I seem to have forgotten to mention yesterday that album reviews will be put on hold until the end of the month. But it time to catch up on the reviews.
Wednesday saw the return of Jeong Sewoon, who has returned with his 5th mini-album, Day. The lead title track of this mini-album is When It Rains. This is the solo artist’s second comeback of the year, following Feeling, which was released back in March of this year.
When It Rains returns Jeong Sewoon into ballad mode, a side of the solo artist that was seen briefly through his 20 Something comeback last year. The difference between that track and this new release is that this falls into the traditional ballad category, which manages to show off a new side of Sewoon. I thought the instrumental complimented Jeong Sewoon’s vocals very nicely. The instrumental was rather typical but it worked really well as a blank canvas. His vocals were really good as well and you can definitely hear the emotions in his voice. The lyrics themselves are already quite loaded with emotion, where he regrets breaking his partner’s heart. But his voice makes it so much sadder, especially that first line where he sings about watching the weather forecast on the TV (a really good opener and ender for the track). Together, the instrumental and vocal combination gets you swaying along to the music, which earns a big tick from me (It has been a while since I felt like this for a ballad). While I do like the more upbeat sounds he debuted with, I think Jeong Sewoon has shown that he is versatile through this comeback and is definitely a solo act that many people should look out for.
The video takes a literal visual approach with the lyrics of the song. We are shown shots of Jeong Sewoon sitting alone in this cafe, which I assume is where he confessed his love for this girl back in the day. They have gotten along quite well. But one day, he never turned up, leaving her to sit alone in the cafe. It seems like there are a few scenes where she is sitting in the cafe throughout the night, signifying that she did wait. The telephone booth, situated awkwardly in the middle of the cafe was probably the turning point of her night, where she realized he wasn’t going to turn up and ends up leaving. He does end up coming back and ends up sitting in the exact same spots as her, which shows his regrets. Rain was also showed in the video, with the mood in the cafe reflecting a rainy day. Overall, I thought the video was well put together for a ballad and I liked how the colours/lighting added meaning to the video.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
Reading in an article a few days ago, it seems like an EXO comeback with the remaining members who are not in the military just yet is coming our way. But as we wait for that, we get an opportunity to listen to Chen as he makes his first solo comeback. He made his solo debut earlier this year with Beautiful Goodbye. Chen is also one of the first solo artists to make a very quick return after the release of their previous track. Usually, the gap is quite wide. But I am not complaining. Let’s listen to what Chen has to offer in Shall We?.
Once again, Chen gives us a ballad as the title track. But Shall We? isn’t the same style of ballad that we got from Chen when he promoted Beautiful Goodbye. Instead, Shall We? seems approach the ballad genre with a retro mindset, which is a very different approach to any ballad on the charts at the moment. So big ticks for uniqueness already. I really like the brass in the instrumental. It is a small detail in the music, but I thought it gave the song a really nice touch. The rest of the instrumental wasn’t as captivating, unfortunately. It was still good but I wanted the song to pick up a little more as it progressed. Chen’s voice is breathtaking, once again. I really like how delicate his voice gets in this song. I know his tone is a lot softer to match the instrumentation, but I feel like the same comments (as per the instrumentation) can be made for his vocals as well. I do prefer hearing him with a bolder approach, which would explain why I feel this way. But nonetheless, a really nice soothing rack to listen to.
I found the music video to be equally soothing, matching extremely well with the music. I really like how they captured Chen in this video. From the lights in the night cityscape to the sunrise, he looked good throughout the video. The rest of the video was showing a couple loving each other, which was appropriate for the song. The combination of the two made the video more interesting if the producers opted for one over the other. And it is always nice to watch a music video that doesn’t end in heartbreak, which is surprisingly rare (from what I can remember).
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
2019 has seen the debut of multiple groups, some more promising than others. ONEUS is one of those that fall into the promising category. Boasting Valkirye and Twilight as kick-starters to their careers, there is a lot of expectations for the group. And it seems Lit (the title track) and Fly With Us (the mini-album title) will continue this momentum. The group has also launched their careers in Japan, debuting with the Japanese version of Twilight.
Lit stands out for one reason. It incorporates Korean folk into the dance track, which isn’t anything new. But it is kind of rare in the industry, given how electronic music is undoubtedly dominating the industry at the moment. I find the song interesting in that sense as it gives the song a different profile to what we have been hearing. The use of the traditional instrumentation (I am not exactly sure of the instruments used) was quite heavy at the start and as the song progressed along, we got more of that electronic influence. Despite that, however, the traditional instruments still managed to maintain its dominance in the instrumental. Minus the traditional sound, I found the rest of the song to be rather plain. Given the song’s direction, the members ended up doing a lot of sing-speaking. And while that probably gets a few people to engage, the constant change between that mode and just usual vocals made the song feel a little disjointed and cut the flow on numerous occasions. I also found the song to be less dynamic than their previous tracks, which was a little disappointing. Overall, it is something different and I applaud the members for doing this.
With the traditional sounds, it seems like the music video had only one option. That is to incorporate some of that traditional style into he music video. Not exactly sure if it was because of this new direction, but the video is a lot more colourful, which is a side of ONEUS I haven’t seen. To see the members be engaging in a non-serious way was a little odd for me, I have to admit. But at the same time, I thought it gave the video a fun tone and made the video appealing. The closeups were nice and the choreography shots looked cool. I wasn’t as impressed with some of their outfits, particularly that white pastel colour set. It didn’t look fitting with the set.
Given this traditional theme (I really should stop using this word in this review), I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the moves in the choreography were of this influence as well. But there was a lot of typical modern moves. The choreography also seemed to also give off a fun vibe. I also liked the moments in which the song got a little more intense, as the members managed to kick the choreography up a notch to match.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
It is time for another album review and today, we will be focusing on Dream Catcher. The group returned last week with Deja Vu, which was the title track of a special mini-album, Raid Of Dream. The release of the mini-album and the title track was paired with the new mobile game, King’s Raid. And based on my review of Deja Vu, the music video seems to be heavily based on the mobile game. Once again, we aren’t here for the game. Rather, we are here for the album, so let’s have a closer look.
3. The Curse of the Spider (거미의 저주) – When I first saw the title of the song, I thought back to the spider that played a part in their initial four-part music video series that they debuted with. And I think the song is rather fitting for that era of Dream Catcher and Dream Catcher as a whole. It has that dance rock vibe that we associate with the girls and the intensity for the song is great. I also liked the rush of energy that the song gives. The vocal work was pretty good. I did like how Dami turned back to rapping but I think she could have gotten a much better punchy sequence, which was noticeably missing from the title track of this album and present all of their title tracks thus far. (8/10)
4. Silent Night – Silent Night is no Christmas carol. Instead, it furthers the group’s venture into EDM in a very abstract and aesthetically pleasing way. The track is in no way silent, as suggested by the title. The closest to ‘silence’ that we get in this track is the chorus, which is lowkey one of the best choruses I have ever heard. It is subtly intense, and it made the song very ear-catching. I find the melody catchy and I can’t stop humming the tune once the song ends. The actual EDM kicks in at the end of the track, acting out as the outro piece for the track. It is interesting to place to add the change-up in the track. But collectively, I think it makes the song very appealing and furthers that ear-catching business that they had going in the track already. I think, apart from the title track, this is one of their best tracks ever. (10/10)
5. Polaris (북극성) – The album ends with a ballad. And it is a pretty good track. Very melodic and has a nice classically driven instrumental. All the members sing in this track and their display of vocals was nice. And while it was a soothing piece of put on if you want to relax (or take a break from Dream Catcher’s intensity), I find the song doesn’t really tie the album together as nicely as one would expect. This might be the case because it was placed after Silent Night (and I am still immersed in the preceding track) or that the ballad just didn’t exactly blow me away. But I feel like there should have been one more song to the album, following this album. (7/10)
It has been over two years since we last heard from AKMU but they have finally made their return. And despite making their comeback only just 4 hours ago, the duo (consisting of Changhyuk and Suhyun) has already topped the charts with How Can I Love The Heartbreak, You’re The One I Love (hereafter Heartbreak). The last release by AKMU that I reviewed was Dinosaur, which is also their last release prior to Changhyuuk’s enlistment in the military. We can now expect more AKMU releases in the future due to his return.
Since my introduction was very focused on the return on Changhyuk, let’s turn our attention to his beautiful sounding sister, Suhyun. Her voice is very airy in Heartbreak and this makes her voice sounds so perfectly captivating, fitting for the emotive ballad (as you can tell from just the title of the song alone). I really like her voice in the moments leading up to the second pre-chorus the most. The instrumental disappears and gives us an opportunity to hear her vocals without any interference from the music. I also liked how she is at the forefront of the song, which is very surprising at the same time as the duo tends to have even line distribution. That being said, Changhyuk does an amazing job as well through his more limited sections in the song. He was there to help give the song harmonies that melt your heart. And those harmonies are perfection. Listening to Heartbreak, I can tell why they always find themselves at the top of the charts.
I have the feeling that my interpretation of the video will be different from some others. The female actress, whom we don’t see her face throughout the video, is facing the looming break up. The lyrics suggest that every single step she takes is a step towards that direction and that she is meant ‘to love it’ (i.e. her journey to heartbreak). Her presence on the boat seems to be in reference to describing her love is like an ocean (i.e. that she has a lot more to give) and she would only run out of love when the oceans dry up. Yet, notice how she is moving forward while on the boat, suggesting that she is still on the journey towards heartbreak. Changhyuk and Suhyun’s presence in the video is all about artistry. Changhyuk is a painter, while Suhyun is a musician. Both run into some trouble thinking about ideas. But both use the female actress as their source of inspiration to finish painting the blue picture that dominates the video and the lyrics to the song. They are steering the ship but it is the actress that leads their way, while on the ship. It is definitely a video that is up to interpretation. And this is my interpretation of the video.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9.6/10
Making their grand return today is TWICE with Feel Special. Since their last comeback (Fancy) earlier this year, the group has been busy with Japanese promotions (Breakthrough and Happy Happy) and have started their world tour. Jihyo was also revealed to be dating Kang Daniel since then as well. However, it hasn’t been all good news with TWICE as Mina has been noticeably absent due to mental health concerns. While she has returned to participate in Feel Special music video filming and recording, she won’t be around for the promotional period for Feel Special.
Feel Special, once again, shows off their mature side. It is a nice following track to Fancy, which was quite similar. Feel Special does go easy on the techno and electronic influences that the preceding track had. In a way, this does make the song less interesting, as it felt a tad straight forward. But on the flip side, I do find this new track to be fancier than the previous track. I also find the hook to be very weak in this track. Usually, TWICE’s hooks are designed to grab your attention within the first few listens. This one just hasn’t kicked in for me yet. What I did like about this track is that the song does let the focus be on the vocals, which makes the song ‘special’. I also really liked the meaning behind the lyrics, which seemed to be thanking someone for making them ‘Feel Special‘ despite all the negativity they face. Surprisingly, I liked their rapping this time. It is a little more serious and intense than usual. But I think the members did a good job overall.
Something I held back from mentioning above is that the song felt very golden. Though, I am not exactly sure if that was the music video influencing my thoughts. The video is very elegant, showcasing that mature feel that the song had. But in a very classy and sophisticated way. I have been mentioning artists visuals lately and there is no doubt that 2019 has been the year of visuals for many groups currently active. Every member had their own scene and setup, each of which did its job of highlighting the visuals of the members. The dresses they wear were also very beautiful.
That mature feel flows onto the performance. I thought it was a nice routine this time around. It doesn’t have that key move that everyone knows each of their releases for. So in a way, the performance does look a little more complicated than usual. I actually quite like that, as it is time to see something a little more technical from the group. And I think the pairing of visuals, song and choreography is that more technical direction.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
Returning today is KARD, who has dropped their latest digital single, Dumb Litty. Picking today as a comeback date is rather intriguing. It is rare to see a mainstream KPOP group to release their comeback track on a Sunday, let alone a weekend release in general. But it is KARD and I am not going to question why a Sunday was picked. Might as well get a day of exposure before the rest of the competition. We last saw KARD through their Bomb Bomb promotions earlier in the year.
It seems like KARD’s songs are getting more intense as they release them. This is their most powerful release to date. It isn’t really surprising though, as it is something I am sure KARD had kept hidden for a while. Dumb Litty is centred around a lot of rapping, bringing BM, J.Seph and Jiwoo’s talents out in a very trendy fashion. Somin’s vocals do a pretty good job at keeping up, as well. I find the song to be very in your face, which is definitely a good quality. I also liked how they didn’t tone any parts back, keeping me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It seems a little cliche to do that nowadays, so I am glad they stayed clear of that. For the instrumental, the song features a very strong exotic vibe and hip-hop sound, with the combination of both giving the song a lot of character (if the rapping and fierceness weren’t enough). The chorus was catchy and I think something of this powerfulness deserves a lot more listens in the coming weeks.
The concept that the members went with this time around is Greek methodology. The choice of Greek mythology gods and goddesses for the members felt very fitting for each member. BM channelled Zeus and Thor, fitting for his position as leader of the group. J.Seph was Ares and Dionysus. Somin was Aphrodite and Chloris, while Jiwoo was Hera and Athena. And it wasn’t just the concept teaser images that featured this theme, as the members portrayed these strong mythological characters in the video. I thought the sets and use of colour in the video were fitting for the group and characters. The choreography shots were amazing. The highlight would be Jiwoo’s stare at the start of the bridge. They did kind of scared me and I think that will haunt me tonight.
Not really a performance thing. But I like how the lines were slightly more distributed this time around. This gives the chance for cameras to focus on the members in a more fair way, which will make any fans happy. As for the choreography, it is definitely a strong performance. The chorus moves were matching with the song, in the sense that it felt like it was coming at you the entire time. They also look very charismatic, which is hard to pull off when you have moves like this and lines to deliver like so.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
SEVENTEEN returned on Monday during the week with Fear. Channelling their more mature, dark and fierce sides, Fear follows the like of HIT (which is included in this album) and Getting Closer (released at the end of last year). The group is about to embark on their first world tour and the only fitting way to do that is by releasing their third studio album, which is why we are here today. SEVENTEEN’s albums have been a hit for me, so let’s see how this one will play out.
2. Lie Again (거짓말을 해) – Between the two amazing lead tracks of the album is Lie Again. It is a surprising addition, as it is very soft and delicate, quite the opposite to both HIT and Fear in any way. The focus on the vocals is amazing and I really enjoyed how the rappers were tweaked to fit this soft song. I thought the electronic instrumental was stunning, going with a similar aesthetic to what Home had (their title track at the start of the year). It was also very dynamic in its own way and paired well with the vocals and rapping we got in this song, it is a gem waiting to be discovered by listeners and their fans. My favourite part is the chorus, with the ‘drop’ a subtle explosion of energy. (10/10)
4. Let Me Hear You Say – The album continues with another fantastic song. Let Me Hear You Say starts off like any other song. But as the song progresses, you start to hear the song develop. The chorus is completely unexpected, going with a chanting style rather than vocals which dominate the verses. I find the chorus to be like the chorus in Lie Again. There is an explosion of appeal during the chorus of this song that makes it so appealing. The chanting style was very catchy as well, which made it hard to turn away. Energy is still present in this song, but I am kind of glad it wasn’t as intense as Fear, as it would have been an overload. Let Me Hear You Say is kind of the relief that I didn’t know I needed. (9/10)
5. 247 (Performance Unit) – Now we are getting to the other important stuff. The units make their reappearance in this album through a series of tracks. The first one up is 247, sung by the main dancers of the group. It is interesting because I had expected to hear something a lot more upbeat and intense, like Highlight and Lilili Yabbay (their previous unit tracks). I didn’t expect an R&B track from them which really let their vocals shine. They all sounded amazing. But this isn’t a departure from what they do best, as 247 has a dance routine, which has a routine that is equally as beautiful. Like their routine, I find the song to be smooth, elegant and very well-polished. (9/10)
6. Second Life (Vocal Unit) – The next unit up is the vocal unit, which consists of the main and lead vocalists of the group. While I remember them for ballads, it seems like the units are changing expectations by going with different styles. There is more life in this track, in comparison to their heartfelt ballads. I attribute that to their instrumental, which I thought was very cool. It was simple but intense at the same time. It does allow for their soothing vocals to come through, so I can draw some parallels between Second Life and their past ballad unit tracks. I also find the song to be very relaxing. It is something I wouldn’t mind putting on the background and work along with it. Woozi’s randomly higher note does catch you off guard but the song (and the unit) does a good job of recomposing you and getting the track back on track. (9.5/10)
7. Network Love – We take a little breather from the units by introducing a different unit track. Network Love is sung by Joshua, Jun, The8 and Vernon. I don’t think this is an official unit from the group and is a one-off track with the four members. I find that Joshua, Jun and The8 don’t get to shine as often in the title or group tracks. So, Network Love changes that by putting all three members (and Vernon) in the spotlight. Listening to the track, I feel like this is something the Performance unit would perform to but it would have been a good sound for the vocal unit to try something a little different. Their vocals sound nice and the instrumental was bubbly and vibrant in its own way. Vernon’s rapping felt perfect for the tone of the song, not going overboard or holding back too much. The melody during the chorus was also memorable as well. (8/10)
8. Back It Up (Hip-Hop Unit) – It seems like the Hip-Hop unit didn’t get the ‘change it up’ memo that the other units got. But I don’t mind (though I would have loved to hear them try rapping to a ballad or something different to match the other units). Back It Up is intense and very powerful, something completely up the unit’s alleyway. I find each member of the unit brings a very different style to the song, which I think makes this track so much more appealing. It also doesn’t help that each member is filtered differently with the autotune, further proving my point. I really like two parts of the song. Vernon’s very soft ‘Siren’, which was whispered but due to the autotune, it came off as rough. The second has to be the drop in the second half of the chorus, which gave the song an extra infusion of energy that I didn’t know it needed (but I am glad they brought it anyway). (8/10)
9. Lucky – The whole group returns with Lucky, which is another upbeat dance track. It falls into the pop category but there was a bit of funkiness to the instrumental, which made the track enjoyable. It has a classy vibe to it and this vibe becomes more prevalent as you listen to it. I also liked the fast tempo in the verses and then the slowdown, which Jeonghan and Jun ask us to take during their respective parts. It was kind of fun to have them connect to us in this track this way. While the song is great, there was the constant thought that it did feel really neutral and knowing Seventeen, they could have upped something in the song to make it even better. (7.5/10)
10. Snap Shoot – Snap Shoot comes off as a fun song. It isn’t something to deny. I really like the subtle retro style we got from the track, reminding of The Jackson 5’s ABC. The instrumental also sounded like those really happy gospel-like songs we get in movies and musicals. The vocals were nice and I liked the incorporation of the hip-hop segments for the rapping. I think the song could have been more unique if the members started to sing speak to us and engage us in that manner, which would have been fun and something that feels completely like Seventeen would do. But nonetheless, the energy is infectious, and the song is catchy. This track would definitely be awesome to hear in a live performance as well. (8/10)
The last few weeks I haven’t been able to focus on the Japanese reviews due to being a bit busy. But I have finally set aside some time to start attacking the pile that is growing. I am going to start on the more recent side of the spectrum, focusing on the Dream Catcher’s music video release last week. The new single is titled Breaking Out and it is the lead title track on their first-ever Japanese studio album, The Beginning Of The End. The album also features the Japanese version of all their Korean title tracks. The group also just made their Korean comeback with Deja Vu.
When I first heard the first verse, I thought it would be such a waste of an opportunity for the group not to venture into that rock sound that they have maintained in all of their Korean title tracks. Especially since I (and a lot of other people) have described it to be fitting for the Japanese music scene. But I thought too soon, as the chorus is essentially exactly what I wanted. And while the chorus does pack a punch thanks for its rock sound, I found the verses to be very forgettable. It felt boring in comparison to the chorus and I was obviously longing for that rush of energy and intensity. I thought their singing was good but Dami’s rapping didn’t feel like it fitted in well with the rest of the track. I feel like they could have polished Dami’s section in, as it is sticking out a little too much for my liking. Overall, Breaking Out was okay. I just don’t feel like it is up to par with their Korean releases, which is a little odd given my past comments regarding their ability to fit into the Japanese music scene.
I thought the video was nice. I liked the white set and the red strings were felt bold as a result. I think the dull atmosphere was rather fitting, as it gave the girls an edgier look. I know, it isn’t something that I would say when it comes to something dull. But I thought it worked fine in this video. There is a lot of symbolism, but I think I will leave it up to the fans to decipher this video. Overall, I liked it and wouldn’t mind watching it again.
I thought the performance looked quite cool as well. It doesn’t feel as intense as their Korean performances, but I think that can be blamed more on the actual song. After all, the dance can only be created with the song in mind. There seemed to be some elegance present during the slower sections of the song and then a little more fierceness when it came to the chorus.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
SATURDAY is back with a brand new single, BByong. We last saw the group through their WiFi promotions earlier in the year. With the BByong comeback, the group has also seen another lineup change. Chohee, Sion and Sunha announced their departure between comebacks, leaving SATURDAY to reform into a five-member girl group. Let’s hope all is well behind the scenes and that the remaining five members will stay together for future comebacks!
The track opens up with brass that is pretty much in your face and dominant. And I actually quite liked that. It made the track colourful and really reeled me in within the first few seconds. The track also had a subtle fun vibe to it, which I think follows on nicely from WiFi. The vocals were pretty nice and I liked how they dedicated the pre-chorus to really zone into this element. The verses contained a fair amount of rapping, which I thought was intriguing. The chorus was split between rapping and vocals. It too felt interesting and the more I listen to the chorus, the more I am enjoying it. While the song still feels like it has a Momoland influence, due to the use of brass and oddly fitting rap breakdown, I find this track to also have an ITZY influence. Certain parts (such as the melody and the start of the chorus) remind me of ICY. Overall, I thought BByong was another decent track from the group. And given the colour and vibrancy that we get from the track, I think this one will grow on me in the future.
The music video is okay. It goes towards that cutesy side of the group that we saw in their previous videos, so it isn’t anything new. It was colourful and the quality felt like the music, crisp and vibrant. The girls were doing a lot of things in the video, such as soap making, travelling to the future, ice cream eating etc. So, in a way, the video is loaded with content. Just not much to really comment on otherwise.
I just found a live performance for this comeback, so now I can write this section. Just my comments aren’t that postive. It isn’t memorable overall. I did like how the centre member spins during that opening line of the chorus. But the rest of the performance felt dull and boring for the song.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 5/10 Overall Rating – 7.1/10
CO-ED groups, for some odd reason, just do not flourish in the KPOP industry. There are only a few co-ed groups active at the moment and I have seen many come and go in the past. To me, it is unexplored territory, given the rareness of the groups. And joining the small niche is K-Tigers Zero. Yesterday, the 12 member group (7 males and 5 females) made their debut with Now and Side Kick. The group is from the taekwondo demonstration group, K-Tigers, who has been previously known for their taekwondo infused dance videos and covers.
We shall start off with Now, which I think can be best described as a chilled song. The song doesn’t pack a punch, which contrasts with their more intense sounding Side Kick (see below). The song allows for the vocals and rapping to be focused upon. The instrumental just doesn’t really let the member hide behind, which is something I have seen KPOP songs do quite often. I thought it was a nice track. The vocals and rapping were okay. Not the best in the industry but they just started out, so there is always room to grow. I find the melody to very appealing and I liked that it is chilled and not to heavy. I really like the end, when all the members are singing together.
Moving to Side Kick, the track is the complete opposite to Now. Right of the bat, it is a lot heavier, utilising EDM in its instrumental. This pack definitely packs a punch. The song also zones in more of the rapping, which I think was pretty decent. Once again, I don’t think they will be getting the award for year’s best rapping. But there is potential behind this group. The vocals don’t kick in until the song’s bridge and I thought they were decent as well. It might have been a little too late, in my opinion. But it was a nice way to cut through the intensity that the instrumental was throwing at us. Overall, two good debut songs.
The music videos are the weakest part of their debut package. Now wasn’t that appealing visually. It is all shot outside and I thought they did well with what they had. The camera work was lacking and the members cannot lipsync to save their life. Their outfits were rather odd as well, as it looked like the theme was white and they could wear whatever they wanted, as long it was white. Side Kick was probably the better of the two. I think there was a storyline of one of the guys getting kidnapped and fights scenes were present make it look like they were looking for him. I wished they developed this storyline. Furthermore, I wished they played with the edginess factor a bit more.
There is no doubt that the performance is the winning element of their debut package. I also like it how they didn’t go completely mainstream, keeping their taekwondo roots in it. It was cleverly incorporated and it looked quite cool. Side Kick was probably the more superior routine as the EDM intensity allowed for more intense moves and overall look to the members.
Now Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 5/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 6.7/10
Side Kick Song – 8/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.4/10
The number of reviews over the last few weeks have been quite low. I am just so overwhelmed with my work at the moment. But it is always nice to have a break and I thought, why not write one review instead. And that is exactly what I am doing now. Laboum made their comeback earlier today with Firework. It is also the lead title from their very first studio length album. This is their first release since Turn It On, which was released back in December 2018.
Since Yulhee left the group back at the end of 2017, Laboum has gone straight into a mature sound. And while I have liked this change in direction, it seems like it hasn’t really caught on with other listeners. Firework follows the same style and I am not sure exactly how others would receive the song. I personally find the song to have a lot more colour in its sound than their other mature singles. I think that is thanks to their vocals, the rap-like sprinklings and the guitar that dominates the instrumental. Their vocal techniques and the melody was very interesting and very attention-grabbing at certain times. I find the chorus to be very dynamic despite the style they went for. I liked how they upped the volume of their vocals and changed the tempo in the chorus, which both resulted in a lot of boldness and a strong contrast with their more softer verses. I just wanted something a little more explosive, especially with the instrumental, given that the song is titled as Firework. But overall, it was a pretty good song.
With the sound change, their image and concepts have also taken a turn from cutesy to mature. And I think they manage to take it a whole new level with this comeback. It feels a lot stronger in that department. I just feel the video could have been a little more captivating. The video follows the choreography and closeup formula, which can be okay in some circumstances. But I feel like the formula this time comes off bland and boring. I did like their use of lights throughout the video to add detail to the sets or fill up space. But it just didn’t really help out much as a whole.
I think the choreography was nice. Once again, there seems to be a lot of energy in their performance (for the chorus) that was unlike their past mature tracks. I also like the elegance they had during the slower sections of the song. I also think their live performance from today was very strong. From their outfits to the stability of their vocals, it definitely raises expectations for tomorrow and the future performance.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 6/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.4/10
Dream Catcher has returned with a special mini-album, Raid Of Dream and its lead title track, Deja Vu. This isn’t your normal KPOP release, as the group’s comeback this time is paired with the debut of the mobile game (something that I have no idea about), King’s Raid. Not sure if it is an English game though or if it is just in Korean. But that is not the main focus of the review. We are here to listen closely to Deja Vu. We also last saw Dream Catcher through their Piri promotions earlier this year.
I think the song is amazing. Barely a few seconds in and I am already in awe of the sounds that were coming out of my speakers. Deja Vu starts off very elegant and very OST-like. Siyeon, the member that opens the song, sounds amazing. Paired with the soft and melodic piano backing, we are given an entrance that is going to be highly memorable. I like the blast of energy that the song gives you during the chorus. It changes the sound up by going toward Dream Catcher’s rock style that we know of. It is intense and it throws a little chaos into the elegant sound that the verses and bridge opt for. Especially, that final chorus. What I like the most is that we are allowed to hear more of their vocals in this track. Even Dami opted for singing, rather than rapping. There was one set of lines that really shot right out at me while listening to the song that I also wanted to randomly touch upon. The ‘So now, I’m holding this pain‘ line is so strong. As a whole, another amazing song from the group.
Matching the song is the video. There is another complicated storyline, which I assume borrows inspiration from the game that they are promoting alongside the song. There were two key endings of the song, each of which showed one side to be victorious in the game. I liked that. Other parts seem to be a bit confusing, such as the ‘funeral’ scene. But as far I can tell, it seems to be the exact same scenario. The members swap positions. Besides the storyline, the video is so beautiful and well shot. The quality is something that really took the video to a whole new level, highlighting the beauty of the sets and the members. This is one to watch.
I think the extra fabric on their arms made the performance fit that elegance that the song and video had going. The moves, overall, looked good. I did like how they ended in a similar fashion to how they started, which was quite cool.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9.3/10
SEVENTEEN is back and you all will probably know this is the comeback I am most excited for. We were all teased with their upcoming mature and dark sound through their pre-release single, HIT, which was released at the start of August. Today, the group released their official title track, titled Fear, which is the first to extend this dark and mature concept into the main promotional track. Furthermore, the title track is featured on the group’s 3rd full-length album, An Ode. The group will also embark into their first world tour later this year.
I am not exactly sure where to start with the song. I am overwhelmed with so many emotions because of this comeback. It took me a number of listens since its release to really get into the groove of the song. I found it slightly underwhelming, in comparison to their more impactful tracks like Getting Closer and HIT. Fear seems to take what those tracks started and gave it a melodic twist. And it is was this melody that allowed the song to focus more on the vocals throughout. The rapping was there but it didn’t feel like a main element to the song. On the topic of rapping and vocals, I thought these elements were quite cool. I liked how loaded and rough the instrumental felt, which definitely gives off a lot of texture. Jeonghan and Joshua had the best parts of the track, with their whispering sections adding a whole new level of suspense to the song. But I wanted more impact, as I mentioned, with that underwhelming feeling still hanging around.
Order up on an artistic video. The teasers gave us a little snippet into it and I totally saw this coming. I am not exactly sure what the video is trying to tell us (I will leave that to all the dedicated Carats out there), but there is a story within this video. The Jeonghan and Joshua scenes were very cool and I am glad they got the spotlight they deserved. In addition to that, the members look awesome. The aesthetics give them a whole new look that was quite unimaginable before. Masculine and attractive are just some of the words I would use to describe the members in this video. Might even throw in mysterious, given the way the ‘story’ is presented to us. I also liked how they expanded and constricted the frame of the video as it went on. It was something a little different. I also liked how they changed the orientation of the video for some scenes.
The performance is intense in a very subtle manner. It doesn’t feel like the choreography this time relies on any bold moves as SEVENTEEN always use. Instead, the moves we would usually consider bold was quite tame and subtle. But everything together makes it into an intense. I really like how they show the ‘poison’ (alternative English title for this track) by using their hands at the start, chorus and end of the performance.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
Another comeback this week is from BOL4, who made their return with two music videos from their latest mini-album, TWO FIVE. Both Workaholic and 25 serves as the title tracks for this release. And these are two tracks I am excited to review (as I have a lot to positive things to say about the two tracks already!) We last saw the duo earlier this year through their Bom and Stars On Me double-track promotions (for those who may have missed these ladies).
Let’s start off with Workaholic. This is probably their most mature sound yet, which caught me by surprise (given how the duo’s songs are usually incorporate happy thoughts and bright elements). Despite that initial surprise, I actually find this to be a really cool song. It is all about wanting to live a different life but unable to due to the demands of one’s current life. Something that I am sure we would relate to in some degree. Jiyoung’s voice sounds really nice in the track. But I really liked how the autotune gave the song a needed boost in the edgy department. I also like the use of guitars in the song. I can hear how Jiyoon will be incorporated into the song, but I also like the use of electric guitars to kick the song up a notch towards the end. Overall, I like the new direction that the duo opted for in this song.
25 is a little different from Workaholic. It is actually the sound that I had expected from the duo. There is a subtle bright and upbeat atmosphere to it, which is why the track sounds like it aligns to the duo’s discography more than Workaholic did. While I don’t usually like songs that keep a consistent instrumental, 25 has the opposite effect on me (despite falling into that category) to an extent. The instrumental didn’t buildup at all, which allowed me to focus purely on Jiyoung’s vocals and harmonies throughout the song (which is the standard huskiness). I did like the melody and I did think the chorus was catchy. But the chorus felt masked by the rest of the song and blended in a little too much for my liking. The song talks about the quarter-life crisis that people have at the age of 25, which I am nearing very soon.
I like how the storyline of the video reflects the lyrics in Workaholic. Essentially, we see Jiyoung playing the character who wants a better life but is stuck in her job. She drinks as a way out and this causes her problems at work. And the whole thing just repeats itself. In the end, she decides that she has had enough. Changing her outfit and causing a mess at the workplace, she is joined by the comedic relief of the video (fellow member Jiyoon) to end the video standing in the midst of a lot of pyrotechnics. I really liked how they made Jiyoung look so much mature in the video and the greyness was very fitting to make things look draining.
As for 25, the video is a lot more colourful. I think this plays in well with the song’s meaning though. The colourfulness seems to reflect the years before 25, while the emotions they are conveying throughout the video shows that quarter-life crisis. Though, I think the message that the video is showing is that everything is okay, especially if you have a friend to hang out with during this time. Jiyoung’s and Jiyoon’s friendship is quite cute in the video.
Workaholic Song – 9/10 Music Video 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
25 Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
Apologies for my week-long absence from the site. I have been busy all week and by the time I got home, I would already be too tired to function. So I will be dedicating time this weekend to catch up on reviews. FT Island was the first of a few comebacks this week, returning with their last mini-album before the impending enlistment of the members. Quit is the band’s title track and it is also the first release from the band since Summer’s Night Dream, in 2017. This is also the band’s first comeback since the departure of Choi Jang Hoon due to the chatroom scandal earlier this year.
One of the most satisfying things in KPOP is when an artist or group returns to a sound that the group had successfully pulled off in the past. For FT Island, this could be a range of sounds given their many different concepts and genres that they have attempted. Quit reminds me of Severely, a rock ballad that the group nailed in 2012. And given that thought, there are high expectations surrounding the song. Were those expectations achieved? I think so. Hongki’s vocals (as per usual) were at the forefront of the song, with a really interesting melody that allowed the incorporation of new sounds into the instrumental. His voice is so loaded with emotion that it makes the song so much more impactful, which is the case of his solo ballad releases. The repetition of the title ‘Quit’ (Gwandwo) is evidence of this. The song started off like how a classical ballad would, with some piano and strings. Then they bring a rock influence into the song through the chorus and maintain this throughout. The pre-chorus was probably my favourite bits in the song, as I thought it was a nice and fast transition between the two genres.
The video is very confusing as it plays with time. And I am not exactly sure if my interpretation is right. The video starts off in October, which I think is when the female character walks out of her relationship. In October, we see her place the clock down on the ground, turning it back to September. It seems that even though she is leaving, she still remembers her time with the male character (and hence this might explain their date at the end of the video). Throughout the video, we see the past few months. March is probably the most significant, as this is when he gives her the clock, which my guess is the ‘beginning of the end’. The way she accepts it gives me that type of vibe. Furthermore, in Chinese culture, you don’t give a clock or watch as a present as it signifies that time is up to the person who receives the present. This might play a part in this video. The rest of the video shows her acting lovey-dovey with the male character but is very alone when she is alone (e.g. she moves from two cups on the table to just one as the video progresses). As I said, the video is confusing and I may be wrong. But that is the storyline that I managed to determine from the video, given the lyrics of the song.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 9.2/10
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