure if this is the right category of the moves as the tempo doesn’t necessary match what I associate with voguing, but given their use of their arms) and tutting in this performance looks very cool and hypnotic. It will definitely be a stand out routine of the year given its visual appeal.

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

[Review] Bad Guy – 1THE9

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The one thing I don’t understand when it comes to project groups are their lack of comebacks. These groups have only a limited time to make a mark in the industry. But often, their companies schedule in massive gaps between comebacks. Take 1THE9 for example. Formed in 2018 through the survival show Under 19, they debuted in April 2019 with Spotlight. Within 6 months, the group returned with Blah. But it took them eight months to finally return with their third release and it seems it is going to be their last comeback ever as their contracts wrap up ‘soon’. I don’t blame the members, as I am assuming this is a management decision (I think the members would be eager to get back onto the stage since they are just newly debut). But rant over. I am excited that 1THE9 is back with Bad Guy, which is featured on the group’s third mini-album, Turn Over.

I will admit that I have forgotten about 1THE9 and their two previous singles. Looking back on their reviews, I can’t blame myself as their songs were not as memorable or impactful as I had hoped when they first released them. Bad Guy might have a bit more luck in this department. What I have listened to while writing this review is actually not bad. It does lack uniqueness as it does have a certain level of standardness to it. The instrumental feels a little too consistent and I feel that it is missing a spark, particularly around the rap sequence. The rapping is is fine. I just expected something a little more exciting rather than a mild instrumental strip back. But apart from that missing spark, the instrumental felt quite solid and had a nice level of intensity. I like the buildup in the pre-chorus, using that ‘pew pew’ electronic dubstep synth we hear often (there is probably a proper name for it, but I love calling it that). I also like how the chorus felt like it ‘leveled up’ from the verse, by loading it with the synths we hear. Their vocals and raps were also a strong aspect. I liked how their vocals stayed on top of the instrumental. The instrumental during the chorus felt like it could easily have overpowered the vocals due to the intensity. But upon multiple re-listens, it seems that the vocals take the edge. I also really like the song’s melody when it comes to the chorus. All the positives aspects occur in the chorus and this really helps make the Bad Guy chorus bold and memorable, hence why I said Bad Guy might be able to perform better in that area earlier.

I found the music video to be on that typical side. Once again, it follows the closeup and choreography mashup. The lyrics was about choosing to be the bad guy for their partner and I feel that this could have been interpreted into an interesting plot line. This would obviously make the video boring and I did not need to put this video on the typical side of the spectrum. Some of the closeup shots shared between members were a little interesting. I sensed some hostility and I wished they had expanded on this a little more to be more interesting. I also liked the different patterns they had projected on the walls, though I think these were more artistic choices rather than contributing to those hostility vibes I got.

The performance was also a bore. It didn’t seem impressive and this feels disappointing. I felt that the members could have gone with slightly edgier moves that could have highlighted more of their skills. The choreography that I saw was quite safe and bland.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 5/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

[Review] Count 1, 2 – TOO

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Making their comeback today is TOO, returning with their first release since making their debut earlier in the year with Magnolia. Since debuting, the group participated on the TV show, Road To Kingdom, where they competed against six other group to earn a place on future season of Kingdom. They didn’t win, but did prove viewers that they shouldn’t be underestimated despite being the new kid on the block. Today, the group return with the title track Count 1, 2, which featured on their second mini-album, Running TOOgether.

I just posted another review for a comeback with a feel good vibe, so it is definitely nice to continue with this vibe in a subsequent release. Count 1, 2 is such a stunning song. There is a funky and groovy instrumental to the song that I cannot get out of my head. The guitars, brass and percussion all blend together neatly and cleanly in Count 1, 2. The music is just vibrant and colourful, making the entire three and a half minute song so enjoyable. I am literally smiling from those feel good vibes and cannot help but groove along to the pop song as I write this review. Interestingly, the song purely relies on this instrumental and doesn’t employ much synths. It gives off some old school vibes, as well. This comment nicely segue-ways into my thoughts for the rap sequence. I like how its hip-hop direction fits so well with the rest of the song and doesn’t go down the trendy breakdown path. The hip-hop feel is quite natural and well planned. Alongside the rapping are the vocals, which I really drew me into the song. I made comments on how typical they sounded in their debut track. And Count 1, 2 proves otherwise, as they sound so showcase a lot of potential throughout this song. The falsettos and the melodies were extremely pleasant. The only other equivalent to this song that I can think of from the top of my mind if A.C.E’s Take Me Higher, which shared a similar set up and also showed off a nice feel good vibe as well. And that is saying a lot, as it grew to be a perfect song to my ears!

The music video shows the members having fun with one another. And for the most part, the music video for Count 1, 2 was quite fitting for the song. And I personally would have been fine if they kept to the lighthearted visuals and fun that the members had. Unfortunately, there was a segment in which the members appeared to be fighting and weren’t having fun. Thankfully, this was just a dream. Though, my KPOP theory mind is buzzing and is convinced that it is intentionally in this music video for a reason. Maybe foreshadowing for a future release? Who knows? I know am always asking for something more to music video such as a plot line. However, there is always a time or place for this. Unless there was an intentional reason for it to be in this video (i.e. to set up a future release), it felt unnecessary here.

I like the fun vibes that feature in this choreography. It doesn’t show off that potential they had built up on Road To Kingdom, but it was a solid routine that matched the upbeat song quite well. I do feel like it was cheesy at times, but obviously that was done to work with the song.

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

[Review] Say Yes – Jeong Sewoon

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Jeong Sewoon began his solo career in 2017 off with dance-centric tracks (Just U, Baby It’s You, Feeling) and has progressed to more vocal-centric ballads (Something 20, When It Rains) with his more recent releases. And yesterday, the solo artist made his comeback with Say Yes, which leans back into that dance territory that he started off with. The new single is part of Part 1 of his first studio-album, Part. 1 24.

Say Yes comes well timed for the season of sun and energy. Like many of his solo tracks, I find it quite charming and likable from the first listen. While I do admit that there is a small amount of standardness in the new song, the song’s better moments dominates and overlooks the song’s weaker moments. Let’s start off with the standardness. The verses felt dull and grey. They weren’t the most memorable sections of the song. While they do feature a nice presentation of his vocals, the verses just felt incredibly plain, in comparison of the song’s more undeniably stronger sections. With that out of the way, we can move onto the song’s better moments (i.e. the chorus). There was a nice explosion of sounds during the chorus. Not so much that it overwhelms or creates an imbalance with the rest of the song. It just felt right. There was a punchy nature to the synth that the producers put into the play. The second and final chorus is followed up with a sharp synthesizer sound that adds colour to the song. His vocals during these parts is quite powerful. Not powerhouse powerful, but on par with the energy and colour that comes from the chorus. I also liked how his vocals continued the momentum of the upbeat sequences throughout the bridge. Usually, I would have suspected a slow down, but what we had was a good continuation of the energy. In comparison to his ballads, this dance material is more memorable and I believe that is the case with Say Yes as well.

I really like the music video. There is a feel good vibe that comes off that puts the song into context and makes it more explosive and energetic. I really like how Jeong Sewoon grooves along to the song during the chorus. That’s where that feel good vibe comes from. And that is essentially the point of the song. The lyrics is all about being individualistic with life’s journey. He complains about people telling him to do things one specific way. But he wants to be himself and do what pleases him. He asks people to convince him that he is wrong (Pull me close so my heart sway) or to just join him (If not, you can just sway with me).

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

[Review] Apple – GFriend

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It seems like reviews will again be a little late this week. I will only be reviewing one song today and it belongs to the group who returned yesterday! If you have missed it yesterday, GFriend made their return to the music scene with the release of Apple and the Song of the Sirens mini-album. This is the group’s first release since their earlier comeback in the year, Crossroads and the mini-album, Labyrinth.

It seems like someone has answered my prayers. I made a comment in my Crossroads review that I was slowly getting tired of the sound they had repeated with in Time For The Moon Night, Sunrise and Crossroads. At the time of their earlier comeback, I thought that they would change up their sound, given that their label was acquired by the new powerhouse company, Big Hit Entertainment (who recently also acquired Pledis Entertainment). But it seems that desired changed has actually occurred through Apple. The song is a mid-tempo pop track, opening up with a riveting guitar piece. The verse was pretty standard, but I liked the direction of the music. It seemed like something was brewing in the midst of the guitar that played throughout the verse. The song gets a little more interesting once we enter the pre-chorus, which had a very memorable Callin’ me melody. The chorus kicked the energy up a notch and sounded like a very dazzling explosion had happened. The song stays quite cohesive and doesn’t change up its sound as often as other songs. That is always a recurring aspect of all GFriend’s song. Everything blends together quite nicely. For their vocals, there was a nice smooth feel. The most powerful vocal moment was when all the members are singing the post-chorus together. Another strong melody there, but the definition that all the members contribute to is the most memorable. I also enjoy the spoken words in the background during the post-chorus, which added an intriguing yet mysterious texture to Apple. The one thing that the song was missing, in my opinion, was an element or the reformation of the verses, to give it that holding power. What we got in those two sections just didn’t as well as the rest of the song did.

It seems like there is a theme of losing one’s innocence in the video’s story line. The video opens with Eunha taking a bite out of a red apple, before falling to the ground. The red apple serves as the Forbidden Fruit in this video and taking a bite out of it will mean that Eunha has been tempted. The other members also want to be tempted throughout video (i.e. they are dressed in white) and drag Eunha along to the tree that bears the Forbidden Fruit. Eunha, knowing what is on the other side, seems to not want to expose the others but they were too curious. Once they arrive to the tree, they find it on fire. But knowing that Eunha has already been tempted, placing a fallen apple into her hand will be enough to turn the apple. Off screen, I assume each member takes a bite of an apple that Eunha has turned, resulting in them all losing their innocence (they now wear black). Yerin gets locked outside, based on the footage of her finding the way out of the maze. It seems like someone has traded places with Yerin. During the innocent choreography scenes, Yerin has the number 6 circled on both arms. Triple 6 indicates the devil, so I assume that the events in this video were all Yerin’s plans. It also seems like she releases the butterflies at the end. I think we see Eunha releasing, but I have to question why both Yerin and Eunha have blonde hair and the same coloured lips. It seems like Yerin (the devil) is using Eunha. The only mysterious left over is the blue butterflies. Given that the blue butterflies recur in both Crossroads and this video, it seems like there is more to the story. I really like both their innocent and ‘tempted’ looks. Both very powerful in their own way.

I really like the mature take they have on the choreography. It looks stunning. I personally thought the start of the choreography was amazing, especially the rapid drum beats and the members extending their arms from behind SinB. I also really like the second chorus, where the members are doing their walk. It is a very strong routine and I personally like this new side of the group.

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

[Review] 1 Billion Views – EXO-SC ft. MOON

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Finally making their official comeback today is EXO-SC with 1 Billion Views. This new track is part of the EXO unit’s first studio length album, which also shares the same name as the song. The release of the music video and album today comes after EXO-SC teased us with the pre-release single, Telephone. Both Chanyeol and Sehun also had solo music videos (Nothin‘ and On Me, respectively) at the end of the week. I have yet to review them and hope to get to them soon. But we are hear to listen to 1 Billion Views, so let’s get to that first.

Right from the very start, I can already say that 1 Billion Views fairs better than EXO-SC’s pre-release Telephone. Though, it still does suffer some of the issues I had previously noted in the Telephone interview. Let’s start on the positive that 1 Billion Views had. The chill R&B instrumental had a more of a beat to it, which was quite nice. With this kick in the instrumental, the song is more likable. I would gladly listen to the song given that there is more colour to the song. Their vocal work, in this instance, was quite good. The chorus featured really smooth melodies and I really liked how the vocals and rap segue-way into each other. Their harmonies during the verses was definitely one of the stronger moments of the song. I also enjoyed Moon’s featuring towards the end of the song, as her vocals do compliment the style that EXO-SC went for. However, as mentioned at the start, there are some issues that EXO-SC just haven’t fixed up. First, the song suffers from that ‘more’ concept (i.e. I wanted more). I think we all know of the potential that Chanyeol and Sehun have. 1 Billion Views (nor any of their unit releases so far) just doesn’t seem to capitalise on this, which results in the song coming off dull-ish. Even though I praise the instrumental earlier, I also wanted more from this element. I wanted it to be rougher and a lot meaner, that way the song could get to that style that I wished for the duo to go with. I get it that EXO-SC’s style is more chilled than your average Korean release, but I find that this song also lacks character. Thirdly, I find the song to lack memorable hooks and lines. They were heading in the right direction, just it didn’t feel like there was enough. The lack of character and hooks in 1 Billion Views do contribute to a dullness. But it isn’t as bad as previous tracks, given the instrumental and its more positive aspects that I mentioned above.

The music video is set at an arcade that would be best described as a hole in the wall. It also incorporates a few modern elements including virtual reality and Instagram live broadcasts. I also noticed that there were a few viral trends hinted throughout the video, such as the In My Feelings trend. All of these elements seemed to make sense, as the duo sings and raps about thinking of their lover for the billionth time. It was a nice video to watch overall. I found the editing to be suitable for the song, smooth and sleek. No choppiness, which I am thankful for. I also note that some of the post-production effects that were added to the video should have made the video feel choppy (such as the coloured static in the background). But it ended up being quite smooth, overall.

What we saw in the music video choreography-wise seems to be quite good. Unfortunately, we don’t see much of the choreography (i.e. the verses), so I am intrigued to know what the duo have up their sleeves. But if the chorus of the music video was to be the basis of my thought, I think this will be a pleasant routine suitable for the music.

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

[Review] Summer Hate – Zico ft. Rain

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Returning last week was Zico with the mini-album Random Box. It has taken a while, but as promised, here is the review for the title track from that mini-album, Summer Hate. This is Zico’s first release since the chart-topping and Tik-Tok trendy Any Song hit. Joining Zico is Rain, who many may know is a popular soloist for his many KPOP hits during the 00s. More recently, Rain has been attracting attention with his 2017 GANG comeback (though it has been trending for all the wrong reasons). It is interesting to see two very different trends in the industry and it does make you think about what song these two will put out, given their more recent viral history.

As the next instalment in Zico’s discography, Summer Hate comes off as a pretty weak track. Summer Hate is all about the annoying Summer heat that people have been and will always go through during Summer. It is a unique topic and concept, but I feel that the potential ended up being wasted due to poor execution. As it is a Zico self-produced song, the song is of the hip-hop genre and has a sing-song delivery that I believe is ill-suiting for what Zico was trying to get at. Everything comes off as very emotionless. I don’t get any of that annoyance of the Summer heat that the lyrics are trying to convey from his delivery or the overall feel of the song. When I think of annoying Summer heat, I think of unbearably hot concrete that will burn the sole of your feet if weren’t careful. Or the urgent need for a cool drink after a five-minute walk to the shops. There is a bit of energy to each of these scenarios and I feel that is the missing piece to this song. His intention was probably to make the song sound lazy, as one would feel during the hottest time of the day. But I don’t think it ever hits that mark. I do admit there were a good beat and melodies in this song enough to make the song bearable. I like the saxophone in the instrumental. But this all wasn’t enough. Finally, the other issue with the track was Rain’s featuring. Did he even feature in the song, as it sounded like Zico throughout the entire track? I was waiting for some of Rain’s distinct vocals, but they never appeared!

Unlike the song, the video was well executed. It showed the concept of heat quite well, though quite exaggerated for most of the video. Some examples in the music video included cooking of food on the concrete floor (my personal favourite in the video), the melting of metal and the clothes catching on fire. My main issue is with their attire during some of the scenes. One of my personal pet peeves is when people complain it is too hot and they are wearing inappropriate clothing, such as Zico and Rain’s long sleeves at the end of the video as they melt away. If they melted away in shorts and a t-shirt, then I wouldn’t be making such comments as the video would make more sense. It may make them look good, but honestly, who looks good on a boiling hot day where everything is melting away?

There is a bit of choreography during the chorus, which seems to be choreographed to be suitable for TikTok. After all, Zico has restarted the TikTok trend with this comeback, following its success with Any Song. It is suitable and reflects the lyrics well.

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