Category: Reviews

[Review] Hug U – DIA

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And now we skip back to a today release. DIA makes their comeback today with Hug U. This is a slightly different looking DIA, as the lineup for this comeback is only five members. If you know your DIA members, Chaeyeon and Somyi are absent from this comeback as they are currently taking a break, while Jenny left the group after their previous promotions (Woowa) due to an injury. Despite only being a five member lineup and the group is still promoting under the name DIA, their management and the five refer to themselves as a unit of the group. But that’s okay, as we will take any form of a DIA comeback, given that they have been absent from the stage since March 2019.

Hug U, to me, feels like they are returning to their early days. Unfortunately, I was looking forward to a track as dynamic as Woowa (their previous single) was. So I was a little disappointed to hear Hug U, initially (to an extent). I am also disappointed as their throwback to this earlier sound might not be a good idea, given that the group was never successful with it. But I am keeping an open mind with the new song. I like their delicate touch that they give the song throw their vocals. And based on their tone, it has definitely sounds like they have matured vocally. There is nice melodies and I can it becoming mildly catchy with multiple listens in the future. Instrumentally, I am not that excited with Hug U. There is a nice graceful touch and a level of prettiness to it, which matches the vocals. As mentioned before, I wanted something dynamic and energizing. Hug U‘s instrumental sadly doesn’t have that. They could have somehow infused some additional energy into the song, but given the dominant use of classical strings in the instrumental, that would be difficult to achieve. I feel like if I was looking for a song that as soothing and graceful at the same time, then this song might be for me. But that I am not into that niche and sadly, this song isn’t for me.

While the song wasn’t up my alley, I actually liked the music video. There is small yet good story to it, which made it worth watching. In this video, it seems like the DIA members are apart and doing their own thing, which may be the reality of over the last year or so. And they all look quite happy alone. Eunchae seems to be planning a reunion party of the members. And it seems like all the members are on board. Jueun, however, did look a little hesitant about going at first. But she is soon reminded of the fond memories during their time to go, so she ultimately decides to go. But it started to rain, which delayed her arrival. Eunchae was quite sadden that Jueun did not turn up at first. But she was definitely relieved when Jueun came late. The members ended up looking at their happiest together, showing their forever bond It feels relevant to the group, who may have experienced a similar thing event while setting up for this comeback. It is a pity that Chaeyeon and Somyi weren’t there, as a full group would have made it more emotional for fans. I also liked the choreography shots as well, as the members looked very pretty in their colourful dresses in those drone shots.

Naturally, their performance is a lot more graceful and pretty to match the song’s style. But I do note that while watching the performance, the song is pretty decent tempo, which allows for their moves to be quite quick. That being said, there is a bit of slowness at some parts, which also helps create a balance in the performance. This, overall, helps makes their choreography visually appealing and a strong point of this comeback.

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

[Review] When We Are Us – Super Junior KRY

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Another Monday release that I need to review. I think there is one more after this one, but I will hold that for tomorrow. Today’s focus will be on Super Junior K.R.Y, which is a subunit of Super Junior’s main vocalists – Kyuhyun, Ryeowook and Yesung. The unit made its debut back in 2006 with The One I Love and we last saw the three promote as a unit in 2015 with the release of the Japanese single, Join Hands. On Monday, the unit made their grand return with When We Are Us and their first ever mini-album of the same name. It is said that this comeback is the start of the many Super Junior activities we will see this year as they celebrate 15 years in the Korean music industry.

As Super Junior K.R.Y is made of main vocalists, it makes the most sense for the unit to go with songs that focuses on their vocals. And as I have stated a lot recently, the most typical way to do this is through a ballad. With that statement, you can tell that When We Are Us is a ballad, singing about longing for a loved one. It feels and sounds like your typical ballad, with those swaying melodies that I always enjoy in ballads and a beautiful instrumental made of the classical piano and strings. Vocally, I don’t think it is worth pointing how breathtaking they sound (FYI, they do sound amazing, as one would expect). They have already showed us long time fans and listeners of KPOP their vocal abilities through Super Junior activities and more recently through their solo endeavours. As for which section caught my attention, I didn’t find anything that memorable to talk about as it is that typical ballad. But as the song progresses towards its peak in the bridge, the song got very interesting very quickly. Sadly, it was brief but that is what you expect from the peak of the song. Here, the soaring vocals are layered on top of each other, before ending with high note harmony with all three members. The ad-libs that follow, along with the final set of harmonies ties the song together nicely. Overall, it is still a nice ballad. Just very typical in a nutshell.

I think I have mentioned this before. But Super Junior is such a senior group that they are well respected by fans and other artists that come after them. And with that mentality that their fans will continue to support them nonetheless, the music video can be dry as a bone. This is what we are experiencing here. Aside from some artsy shots with TVs positioned around them, the sets were incredibly lackluster. While I assume the swimming pool set was meant to offset the darker scenes of the member’s closeup shots and go hand-in-hand with their lyrics (i.e. references to the colour blue and Summer), I can’t help but note how empty it felt. I am not expecting flashing lights and club scenes to fill up the space, but there are many successful ballad music videos with a lot more substance within them.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] Butterfly – WJSN (Cosmic Girls)

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While there are a few more Monday releases to review, I am going to skip them for now and move onto the Tuesday release. It is time to review WJSN’s Butterfly. We last heard heard from the group in November of last year with As You Wish. Not much has been heard from the group since that round of promotions aside from the fact that the members recently had their 2020 concert, Oblivate, in South Korea and Japan. Butterfly is the lead title track off the group’s eighth mini-album, Neverland.

I am not sure if Butterfly is marketed as a summer single, as it is featured on a standard mini-album rather than a special summer mini-album. But I find that Butterfly strays away from the group’s usual fantastical sounding releases in a similar fashion to what last year’s Summer hit Boogie Up did. Maybe that is a bit too extreme to say that they go in a complete different direction, as there may be that slight influence in the song. But what I do find is Butterfly is much more synth heavy and quite heavy with its instrumentation, overall. There is a good level of bass and I think there is a bit of guitar mixed into it. The instrumental isn’t overwhelming nor do they hold back with its energy. As a result, the song is very upbeat and feels very suitable for the season of refreshing energy and a neat follow up to Boogie Up. In addition to the song’s energy, I find the hooks of he song to be very catchy. They also feel quite bold over the top of the upbeat instrumental. And the members sound freaking fantastic in this song. Good job to Soobin, who handles the high note in Butterfly. I also like Exy’s singing just before her rap sequences kick in. I would have loved to hear more of her in the song though, as her rapping really fits this style. The rest of the members showcase solid vocals, to the point where it is hard to pinpoint who is a sub vocalist in this song. Overall, Butterfly is an amazing Summer hit which I am already enjoying just from today’s listens.

This music video largely adopts that closeup and choreography formula that I dislike in KPOP music video as it feels quite plain. But what Butterfly‘s music video does so well is highlight the member’s beautiful visuals in each of their solo shots. I was in awe when each member had their closeups, as each of these scenes made them look like goddesses and had a really artistic appeal to them. I also liked their use of colours in the music video, particularly in the sets where they shot their choreography shots (as the members were all dressed in white and hence made the colours stand out). It might have used that dreaded formula, but it made good use of it.

I liked how in every opportunity possible, WJSN managed to incorporate some sort of butterfly references into the choreography. It would be insane to count each reference as they do not just limit to just the two hands joined together to make it look like a butterfly slowly flapping it wings. They had moves that used their entire arms to mimic wings and their capes on their outfits really give the performance a heavenly look.

Song – 9.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10

[Review] Oh Really – N.Flying

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N.Flying is due to make their comeback tomorrow on the 10th of June. However, the group unveiled the music video for their latest title track, Oh Really, yesterday. And with that reasoning, it should have been the first review of the week. But as yesterday’s album review took a lot longer than expected and I had to bump N.Flying’s review to today. Oh Really marks the group’s return to a five-member lineup, with the addition of Seo Dong Sung, who is the former leader and bassist of N.Flying’s younger labelmate, HONEYST. For those who don’t know of HONEYST, they were a younger band who debuted in 2017 with Like You and later disbanded in 2019 due to creative differences.

Since the band’s popularity has flourished since the release of Rooftop in early 2019, N.Flying has demonstrated a range of styles within the year alone. And as we move into a new year for the group, Oh Really adds a suitable upbeat Summery style to the band’s portfolio. Paired with what you know is actual instrumentals (as they are band!), I find the song to be quite extremely pleasant and lighthearted, unlike their past upbeat tracks which seem to be more in your face and energetic that this number. In addition to that, some of the guitar work in the song has that Hawaii theme to it, which allows us to associate to the beach environment. As for the members, we know that Seunghyub and Hwesung are capable singers through their past releases and Oh Really is further proof of that. Their vocal work throughout the song is superb, with Hwesung’s section in the bridge being utterly amazing. I wish that their harmonies were further highlighted in this song, as this would be the perfect vehicle for that purpose. My favourite aspect of the song is the really simple but effective hooks that really make this song catch on. It feels as if the hooks go with the flow and doesn’t feel like it is forced onto you or into your mind. Subsequently, I find myself humming along to the music after listening to it. Overall, Oh Really is a memorable song for its simplicity and catchiness. Just another reason to start listening to this underrated band.

Oh Really seems to be a very versatile expression. For the lyrics, the song expresses the term of a relationship context, where their partner is pretending to love them but the members are not willing to give up just yet. Oh Really is used in a pleading manner in the song. But as the music video demonstrates it, it can be used in an affirmation context (i.e. the TV infomercial), in a questioning context (i.e. the antique TV show), in a stressful manner (i.e. the non-working TV remote), in a surprised context (i.e. the award show), in an emotional context (i.e. Hwesung singing in the telephone booth) and a disbelief manner (i.e. that scene where it looks like the members are world leaders sitting at a round table and the newest member is in between the argument). I really liked how these contexts were cleverly weaved into the music video to match the lyrics of the song. The antique TV show is a good example of this, when Cha Hun asks about whether Hwesung can dedicate himself to the antique using the Oh Really hook and, later on with Hwesung expressing how hard it is for him to let go once the antique was smashed on the ground.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

[Review] Get Ready – Ha Sung Woon

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This Monday is loaded with comebacks and I won’t be able to get through all of them today (as I am running out of time to write them – the album review took a lot longer to write than expected). Apologies in advance. The rest of them will come Kicking us off with this week’s intense influx of comeback is Ha Sung Woon, who makes his return with Get Ready. This track is the title track off his 3rd mini-album, Twilight Zone, which was also released today. This is the soloists first comeback of 2020 and since the release of Blue mid-last year. Since this Blue comeback, Ha Sung Woon has been busy with a solo concert, collaborations, charity work and an OST release (based on his Wikipedia profile). After that busy absence from the music scene, let’s hear how his return fairs.

Prior to the release of Get Ready, we were promised with a funky number as his comeback title track. And that funkiness was delivered from the first second. Funky guitars and the featuring of one brass sound kicks us off into a very dynamic and upbeat track. During the verses, we got to hear some nice vocal work and I really liked the falsetto part (this funky falsetto combination reminded me to Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines for a brief moment). However, I didn’t like that sudden change up for the pre-chorus, which weakened the song in my opinion. Interestingly though, it felt fine in the second verse. It just doesn’t sit well with as part of the first verse and catches me off guard as it cuts the flow of the song. The chorus is no doubt the catchiest section, with it kicking up the energy of the song and applying more of the brass to up the funk. While add more brass makes logical sense to input more energy and funk into the song, I do have the concern that the brass overpowered the chorus and it doesn’t let the melodies or hooks (and hence vocals) shine. I think the melodies and hooks were fine as they were and the producers could have gone with a less overwhelming brass line. Apart from those falsetto moments, Get Ready‘s bridge was another favourite section, as it provided a bit of relief from the two choruses that surrounded it and allowed for Ha Sung Woon to show off his vocals before the brass drowned them out. The melody was smooth and the ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah‘ was quite catchy.

The music video starts off with a very mysterious sequence. We don’t have much context to the video, so everything is quite confusing. So here is a literal breakdown of what I see occurring. We see Ha Sung Woon swim to a house under the ocean. He enters the house while its under water, where there is a house party going on. He is thrust into the party (which looks really boring). He reflect that exact same feeling with some of the part goers later on in the video. About part way into the video, we see the house vibrating and Sung Woon jumps out of the house with a life buoy. Good thing he took that life buoy as he ends up floating away with it and the house was revealed to be floating in the sky. I would definitely like to know what this all means as I have no clue, even once I put it into words. What I can say is that the video looks quite good. His orange hair is a miss for me, even though I get Joker vibes from it.

While we haven’t seen a full performance just yet, what we managed to see in the music video promises a few things. The chemistry with the dancers make it look very appealing and adds that lighthearted vibe to the performance. The chorus looks fun and likable, especially how the dancers jump out from behind Ha Sung Woon for the final chorus. That looks unique. Overall, it looks dynamic and very fitting for the music.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Review] Still – DKB

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It is time for another review and it is time to zone into a relatively new group. I am talking about DKB, who made their comeback a few weeks ago with Still, the lead title track from their second mini-album, LOVE. But who is DKB? Well, I haven’t reviewed them yet, so I am not sure myself. Based on some research. DKB is a nine-member male group currently under Brave Entertainment. They made their debut back in February this year with Sorry Mama (which I have yet to review). While I will get to writing that review some time in the future, let’s not delay a review for the group just because I am not going in chronological order.

Still opens up with the strumming of some electric guitars before a beat is infused into the song. And I quite like this. The song pushes along was we near the end of the verse, with promise of a somewhat decent drop. What we are given instead is a slightly amplified instrumental of what we have heard so far, a lackluster hook and a really whiny synth that I am just not digging. We then launch into a hip-hop based instrumental sequence for the rappers, before the rest of the song is a repeat of what we have heard thus far. The only saving grace in the instrumental for me is the bridge, when the song brings in a set of clashing synths. It drew my attention in more a moment and it really cuts into the song’s airy and unfilled nature. So far, everything has felt very consistent and typical. This is an example of when the song could have used some additional textures and energy to give it some zing and life. I think the vocal work and rapping was a strong point of the song. Though, I felt the filtering and auotune on some of the members just degrades it slightly and this lessen the impact of the song’s direction. I felt like the producers were going for a refined touch to hip-hop and I quite like that idea. Still just doesn’t execute it properly and doesn’t have much going on to make it memorable.

As for the music video, I liked its minimalist vibes and simplicity. This was aimed for in the song but it came off as something different. Visually, the group nailed with the simple background and coloured lights. Some scenes felt slightly over-saturated, which I wasn’t a fan of. But the rest of the video was quite good. As we enter through the second chorus, the video got a little more complicated with water on the floor, computerized rain and some strong editing from post-production. And I thought it was a good progression, as we could have been easily been bored with the same coloured lighting and white background if it was put together right. Overall, a pretty good video.

The group opens up the performance with a very sharp movements in the opening sequence. Unfortunately, their performance didn’t really have any impressive moments. There was some good formations and those sharp movements and synchronization continued throughout the performance, which are undeniably good signs for any up and coming groups.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.8/10

[Review] Headache – Moon Jongup ft. YUNHWAY

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B.A.P is a group with a lot of wasted potential. This is something that I will continually remind you time and time again, so that they are not forgotten like other defunct, inactive or disbanded groups. A group comeback, even though promised by some members, seems like something that won’t happen any time soon. Since the start of 2019, B.A.P have gone their separate ways and embarked on solo careers. The latest member to join this movement is Jongup, who returned as a solo artist four weeks ago with Headache. The song also features YUNHWAY, who participated in Show Me The Money 8 last year.

Headache is a funky pop number that had this infectious feel good and easygoing vibe to it, which is quite pleasant. To me, Headache‘s energy is the main star of the song. It was gladly not compromised with any instrumental breakdowns or musical change ups (like mashup of different genres into one song or slow downs). Even when YUNHWAY joins in for a rap sequence, the song doesn’t change too much and maintains the energy. Her voice is rather unique. She brought a nasally yet light tone to the song and her sequence goes for an optimal amount of time (not sure if it would have had the same effect if it went for any longer). In a way, the song felt monotone. But this singular tonal approach paid off greatly. I am quite surprised and unsure why I put off writing this review. Jongup brings a nice voice to the party and helps makes the song’s melodies and hooks be more approachable and catchy. While he was more known for his dancing skills during group promotions, Jongup has definitely improved during his absence from the music industry in 2019. It would have been nice if his voice had a little more colour to it, to give it that much needed oomph. But Headache was a very nice and laid back song, overall. Oh, and in no way does the song feel headache inducing. It is just the feeling he gets when he thinks of his crush.

Jongup becomes playful in the music video when making his move on the waitress from the local cafe. That is essentially the music video summarised in the one sentence. There were a few things I noted while watching the video, though. It actually features YUNHWAY, which is a fantastic part of the music video. Many times the promotional material (including the music video) does not feature the the featuring artist when it should. Always a pity when that doesn’t happen. I also like when Jongup dances with his ‘crush’ in the music video. The flaw of the music video has to be the mistry filter, while dull the viewing experience.

While Jongup had this more carefree and easygoing vibe in the performance, I don’t think it is his most impressive performance to date. That probably will be attributed to one of the B.A.P stages from the past. With a song like this, there is a lot of smiles and energy infused into the performance, which made it very appealing to watch.

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

[Review] Mayday – VICTON

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For those who missed their comeback earlier in the year, the male group released the title track, Howling and the mini-album, Continuous, back in March. That comeback marked the return of Han Seung Woo, who returned from short-lived X1. He, along with the rest of the VICTON gang, makes their return today with Mayday, which is the title track off their second single album of the same name. This comeback, in particular, also sees the return of Byungchan who had to sit out of the Howling promotions due to an injury.

The opening sequence of the song is extremely aesthetic and this basically sets the song up for success. There is something with the minimalist vibes the bass thumping and bouncy synth in the background that feels so clever. And when the Seungsik and Sejun comes through with their higher pitched vocals, it just really drew me in. Seungwoo follows through with a rap sequence and this is followed by a really interesting chorus. Melody wise, it was fairly strong. There is an subtle intense feel to it, which made it even more appealing. The instrumental was really bold despite not having too much going on (relative to the verse that I described), stepping it up to the opener and verse. Their vocals had this filtered effect over it, like the slight static you get with voices coming through speakers of a radio. I believe this is intentional, with the members singing about conflicting feelings of a relationship. On one hand, the members want out of the relationship as it is dangerous. But on the other hand, they want more it. But the most interesting member in the entire song has to be Hanse. His rapping is very impactful and memorable. There is a rap-speaking form to his delivery, which feels sleek and dangerously alluring. The roughness in his voice is very textural. The more I listen to the song to the review, the more I am pulled into the song thanks to Hanse. The instrumental for the bridge stills for a bit and this helps deliver an impactful final chorus ending to the song. Overall, Mayday is another great song to add to the list of current amazing releases that I will probably cannot get enough of.

The video opens up with Seungwoo falling from the sky. As he gets up, we see very dramatic flashes of the members and a mysterious female figure (whom we will assume is the ‘dangerous’ factor in the relationship for his video). We see the members walking from a phone box and holding torches in the forest. It seems like these scenes depict the members wanting to leave the relationship. But we see Hanse walking towards the female figure in a crazed manner and a whole choreography scene opposite an arrow wielding female figure, which are signs of being drawn to her and the danger she presents. We later see one of the members in a car accident, which probably tells us the extent of the danger. It is a very well thought out video and I really liked how they slide in the story line (provided I interpreted right). One other thing I noticed from the video is that the circular concrete that they film is has been seen in multiple videos throughout the last few years. But I am always surprised to see how different it looks in each video, such as the flag waving and helicopter searchlights details in those associated choreography scenes.

What I have yet to mention is that I notice the song’s chorus feels quite slow and almost dragged out. Their performance does a really good job moulding itself around this set up and this results in a very epic and visually powerful performance. The verses had some really cool moments which I wonder whether they will incorporate into the live stages. The one that I am most interested in is when they use torches. That will make the performance looks really dynamic.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] More & More – TWICE

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TWICE has the honour of kicking June 2020 off with their new release, MORE & MORE, which is the name for both their new title track and mini-album. We last saw the group in Korea for their Feel Special comeback in October last year. Since then, the group has been busy with the Japanese leg of their world tour (thought his was later affected by the current worldwide health pandemic) and have released a documentary series on YouTube, titled Twice: Seize the Light. This comeback also features the return of Mina, who returned to group performances earlier in the year, after being on hiatus to focus on her mental health.

MORE & MORE starts off a sleek dance track, featuring smooth vocals from the members. As the verse progresses, we get more of a beat becoming infused into the song, allowing members who don’t have as smooth vocals to get their moment to shine. The song that progresses to its catchiest hook, in my opinion. The pre-chorus features the ‘…more more more and more‘ repetition hook, which I find to be very strong and melodic. We glide through this section in a manner that bridges the verse and chorus together is a very pleasant manner. Then, we are hit with the tropical house-based chorus. Yes, the overused genre is making its comeback. But as 2020 isn’t overly saturated into the genre just yet, the robust chorus for MORE & MORE comes off as refreshing and robust. I also like their one liners during the chorus. I am, however, not impressed with the main hook of the song, the shouty ‘More & More‘. I wished they incorporated a more melodic approach with his hook as this would have made the song a lot stronger. Instead, it feels rather half done in my opinion. The second verse and chorus is essentially the same as the first routine. The bridge is the most cliche but dynamic part of the song, as they enter a trap-based breakdown and the rapping section of the song. Not bad for the song, but I felt the rapping to very mild. I would have liked them to adopt something that would have continued to change the song, before returning to the final chorus. Overall, it isn’t the perfect track according to my ears. And while I am unsure about their step into this trendy direction, I quite liked the song from the get-go.

I might be reading into the music video incorrectly, but I think they adopted a Garden of Eden type of concept, based on the featuring of snakes and apples (i.e. the Forbidden Fruit) in the video. It is interesting concept and it compliments the lyrics of the song in a way, as the members singing about wanting ‘MORE & MORE‘ from their relationship. I really liked the sets for this video. It is very colourful but also very mystic in a way. This can be greatly attributed to the post production editing and the use of green screen. I like their use of green screen in this video and it is JYP Entertainment’s best use of that technology. The parts of the video that corresponds to first pre-chorus and the rap sequence of the song had were fantastic and hypnotic use of the green screen, adding a dynamism to the video. The only thing I dislike with the video is the Bohemian look that opted for. While it is reflects well with the ‘nature’ side of the concept and that many people enjoy the style, I have never been a fan of it. But that is just my personal taste.

I liked what they did with the performance. There were strong moments, but I do note that they seem to have ditched the addictive and viral dance moves. And I think this is a smart move overall. Strong moments include the trap based dance break and the entire pre-chorus routine. I actually also really like final part of the chorus, when the few deep beats come into play.

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

[Review] Who Dis? – SECRET NUMBER

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It is another late review. This time it is for a brand new group. SECRET NUMBER debuted last week on the 19th of May with Who Dis?. The group is made up of five members (Jinny, Denise, Soodam, Dita and Léa) and are under VINE Entertainment. You may recognise Jinny, as she previously participated in Produce 48 as an independent trainee and placed 69th. Interesting fact, the group was originally meant to debut back in March. But due to the ongoing health pandemic, they pushed their debut to May.

The first thing anyone would note was that Who Dis? is quite brass-heavy. And this is no doubt appealing to many listeners including myself. The group, despite only being newly debuted, has already garnered a lot of attention as their debut music video has already passed 8 million views. Obviously, SECRET NUMBER is doing something right in either the visual or audio department. And I like to think that this is due to the song. The brass sample that starts off the song is a piece that we have heard before. The instrumental features some brass as wow that peeks through the rest of the of thumping instrumental. When we get to the chorus, it felt like we were gonna be thrown into a loop of that same brass sample that kicked of the song. But that would have been boring. The chorus ended being a lot more interesting, amping up the thumping and bringing in a different brass piece to the chorus. The second verse is essentially the same, with Jinny rapping at the start instead. Jinny returns as a rapper for the bridge, just after a little intense break from the brass dominance. She returns once more as a rapper at the end, layered on top of the familiar brass sample I mentioned that kicked things off. You may notice that I am emphasising the rapping a lot. Well, that is because it the stronger element of the song, compared to the vocals. The group can sing. But they needed to follow through with vocal chops filled with some attitude or power to extend the chorus and make it more dynamic. Everything in the vocal department felt too typical and this drained some of the energy from Who Dis?. For a debut single, they knew what they were doing. They just need to refine their skills and I am sure they will be getting a lot more attention in the future.

As mentioned previously, the group has already garnered 8 million views. And while the music video can be cut down the seam to be audio and visual, this section of the review obviously focuses on the visual department. The music video actually looks really good. It does take on the closeup and choreography combination, but I honestly don’t mind it in this video as the closeups look quite captivating and fun. As for the concept, I don’t think it fits into the usual categories of aegyo or girl-crush. Neither is it a mixture, which I am glad. To be honest, it feels a little generic, but I am fine with that as that would be the preferred option over a combination of girl crush and aegyo in my books.

The performance looks a bit generic, like the music video. And at times, it felt relatively weak to other moves (i.e. the short strutting vs. the moves that followed right after, with the strutting being the stronger dance move). It ticks a few boxes. It has that already mentioned strutting to tick the attitude box. There seems to be some visual intensity as we see in the rap sections of the song and the short instrumental break. Overall, a good performance.

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

[Review] Wing – Park Ji Hoon

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I had somehow missed Park Ji Hoon’s comeback song, Wing, which was released earlier in the week on Monday. I knew he would be coming back sometime this week, but I was under the impression that his comeback would occur mid-week, rather than at the start. I don’t know how I managed to miss a major comeback like Park Ji Hoon’s, especially on a day full of solo male comebacks! So apologies for this unintended delay. His comeback single is featured on his third mini-album, The W. We last saw Park Ji Hoon at the end of last year through his 360 promotions.

Wing, to me, feels like multiple songs were snipped and conjoined together. From the very first second to the rap sequence that opens the second verse, we have 4 different songs mashed into one. And I would have been fine with that, provided that the song progresses along seamlessly. Unfortunately, the transition between the two halves of the verses does not have this quality and I am quite disappointed with it. It felt sudden and unexpected. But other than that transition, the rest of the song was quite fine. Park Ji Hoon showed off his voice throughout this song and this was a strong effort, particularly during the chorus. I did like how he used his signature deep voice for the hook of the song. The ‘Doom Doom Doom‘ was very catchy and addictive. It is probably one of the reasons why I want to continue listening to the song. I still would like to hear more rapping from the soloist, as that is what we know him for from his Wanna One days. It seemed like the song could have included more intense and impactful rap sequences to help bolden the song and give it some additional energy. The chorus had this party anthem-like feel to it, thanks to his shouting-like vocals and melodies that he brings to it. I did want more body to the chorus, to give it that oomph and with a lot more definition. Actually, that can be said across the entire instrumental of Wing. There is this typical feel to it, but I do admit that is comfortably pleasant. Collectively, I don’t think this tops his past two title tracks. But it is a fair effort.

For most of the video, I wasn’t really sure what was going on. Park Ji Hoon seems to be doing quite a fair bit in the video (i.e. driving around in the desert, talking into a microphone, sitting in a cafe). But nothing really made much sense, apart from the end where it looks like he is flying (which is the strongest connection we have, as he sings about his partner giving him wings to fly). I also want to be critical about the set. I don’t know if filming around a time which a ban was put in place (for current circumstances affecting the entire world), but the use of those built sets just cheapens the video and ruins any amazing shots of natural scenery the video had in it. I feel like the video could have been solely filmed in the desert/natural setting and it would have looked cool. The post-production editing for those scenes look quite good as well and they could have used this technique to change up the scenery a bit if they were worried that everythhing would look the same.

I really liked the light tapping to the head for the catchy ‘Doom Doom Doom‘ hook of the song. The song doesn’t give much opportunity for Park Ji Hoon or the dancers to show off any performing chops, if I was to be honest. But I did like the small acrobat-like moves that they pulled off during the performance. They made the stage look more captivating without going over the top.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10

[Review] FANTASIA – MONSTA X

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Also making their comeback today is MONSTA X with FANTASIA. This is a big comeback for the group as it is the first official comeback that does not feature Wonho, who left the group during their Follow promotions back in October 2019 (which is also their most recent comeback). The comeback also features the return of Joohoney, who took the last 3 months off from promotions for health reasons (he has been missing from their recent Japanese releases). FANTASIA was previously scheduled for an early May release, but was rescheduled to today after Shownu suffered an injury prior to their comeback date. Let’s see what MONSTA X offers with FANTASIA.

FANTASIA is no light track. From the very first second, the song hits you with its fierceness and intensity, something that we know MONSTA X for. This manages to somehow one up all their previous releases, in a way that I didn’t think was possible. But MONSTA X knows how to push it each time they comeback. The instrumental features a tribal and anthem-like thumping drum beat. The bass was heavily used, giving the song that epic feel. As for the members, I thought each members managed to shine during their sections. Joohoney’s intense rap sequence kicks things off, before the baton is handed to Kihyun and Shownu in the verse, who both brought their vocal chops to the table. We are then thrown into the chorus, which is lead by Minhyuk and Hyungwon. I was surprised about this as it is usually the main vocalists that dominate this section of the song. But I really like this flip and the texture these two members give the chorus. For a split second, it felt like the producer tones the energy down ever so slightly during the chorus. But the momentum was somehow continued effortlessly. I did also like the layering of vocals in the post-hook section. I.M opens up the second verse with another powerful rap sequence, before we are thrown back to the main vocalists and the rest of the song repeats itself (but not in a repetitive manner). The most powerful section has to be the first half of the bridge, where the thumping seems to be more drawn out and dramatic. The song then ticks the energy down a bit in the second half, so that the entrance to the final chorus is powerful. Overall, no doubt a powerful song that I personally like. Though, MONSTA X should start to consider that this sound is overwhelming for some and I am not sure if they fair well in the next review if they up the intensity to a higher level.

What did I like about this video in a visual sense? Well, the gold pairing with black is definitely something. I really liked it. While the sound is extremely powerful and a little barbaric in a sense, the set really gives off a refined and elegant vibe. In a way, the visual video prevents the song from going into that overwhelming mode. Out of all the members, Joohoney left the biggest impression on me with his chains and cow boy hat. I also wonder how the comeback links up with Follow, as I am reading that the two are connected. This can happen on many levels, but it is usually done through the music video. I just don’t see any visual connection other than the sun or burning planet at the start.

MONSTA X has described this to be their hardest choreography yet. And I believe them. With a song this intense, it only makes sense for their choreography to be amped up. I am in awe that they managed to pull ths off and probably will do it with live vocals, as well. I really like the crab-like movement during the post chorus hook section and bridge. I also liked how Kihyun got solo moments in the choreography during the verses.

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

[Review] End Of Spring – ONEWE

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Since their re-debut last year, ONEWE have been returning with a quarter of their first studio length album. Their debut single, Reminisce About All, was featured on their 1st single album, 1/4. Their next comeback, Regulus, featured on their 2nd single album, 2/4. Earlier this year, ONEWE collaborated with label-mate Hwasa (from Mamamoo) with Q, which was the only track on their 3rd single album, 3/4. And now, the band is now back with their first studio album, appropriately named as One. The lead single from the album is titled End Of Spring and the focus of today’s review.

One thing that ONEWE has definitely established with their released singles is that they are capable of different sounds. And End Of Spring just adds to their variety. This is their most energetic sound yet and I would describe it as an exciting combination between the band sound with a club beat. There is such an even balance of both in this song that makes the song very pleasant. They could have gone heavy handed with the club beat or dominated with a rock sound, effectively snuffing out the other sound. But you can really hear both strongly in End Of Spring. Usually, I would say the guitars would be the highlight of the instrumental, especially when riffs are used. But in End Of Spring, I think the drums are the real winner as that adds to the song’s excitement and definitely gets things rolling along. Their vocal work is fairly good aspect of the song. I feel like they could have gone above and beyond with the vocal component of the song, but what we got was still quite good. The melodies which carry their voices is pleasant. The pre-chorus was probably the strongest part of the song, with Yonghoon’s vocalisation leading right into that energetic chorus. Dong Myeong also sounds nice during the verses and his harmonisation moment with Cya, who managed to insert a rap sequence into the song, which was probably a decent way to channel some energy in this song. Overall, it is a very good song and I would definitely go back for more.

What the music video for End Of Spring does right is that they mimicked the ideal club feel by bring a lot of people in. I have seen music videos for similar songs feature just the members performing and this doesn’t look as fun as it could have been. Here, you can tell that the atmosphere is exciting like the song and feels lively, which is what you definitely want alongside a song like this. I do wonder what the desert scenes are for, as the first half of the video was quite heavy on this. I assume this is connected to the lyrics somehow. Eagle eye fans may have noticed some familiar faces in the crowd. ONEUS (their labelmate and brother group) and AleXa (a soloist from a company that works very closely with RBW, the entertainment company that ONEWE is signed to). Great to see this closeness between members and artists even on screen. I think the video could have stepped up with something a little more exciting that coloured gas. Maybe fireworks that could have given some explosiveness to the atmosphere of the video. But the video does go well with the song and it definitely has me coming back for more (just like the song!).

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Candy – Baekhyun (EXO)

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The second solo artist to be reviewed today is Baekhyun from EXO. He makes his solo comeback with Candy and second mini-album, Delight. Baekhyun made his debut last year with UN Village and City Lights, which all formed one of the most successful solo debuts ever. Baekhyun’s comeback follows Suho’s solo debut last month and Chanyeol’s recent solo collaboration with Raiden, Lee Hi and Changmo. Baekhyun also recently participated in a collaboration (Leo) himself with BOL4, for her solo comeback which also occurred this month.

Baekhyun’s solo debut track highlighted a lot of his vocals. And it is expected that his solo comeback would do the same. Candy does just this, but in a more laid back manner. More on this later though. The song falls under the R&B realm as well, as per his debut song. But this one is a lot more upbeat and straight forward in terms of its instrumental. I really liked how sleek the overall song felt, which can be attributed to a really refined instrumental and his smooth vocals. The thumping bass and the light twinkling pop in the instrumentation was really nice. I do have my issues with the song. I did feel that by going this straightforward and direct R&B route, the song feels a little more typical. I wanted something that ‘one-up’ UN Village, which was unique and characteristic of him. Candy didn’t have momentum, unfortunately. That that is only a minute issue. His vocals do a lot in this song and I thought this vocal chops were well used throughout this song. Those ad-libs during the bridge and ending of the song were on point and effortlessly beautiful. Those deep ‘Candy, Candy, Candy‘ chants give some texture and depth to the song. Furthermore, Candy likens Baekhyun to various sweet food items. While this sounds rather childish in some ways, his vocals really put a mature spin on it, which I really like. Overall, Candy shows off that Baekhyun is highly capable of variety and a more upbeat style (i.e. he isn’t just your typical ballad main vocalist).

To reflect the more upbeat style that we heard in Candy, the music video opts for colour, which makes total sense. After all, this song does not deserve anything dull. It is set in a urban area of the neighbourhood, which has an old arcade and movie theatre, like the ones we see in movies. And this suits the more laid back vibes the song has. Baekhyun looks really good in this video. It might be his hair or his smiles he flashes towards the camera. The music video does seem to approach with the dreaded choreography and closeup formula. But I didn’t it mind as much, as some of the closeups seemed to flow through to the choreography scenes cohesively.

Unlike his solo debut, this comeback features choreography. It isn’t anything complicated, which again matches the laid back and easy going vibes of the song. The instrumental of the song also wasn’t complex, so there isn’t any need for overly complicated moves to wow us. I do note that the moves do all work together to create a cool performance. There was a part of the performance where he dances opposite female dancers. I thought that was a strong moment in the choreography and I would have liked to see a more prolonged sequence of that, as there seemed to be some chemistry between the two sides.

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

[Review] Red Moon – Kim Woo Seok (UP10TION)

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Let’s kick off this week with reviews for two solo releases. The first belongs to the solo debut of Kim Woo Seok, otherwise known as Wooshin when he is apart of the UP10TION lineup. Though, you may be familiar with Kim Woo Seok for his more recent endeavours. Last year, he was one of the two members of UP10TION (the other being Lee Jin Hyuk) to participate in Produce X 101. He placed second overall in the survival show and thus was one of the 11 trainees from the show to make their debut as X1 with Flash. However, due to the voting rigging scandal, the project group disbanded earlier this year. Since then, Kim Woo Seok took a short break and has now returned as a solo artist with Red Moon. Let’s see what he has to offer with Red Moon.

Kim Woo Seok’s debut title track is a sensual styled song, made up of heavy bass and electric guitar. It isn’t a song that I find instantly powerful like many of the current dance tracks. Instead, it slowly builds as Red Moon progresses to become a really bold track. The song knows when to make an impact with its sound, such as the consecutive thumping that appeared between the more classically geared bridge and final chorus. This really helps boost up Red Moon to a whole new level. I say this because while I did enjoy the resulting instrumental, the ‘blank canvas’ or the trap-based layer that was heard underneath those already mentioned instruments above were incredibly dry and boring. Without those thumping beats, heavy bass and electrical guitar, I would have passed over this song and not looked back. If I could have my way in some capacity, I would wanted the song’s instrumental backbone to be a little more exciting as this could have provided the song with a little more electricity and power. But as I said, I did like the effects that were added to give that power and boldness. What I have no criticism for as I believe that Kim Woo Seok nailed from the very start was the vocal works. The song really does captialise on his vocals, bring that sensual nature to life. I really liked the relatively low tone he uses in the song’s verses. I also really liked how his voice amped up to match the increased energy flow from the chorus. All working well together to deliver Red Moon.

The music video looks pretty good. Sure, the music video heavily adopted the close up and choreography formula, which I have grown to dread. And this does bring a dry energy over the video. But I thought the sets designed looked cool. Furthermore, the warm hue in this video really reflected well with the song. The warm colours really made the video shine in a subtle manner and the song pop out of the video. The more vibrant coloured scenes ended up going well with the rest of the video. Kim Woo Seok takes on a homme fatale type of look throughout the video, which I am sure fans would love seeing. I do notice a growing trend of cutting fabric from clothing

The music video was definitely strong sensual vibe. And this is thanks to the performance. I think the main choreography points of the video is when his fingers run down his body and he proceeds to perform hip rolls. There is a lot of body rolling this in performance, which I am sure will excite fans. I particularly like the choreography during final moments of the bridge, leading into the final chorus. That looked powerful.

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

[Review] Yours – Raiden & Chanyeol ft. Lee Hi & Changmo

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Two weeks ago, Raiden and Chanyeol collaborated on a single titled Yours. We got less than a week’s notice and I had not picked up on its earlier, so I was caught off guard with the release of Yours (my excuse for posting a late review). For those who don’t know Raiden, he is a DJ and producer under SM Entertainment. For those who don’t know Chanyeol, he is the main rapper of the widely known KPOP group EXO (who is also under SM Entertainment). Credited as a featuring artist in Yours is Lee Hi and Changmo. Lee Hi is a former YG Entertainment solo artist, who has recently signed with Makeus Entertainment (home of Sunmi), while Changmo is a very popular rapper in Korea. Together, this is a very star studded collaboration, adding another to the month of May.

The different artists participating in this song are all very different in usual content that they release as standalone artists. But Yours converges them all into a light funky R&B track. There is a bit of retro vibe to the instrumental, but it is very subtle. In terms of overall impressions of the song, I found Yours to be very upbeat and fresh. It has a nice Summery vibe, which I think is suitable for this time of the year (for South Korea). In addition to all of that, Yours is also has a pleasant and calming tone. Chanyeol predominately sings. Usually, I find his voice to be very husky. But it sounds quite smooth in this song. Lee Hi’s airy vocals sounds very innocent and sweet, unlike any Lee Hi release I remember from the top of my head. Both singers do a really good job of harmonising together, helping bringing the track together. I really like the vocal layering during the chorus. They both sing and harmonise in the top layer of the chorus, while Chanyeol sings in the background. It may appear to be a little messy, but it actually gives the song additional definition. Somehow, this becomes a clever hook, in addition to the two singers singing the ‘I’ll Be Yours‘ in the chorus. Changmo adds more of that rap roughness and his vocal segments give the song some texture. Adding to the texture of Yours at the very end was the heavily electronised robot-sounding vocals, which felt like a ‘just right’addition. I don’t think Yours is my personal cup of tea, but it a really nice song to kick back to.

I thought the music video was rather artistic. While Chanyeol and Lee Hi shines in the actual music, I feel like the music video does a great job of highlighting Raiden’s presence in this collaboration. The sets and cinematography when we see him perform the various instruments looked really cool. The only artist to feature alongside Raiden in the video is Chanyeol, who takes pictures of the various sets which we see him in. All looked quite good and I am sure there is a deep meaning to each of the images he hang up at the end, which looks like they represent the seasons.

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