Kang Daniel was the biggest name from Wanna One and was expected to soar high in the industry upon making his solo debut with What Are You Up To. But certain events got in the way of that and his debut was fast forgotten due to a lack of promotions. He returned in late 2019 with Touchin’ but cut promotions short to focus on his mental health (good on him, though!). But it is 2020 now and it is time to turn over a new leaf. Kang Daniel kicks off 2020 with the release of his second mini-album, Cyan, which features the title track 2U.
The first that came to my mind upon my first listen to 2U was that everything was very easy on the ears. And this is a stylistic choice that I really am enjoying. With the amount of focus I am placing on current events, songs that are this easy on the ears are able to provide some brief but much needed relief to my mind before I need to refocus. The song’s main synth may sound pretty bland and plain at first, but the combination of the beat and the song’s melody really helps mitigate this. Together, I find the track to have a subtle groove, which I thoroughly enjoy. I do like his vocals, which feels fresh and gives the song a shot of vibrancy. There is a tad of smoothness that makes this song even more enjoyable when it comes to the melodic chorus. I do find it interesting that there was no rap-speak type of rap sequence, which I think would have suited the song perfectly. But what we got served in 2U is amazing already.
Kang Daniel works as the really fashionable and trendy janitor at a theater, which employs a pretty unfit security guard. No judgement here though, as I am equally as unfit as the guard. He seems to invite his friends to a night in at the theater. But after some time, he was caught by the security guard. Not sure if the whole thing was imagined by Kang Daniel, which may have been the case with that ending. Kang Daniel is still the janitor, didn’t lose his job but the security guard is very suspicious of him. I found the video to be lighthearted and not too heavy, like the song. It was enjoyable and matched the atmosphere of the song.
The choreography was pretty good. Everything was casual and easygoing, which is essentially the song (and entire comeback) described in two words. I like how the choreographers added more dancers as the performance progressed, seeming like a friendly and fun congregation was being formed. I particularly liked the ending of the choreography (onwards from 2:55 of the music video). I liked the interaction with the backup dancers and the casual vibes that literally came from this section of the performance.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
ONEUS received the honorable mentions in the KPOPREVIEWED Awards for 2019, after a massive debut year consisting of their debut track, Valkyrie, and comeback tracks, Twilight and Lit. Now, the group is back to tackle 2020 with their first single, A Song Written Easily. This comes after the group released their first original Japanese single (808), their Korean fanmeet and Japanese concerts. And just recently, the group has been confirmed to be participating in the TV show, Road to Kingdom (the male version of Queendom). Given how good Queendom was, I will be watching the male version for sure. But that isn’t until the end of April. So until then, lets break down ONEUS’s new song.
Described as a Moombahton dance track, A Song Written Easily seems to take a step back into typical dance music territory, particularly since their last comeback track (Lit) was slightly unique for its heavy usage of traditional Korean instruments in a dance track. But regardless of the direction in which the song steps in, ONEUS manages to do a pretty good job with A Song Written Easily. I found the song to be very refreshing, thanks to the wide reach that the synths employ. None of the synths feel tight or restricted, hence the revitalizing appeal of the song. The track also employs whistling in the instrumental. The melody that we hear the whistle in is reflected in the synths during the chorus and I thought that there was a beautiful feel to it. There is an easygoing vibe, despite the song being a dance track. I wouldn’t be surprised if I find myself humming to the melody after more replays. Both vocals and rapping were impressive in this track, in my opinion. The vocal work sounds pretty good, pairing well with the instrumental. The rapping is the more interesting front, providing the song with an added layer of texture.
The refreshing vibes that I mentioned in the song were translated into the music video. I love the breathtaking and stunning nature shots that featured in this music video. For those who are wondering where this video was shot, I am reading that it was shot in New Zealand. Despite the music video looking stunning, the song is actually a little heavy on the heart. The members sing about how easy a song came together when they thought of their former lover, after everything they had been through. Based on the interpretation of the music video by Soompi, the flowers depict new beginnings and the member’s interaction with the flowers (seen in the teasers) show how they faced hardships in their relationships and how they overcame them.
It seems like due to the ongoing health pandemic, many artists won’t be doing any live showcases for the time being, which is always my first look of the choreography. We do see bit in the music video and I like what I see. I find everything pairs well with the music. There is a bit of intensity and boldness in the choreography, which I haven’t picked up yet in the other components of this comeback.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
The next song on the ‘Coming Soon’ list that I wanted to look at is 3YE’s latest comeback. I recently reviewed first comeback track. OOMM (Out Of My Mind), which the trio released back in September of 2019. That track put them on the map for me and convinced me to give Queen a go. And that is where we find ourselves today. For those who may not be aware of the existence of 3YE, they are a three member female group (consisting of Yuji, Yurim, and Haeun) from GH Entertainment. They made their debut earlier in 2019 with DMT (Do My Thang).
As established in the OOMM review, the group dabbles into the hip-hop dance genre. And Queen is no exception. Many groups are now doing this, as we move to a more mature and darker sound of KPOP (as it seems like fans enjoy this more nowadays than the more cutesy stuff we saw many years back). To me, 3YE manages to make their song feel engaging which is definitely one strong foot forward in this current climate of similar sounds. I love the start of the song, when Yuji is rapping for the first verse. The lines were definitely punchy and there was a decent flow here. The momentum continued for the rest of first verse and the pre-chorus managed to incorporate a subtle buildup. The chorus manages to change the song up by going with a different beat and line delivery. It felt very stripped down and minimalist, despite there being a prominent fast tempo beat in the background. And this helps it become unique, as we don’t get to hear much of this trance-like sounds in KPOP. The sing-speak we heard also makes it memorable. The short dance break that we heard after the first and final chorus felt like the most typical part of the song and felt they could have forgone this if they couldn’t find something more unique to add to the appeal. The rest of the song follows a similar line of comments as I have made already and this all helps the song become engaging as I said before. The members put a lot of attitude into this as well, which is commonly expected from a hip-hop based track. But I felt they added heaps more, which really helped the rest of the comeback.
There are some suspicious dealings happening in the music video, yet only one member triumphs in the end. The story line that I get from the video is that Yuji, the leader of the suit-wearing gang, is working with Yurim (the member wearing a hanbok) and pays her a hefty amount of money. But it seems like Yurim has been feeding Haeun (whom I believe is a no-nonsense cop) information to take Yuji down. Yuji finds out and decides to off Yurim (hence the burial scene at the end and all the suits wearing gang members are suddenly standing in Yurim’s room as opposed to sitting earlier in the video – i.e. they turned on her). Haeun is kidnapped and I presume is offed as well. This is a very dark yet awesome concept, taking girl crush to a much more powerful and scary level. Beware of 3YE. All other aspects of the music video look cool, as well.
There is a bit of everything in the choreography. There is some bounce to the routine, a lot of attitude and sass. It gives off the impression not to mess around with them, as their music video strongly hinted at. While no move was memorable, everything felt right for the song and that is another strong footing to the comeback.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
It is time to get back on the review grind. And hopefully, I can stay on the grind. Kicking things off is Yezi’s latest comeback. It has been a while since we heard from Yezi. For those who may not remember this artist, Yezi was formerly the rapper for Fiestar, up until their disbandment in 2018. Over the years since her debut in 2014, Yezi has released a number of solo tracks (some of which I have reviewed in the past) and participated in Unpretty Rapstar 2. Up until a few weeks ago, Yezi has been absent from the industry since Fiestar disbanded. Today, we review Yezi’s recent tracks, My Gravity and Home.
Seeing Yezi return to the industry, I jumped right to My Gravity as soon as it was released (even though my review is 4 weeks late). And I am glad that I did. I am astounded with such an amazing song. Yezi presents us with a power ballad, something you would not expect from a rapper. But she handles all the notes amazingly. The power ballad has this grand feel, starting off with orchestral-like instrumentation. It remains in this mode up until the final chorus where the synths become a little more up front. I do find the instrumental to be a little hazy. Not sure if it is its true intention, but the haziness holds me from giving the song a perfect rating, unfortunately. It just makes My Gravity feel a little unclear, in my opinion. But that is only a minor issue. Other than that, I would recommend putting this song on in the background, closing you eyes and getting lost in its sound.
Home is a very bold track. The song opens with a soothing instrumental and this stays pretty much consistent during the verses. Her vocals are very refined and polished in this track and everything feels extremely clear, unlike in the latter track. It makes the opening verses more interesting. She does a bit of rapping. But to match the delicate nature of verses, her rapping is quite melodic (rather than her harsh delivery in the past). To me, the verses are the calm before the storm. For the chorus, she blasts with an EDM-pop instrumental and the hooks help transform the song into an anthem-like song. Her hooks in Home are quite punchy and this makes the song super catchy for me.
I do find the My Gravity music video to be poorly processed. If you don’t watch the music video in high definition, you may think the video is very dull and hazy (same complaint as mentioned for the song review). But when you do watch the video in high definition, everything looks spectacular. The nature setting was very beautiful and a lot of the drone shots looked stunning. It is also very artistic and aesthetically pleasing to watch. The video did get boring as it progressed, with Yezi walking in solo motion away from the car one of the driest shots ever. Sorry that I feel that way. Home takes things back into the studio and combines it with some outside shots in a dark laneway (that looks blurry, but I assumed that this was a filter applied post-production). This video is also aesthetically pleasing. The choreography shots were all taken with cool lighting (making way for a pretty cool stormy transition for the bridge) and performed in a very shallow amount of water. But more on that later. You can appreciate Yezi’s beauty more in this music video, in my opinion.
Home is the only track that has a choreography routine associated with it. And it looks amazing. The umbrellas make everything look so elegant. I really like pretty everything felt at the start. The choreography picked up for the choruses. I also liked the mini duo moment Yezi and her male dance partner performed at the end during the final chorus, along when they separated the genders during the final chorus while they perform all at the same time.
My Gravity Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 9.1/10
Home Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
The second comeback of the week belong to ITZY. This four member female group had a smashing 2019 debut year with two massive hits, Dalla Dalla and Icy. And we are all confident that ITZY will do it again in 2020. Kicking off their year is Wannabe, which is featured on the group’s 2nd mini-album, It’z Me. In other related news, ITZY took out all of the new female artist awards during the 2019/2020 awards season, including the 2019 KPOPREVIEWED Award for Best New Female Group. Congratulations ITZY!
The first thing that grabs my attention with ITZY’s new song, Wannabe (like many other songs) is the energy. I said a similar thing in my ICY review, but Wannabe manages to take things to the next level. Paired with the energy is a set of shouting vocals from each of the member. I have mentioned in the past this isn’t a great tactic and can bring a song down. But ITZY manages to commit throughout the song and use this technique to their advantage (even though they sounded pretty strained again at some parts). I mean, they get right into it when the song starts and I think this is fantastic. Otherwise, they would have been lost in the instrumentation. Together, they make the song very bold and defined. When it comes to the instrumental, I think this trap based background is amazing. There are many textures that makes it so interesting to listen to. It doesn’t rely solely on the trap, however. There is a bit of guitar in the mix that really stands out in the sea of synths. Rock vibes and house influences as well. Heck, the start had a very intriguing and eerie music box sound to it, capturing our attention from the very beginning. The song’s hooks are also another strong aspect and it had me singing along as soon as I heard it the first time around.
One way to gauge a group’s popularity nowadays might to see the presence of fan theories (fans need to be invested and dedicated to their group to write lengthy and detailed theories). ITZY’s latest music video has all these fan theories in the comment section. And instead of me interpreting the video, I thought I pick one of those theories as they would explain it better than me. The following was written by the YouTube user mich (so props to them for the theory below).
But I thought the video was interesting even without a theory. You could see what the video was about with just the English lyrics and the visual cues in the music video. I liked the balance between colour and darkness in this video. It wasn’t overly colourful, yet it wasn’t dark like the serious concepts we see in KPOP.
The choreography has two amazing moments in my opinion. The first has to be that music box start. The second has to be the sassy dance break bridge. The routines for each of these sections looked so cool. The rest of the performance looked very intense and energetic, as well. I thought they paired well with the music, especially the bouncy moments of the music. The only minor issue is the lack of smiles throughout the performance. The smiles switched off as soon as the camera diverted away from the members and I thought this brought down the aesthetics of the performance.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
VICTON makes their long awaited return to the music industry yesterday. But what makes this a long awaited comeback? Well, it is the group’s first comeback with their full lineup since Time Of Sorrow in 2018. In 2019, Han Seung Woo placed 3rd in the Produce X 101 and debuted as part of the short-lived X1. With the disbandment of X1, this made way for a full group ‘Howling‘ comeback and this is where we find ourselves today. The rest of VICTON has been active since Produce X 101 and their made a comeback with Nostaglic Night in November last year and earned themselves their first music show win.
I find the way that Howling is styled follows nicely after Nostalgic Night and Time Of Sorrow. Both these tracks are very melodic despite their dance influences and synths that they use. Howling is almost the same but manages to sound a lot more refined. They also give off a modern flair, which I really think makes the track so appealing. The husky-whisper-singing-like vocal style that kicked off the song was really nice, and I liked how the chorus featured some of this as well. The vocal work is very smooth throughout and I think this aided in the refinement of the song. The rapping also follows quite nice and doesn’t overpower the song in any way, which I think was easily given how intense and deep the rapper sounded. The instrumental is pretty standard when you glance at it. But I really liked how subtle the change between the verse and chorus was. Despite it subtle nature, however, the chorus was its own section and you can tell them apart. I think the continuous mellow sound is starting to weigh down on them, however. With the return of Seungwoo, I would have expected there to be a change in direction for the group, especially since how this sound was never really a hit to begin win. For now, I think this is a fine song. But I would like to hear something a little more different from all their tracks so far (without falling into the generic trap, of course!).
The music video for this is one of the many that is made up of choreography shots and closeups. I don’t really see a concept within this 3 minute and a half video, other than dark and depressed. I did think their outfits, while were random, did allow them to shine a bit and stand out in all the darkness in the music video. In addition to that, I thought there were a number of good transitions which did grab my attention. But other than that, I don’t have much else to comment on.
I find it interesting that the choreographer didn’t put Han Seung Woo in the center position as much upon his return. If it was any other group, they would be capitalising on their most well known member by positioning them as the centre of the group. The choreography itself isn’t too bad. There really isn’t anything worth mentioning and memorable, unfortunately.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
I spent the start of the week revisiting tracks that I have yet to write reviews for. And this should continue into the rest of the weekend (with some album reviews). But I take a moment to review a new release from NCT 127. The group has returned with Kick It, 9 months after the release of Superhuman last year. Since their May 2019 comeback, the group went on to promote Superhuman, along with other tracks, in the US and achieved a worldwide reach. And we will probably see the same thing for NCT 127 in the near future. Kick It features on Neo Zone, the group’s second studio album. It also marks the return of Jungwoo, who sat out of NCT 127 promotions since August of last year for health reasons.
In my personal opinion, NCT 127 manages to Kick It up a notch with their new track. Pun was purely intended. There are two sides of the track. The first is the very shouting-heavy and noisy hook of the track. Part of me finds it pretty good and sees potential in it to become an addictive section of the part. And while I do enjoy the Bruce Lee homage and the ‘new thang‘ to be suitable for this hip-hop direction, the other part of me finds it annoying and ‘too loud’. It honestly could go either way depending on my mood when I am listening to the track. Thank god that the song has some relief moments, where the vocals are brought in. Part of them is glad for this, as a full 4 minutes of the shouting and noisy chorus would have been a little too much. At the same time, however, it causes a great mismatch in sound and (obviously) cuts whatever flow the song potentially had. At this stage however, I am looking more positively at the track and think it is pretty decent. It does remind me of some of their earlier works, which I didn’t enjoy at the time of review (but they have grown on me considerably). Going I had expected a little less shouting and something more refined, but this was pretty good as it is.
There is no doubt the music video is paying homage to Bruce Lee. For those who may not know who Bruce Lee is, he is actor who was very well known for the martial arts movies he starred in. The music video featured a fair amount of martial arts and the infamous yellow and black combo. Bruce Lee is well known for his yellow and black jumpsuit, an image of Bruce Lee that everyone probably knows of. The music video also has this Asian concept, which I thought was very cool. They managed to give it a modern twist and the members stand out accordingly.
Don’t think there is a live performance for this comeback yet. So we haven’t really seen all of it. From what I can see in the music video, the performance plays on textures to match the more melodic vocal moments and the intense hip-hop moments. I wouldn’t be surprise if it did feature some martial arts in it. The dance break already looks amazing and very powerful.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
The next review that I am catching up on is MCND’s debut track. For those who don’t know, MCND is a newly formed male group that hails from TOP Media (the home of Teen Top, 100% and UP10TION). MCND previously released a pre-debut single (TOP GANG) earlier in the year with just five members (Castle J, BIC, Minjae, Huijin and Win), with the supposed addition of a sixth member, Yechan, once he returns to the company from 1THE9 promotions. But it seems like that plan isn’t going ahead, as the group proceeded with the five member lineup for their debut. The group made their debut last week with Ice Age as the main title track.
One of the main comments I made about the group’s pre-debut single was that there was a strong bias towards the group’s rap line due to the hip-hop heavy nature of the song. This left very limited material for an introduction from the vocal line. Ice Age seems to step in the right direction for this comeback, with a more vocal moments. To be precise, it was more of a rap-sing type of delivery during the verses, while the pre-chorus handled the actual vocal work. But still a much larger teaser to that side of the group in this song. The rapping, once again, has good momentum and helped give the song a loaded sound, despite the instrumental being a lot more tame than compared to TOP GANG. I find the chorus to be okay. I can see that it might catch on, thanks to its rough exterior but catchy repetition. There was also a sense of attitude, which I liked. But what I definitely wanted was some sort of melody, which would have helped the song be more attractive and appealing.
If they were looking to portray the ice age in their music video, they I think they did a very good job. There seems to be a cold-like vibe coming from the visuals of the music video. They managed to warm it up through the music, but the presence of ice and snow in the video tells us otherwise. And talking about presence of ice and snow, look at how white the video was. It helped make the colours pop and I thought that this was interesting. I thought the post-production of the video was good and their closeups made them look very charismatic in my opinion. Overall, good music video.
I thought the choreography for this comeback was definitely a strong one. The energy that they managed to pack into the chorus made it look very cool. There was also a smooth flow to the performance, which I liked. The first pre-chorus is evident of this, with the two members interacting with one another in dance in a way that I don’t remember seeing ever before in KPOP.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
Now, since I have taken multiple breaks over the last few weeks, I have fallen behind in the reviews on this blog. And so, starting today, I aim to start reviewing these missed reviews (before I leave them to brew on a list for a couple of months). The first review will go to ELRIS, who recently made their comeback with their fourth mini-album and the title track, Jackpot. It has been a while since I have heard from this group. My last review for the group was back in 2018 for Summer Dream. Since then, the group returned with Miss U and added two members to their lineup just this year.
Jackpot attempts to be a playful tune that suits the group’s youthful charms. I thought it was very vibrant (notice the past tense here) and there is a slight quirkiness in the instrumental to give it that playful tone. It isn’t until I started digging into my thoughts about the song’s element that I started to realize that my intiial impressions may not be as strong as I hoped. The music was relatively plain for the pop genre and I felt the song could have been a lot more dynamic in this regard to give the song some oomph. What did give the song some dynamism were the vocals, particularly around the chorus. I liked how they provided the song with a blast of energy through their voices and melody. And as any song, the chorus was by far the strongest part of the song. The verses was hugely forgettable. I didn’t like how they relied on the rapping for the verses. Some songs/groups can execute this well. But sadly for ELRIS, it feels repetitive and this disappoints me. When the group does switch to vocals, it consistently followed up with a repetitive sounding rap sequence, and this bores me as a result. Honestly, it seems like the weaker aspects of the song outweigh the strong in this case, as opposed to what I had in mind originally.
The music video is very typical. I am trying very hard to find different things to say about the music video. But I find everything just standard. The members try to give off a cute impression while doing some everyday stuff like acting bored or speaking on the phone. This is in no way a new idea and basically every female group who have attempted the cutesy concept has done this already. The lip syncing in this video was pretty poor for current standards. Throw in pastel colours that ended up dulling the video and choreography scenes shot with ordinary camera work, I think you might understand where I am getting with this section of the review.
The opening move when they all pulled each other up looked impressive. The rest of the choreography was very ordinary as well, a definite recurring theme in this review. Nothing else is worth mentioning.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 5/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 5.7/10
It is the final Catch Up Review post for the meantime as I will knock off the final four songs from the ‘Coming Soon’ list. But the segment might come back in a near future so I can tackle reviews for the tracks that I might miss throughout the month. After all, they are quite short to write compared to my full reviews. But before that, we need to tackle four more reviews with the focus on M.O.N.T, Teen Teen and GreatGuys.
Rock Paper Scissor – M.O.N.T
For this review, we need to cast our mind back in January 2011, where M.O.N.T made their debut with Will You Be My Girlfriend?. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember that track whatsoever, so I thought M.O.N.T made their debut with Rock Paper Scissors. But actually, the group made their first comeback with Rock Paper Scissors in August 2019. The group recently came back (unknowingly) and I will have a look at their most recent single another day. But on with the actual review. The song capitalises on the funky hip-hop influences that has been attempted by a number of groups so far. And it is these funky elements including the brass really make the song standout for me. I thought their rapping and vocal work was pretty good. The only issue with the song is that you don’t really hear much development with the track. It stays rather neutral and very consistent with the retro funk sound. But I think the song is very vibrant and appealing that I look pass this and thoroughly enjoy the song as a result. The music video shows the guys catching a glimpse at a lady and battle against one another to get to her with the game in which the song is titled after. As cliche as the next part sounds, they all manage to win and end up going up to he, overwhelming here most likely. It is a good video, with the comic book word effects landing on our screen every now and then throughout the video, which I guess helped the video from developing into a boring mass. The performance was rather weak though. For a song as vibrant as this, you would expect the routine to be a little more uplifting and energetic. (7.1/10)
Bae – M.O.N.T
As far as I know, Bae is a b-side track from the same album that Rock Paper Scissors is featured on. And well, the ‘b-side’ description is very much the song summed up in a nutshell. Firstly, Bae isn’t as heavy or loaded as the title track. Secondly. I find the song a lot sweeter and lighthearted, which contrasts significantly with the title track (see review above). However, I have my reasons to why I am including this song on the review (minus the fact that it has a music video). I thought it was a decent track. Their vocal work was very solid and the song was rather catchy after multiple listens. The song also showed off a different side of the group which we haven’t seen yet, which is always a nice thing since KPOP is very dependent on variety. The music video was shot in a European country that I cannot identify and it showed the members going on a scavenger hunt. They follow clues left on Polaroids and have to complete mini missions to get the next clue. At the end, their prize was a mini fan meet, which I am sure the group will remember for a long time. I am not sure if the group knew at the time, but I thought it was a nice way of showing gratitude to their fans with a lighthearted song like this. As far as I am concerned, there is no live performance/dance routine for this track. (7.6/10)
It’s On You – Teen Teen
I will be honest that this is the first time in a number of months that I have checked out the music video for It’s On You (obviously, for the review). What really strikes me in regards to this group is that that look very young. And after some fact checking, all the members were born in 2003 or 2004 (i.e. when I was in first grade). The group are also former contestants on Produce X 101, so that is why they might seem familiar. It’s On You is another funky hip-hop track. similar to the first song on today’ post. This one is a lot lighter and not as vibrant as the earlier track. It is a little disappointing as the instrumental does feel like it is lacking something to give the song some much needed oomph. I do think the song is a lot more suited for their age. The singing and rapping balances on a fine line of being suitable for the song but also lacking energy, which I thought was interesting. The chorus was at least vibrant enough to really catch my attention. The music video is based around planes, which I think is a fine concept. The video also looks like a 3 minute video of friends having fun, which is obviously the route you would want your music video to go if the artists performing are from such a young age range. I am not for the cutesy side of their performance, however. Yeah, they may be young. But after many years watching music videos and performances, it just looks when they overdo it. And I feel like it that is the case here. (7.1/10)
Be On You – GreatGuys
The final on the list is not a funky retro hip-hop track of any kind. Rest assured. As far as I know, this is my first time reviewing GreatGuys, so I am very unfamiliar with the group. According to a Google search, they are a 9 member male group under DNA Entertainment since 2017. Past works include Illusion,Dang, Ganda and Last Men. Be On You is a very ‘noisy’ dance track. The instrumental, described as a R&B dance track, is loaded with elements that really either works well with one another or you will think is headache inducing. I go back and forth between the two sides depending on my mood. But there is no point in denying the intensity of the song, which I think really helps make this track feel bold. Its noisiness might also be a charm, depending on how you feel about it. I thought the rapping and vocal work (when you can hear it over the instrumental) was pretty good. One concern about the song I have is the questionable title/repeated chorus lyrics. The music video shows two sides of the members. The first being the more intense and dark side of the group, while the second side is the more casual side. Obviously, the latter is more appropriate for the song’s vibe. For some fans, the presence of skin might be a draw point. I personally don’t find the video captivating. It more of the ‘seeing it one is enough’ type for me, as the concepts have been done before by other groups. The choreography was definitely a strong point, in my opinion. Given the song’s sound, I had expected this and through the group delivered nicely on this front. (7.2/10)
As promised yesterday, I will finally be post reviews for the number of songs that I have kept on the ‘Coming Soon’ list since September/October last year. But they come in the form of these ‘Catch Up Review’ segments, where I review (very briefly) four tracks. Yesterday’s review centered around Zico due to a number of his tracks were on the list. Today, we will be focusing on female groups. In particular, it will be focusing on Sunny Hill, Ladies Code, ANS and 3YE.
NomNomNom – Sunny Hill
One name that I had never expected to see again in the industry was Sunny Hill. This is because after the release of On the Way Home in 2016 and their departure from FAVE Entertainment (formerly known as Loen Entertainment), the group disappeared entirely from the industry. Since then Jubi and Misung left the group; Seungah (the only original member of the group to remain) changed her stage name to Bitna; and Eunju and Geonhee was added to the lineup, joining Kota and Bitna. Their returning track was NomNomNom, which is best described as a quirky number that seems to repeatedly throw in horse related sounds effects. Heck, the chorus is like the sounds you often associate with horse-riding in movies. It is a little odd but it reminds me of Sunny Hill’s past wacky numbers that drew my attention in. The effect isn’t as strong anymore, but it is still present. The vocal work is quite strong and surely one day this lineup can continue the amazing vocal work we got throughout Sunny Hill’s past. The music video is very low budget. And as a result, this dulled the music for me, which otherwise would have been a song deserving of a fun visual concept. I did like the ‘horse riding’ theme that was incorporated into the choreography though. (6.9/10)
Set Me Free – Ladies Code
This is one song that I will admit was bumped around the agenda for quite a while before it was removed and put onto the ‘Coming Soon List’. Ladies Code’s Set Me Free was released in early October 2019 and could potentially be the group’s final song, as the group was announced to have left their company (Polaris) whom they have been with since their debut in 2014 (and the group have been announced to be focusing on solo work for the time being). To me, Set Me Free merges the more modern feel that the group recently visited through Feedback, with their energetic vibes from their retro tracks that they debuted with back in the day. The instrumental is a very rough mix, which I find very appealing. I find this contrasts very nicely with the smoothness and raspiness of their member’s vocals. Overall, this makes the song a very promising track that I regret not reviewing last year. The video shows the members getting away with stealing and cheating in a casino. They do so in a confident manner, which I think is the entire point of the video (obviously, it wouldn’t be to steal clothes and cheat). My main questions is how did it take one member to scare a bunch of guys with a fake banana gun that she revealed before running away? It makes no sense. The choreography that accompanied Set Me Free was actually a nice routine. It paired well with the energy that was coming from the song. Not really memorable, however.
Boom Boom – ANS
A few weeks ago I reviewed ANS’ new song, Say My Name. How backwards of me to review their debut track after their comeback track. Say My Name featured a fair amount of ‘Boom Boom‘(s) in the track. But none of it was sung in the manner which we heard in the actual Boom Boom song. Very interesting. The song, Boom Boom, is more a tropical song and it had a very anthem-like feel to it. It conformed to very typical standard, but it became slightly addictive with multiple listens. Interestingly, I thought the vocal work was weak in this song as the song relied a lot on that anthem vibe that I mentioned. The rapping was also a massive miss for me. While I did just say there was a slightly catchiness to the song, the song’s longevity was short lived and was easily forgotten. Other songs that were more innovative with sounds and showed off more of the themselves rose to the top afterwards, suggesting that ANS needed to do some more work, which I think Say My Name delivered. The music video opened (and ended) with a rock intro that I am sure perked every one’s attention. The song in comparison is a little disappointing. The video just showed the members doing a bunch of things with some edgy vibes. The ending seems to suggest the presence of another person, which I guess is a new member. Their latest comeback added two members to the lineup, which confirms it. The routine is a little different from most female groups, which I quite like. The start of the dance was amazing and I liked how the knife-like precision came through the rest of the routine. (6.7/10)
OOMM (Out Of My Mind) – 3YE
I am due to review 3YE’s latest song some time in the next week. But before we do that, we must have a look at an earlier single, OOMM or Out Of My Mind. A little background – 3YE is a female trio currently under GH Entertainment. The members were all from the short-lived group, Apple.B. It is another track that manages to conform to a very typical sound of hip-hop that many other artists have done before. But one part of the song really caught my attention. The whisper that featured before each chorus was definitely something that lifted the song by a huge deal. Firstly, it was an epic change to the song that was unexpected. Secondly, it helped the chorus that followed stand out more. The chorus itself was definitely promising and really packed a punch with its hip-hop sound. The verses had the same style flowing through it but it just wasn’t nearly as strong. The vocal work was pretty good, along with the rapping. In comparison to the above song, 3YE really set themselves up in a strong manner for their future releases through this song (even though it isn’t their debut single). The music video shows the three members in prison. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think this is one of the few to actually show female members in prison, locked behind bars and wearing prison outfits. Nothing glamorous or flashy here. The editing to this video was very strong and it helped make the video interesting and worth talking about. The performance showed toughness, sexiness and charisma all in a span of 3 minutes. Definitely a hard thing to pull off given that most groups go with one or the other. (7.8/10)
Zico kicked off 2020 with Any Song and has been killing the charts up until now. But brewing on my ‘Coming Soon’ list are four of Zico’s songs (Human, Daredevil, Balloon and Being Left) that have been waiting for a review. And today, after almost a fifth month period, I am getting around to review them. Previously, I have promised that I will do a catch up using the catch up review segment from a few years ago. These posts were to be published earlier in the year, but I have been holding off for when I had a little more stability. I have a few more Catch Up posts to do in the coming days, so keep an eye out for those. In the meantime, let’s move along with the Zico-centric review.
Human (사람)
We have a magnitude of sounds from Zico in the past. The songs he produced for Block B are a prime example of this variety. For a solo act, we know Zico for his hip-hop based tracks. But Human is a little different as it is more of a ballad. And it is a pretty nice song, with everything from the acoustic instrumental to his delivery of his rap lines are very easy on the ears. The melodies make the song standout for me, as it is one of those that gets you swaying along. The music video was very well shot, showing us that everyone is the same, reflective of the lyrics which tell a similar message. The humans in the background are shot in a way that you see their silhouette, showing that we are alike. We we get to see the people with proper lighting. I found the car crash scene and the outdoor cinema scene fascinating, as it reiterates this. Everyone just stood there filming the drama/action and no one helped or seemed worried. The only time we saw that was in the fictional movie. Other than that, it is just another suggestion that we are all the same. Interesting and well shot video. (9/10)
Daredevil 천둥벌거숭이) (Feat. Jvcki Wai, YUMDDA)
Going to my comments that opened the review for the last song, Daredevil is probably the style that we are used to. Not saying that this is his only style, but I think majority of his most well known tracks tend to be of this upbeat hip-hop style. I find the melody and beat of Daredevil to be super addictive and very fun sounding, which I am sure if the intention of the song. Zico, Jvcki Wai and YUMDDA all had great delivery and really made the song progress forward. I remember always enjoying the song when it popped up on my playlist. I just felt like the song could have used some accents in the instrumental to help make it potentially bolder. But I am no music expert (remember that!). The music video is pretty good as well. While I am not exactly sure what is going on, it seems like Zico and co. are some sort of Gods in this video. I found the video to always have something new that I did not notice before everytime I watch it. And that the song is quite enjoyable, so I am always coming back for more. (8/10)
Balloon
Balloon is another track that falls into that ballad side, rather than more vibrant side we got in Daredevil. Rather it being a ballad, however, I think it is more aligned with R&B. It is one of those songs that you want to put on during a rainy day. Or even when you are drifting off to sleep. Zico tends to infuse more of a edgy and powerful style to his songs. But Zico keeps is very soothing in this track, which is polar to opposite to any song that he has released over (as far as I can remember). I really like the acoustic guitar in this song, which makes the song even more calming and peaceful. The music video is an animation that shows an animated Zico climb the stairs to heaven, where animals feed him (and other people), linking this video to Daredevil. On top of that, Balloons appeared in Human‘s and Being Left‘s music video as well. (9/10)
Being Left (남겨짐에 대해) (ft. Dvwn)
The final song on this list is Being Left, which is another ballad. The instrumental starts off with a very beautiful piano piece. It takes a slight dramatic touch for the first chorus, which features Dvwn who sings at a higher tone than Zico’s opening rap sequence. Zico then enters with a beat and infuses a bit of hip-hop to the song. We then return to Dvwn and a soothing chorus, which I thought was quite nice. Overall, I would describe it as a soft rollercoaster. Hahaha… Zico does an amazing job of fitting into the song, showing us his variety within his work. The music video features Bae Jong Ok, a very famous actress in South Korea. The theory is that the video shows the actress playing the mother of a child, whom she lost during the Sewol Ferry Accident. It is breathtaking to watch and the music makes the video so much more captivating. And Bae Jong Ok does an amazing job at showcasing her emotions without talking. her expressions does all the talking and I find that amazing. (9/10)
Welcome to the very first International Song Review post. This segment will replace the Japanese song review that I publish sporadically on Saturdays. The segment will also allow me to cover more of those Japanese releases, which was an issue I previously had (I used to post once a week and this would mean some releases won’t be reviewed until many weeks after – which is the case for all of the songs to be reviewed today). On top of that, I wanted to keep up with the KPOP advancement into the Chinese and Western music industries, a niche that I was not reviewing as I could not dedicate more time. By putting these all together, it saves time and it allows me to cover more songs. The artists I will be focusing on today include EXID, ONEUS, TWICE, MONSTA X and CIX.
Bad Girl For You – EXID
Bad Girl For You is a very different song from any of the Korean releases. The group’s Korean releases have this level of vibrancy that I feel is noticeable absent from this track. Instead, the song has this mature and sensual feel to it that I think is very suitable for EXID. I liked how the instrumental is very toned down and almost quite eerie. The chorus has a heavier beat to it, which offsets the song from becoming plain and boring. Their oval work complimented the style, which was definitely a nice fit to the song. I do find the use of that laser shooting synth a little random and doesn’t fit well with the rest of the song. The song may not seem much at first, but after many listens, you will be coming back for even more. For the music video, I liked the use of the 5 colours (green, blue, yellow, red and purple) in the background and how each colour is usually concentrated to a particular area of the set. It helps give the video a minimalist feel. The choreography is also quite nice but not really memorable.
808 – ONEUS
I think 808 is a smashing song. The sound of the instrumental was posed in a manner that really caught my attention. I love the strings that feature in the instrumental, along with the intense style they had adopted from their Korean releases. There is an epic vibe to the song, but they do it in a manner that masks it. You think you are getting another typical song, but you will be blown away by the song’s sound. The song is vibrant and definitely knows how to bundle a bunch of energy in a fashionable sense. The vocal work was good and the rapping gave the song a little more edge. The music video looks really artistic. I am not sure if these are music video sets or whether the group filmed their music video in some sort of modern art museum. It looked very cool. The performance looked good with cool moves. Just not memorable like EXID’s performance.
Fake & True – TWICE
I was blown away with Breakthrough when it was first release for its mature and edgy style, something that was a little foreign for the very pop-based and cutesy TWICE. And it seems like Fake & True continues the momentum and extends TWICE’s reach into this new territory. I thought the brass in the chorus was very nice and the rest of the instrumental was very energetic and vibrant in a way that suits the group. I also liked the synths that they employed throughout the song, especially for the dance break bridge. I did think the chorus was a little one-dimensional as it repeated the title of the song all throughout and felt a little awkward. The vocals were good but the rapping in this track was epic. It was also nice to see Mina as part of this November release, as well. The music video was pretty typical for TWICE but I thought it did a really good job of showing off their visuals. The choreography was also very nice and continued that mature vibe that I really enjoyed as part of their previous Japanese comeback.
My New World – CIX
My New World is CIX’s debut track into the Japanese music industry. It is also an extension of their KPOP works, with the group’s intense sound definitely channeled and presented in this song. I like how eerie and dark the song sounds. The dance style is very well suited for CIX, given that this is their title track style for their comebacks in the KPOP industry so far. I also like the kick of energy that the song gives during the chorus, which contrasts neatly with the shout-y style of vocal works. The rapping that dominates the second verse was also extremely promising and intense. I also like the piano that featured very quietly over the top of the dance instrumental. I think the music video shows the members on a new world. Other than that, I am not exactly sure if the video is showing anything else worth mentioning. Their dance sets looked really cool, with the floating stairs and the moving lights. The choreography is very intense and reconfirms that when it comes to the dance side of the industry, CIX might be a group to look out for.
Middle Of The Night – MONSTA X
The final song on today’s reviewing agenda is Middle Of The Night and it is also the very first Western song that I am reviewing on my blog (I am not including English versions that I have done reviews for in the past). Middle Of The Night is different from the rest song on the list as it is also an R&B track. A song that I can finally understand as well. Hahaha… I can really say much else but to tell you to check out this song below as everything felt flawless. It is one of those songs where the main complaint was that it was over so soon! The vocal work was superb from very member. I really love that Jooheon finally got to showcase his vocals that he previously showed off during a performance of Versace On The Floor. The music video was shot with every scene is interlinked with the previous and next scenes. I think that this was a really good way to show off the smoothness of the track. There is no choreography for this song, so this finishes the review.
We end the week with the return of the KPOP group that is breaking records left, right and centre. BTS has broken more ground that any other artist in KPOP ever in the industry. And yet they continue to do so with every comeback. Today, the group returns with On, the title track from their fourth Korean album, Map of The Soul: 7. The album also features all the tracks from their 2019 mini-album, Map of the Soul: Persona, including Boy With Luv. The album also features Black Swan and Interlude: Shadow, which were pre-releases back in January.
One of my previous complaints with BTS previous comebacks (they were still good songs) was that it was catered to the Western industry and consequently lost the darkness that I really enjoyed from BTS back in the day. While On isn’t totally a dark track like Fake Love or Blood Sweat and Tears, the song is a step in that direction with its edgy vibes. I love the marching drums in the instrumental. It keeps the song coming at you in a consistent manner, driving the song along with a subtle yet heavy intensity. The subtle voice synths (what is the technical terms for this?) in the chorus that were made to match the style of a rolling drum beat was also quite cool. The dance break took me by surprise when I heard the first time. It takes a slight trap influence and infuses it with brass and some electric guitar, which I think is really cool. The vocal work was superb (loving how Jin got more lines than usual) and the rapping was, as always, top notch.
The music video is awesome. There is an epic feel to the video thanks to the wide shot and the very familiar backdrop. I am sure it has appeared on other shows and videos before, but I recognize it from American Horror Story. The lighting is also quite bright, while everyone else is dressed in black. There is a strong contrast with the backup dancers and the scenery. In the end, the members pop, which I think is really cool. They are in a mixture of black and white, so they do standout in the crowd. I also liked how the video was set up and made to look like the members (for some parts) appear out of nowhere. Whether that is part of the choreography, I am not sure. But it looks fantastic either way.
The choreography was also a standout. The chorus, for one, was pretty memorable by the end of the music video. Especially when it came to the raining lyrics. The circular motions they made with their hands somehow keyed into my mind. The second part has to be the dance break. Intense, edgy and very tough, bringing me back to my favourite eras of BTS releases. I do wonder, with such an extravagant music video and routine setup, how they will pull off comeback stages. It is either going to be mind blowing or over the top.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.8/10
The next artist that needs to be reviewed (according to my list of comebacks) is Weki Meki, who made their return yesterday with Dazzle Dazzle. 2019 saw the group return with Picky Picky and Tiki Taka, which I enjoyed moderately and forgot the existence of the two songs quite soon after. I do know that since their last comeback, Yoojung did go on a hiatus to attend to some health concerns, but has returned as part of the full lineup for Dazzle Dazzle. Let’s find out if the group is able to dazzle their through this review and get a high rating.
To me, the song reminds me of the many female tracks that we got over the past few years that just never got popular in the industry. But guess what? Many of those songs were totally big highlights and standouts to me. And it seems like Dazzle Dazzle is going down that under appreciated route. Sorry to say that, but given the other big name artist that just dropped their new track today, Dazzle Dazzle will definitely be overshadowed. But here are some reasons to why you should check out this track. Firstly, the energy coming from the instrumental is so infectiously fun. The brass, the very bubbly synths and the synthpop backdrop in the chorus was just a fun and vibrant combination. The vocal work was pretty good. I really liked how they toned the track down for the bridge and how it allowed the vocals of Doyeon and Suyeon to be showcased in the limelight. I am not usually one to enjoy this, but I thought it was a good change in this song. I do find the rapping a little standard, but it was fitting for this track when I think back. The song was also smothered with catchy hooks, which definitely is appealing. Overall, I think the group did managed to dazzle me with Dazzle Dazzle.
Despite it being a pretty video, it wasn’t much to it. There some diamonds and other stuff to give off some dazzling effect. But I think the producers could have been a little more creative when it came to the music video. Maybe they could have revolved it around the diamond or something that dazzles. That is probably is a lame idea. But the video honestly needed a little more of something to give it some sort of memorable element. On a more positive note, I did think the video had a nice pastel colour palette and highlighted the visuals of the members in a beautiful manner.
I find the performance of the song pretty unique. The foot and hand move they did during the chorus and verse actually looked cool. It is probably very hard considering they need to move their limbs while balancing on one leg.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.9/10
This is the first review in a while that I managed to complete on the same day of its release. Dream Catcher is back with a brand new song, Scream. It is featured on their very first studio album, Dystopia: The Tree of Language. If you watch the music video, you may notice that there is only 6 members involved in this comeback. This is because Handong is sitting out of this comeback due to overseas schedules. Dream Catcher has also confirmed that they will be releasing their third Japanese single, so keep an eye out on Saturdays for the review!
One listen in and I am already overwhelmed with the epic nature of the song. What I find very interesting is that Dream Catcher has been very consistent with their sound. Just everytime they return, they manage to reinvent the sound in some manner that makes it sound so epic and grand. Scream starts off with that rock sound that we are used when we discuss Dream Catcher. But slowly the thumping beats creeps in and we are introduced to a twist that leaves your jaws hanging. The chorus throws electronica into the mix and this gives the song that rush of intensity and dramatic flair that is unlike any I have encountered before in my many years of listing to Korean music. What I really thought was cool is how the members brought a deeper tone to their voices to the chorus. This definitely added to that flair I just mentioned. Another cool detail in the chorus as to be that choir-like ‘Scream, Scream, Scream‘. The rappers really shined, going with a deeper than usual tone as well. The vocals were superb in this song. In fact, I think all the members managed to top whatever song I considered to be their best previously as this was an awesome track which I highly recommend if you want some intensity in your playlist.
Darkness seems to overtake the members in this video, as seen by the start of the video with light being taken away and the members are running away from the dark clouds. There seems to be a little witchcraft in the video as well, based on some scenes looking like had a magic component to it. Their outfits seems to allude to witchcraft. But other than that, I have no idea what is going on in this video. What is the significance of the mask? What is the darkness and cloud? And why did it take over the light? What role to the members play in this video? It looks like we are going to get answers (hopefully) in an upcoming comeback, so I guess we have to wait and see. When it comes to the visuals of the video themselves, I thought the video looked amazing. The post production looked awesome and it definitely really appealed to my taste.
The choreography routine features backup dancers, which I don’t think Dream Catcher has ever used before. I find that fairly cool. I also think there is a lot of attitude to this song, thanks to the routine they perform for the chorus. I also liked how they kept Handong in mind while choreographing this routine, as I believe she might take the position of the masked female dancer when she returns.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 9.4/10
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