The fourth release from Monday that I will be reviewing is Love Me Harder, which is the solo comeback by soloist WOODZ, who may be more familiar now as Cho Seung Youn. Fans started to know of Cho Seung Youn through his participation in Produce X 101, where he placed 5th and debuted as part of the now-defunct X1. But the solo artist has quite an extensive connection to the KPOP industry including being a former member of UNIQ (a South Korean and Chinese idol group), participated in Show Me The Money 5 and went on to debut as a solo artist under the name Luizy and WOODZ, with the latter being his currently used name in the industry at the moment. So with a history like that, it seems like WOODZ is an act to look out for. Let’s have a listen to his return to mainstream KPOP through his new single.
Kicking off Love Me Harder is this addictive whistling melody in the instrumental. It is short at first, but its repetition really drives it into your memory. It also adds a classy yet fun element to the song. The rest of the instrumental is made of a deep bass beat, which really drives the song along. When the two would merge together for the final chorus, you would have a very strong and exciting instrumental combination. And all these elements seem to quite trendy, which helps the song fit in neatly with the current era. WOODZ, for a sub-vocalist and main-rapper during his time in UNIQ, has a very strong and versatile set of vocals which he shows off really nicely in this song. There is a breathy nature to the vocals that adds colour to the song. I really liked the bridge of the song, where it sounds like he far away. Interesting texture there. He has a strong rap in the second verse and I would definitely like to hear more of it in the future. In addition to all of this, Love Me Harder has great rhythm, catchy hooks and appealing energy that will have me returning for many more listens. For someone who was practically unknown to me, WOODZ has proven to be worthy of my radar and I will definitely be checking in with his future releases. And you can attribute Love Me Harder to this.
We see two alter egos of WOODZ in the music video. Let’s say one of them is the Edgy one (i.e. leather jacket) and the other is the ‘Boy Next Door’ type of guy. The video starts off with WOODZ’s ‘Boy Next Door’ version getting into an argument with his girlfriend, who leaves him. Edgy WOODZ gets on top of the car that they were in and this forced ‘Boy next door’ WOODZ to get out and exit a crime scene (i.e. his car). We presume that the girlfriend is dead. Confused, ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ searches for Edgy WOODZ thinking that Edgy WOODZ had something to do with the crime. This leads ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ to a hideout full of illegitimate bills. Edgy WOODZ sends the ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ back to the car and we see the start play out all over again. ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ gets angry and has a go at Edgy WOODZ, but then it dawns on him. WOODZ’s girlfriend had shot him and stole the money that ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ had printed. The crime scene that he stepped out of was his own (which allowed him to leave the scene unnoticed, as he is dead) and Edgy WOODZ was basically taunting ‘Boy Next Door’ WOODZ the entire time for his naivety and stupidity. It is a bit confusing in words, but I thought this was a great music video with an awesome storyline.
Not only do the dancers help fill up the stage, but they also give WOODZ an opportunity to focus on the live element of the performance. During the verses, they do all of the choreography while WOODZ sings and rap. A prime example of this is the entire second verse when they form a circle on the floor around him. When WOODZ does participate in the choreography, those moves actually looked quite good. WOODZ puts a lot of effort in to make up for the lack of choreography on his part during the verse for those sections and I liked the hand gun action. I would like to see a version where he does more dancing, but overall a good stage.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 7.5/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
It is time to catch up on those Monday reviews from yesterday. The first for today (and the third from yesterday overall) is AB6IX with THE ANSWER, which is featured on the group’s second mini-album, Vivid. This is also the group’s first comeback with a four member lineup, after Lim Youngmin departed the group after a DUI incident at the end of the last month. This resulted in the postponement of the comeback, which was originally scheduled for the start of June, so that the remaining members could rework their comeback to fit the altered lineup. Let’s see how the group fairs as a quartet.
AB6IX’s previous two songs, Breathe and Blind for Love, both had a very distinctive house sound to it, which really helped form the group’s solid first steps into the industry. But it seems they step away from that and enter more trendy areas of music with THE ANSWER, which conforms to the trendy mashup of a funky style and trap. While I would have liked them to keep to their original sound in some capacity, THE ANSWER is definitely a great segue into a different area of music. The song is quite upbeat and colourful, which brings a completely different atmosphere to the group. It is definitely less moody and more lighthearted, which helps makes the song more enjoyable especially for the Summer season. There seem to be hip-hop vibes in the song, thanks to the various melodies that the group employs throughout the song. I personally don’t mind the bulk of these and thought they blended well with the new sound. The only hook that I wasn’t completely satisfied with was the pre-chorus. It should have had the strongest and punchiest hook of the song, but it ended up bringing a sluggish feel. Something a little bolder or powerful would have really helped give the song some of that much-needed impact. The same thing could have said about the backing of the Woojin’s rap sequences. His delivery was quite good, but I just wished the backbone was a little more captivating. Overall, it is a good song to reintroduce us to AB6IX. While this might be a step into other genres of music, I wish that their company will allow them to revisit their original sound in the future.
You may notice that the music video for features all five members. That is because the company decided it would be too difficult to re-shoot the music video and hence Lim Youngmin would be edited out instead, whilst the songs and album would be re-recorded. To me, I find this a bit cruel for both Lim Youngmin and his personal fans. I personally would have preferred to wait a little longer for a music video with just the remaining four members. Aside from that topic, the music video was quite colourful to match the upbeat atmosphere of the song and the Summery season. It did capture a playful and youthful side of the group. But overall, it was rather boring for me. There just wasn’t much else going on in the video aside from choreography and closeups (its that formula again).
I am unsure of the situation, though it seems like Woojin is still injured. During the more intensive sections of the performance, he would walk off stage instead of joining in. When he is present for the final chorus, his moves seem a little stiff. I am not complaining about his lack of participation, though. I am actually more impressed that they still found room for him in this performance, rather than making him sit in a chair on the side (which is the case for most injuries). I also like the playfulness of the performance, especially the human swings formed by the backup dancers and members for Daehwi and Woong.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.2/10
The second comeback of the day belongs to Sunmi, who is make her comeback with pporappippam. This is Sunmi first comeback since the release of the LALALAY in August of last year. Earlier in the year, Sunmi released Gotta Go, which is part of the official soundtrack for XX (a Korean drama). Interestingly, this OST has a choreography version, which is rare in the world of OST releases in KPOP. I didn’t get around to reviewing it as it is an OST, but maybe I will be in the future (hint hint!).
What jumps right out at me is the retro feel that pporappippam has. More specifically, its music profile revolves around 80s disco. An upbeat retro like this one in Summer, which sounds very refined and also very Sunmi-like, feels very refreshing and appealing. The violins at the start had a very intriguing feel to them. And I like how the funky guitar peeks through the instrumental verses, before going full blast for the chorus. I also enjoyed the bass during the pre-chorus, which helped build the song towards the upbeat chorus. The bridge revisits those violins from the start and I liked the peacefulness that comes from this section. A very fun and captivating instrumental, if you asked me. As for the other elements in this song, they were also quite good. Sunmi’s vocals are pretty plain in this song but I am sure she (or the producers) intended for it this way so that the vocals do not mask the greatness of the instrumental. But while they are plain, they are also quite light and airy, which helps with the refreshing appeal of this song. The hooks are quite memorable and the melodies replay in my head even after the song had stopped playing. All signs of a great song.
While I like a good plotline in a video, I also do like it when there isn’t one. Though, they have to compensate with interesting visual elements to earn that like. And the prime examples of music videos that do just this are Sunmi’s. There is just always something captivating with Sunmi’s closeups that work so wonderfully on their own. It might be her visuals or her expressionless facial expressions she always put on, such as at the end of this video. Note that she is quite happy and all smiles throughout the music video, which shows experiencing the positive sides of being in love with her partner. I really like how the music video emphasis the colour purple, which she refers to quite often throughout the music video. Doing some research, the colour purple in dreams symbolises intimacy, affection and devotion, which is highly appropriate for her video.
I really like the dancers’ big brim hats. They add a very interesting vibe to the performance. I also like their use at the end of the performance. While her performance during the initial and second choruses was pretty good, I found the bridge and final chorus routine to be the most captivating. Final chorus because more people were present to fill out the stage and help give a strong end to the performance. The bridge because Sunmi walks on her dancers and falls into their arms. It looks glamourous when Sunmi does it.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
It is one busy Monday with a total of four releases that I intend to review as soon as possible (may need to split over a few days to get them done). First up is Hwasa’s solo comeback. Hwasa made her official solo debut at the start of the year with the hit, Twit. That, however, was only a single and actually features on her first mini-album, which shares the same name as her new title track, Maria. She is also the third member of Mamamoo to release a solo single this year, following Moonbyul and Solar, with Eclipse and Spit It Out (respectively).
If we were to judge the song based on its title, we would be expecting Maria to go full steam ahead with the Latin influence, the trend that KPOP in Summer probably will never escape. Mamamoo too also contributed to this trend with the release of Egotistic in 2018. But don’t be too quick to judge, as the Latin influence is very small. In fact, it localised just to the dance break, which gives off energy in a very fashionable sense for this song. Its presence doesn’t necessarily fit in the rest of the song, but it is definitely needed. The rest of Maria seems like a blank canvas, in terms of its instrumental. Sure, it is an upbeat and, at times, intense track. But apart from a minimal amount of synths, the instrumental is quite plain. It isn’t plain in a dull way though, as the vocals give the song some much-needed action and Hwasa’s vocals help fill in those gaps. I really like her nasally delivery during the verses and her raspy whisper that kicks off the chorus. I also a fan of her vocalisation in the latter half of the chorus, which is where the song gets a little intense and sensual. Together, it forms a decent song that plays towards Hwasa’s strength as a performer and vocalist. Maybe a more captivating instrumental would have been more appealing and made this into a winning track.
The music video reflects the lyrics well. We see Hwasa being hurt by others at the very start of the music video with all the photographers taking photos of her body at a crime scene and all those people providing a lighter for the cigarette she is holding. In the hospital, she is surrounded by all these pencils pointed towards her, as well. But what the music video also shows is that she gets up and stands up for herself. We see that during the hospital scene once again, where she escaped the pointy pencils and walks down the hall as if she never had that encounter. The start where she is serving a heart seems to be her bouncing back as it looked like she just killed the person who hurt her and serving it to other people who are going to hurt her. That is just my take on the video though, so there can be many other views out there. For the other elements in of the video, the sets and the camera work during her solo shots were nice. Some of her closeups in the choregrahpy shots were a little ‘in your face’ for me, as I wanted to see more of the choreography.
The one thing I really like about Hwasa is that she doesn’t hold back. If the performance is going to be sensual, then she will make it happen. We have seen that through her solo stages at award shows. While I am sure this performance will get some flack in Korea, it looks pretty good. There is a fair amount of hip grinding action in the chorus which seems very bold and I liked how the final chorus had a different routine to feature both genders of dancers and end the song with a more powerful vibe.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
Welcome all to my very special review to Road To Kingdom. I may have been very silent about the recent series. But I have been eagerly awaiting each performance to appear on YouTube after broadcasting on Thursdays to see what Golden Child, ONEUS, ONF, Pentagon, The Boyz, TOO and VERIVERY have prepared for us. In this special review series, I will be going through the actual rankings that came about from the first three rounds, short reviews of each performance and how I thought the rankings would go! This post will only cover the finale of the show. Please remember, these are my thoughts only. Feel free to comment your ones below.
Finale
Like the Queendom finale, the remaining groups released new songs a week ahead of the final episode to compete for the secured spot on the upcoming Kingdom series. With these new songs come new stages and concepts never seen before. Like usual, I will be focusing on their new songs, concept and performance to see which group had the superior performance and the title of Road To Kingdom winner.
Come Back Home – ONEUS
Come Back Home starts off with a grungy and angsty rock vibe, before settling on a subtle form of dubstep for the chorus (a bit typical, if I were to be honest). There is also a strong dance beat mixed within the song that reminds me of ONEUS’s other title tracks such as Valkryie and Twilight. The final instrumental break at the end of the song carries the same vibes as the choruses of those mentioned songs. I really liked the rapid drum beats at the end of the choruses, which offsets the paced nature of the chorus (which was a unique drawing point). I also really Leedo’s parts in this song, going from a dark and deep rapping voice to smooth vocals for the bridge. Seoho’s high note is also commendable.
The roles in which ONEUS plays in this performance, concept-wise, are protectors of the young child. The backup dancers played the evil people who rose from the dead to kill the young child. The VCR that starts off the performance adds context to the performance, but it doesn’t add much substance. Likewise, I did think the presence of the child for the performance did very little.
The actual choreography was really good. I really like the Leedo and RAVN dynamic that the performance focused on. At one point, Leedo and RAVN also played each other’s shadow. I also like their visual effects by using the big screen. The group does a few stunts in this performance, but I did wish the stage lighting was a lot better to see this more clearly. I did like the suspenseful ending when all the members disappeared.
New World kicks off with a rapid beat and dramatic flair that really captured my attention from the very first second. It is the one song leading up to the final episode that I continually replayed and enjoyed. Like ONEUS’ track, I felt New World compliments ONF’s discography. It was dynamic and captivating, all common descriptors to ONF’s songs. The chorus was very memorable with that ‘Higher‘ delivery being my favourite part of the song, which also adds a tinge of light into this otherwise intense sound. I also liked the lead into the final chorus from the bridge, as this part was very powerful and makes sure to grab your attention, just in case the earlier sections didn’t work.
The performance started off with a whole cinematic montage from their past music videos. It seems like the performance’s concept is unlocking the doors to the New World, which is shown through the emphasis of keys in the opening montage and also the presence of keys in the performance.
With such a good song, it already has that edge. And the group did an amazing job in extending this edge and making this a very captivating performance. The entire sequence of them using the keys to unlock the silver box was very captivating, though Wyatt slamming the box though made me feel uncomfortable, just based on the way the box landed on the ground. I just wished the performance reflected the change in tempo speeds, which would have made everything feel more natural.
To me, Basquait felt like another version of Dr. Bebe at times. While the other groups have performed songs that complimented their existing discography, Pentagon is the only group on this list ‘replicate’ an existing song, which doesn’t come off well. That thought aside, I did like how the song didn’t rely on EDM or electronic synths to become a dance track, instead opting for rock elements to give that angst and grungy vibe throughout the entire song. I also think the vocal and rapping work from the members are on point. The song does lack a memorable hook or moments, which doesn’t help the song gain an advantage.
I am unsure what their concept is, but Pentagon looks like they have been part of a rebellion with their ripped up outfits. They did have a VCR at the start of the performance, but it doesn’t shed much light on the concept. It does, however, look like they were running from someone but ended up being captured.
And that is where we start off the performance. I really liked how the stage theatrics really helped make their performance a lot more epic and captivating to watch. I liked their use of props and how their dance moves seemed to pack a punch, which goes hand-in-hand with the assumed concept. I do need to say that Hui nailed his high note, which sounded extra epic on stage. That alone adds a tonne of leverage to the performance, helping them boost the song’s appeal by a great amount (which was pretty much needed).
The Boyz’s Checkmate isn’t the strongest song in the bunch. But I liked how the song seems to be fixated on the idea of a fast tempo in terms of both their instrumental and some of their vocal melodies. I also liked the use of the piano in the instrumental, which gives the song a very unique vibe, in comparison to the rest of the other songs. I also enjoyed some of the vocals moments, such as that ‘Royal Royal Catch A Royal‘ and the equivalent in the second verse. I am unconvinced that this is the best track of the bunch (as suggested by the results of the finale – spoiler alert, they won), as it took a fair amount of time for me to get into.
Concept-wise, the start performance revolves around the crown that The Boyz had focused on since the first round. To have the crown feature in all their major performances where possible is quite clever and really intrigues me. But for those who are joining for the first time (where have you been), the group also has a chessboard concept.
Amazing performance. The start was epic, with the passing of the crown and Sunwoo falling from that height into the mattress. I like the one-take camera work for the first verse. Everything that happened during this first verse looked really cool, as a result. The group was also the only group to dance on the audience side of the stage (i.e. where the other groups are sitting the performance). The use of the dancers to doing that tutting like action just before the bridge was really cool and the use of that box on stage somehow blew my mind. Oh, and their dance moves were really fluid. Everything on that stage was just captivating to watch.
I commend VERIVERY for going with the most brightly energetic song out of the bunch, which does help them stand out from the competition. This is a risky move, given that the industry does prefer male groups with a dark concept than these youthful ones. Beautiful-x has a strong beat that had my foot tapping along. There is also a bit of funkiness to the song, which makes it very fun sounding. I liked the vocal melodies, particularly around ‘Nal Wihae‘ (‘For You‘) part of the chorus, but I wished that the rapping was a little dynamic, which I think would have supported the song. It, to me, felt like the most forgettable part of the song.
The group goes with that high school concept, which is pretty unoriginal. The entire montage at the start was boring and failed to excite me to keep watching the performance. The fact that they kept on confessing their love by putting items in the one locker felt cheesy.
As the performance progressed, things got a lot more interesting. It does look like your typical KPOP stage performance, as the moves looked quite typical at best. I really like the basketball routine and also the band scenes (though it did look somewhat cheesy as well). The cheesy note could also apply for the ending as well.
Road To Kingdom crowned The Boyz as the overall winners of the entire show. That was based on digital points of the new singles from its release date; the accumulated points from the first three rounds; view counts from the performances on online platforms and fan votes! Unfortuately I don’t have access to all of that information, so I will be basing my pick for overall winner based on the rankings I have given to them thus far, including the ones above.
With that being said, the group whom I think should have been crowned as the winner to Road To Kingdom is ONF, with The Boyz coming runner up. It is a bit of a reversal, as ONF were the runner up in real life. To see my version of the final rankings, they are in the table below.
Final Ranking Position
Artist
#1
ONF
#2
The Boyz
#3
Pentagon
#4
VERIVERY
#5
ONEUS
#6
TOO
#7
Golden Child
And with that, I have completed my review for Road To Kingdom. A lot of work was put into this, but it was quite fun. Now I just need to return to the usual posting schedule, which I haven’t really adhered to while working on this review series. With The Boyz confirmed for the upcoming Kingdom series, who else do you want to see on the show? For me personally, I want to see Stray Kids, SF9, ATEEZ and NCT as part of the lineup. That will definitely be very exciting! Let me know who iswill be on your version of Kingdom in the comments section below!
It has been over a year since BLACKPINK made their comeback with Kill This Love and fans have been wanting more ever since. And after that gruelling long wait, BLACKPINK has finally returned with a new single, How You Like That. It is said that 2020 is going to be a big year for the group, as they are ‘confirmed’ for their album, which will be due in September 2020. Well, at least YG Entertainment claims so. We will have to wait for its actual release to actually believe it, given YG Entertainment’s track record with BLACKPINK’s past releases and the ‘promised’ solo singles for Rose, Lisa and Jisoo (these have been ‘confirmed’ for later in the year). But until then, we have How You Like That to relieve that BLACKPINK itch.
You might already know where this review is heading if I am going to say that the most enjoyable part of the song is the ending sequence. This is where the song delivers an instrumental piece that is both powerful and enjoyable for a number of reasons. The first reason was that everything before that was extremely lacklustre and boring. It failed to excite me, hype me, maintain suspense or capture my attention. The first verse was okay, but it needed a powerful drop once it got to the chorus to enforce the preceding section. Instead, the chorus opted for a dry and bland drop. It was quite emotionless, to put it frankly and this resulted in drying out the first verse as well. I know the final sequence is just an extension of the chorus (as you can hear the chorus behind the increased tempo and heavy beats), but it was something that that I was looking for because it added momentum and energy to the song. The rapping and vocal work were quite good. I liked how Lisa’s rapping really helped make up for the lost momentum of the chorus, delivering some impact. If only the instrumental was more interesting to help support that mindset. I will also give the song its How You Like That chorus hook, for the exact same reason. Another thing that I noticed as I listened to the song for the first time early tonight – I had the thought that How You Like That was a Kill This Love or Ddu Du Ddu Du version 2.0 as it basically went for the same formula. For their upcoming release, I would love to hear something that strays away from the same formula and hopefully is a lot more exciting to this than compared to this song.
It is a YG video and it expected that it will be a good music video. And I feel like they hit that mark, once again. The colours are very vivid, the lighting puts everything into focus and most importantly, the video highlights all the pretty visuals of the group. I really liked how their outfits and looks really had a wow factor to them in this video, which made it more captivating to watch. The same thing can be said about the set design. My favourite looks in this music video include Jisoo’s headwear that accompanies her red outfit, Rose’s casual outfit when she rips off the flower blindfold, Lisa’s red hair, Jennie’s look under the umbrellas, their dark angel dresses and all their outfits for the final sequence.
Dance wise, I thought it was a good routine. There is a lot of attitude in the choreography to support the chorus and this fits well with the lyrics of being better after breaking up with someone who doubted them. I also really like the strut they did as they launch right into the final sequence. Attitude and definitely boldness to kick off the best part of the song. I did think the line was a little odd. But it still worked.
Song – 5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 6.8/10
Ahead of the official release of a digital single tomorrow, A.C.E has unveiled the music video for their new release, Stand By You. We last saw the group thought their Savage promotions back in November of last year. Since then, we haven’t heard much from the group. While that is the case for the last few months, it seems like we will be seeing A.C.E more in the foreseeable future. The music video for this release ends with the title card ‘A.C.E: the beginning’, along with the member’s nametags on a window sill. What does this all mean? I guess we will know in due time. In the meanwhile, here is my review for Stand By You.
Stand By You is unlike the songs that I know A.C.E for. For those who are unfamiliar with A.C.E, they are commonly associated with powerful EDM dance tracks. I am not familiar what their side tracks are like, unfortunately, so maybe something a long the lines of Stand By You has popped up before. But for me personally, Stand By You is very different. It is a soft rock ballad that brings out the vocals of all the members. There isn’t much to the song in terms of complexity, which the group is widely known for through their title tracks. The instrumental feels like your typical soft rock track. It isn’t bad in any way. It is rather light and quite calming. It just doesn’t have a unique factor to it, if you were to compare it other soft rock ballads. But this allows their vocals to be in the forefront of the song and the song does an amazing job of showcasing the member’s vocals. The harmonies that come about in the song and the lightness of the song feels very youthful and innocent, which comes into play when I will discuss their music video in a bit. Overall, I quite liked the track. Everything comes together well, giving the song a refreshing tone. Other than the vocals and the instrumental, I don’t think there is enough to make this song memorable. As just a digital single, it could get lost in the mix of various comebacks we expect in the coming weeks. But there is enough for me to enjoy with an occasion listen or if it popped up on my playlist.
The music video is definitely the beginning (or sequel) to something a lot darker. It opens up with Jun narrating over a scene where he is kneeling in the rain, in front of a girl. He says ‘The world rejected me, so I tried to burn it down. But then I no longer had a world. When I opened my eyes, inside the prison that is my heart, I discovered a cactus reflected in a small mirror‘, whilst crying and shivering in the cold. The scene is quite dark, contrasting with the many light scenes that follow. The video then flips to the same girl in a classroom. Interestingly, she is alone and goes to the one table in the classroom. She fumbles around and opens a diary, where a photo flies out. She leans down to pick it up and we then see Jun looking up back at her (and the other members in the classroom). The photo is of all of them wearing coloured skirts and a feathered headband. They plan an outing and we get some sort of indication of the members having a crush on the girl. We don’t know for sure yet, but there seems to be some awkwardness while they plan the outing. The members turn up to school one day with a gold cart and with their female friend, they embark on their trip. The golf cart breaks down and they all set up camp under the stars. It is there they dress up in coloured skirts and a feathered headband. Not sure what this means, but it seems like this all occurred before (based on the photo). The next day, they all turn up onto the beach. While their friend takes in the sights, the members hang back. For a moment there, the members look at her fondly, as if they are all watching over her. She realizes something, turns back and the members are no longer there. She then grabs something from her pocket and becomes emotional about it. This music video definitely brings forward a lot of questions and definitely leaves me intrigued for what is to come.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
Recently, Golden Child participated in Road To Kingdom but was eliminated after the first round for having the least amount of points out of all the teams. If you are interested in my thoughts of their performances in the competition, you can view Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of the special review series. But while the group did not last as long as we hoped, they announced their comeback soon after and hence why we are all here today. Golden Child returned today with their 4th mini-album, Take A Leap, which features the title track, ONE (Lucid Dream). The group pre-released the music video for this comeback 18 hours prior to the official release, but I was asleep then and was not able to review it. Instead, the group has landed on the top of my review list, so let’s get cracking.
The group has definitely gained attention with their dark sound and mature change, which contrasts greatly from their more brighter and energetic releases. In addition to that, Wannabe and Without You has become some of their best works in my opinion. But it seems like Golden Child hasn’t completely unleashed their new sound as ONE (Lucid Dream) raises the bar even higher than those other tracks can reach. The song’s instrumentation is quite unique and individualistic, something that will definitely allow the group to standout in a sea of typical and generic releases that will be due throughout Summer. The verses are made up of a very strong electronic vibrating synth and strong thumping beats. It feels quite grounded and impactful. The pre-chorus opts out of those two elements and goes for a more floating-like vibe, which really adds some smoothness to the roughened song. The chorus opts for some funky beats that adds character to the song and this fuses with some violins in the second half. The hooks just glide over and this too helps gives the song some smoothness. From where the song’s bridge should have started, ONE opted for with heavily distorted and high pitched vocals that form part of an instrumental break, before throwing us into dance break to end the song. I feel like Golden Child could have kicked it up a notch in this section to give the song a much needed climax. It just feels like a missed opportunity in my opinion. After all, they ended the song without diving into a final chorus. But it is still a very strong piece, regardless thanks to everything they had set up prior. The vocal work and rapping delivery are just on point. I liked how they kept their vocals relatively linear in comparison to the instrumental. This really helps add definition to the background and adds some contrast (that you know I like). My favourite part has to be the whispering in the first verse! Overall, a very strong effort, just a shy away from that perfect label.
So I wasn’t aware that Wannabe, Without You and ONE (Lucid Dream) were a trilogy until I scrolled through the comments to see what some viewers thoughts on the music video were. Why am I always the last one to find out that a string of comebacks are trilogies or a series of some kind? Based on those comments, Wannabe was about becoming the best version of oneself. Without You was getting lost in that idea. ONE is about realizing that best version of oneself was them originally. That is a pretty interesting interpretation of all the music videos. As for ONE by itself, the visuals for this music video was really cool. The visual effects were very strong. For the some of the individual scenes, I couldn’t tell if they were dreams or nightmares, which forced me to watch the music video a few times this morning to try to work it out. Some of them were obvious, others were a little hard to decipher. But I can agree that all of them were aesthetic.
This performance is very captivating. It, in a visual sense, looks very aesthetic as well. I really liked how they made it punchy once the song enters the first verse. I like how there was a lot of twisty formations and ‘over and under’ type of movements as they move around. The moves for the chorus has this subtle smoothness to it which matches perfectly with the music. And the dance break ends the performance on a very strong sense.
Song – 9.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.5/10
Giving us directions into this week is SEVENTEEN. The 13 member male group makes their grand return comeback with their 7th mini-album, Journey of Youth or Heng:garæ, and the title track Left & Right. Alongside Left & Right, the group also pre-released My My (which I reviewed already). In the My My review, I said that Us, Again was another pre-release track for this new mini-album. But upon the album’s release, I see that this single is not part of their 7th mini-album and is just a fan single (with no formal release aside from the lyric video they dropped a few weeks back). Aside from that little note, let’s see where SEVENTEEN is going to take us with this release.
SEVENTEEN has been focusing on very mature and dark sounds over their last few releases. As it is Summer time in South Korea, the group’s new single takes on a more energetic and upbeat feel to suit the season full of bright energy and colour. Left & Right takes on a modern hip-hop sound, a different style to what SEVENTEEN has released before. This might because SVENTEEN had retained that mature sound from their previous comebacks, whilst infusing it with a brighter sound. And it is because of this that I find Left & Right is unlike their previous Summer tracks, such as Oh My or Aju Nice, which each had a teenage vibe to it. And unlike those tracks, I find the the dynamic profile of this song to be well hidden in the music. What I like already about the song is that everything comes off as easygoing. From the light instrumentation to the laid-back nature of the hooks and melodies, SEVENTEEN really makes sure we are not overwhelmed in any way, making this an ideal Summer track to kick back to. And to match with this approach, their vocals and rapping are not overly dominate in the song as well. Everything just feels well-balanced and I liked that. Sure, Left & Right doesn’t have their most impressive vocal and rapping delivery to date, but their easygoing tone really appeals to me. The song’s main appealing point has to be its casual hook. Its presence in the teaser already sold me this comeback, but to hear it in full with the rest of the song really adds that more melodic touch to it. I am thoroughly enjoying this song and I can definitely tell it will be one that I will be replaying in the weeks to come.
The song is all about doing what you believe in. And I think the video does a good job presenting that. Take the race as an example. The old man starts the race off with the gun and seems to represents all the grownups that tell you what you should and should not do. Seungkwan seems to be the only one who listens and runs off, while all the other members stayed back and danced. When Seungkwan stops running, he is faced with two signs – ‘Early bird catches the worm‘ and ‘Youth can change everything‘. They don’t spark happiness in him, as you can tell with this facial expressions. Those signs talk all about being successful and don’t really tell you much about growing up and learning from your mistakes. The members burn a book about becoming successful and a trophy to go against becoming successful and perfect. The graffiti on the wall says to ‘Do Your Best’, but the members respond with ‘But maybe not sometimes‘ to say that it is okay regardless of the outcome. The biggest moment of the music video is when the members run into the dilemma of going left or right. Joshua instead doesn’t follow the two paths that are set and redirect the arrows to go up (i.e. doing what you believe in). As S.Coups is the oldest, it is logical he would go up first. He is strapped into car pretending to be like a rocket ship, which only goes up. Lift off was okay, but the car explodes and end up going back down, signifying failure. I final scene where S.Coups get out of the car and starts dancing represents that is whatever the outcome of a choice you make is, everything will be okay.
I really like how the choreography really brought that fun aspect to the performance. It just makes the stage so much more engaging and appealing to watch. I think the chorus looks like one of those that will go onto becoming viral and everyone will be dancing along to it. I also like how the performance related to the song’s easygoing vibe and didn’t incorporate anything complex looking, which obviously wouldn’t work well. I say this because SEVENTEEN is notorious for difficult dance moves.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
After dazzling their way with Dazzle Dazzle earlier this year, Weki Meki has returned with their second release of 2020. The new song is called OOPSY and features on the group’s Hide and Seek. As it has only been four months since their Dazzle Dazzle comeback, not much has seemed to happen with the group from what I can recall. And with that, let’s just stuck right into the review.
The main backbone of the instrumental (i.e. beat) for OOPSY is quite generic. It just didn’t feel exciting. A better description would have been ‘pretty linear’. But without the other elements in this song, OOPSY would have gone in that direction. For example, the addition of all those details and sound elements over the top of the main instrumental really helped add an exciting energy to the song. All of that whistling and twinkling effects we get from the instrumental are thanks to the detailing and additional sound elements. It added texture, which resulted in the instrumental in being very appealing. It also added a slight funkiness to the song (i.e. that low guitar strumming during the verses), as well. Add to the song some catchy hooks, such as the ones you hear during the chorus of OOPSY. While I am sure they could have been more defined and dynamic, what we got had a slightly fun tone to it, which helped boost the appeal of the song. The members vocals and rapping were also pretty good as well. It might not be their most skillful display of vocals and rapping, but there was a lot clearness and crispness in their voices. Oh, and while the title does have that childish association to it (which I have noted in reviews for songs with the same time), I found that Weki Meki managed to put a decent mature spin, whilst also keeping that fun tone which is true to their style. Overall, a good song in my opinion.
The music video consist of choreography and very crisp and elegant closeups of the members. So it seems like the group’s music video takes on that close up and choreography formula that feel boring and generic. However, I am slightly convinced that there is more to video which I can’t just seem to decipher. You have one member whispering something to a member with a white cloth over her head. That has to mean something, right? And that glass feather, as well. Their solo shots also look very suspicious, as if they are hiding something within them. On top of that, there was some Morse code that I noticed appearing on screen during the video. Someone deciphered it off YouTube says the Morse code meant ‘I always think about you’ and ‘I will always be with you’. That has to be mean something as well. This video has to have some sort of story or meaning, right???
I liked the choreography. It was rather clean and felt straightforward. It also made the group look a lot more confident and mature, at the same time. It isn’t a mind blowing routine if that what you are looking for. But it definitely makes the members look good and more refined.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7/10
Stray Kids also make their grand comeback today with their new single, Gods Menu and their first studio album, Go Live. I am definitely excited for this comeback and cannot wait to review both the song (in this post) and their new album (hint hint). Prior to this comeback and since their last comeback Levanter, the group released two mixtape tracks, Gone Days and On Track. The group also released English versions of their song and made their official Japanese debut with Japanese versions of their Korean tracks. In addition to that, Stray Kids also released their first original Japanese single album (which I have yet to review) which will serve as opening tracks for an upcoming anime. Definitely a busy first half of the year for Stray Kids.
One of God’s Menu flaws is that it is rather short. I wanted more of it, so naturally I am reaching for the replay button. God’s Menu is a hip-hop based dance track. I felt the instrumentation was quite generic for this style, as we have heard many hip-hop centric songs with similar instrumentation in the past. But what we are shown from the start of the song is that the song is very rap intensive. And Stray Kids is one of those groups with a very strong rap line and this helps open the song in a captivating the song instantly lifts up once we get to the chorus. The song slows down but maintains the suspense for the vocalists to show some of their skills (Bangchan and Jisung also join the vocal line in this song, which I really like). But the rapping takes the win in this song. Remember how I mentioned that I found the instrumentation generic? Another skill that Stray Kids has is that they really know how to hold their ground and blasts us with this powerful and bold chorus. The ‘DU DU DU‘ and the ‘TANG TANG TANG‘ just gives the song so much life and energy. Another observation I have made is that the chorus was quite lengthy and this seems to quicken the song. I also like how the second chorus differed from the first and I also note that Felix is getting the lines that he finally deserve! A lot of positive aspects to outweigh its few negatives. And we can agree that Stray Kids can definitely serve it up.
We all know that Stray Kids music videos are interlinked in one way or another. They released a prequel prior to this comeback confirming just that, so it makes you wonder how this video connects with the rest. And while I can spend so much discussing possible theories, I want to step away and think about this music video as a stand alone music video. One day I will return to discuss possible connections between all their music videos. God’s Menu seems to be a song about making an impression. There is a lot of food references in the song to fit in with the concept and they sing about making flavours stand out. And in the music video, they stood out in one way or another. At the start when everything was in slow motion and Changbin was rapping away at normal speed. The odd placement of people in various scenes (i.e. school girls at the race track, scientists at a construction site, marching band in the kitchen) and the member’s non-matching outfits with the scenery (i.e. they wore chefs outfits at the construction site) all seem to make an impression. And that impression was definitely left on me.
From what I can see in the music video, the choreography looks awesome. Definitely dynamic and powerful to fit the energy of the music. The pre-chorus (i.e. the smoother sections of the song) looked very interesting due to its more subdued vibes. The chorus looked very intense and I wonder what the verses look. Though my favourite section has to be the start of the second verse, which looked awesome in the music video with the camerawork.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Making their comeback today is NATURE. For those who may not know or remember the group, NATURE is a female group under n.CH Entertainment and the voice behind innocent cutesy tracks such asAllegro Cantabile and I’m So Pretty, and very upbeat bright tracks such as Oopsie (My Bad) and Some (You’ll Be Mine). For the group’s first comeback of 2020, they returned with a complete mature sound change up through the title track, Girls. The group also has a 6 member lineup, but will only be promoting with 6 members only due to various reasons.
As mentioned above, NATURE turns a complete 180 degree with this mature sound. Girls is a change up that I personally did not see coming. And while I do enjoy a change up every now and then, I fear this has taken a once different female group who is willing to standout with crazy instrumentals and catchy hooks and turned them into a generic sounding female group. I just didn’t find the dance track to really have those moments that Oopsie and Some had. I am not really looking for anything unique as well, rather something to catch my attention and give me a reason dig into the track more. It unfortunately didn’t and this disappoints me. That being said, Girls has some good moments as well. Not great enough to resolve the generic issue I just discussed, but good enough to make this song an occasion listen. The pre-chorus build up was quite nice, especially with the member that started off low and built her vocals up. I also dig the bridge of the song, which felt bold and brings something that cuts the generic nature of the song to a degree. It is like a textural autotune is applied to the main member, before the rest of the members echoes in a softened shouting manner. Apart from that, everything just fell into place and that typical category for me.
Given the mature sound, it was expected that their visuals change for this comeback as well. And the music video is does exactly that. There was an article a few days back that the music video was considered a little too graphic for broadcast and wonder how far they took the video to have that warning slapped on it. And it isn’t because the members were sexualised or showing off too much skin. Rather, the warning was in concern for some of the dark and suspenseful imagery. One member was hold a pair of scissors over another’s head with the top facing directly between the eyes in one of the teasers. Teddy bears were gutted and a flying axe closed up the music video with what seemed to be a a scream like synth. There might be a story line somewhere. My guess is that the other members are ghosts and that they are there to drive the member with the long black wavy hair insane and eventually kills her to be one of them. Altogether, it makes the video very intriguing and I quite like that idea.
For the most part, the choreography was a bore to watch. That being said, the post-chorus hook that featured after the first and final chorus really helped bring some edge, which helped make the performance go from boring to slightly exciting. Same thing can be said about that bridge, which brought a little more dynamism to the performance.
Song – 6/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
IZ*ONE made their comeback yesterday with their 3rd mini-album, Oneiric Diary, and the title track, Secret Story of the Swan. A review should have been written yesterday, but IZ*ONE’s agency made a last minute call to delay the release of the music video until today. In place of the music video, we were treated to the performance version of their music video along with performances from their comeback showcase. But as I focus on the music video usually, this meant I couldn’t write a whole review. But as we only had to wait a day, I decided to delay the review until today, as well. We last saw the group through their Fiesta promotions early this year.
Each of IZ*ONE’s title tracks have grown on me considerably, regardless of whatever comments I have made in the past regarding the songs. The beauty of time. And with time, maybe Secret Story of the Swan (henceforth Swan) may go in that direction as well. At this present time, I find the song to be very standard and meh. I just didn’t get a level of excitement that I had felt with Fiesta or Violeta. Swan‘s biggest asset is its instrumental, more specifically the chorus. It is the only part that really captures my attention. The drop feels memorable and bold, in comparison to the rest of the instrumental. There is a lot going on in its instrumentally, but it is all tied together very well with the loud crashes that accompany the ‘Like Swan Swan Swan‘ hook. This hook is also a really good element of the song and is helping me warm up to the song (though there is a big hurdle for it help get me over). Everything else in Swan just failed to stand out. The vocal work didn’t have much oomph to it, especially with a standout chorus like this. It was pretty much forgettable during the verses. The rapping had momentum, but it just felt very typical and something that we all heard before. Swan had some highs and lows, with the lows seemingly taking hold of the song. But as I said at the start, maybe time is needed to help make this song more appealing.
While the music video does take on that closeup and choreography formula, I found the music video to be captivating. This is because of the use of chroma-key (i.e. the technical name of the green/blue screen effect). It helped made the video look very pretty, from the purple coloured sky, to the presence of clock gears, to the use of circle. It was quite mesmeric. There might be a bit of a story in the video via symbolism of the different elements in the video, though I didn’t pick anything up. The choreography shots are stunning, as well. Very nice looking music video.
One of the strong points about the performance is that is looks really elegant, which suits the idea of a swan as in the song’s title. At the same time, the choreography finds that sweet point where it can be dynamic, allowing for the performance to take full advantage of the energy from the chorus.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 9.5/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
One week ago, E’LAST (which is shortened from the term Everlasting) made their debut with their first mini-album, Day Dream, and title track, Swear. But before I proceed further with the review, who is E’LAST? Well, this male group is made of 8 members (Choi In, Rano, Seungyeop, Baekgyeul, Romin, Won Hyuk, Wonjun and Yejun) and is the first group from E Entertainment. Members Won Hyuk and Wonjun have previously participated Produce X 101 and placed in 33rd and 47th on the show. Now that we know a bit more from the group, let’s move onto the review.
My initial listen to the song when the first came out didn’t rule in its favour. And naturally, I passed on the opportunity to review, pushing it behind the pack to focus on other artists of the week. But I ‘rediscovered’ Swear towards the end of week and was drew into its grand and epic nature while it played in the background while I worked. Now, I find the mash of classical orchestra and trap to be quite captivating. That opening medieval sequence really sets the song up. It allowed the group to focus on the more elegant side of classical music, before the song fuses with those trap influences in the second verse (which provided a different form of intensity and tempo). As Swear progressed, we were treated to a build up that hinted towards an epic drop. But once the chorus came around, we are unexpectedly given a slow and paced instrumental sequence. While this does not make sense to me at first, I am enjoying it now because they manage to maintain the intensity and energy in a unique fashion. They could have followed what we thought was coming (i.e. an epic drop), but that could have been seen as typical. I liked that the producers deviated from the formula, which attracts my attention. Similar comments can be made for the delayed climax. You could tell it was coming, but the producers kept on dragging it out, giving it impact once it came around. I was amazed at how amazing the vocals and rapping turned out. At first, I felt like Swear could have been more dynamic, giving the members an opportunity to show off more of their vocal/rapping potential. But we are treated to very powerful vocal moments and memorable hooks, whilst also getting some leeway through the use of trap elements to allow the rappers to fit in and bring their own intensity/some tempo to the song. Overall, an interesting song.
As I spent a fair amount of time on the song part of the review, I will cut to the chase for the music video and performance sections. The set design is really epic and looks amazing. It makes their solo shots a lot more captivating. The members showed off their acting in a satisfying manner, as they looked really hurt after thinking that their partner would stay with them. It gave me the impression that they are only coming to terms of this, which is the journey they take in the lyrics, as well. Big ticks from me for the music video.
We see a bit of elegance at the very start through the opening sequence of the song. As the song progresses, we get more of those epic and grand vibes translated into the choreography. But all is maintained despite the changes in the music. The final section of the bridge and final chorus drew my attention the most in this choreography, as it showed off a lot of potential and intensity from the manners.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Yesterday, we were treated to a surprise by SEVENTEEN. The 13-member male group unexpectedly released a music video for My My, ahead of their upcoming June comeback which has been scheduled for the 22nd of June. It seems like everyone was caught off guard with this release as there was no indication of it. I actually thought My My was going to be the groups title track. So it begs the question, what will the actual comeback be like? Until the 22nd, we won’t know. But I can quickly sit down and review this release, as we have both song and music video (and a little choreography – but I won’t cover this) present for a decent review to be written. The group also released a lyric video for Us, Again earlier in the week as well (but as this is no music video, I will not be reviewing it). Let’s get reviewing.
While we are pretty much unsure about what their title track is going to be like, My My serves as a nice introduction to whatever is about to come. I find the song plain and typical sounding, but it doesn’t give off a boring feeling. Rather, it is a versatile song that can precede many others and hence why I think it is a nice introduction. The island/synth based instrumentation was easy going and carefree vibe, which helped it make appealing. It is quite heavy on the beats, but there was a light component to the song which makes it perfect for the Summer season. It is bright and it brings a smile to my face even during the stressful moments of the last two days. What more do you need to ask for? Vocally, I thought it was a strong effort. There were some great moments on the vocal front, such as Woozi’s part in the first verse (never heard him like this before), Vernon and S.Coup’s rapping sequence and the entire bridge section of the song. The chorus has a mildly catchy melody that really felt suitable for this Summery track. While the song comes off as quite likable, it is best serve as a pre-release track only. It just doesn’t have the chops to be a title track, but it is a refreshing number to help kick start the countdown to a new era of Seventeen’s career.
I only paid attention to some of the teasers which gave us a behind the scenes look at the the music video set. It revolves around a flying ship, which the members are travelling on to different places. And this relates to the individual journeys that they are taking (i.e. being oneself and going their way) that they reference in the lyrics. As for what they are doing, it seems to be all fun and games when they park their flying ship. The only person who seems to doing something a little more than hanging out is Vernon, who is making some sort of orange jam. Not sure what it is, but Jun and Joshua seem to be very intro it, as if they are addicted to it. It might just be an orange jam, but it could be something a little more suspicious. This, in turn, could link up to their next music video. That is something I do wonder, if elements of this video pops up in their next music video. But we will find out soon. Overall, it is a nice video that suits the song.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
It is time for another review for another Monday release. I believe this is the final Monday release that I will be reviewing and I shall move onto reviews for other days that I may have missed over the weekend. The star of this review is Seo Eunkwang, who is the leader and main vocalist of BTOB. Seo Eunkwang recently returned from his military enlistment earlier this year and marks his return with his first solo mini-album, FoRest: Entrance and the title track, No One Knows. In other related news, the majority of BTOB are currently fulfilling their enlistment, so it might be some time until we hear from the group again.
As mentioned earlier in the week and multiple review posts in the past, main vocalists tend to go down the ballad route as this style allows for their vocals to be shown off. I know I sound like a broken record as I mention it every time I write a review for a solo release by a group’s main vocalist. When it comes to Seo Eunkwang, however, ballad is the way to go. While the work that BTOB have released in the past have been upbeat (take Beep Beep, as an example) and a little crazy at times (referring to some of their side tracks), I just don’t see BTOB’s main vocalist releasing a dance track as a main promotional track. Maybe a slow R&B track, at best. Why? Well, No One Knows is probably a good indication of that. He nails ballads perfectly. Over the 3 and a half minutes or so, I was captivated to the point where I couldn’t write my review while concurrently listening to song. I had to stop typing as I was in awe. Definitely a sign of a good ballad. While the ballad does follow standard backbone with its classical instrumental, there was a nice buildup throughout the song that made it sound so grand and heavy towards the end. I liked the electrical guitar that peeped through at the end, as well. It wasn’t much, but you can still feel its presence in the song. But the real captivating element of the song is Seo Eunkwang’s voice, which we already know is amazing through past solo tracks and his BTOB work. But we hear it in its full glory, which is probably the best thing about this track. Not only does his voice soar, but it powers through the heaviest instrumented parts to be the main element of the song. I really liked how he dragged out the final word, before repeating it 3 more times in short and sharp delivery. Its kind of a ‘Thank you, move along’ type of vibe that suits the song’s lyrics and meaning so well. The other melodies are just so good, it is hard to find a fault in the song. After all, I do like a good ballad and this one is as good as it gets.
The music video opens up with Seo Eun Kwang singing the song to himself. We get a sense in this scene alone that he is very lonely. After all, the song is about being alone, yet pretending that everything is okay. I thought it was a really good video, emphasising loneliness is the recurring theme in all the scenes. And in all these scenes, we see his facial expressions. You can tell that he is very stuck in his thoughts and lonely (yep, that recurring word). He interestingly does not show sadness on his face, though he does carry himself in what seems to be a depressed manner. I liked the cinematography of the music videos and like not all of Eunkwang is the shot. It makes the video artistic and aesthetic in a way.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 10/10
