AB6IX – KPOPREVIEWED

[Review] GRAB ME – AB6IX

March 3, 2024Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged AB6IXLeave a comment

We go back in time again to a few weeks back in January 2024 to cover AB6IX’s latest comeback GRAB ME. it is the title track off their 8th mini-album, The Future Is Ours: Found. This is the group’s first comeback since May 2023 when the group returned with The Future Is Ours: Lost and the lead single LOSER.

For me, GRAB ME delivers in terms of oomph and intensity, delivering a purely dynamic dance track that really shoots the group back up to the front of the line. There is honestly never a dull moment in this track, with it firmly in the pop realm and the addition of guitar riffs adding a rock tinge to the song. That in itself is enough to GRAB ME (excuse the pun). The relatively softer opening verse promises great things in GRAB ME (which AB6IX delivers throughout the rest of the track). The pre-choruses strips it all back to relatively minimal style to give the incline to the chorus (and subsequent centrepiece) more impact. The bridge brings in a more hollow style of guitar riffs into play, which was a neat way to change the music without altering too much of GRAB ME to make way for it. Like most people, the change in tone during PARK WOOJIN-led post-choruses’ caught me off guard initially. But over multiple listens, I have grown to like the sequence and finds it adds a really nice contrasting energy that surprisingly doesn’t disrupt the momentum of the song. In terms of the members, the quartet did a very solid job and made sure their presence was known in GRAB ME by ensuring their vocal and rap delivery complemented the dynamic style of the song. Overall, GRAB ME is a great song and one I wished really got the group some deserving recognition.

GRAB ME expresses the group’s experience of moving forward even during the dark and unhappy moments in their journey together. Here are my guesses on what the different scenes represents. We see WOONG jump off a building onto PARK WOOJIN’s car (representing those darker moments) and DONGHYUN being surrounded by glitchy teddy bears and TVs (which my guess is a representation of the pressures of social media). But as the song lyrics go, they cannot imagine living a life without each other, and so we see WOOJIN joining WOONG in smashing the car with a bat, while WOONG joins DONGHYUN to smash the glitchy TV screens. The only member whom we don’t really see interact with the rest of the group is DAEHWI, who is tangled in caution tape and has fragile stickers on him. My guess is that his scenes represents that the lyrics aren’t just about AB6IX’s experience, but also how the message can be applied to the wider audience. That being said, we do see DONGHYUN searching for DAEHWI in one very brief scene later on. The only scene I am not sure about is WOOJIN’s scene where he is surrounded by water bottles. My initial guess are those bottles represents tears and sadness (?). By the end of the video, the group regroups together in the darkness and rain (unhappy moments) and enjoy each other’s company in that moment. The video also draws some elements from their LOSER video, such as the flowers and the burning car (which the members come together to burn in this video).

Boy, this routine looks tough and quite tiring, particularly when the members get to the chorus. This is undoubtedly GRAB ME‘s most upbeat sequence and I would think this is their most involved routine to date (which says a lot, given AB6IX’s repertoire of complex and powerful choreography). As such, the members and dancers’ efforts and determination shine in the execution of this choreography and should definitely be applauded. I particularly like the post-chorus sequence, which felt bold and complements well with the music.

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

[Album Review] The Future Is Ours: LOST (7th Mini Album) – AB6IX

September 25, 2023September 25, 2023Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged AB6IX1 Comment

Kicking off the blog this week is the album review for AB6IX’s 7th mini-album, The Future Is Ours: LOST. For me, AB6IX’s latest comeback has been lost and forgotten, so I thought an album review would be a great way to re-spark some interest in the comeback. I find some of their side tracks are absolute highlights on my playlists and I can always rely on AB6IX to have one or two amazing side tracks on each of their album releases. Headlined by the single LOSER, The Future Is Ours: LOST features four additional side tracks. There is one particular side track that I really enjoyed and gave a 10/10 for. Find out which side track that is and the rest of my thoughts on the album down below.

1. BLAZE – To me, the chorus of BLAZE was extremely blissful. It is odd to describe a dance track like that, but I was captivated with the pop melodies the members brought to life, Woojin’s lines and echoing shout and the forward momentum of the EDM instrumentation during this part. Elsewhere, BLAZE was delivered very cleanly in all aspects of the song. While the trap instrumentation was a bit generic, it did a great job of helping making the chorus more impactful. A very promising start to the mini-album. (10/10)

2. LOSER (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for LOSER. (7/10)

3. REALITY – REALITY highlights AB6IX’s vocals so well. The harmonies throughout REALITY are so good, the use of low notes in the chorus serves as an extra piece of appeal in the chorus and the multiple falsettos in the bridge was amazing (and is also the part that I constantly return to in REALITY). WOOJIN’s rapping was very suave. The instrumental features a groovy bass, with twinkling synths to give the track some detailing and an electric guitar-like synth to give some much needed texture and crunch to the song. (9/10)

4. EDEN – The funky instrumentation is what attracts my attention to EDEN and has me coming back for more. There is a lot of retro elements to the track, with scratching disks and brass to exudes those retro feels. The most unsettling element in the instrumentation was the distorted vocals in the background. I am on the fence with this. I think it has charm, but it just highlights such a distinct unnatural feel to EDEN, whereas everything else just sounded normal and fitted in nearly into the track. The members do a neat job in this track, with the vocals and rapping both having a dynamic flair to them. (8/10)

5. SUCKER – SUCKER follows on from their previous side-track single of a similar title, Sucker For Your Love (from their A to B 5^th mini-album), with SUCKER carrying over some melodies from Sucker For Your Love. SUCKER takes on a R&B instrumentation, and as result, carries less punch as a result of the change in instrumentation. But there were some nice touches, such as the jazzy piano and the whistling in the background. And the members do sound quite nice, particularly Woong’s growl in the second verse and the ad-libs as the end. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

[International Song Reviews] KANG DANIEL, Golden Child, AB6IX & THE BOYZ

September 16, 2023September 16, 2023Posted in International Song Review, JPOP, Western POPTagged AB6IX, Golden Child, KANG DANIEL, THE BOYZ3 Comments

It’s time for another International Song Review post. Last time, I covered Kep1er, DRIPPIN, New Hope Club & P1Harmony. & WayV. Today, I will be reviewing KANG DANIEL’s Wasteland, Golden Child’s CRAYON, AB6IX’s FLY AWAY and THE BOYZ’s Delicious.

Wasteland – KANG DANIEL

Weeks prior to his SOS comeback earlier this year, KANG DANIEL teased his return with the single WASTELAND, an all-English side track from the same mini-album that SOS was part of (Realiez). To me, WASTELAND adopts a familiar style that I personally associate with KANG DANIEL. His music is quiet and never-in-your-face, yet very impactful and rhythmic at the same time. And that is what we get in WASTELAND. The backing takes on a slightly grungy form of alternative rock and has such a memorable haunting vibe that. By itself, the backing of WASTELAND already captivates me already. Throw in KANG DANIEL’s vocals, and you pretty much have a solid song. His vocals are quite interesting, as they are quite soft in sound, but firm in terms of delivery. His ad-libs, whilst do sound distant, does give the song some hype energy. I am also with everyone when we chat about the lyrics of WASTELAND, which KANG DANIEL himself says is about “betrayal of a firm faith and the moment of realizing it“.

To complement this dark messaging and sound, the music sequence (which serves as the ‘music video’ component of the comeback takes on a dark vibe as well. The short version is an extension of the scene in SOS where KANG DANIEL is captured by ‘death’, while the long version is an extension of the scene in which (I believe) is in hell. Both scenes work extremely well with the song and concentrating the darkness that KANG DANIEL exudes in the lyrics of WASTELAND.

Overall Rating – 8.6/10

CRAYON – Golden Child

It has been a while since we have heard from GOLDEN CHILD. Their last released covered on my blog was their AURA mini-album from last year. In April of this year (and literally their only release so far this year) is their 3rd Japanese single CRAYON. It is a powerful dance track with very intense and crunchy synths serving as the background. I quite enjoyed the emergence of guitar riffs in the pre-chorus, which adds a refreshing element to the song and allows CRAYON to feel not as reliant on synths as previous Japanese tracks of there have been. I did think the the vocals and rapping were a let down. While CRAYON does give us some melodic material to enjoy, but I felt that it didn’t feel as bold or loaded as it could have been. Likewise, the rapping was a fair element in the song, but it largely lacked anything memorable. For me, I would have liked to hear the vocals soar a bit, and the rapping deliver some more intensity. This in turn would have made CRAYON come off as a stronger piece.

As for the music video, it was a stylish 3 and half minutes, with a lot of black and white in the sets and outfits. The most colour we got in the video was in the more casual outfits that were neutral camo-like colours. I did want more out of the video, but it works. As for the performance, it is a powerful piece that works well with the song.

Overall Rating – 7.3/10

FLY AWAY – AB6IX

AB6IX made an ‘under the radar’ release in Japan back in May of this year with FLY AWAY, their first Japanese single since their debut in Japan in 2021. I describe FLY AWAY as an ‘under the radar’ release because I don’t remember it being promoted on social media and I only knew of the song through the list of KPOP releases on Reddit. Anyhow, FLY AWAY is a pleasant pop release from the four-member male group. It has a nice upbeat soothing synth-line as its instrumental. The vocals and rapping pretty much follows the same direction, with an equally soothing and enjoyable brightness to their vocals and WOOJIN’s rapping stays pretty much in a vocal manner for most of the song. He does manage to go into more of a rapping motif during the bridge that worked well with the rest of the song, but it was short. Unfortunately, while FLY AWAY is all very nice, it doesn’t have much of a longevity aspect to it. I pretty much forgot about the song after I took it out of my Weekly KPOP Chart system, and even after listening to the song for the purposes of this review, I am not inclined to return to it once it wraps up.

As for the music video, it too lacks that memorable aspect and is easily forgotten. It looks like 3 members (DONGHYUN, WOOJIN and WOONG) are hiding from DAEHWI, who is using drones to look for the members. But everything about this release is pleasant, so think hide-and-seek type of finding (and ignore the lasers and worried looks at the end of the video). Interestingly, there is no choreography to this release. Instead, the members just stand around and sing towards the camera for their group scenes.

Overall Rating – 7.1/10

Delicious – THE BOYZ

Also released in May of this year is THE BOYZ’s Delicious. Compared to their other tracks, Delicious is rather flat and also lacks that longevity element that I spoke about above. However, Delicious does have a bit more to it, which helps in the appealing department. The vocals exude a laid back vibe here that sounds comforting and inviting. The melodies follow a similar frame and has a nice ring to it. The instrumental was uneventful and rather generic for the most part, but I did like the splashes of synths and guitar in the verses. ERIC’s rapping in the second verse was probably the best aspect of Delicious.

Concept-wise, this feels very typical for a Korean act going into Japan. Instead of their more intense image that the group adopted in past Japanese singles or in their previous Korean single (ROAR) prior to the release of Delicious, the group adopt a more casual, brighter and almost cutesy demeanour for this release, which I feel does feel like the expectation in the Japanese pop industry. Obviously, the bigger driver from the brighter concept is the song choice, but it is also something we have seen often when Korean songs/videos are remade for the Japanese market. Choreography-wise, my thoughts above is pretty much aligned. It works well with the song, but it is many steps away from their other performance pieces.

Overall Rating – 7/10

[Review] LOSER – AB6IX

May 29, 2023May 29, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged AB6IX4 Comments

AB6IX makes their comeback today with the single LOSER and their seventh mini-album, The Future is Ours: Lost. This comeback follows the group’s Take a Chance mini-album and Sugarcoat era, which occurred back in October of last year, and PARK WOO JIN’s solo debut with Top Tier. Following this comeback, the group will be embarking on a world tour, which officially kicked off over the weekend in Seoul.

Described as an alternative pop dance track, LOSER is a really solid comeback single. The song focuses more on vocals, which has been the direction that AB6IX has been travelling down for a while now. LOSER just sounds more vocally centric than normal for some reason. It might be the presence of more melodies in the song, or the fact that PARK WOO JIN’s rapping doesn’t make much of a splash this time around. I felt the song could have used something punchier or dynamic on the rap front to give LOSER some much needed oomph. Similar comments can be said about other parts of the song, which I will mention later on. I did like the electric guitar-like synth in the background, which helps the song feel summery. In addition to that, there is an upbeatness and vibrant side to LOSER‘s choruses that makes it suitable for the Summer season that is literally around the corner for South Korea, but it also feels muted in a way that allows LOSER to maintain a level of seriousness. LOSER also has a catchy repetition of the title at the end of the choruses. The way it is delivered gives LOSER a bit of a quip-like effect, which helps break the consistency. The song isn’t necessarily overly consistent, but it is pretty similar all throughout. We do get a trap-like breakdown as a bit of an interlude to help cut that consistency a bit. I liked the idea and the direction, however I feel like it could have been more dynamic. I guess my sentiment throughout the span of LOSER is that it needs to be more robust to take it to the next level. If the producers did just that, then LOSER could have been a standout track that draws attention back to AB6IX.

The music video begins with an eerie shot of a cemetery and someone walking throughout. We then see an actual funeral occurring, attended by all the AB6IX members but one, mourning the loss of the final member – Daehwi. My guess is the mysterious person we see at the very start walking through the cemetery is Daehwi himself in a ghostly form, which motivates the remaining trio to find a way to save him. Initially, they are not successful. Donghyun and Woong try to search the maze/hallways for Daehwi, but end up unable to pass the locked door. PARK WOO JIN is trying to develop photos of Daehwi (maybe to find a clue to how to stop the tragic events), but is unable to do so. However, a blinding light and white butterflies that we see throughout the video bring the members back together to the scene of Daehwi’s accident, reuniting both the living and supposedly dead membrs with one another before they run to the light at the end of the tunnel. My only gripe about the music video is the styling. For some reason, I felt the shorts the members wore were just ill placed in the video, especially the brightly coloured ones.

AB6IX performed LOSER for the first time on the Seoul leg of their world tour over the weekend. The choreography itself looks quite tiring, as the members are constantly moving without any moments of rest. Parts of the routine stands out to me, like the second verse with the sensual snaps of the body and Donghyun’s wide arm movements during his part of the bridge. As a whole, it is a strong routine that complements the direction the song goes in.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10

[Review] Top Tier – PARK WOO JIN (AB6IX)

March 18, 2023Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged AB6IX, Park Woo Jin (AB6IX)1 Comment

Here is another review for a release from a few weeks back. PARK WOO JIN, the rapper of AB6IX and former Wanna One member, made his solo debut back at the end of February with the single Top Tier and his debut mini-album, oWn. Top Tier follows the pre-release of the single Self Portrait (which accompanies Top Tier on the new mini-album) and features fellow former Wanna One member Kim Jae Hwan. Unfortunately, that release doesn’t have a music video and so I won’t be reviewing it in the standard song format. But it my revisited in an album review if I choose to write one for oWn. But for now, here are my thoughts on Top Tier.

I found Top Tier to be a very typical hip-hop release. I do commend the effort in which both PARK WOO JIN and Top Tier goes in hard and that the energy does have a relentless side to it. But Top Tier’s downfall is its repetitive nature. The repetition comes through the instrumentation and the song’s main hook. The former basically sounded the same all throughout its 2:50 minute run time. A bit more variety in the backing piece could have made Top Tier more dynamic and this would have improved the song by a great deal. The latter just felt monotonous and didn’t elicit anything memorable, which is not ideal for the song’s central moment. All of this adds up to a disappointing song. As mentioned just now, I wished there was more to Top Tier, maybe building on the intensity by way of an abrasively instrumented instrumental break to make way for a dance break in the choreography, or even a bolder and expressive hook that drives the energy upwards and doesn’t stay flat. But while my disappointment with Top Tier is abundant, I do commend PARK WOO JIN’s delivery and flow throughout the song. He himself definitely propels the song forward, as is the main driving force that makes up (partially) the effect of the plain and repetitive nature of Top Tier. The pre-choruses provided a brief look into the PARK WOO JIN’s husky vocals and this was an strong showing of skill as well. Overall, Top Tier does show off PARK WOO JIN to a degree, but I wished the song itself had more to it.

The music video shows PARK WOO JIN as different types of top tier individuals. We see him as the winner of an arcade game fight (who might also be the leader of a dance crew), the winning avatar in the game, a king on a throne (who might double up as the next individual), and a highly acclaimed artist. I liked how the video intertwines all of these different ‘top tier’ individuals into what felt like a cohesive video. I also enjoyed the darker tone the video took, which matches the heaviness of PARK WOO JIN’s song.

Choreography-wise, I felt that the routine did a decently good job of showing off the intensity the song had and the energy that PARK WOO JIN had injected into the song with its delivery. But nothing stood out to me in the performance that makes me want to go back for a re-watch.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/`10

[Album Review] Take A Chance (6th Mini Album) – AB6IX

February 3, 2023Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged AB6IX1 Comment

Another album review is here. As you can tell, I am trying my best to catch up on the backlog of albums that I want to take a closer look. And I think I have figured out a ways forward in clearing that backlog. I won’t bore you with the details. Just leave it up to me to get through all the albums I have on the list. As for now, let’s refocus on the album in today’s spotlight. As you can tell by the title of this post, that album is AB6IX’s 6th mini-album, Take A Chance. Released in early October 2022, it features the title track Sugarcoat and 6 additional side tracks (one of which being the Korean version of the group’s first original English single CHANCE). The release of Take A Chance follows two other 2022 comebacks by the group – A to B (lead by SAVIOR) and Complete With You (lead by 1, 2, 3).

1. Paranoia – Beginning the mini-album off with a bit of edge is Paranoia. It starts off like your typical dark concepted dance track. But as the song progresses, Paranoia becomes more shrilling and loaded with synths. You might think of it as a quality issue, but it ended up giving Paranoia a very intriguing texture and vibe. To compliment this, AB6IX vocals/rap become muffled (to varying degrees) throughout the track, which heightens the texture and vibe to new levels. I did like that AB6IX and their producers manage to somehow still get the vocals/raps to standout. (8.5/10)

2. Sugarcoat (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Sugarcoat. (6/10)

3. Weightless – Weightless is a very cool and unique track. I am not entirely sure what genre Weightless would fall into, but I am thinking of alternative pop rock. I really enjoyed the choruses, especially with the textured jabs we get at the start of the choruses and the blastful energy that follows up those jabs. Those jabs were also an obvious highlight that I have gladly replayed the song for time and time again. The verses were a bit more mainstream, but I appreciated that as it gives us a chance to build/recover from the choruses. Weightless is my recommendation from this mini-album and a song I hope to see AB6IX perform some time in the future. (10/10)

4. Complicated – Electronic distortion kicks off Complicated, before a simpler R&B pop direction takes over. The distortion, to a degree, does remain part of the song. But it feels quite small and hence comes off more like vibrating detailing. It comes back in more substantial manner towards the end, finishing off the song how it started. Apart from that, I enjoyed the vocals and melodies, which had a subtle sensual vibe. The rapping, on the other hand, gave Complicated an epic feel. All of which contributed to a strong track. (9/10)

5. Resonance – Resonance is another cool track with its electronic hip-hop instrumentation. Once again, I quite liked Woojin’s rapping. I also enjoyed that female vocal effect being built into the instrumentation during the second verse, adding a funky/groovy element to the song. The boyish anthem chant and rapped second half to the bridge was an epic start to the end. I would have liked it more if the producers somehow transformed that into the actual end of the song or an outro, as I prefer that to the actual chorus/outro that was repeated from earlier on in the song. (8/10)

6. Crow – Crow hones back into the R&B genre that was visited earlier by the group. It delivers an even sensual vocal/rap performance, and the melody for the chorus was memorable. I just wished there was a bit more to the instrumentation, to give it some oomph or something memorable to remember it by. The flute-like detail potentially could have been this element, but it was just felt overpowered by the bass and everything else in the instrumentation. (7.5/10)

7. CHANCE (Korean Version) – CHANCE was previously released in English in August 2022. It is a simple and bright pop track dedicated for their fans. The brass gives it such a vibrant colour and tone, while the members’ vocals were upbeat and cheerful. I quite enjoyed the English version of the song when it came out, and the Korean version is equally as great. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.1/10

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!!

December 25, 2022December 24, 2022Posted in SpecialTagged AB6IX, aespa, Baek Ye Bin, BDC, cignature, CIX, EPEX, Lee Bo Ram, Lee Su Jeong, Lee Woo, MIRAE, Moonbyul (Mamamoo), NCT, NMIXX, Punch, Red Velvet, WEEEKLY, WEi, YOUNITELeave a comment

As you may be already aware, I am currently on a break from the blog to spend some time with family and friends this Christmas. But this does not mean I can’t celebrate the holidays with you, as well. And I do this by sharing a whole bunch of festive themed songs that our favourite and beloved KPOP artists (and companies) have released this year.

Again, I wish you all a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays full of joy, laughter and the company of family and friends. If today is business as usual for you or you don’t celebrate the festive season, then I hope today goes seamlessly for you.

And given that from tomorrow we are in an awkward limbo state between Christmas and New Years (honestly, what do we do in during this period?), I will also wish everyone a happy new year.

See you all with new reviews/posts in 2023!

[Review] Sugarcoat – AB6IX

November 23, 2022Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged AB6IX2 Comments

As previously flagged, there is a lot to cover. And the past releases keep on growing as the days go by, so let’s chipping at those releases today starting with today’s singular review. I will be looking at some newer releases tomorrow and on Friday, so don’t worry. The first review today is for AB6IX’s Sugarcoat, which was released back at the start of October. It forms part of AB6IX’s sixth mini-album, Take A Chance. This comeback follows the release of 1, 2, 3 and SAVIOR earlier this year and a number of collaborations with Reiley for Moonlight.

The more I listen to Sugarcoat, the more convinced I become with the following conclusion – this is AB6IX’s weakest song to date. And that is saying a lot, given that I don’t remember all of their tracks from the top of my head, if I am being honest. But for some reason or another, Sugarcoat manages to just scream out that it is the group’s weakest song. Let’s break down the song to see why that is the case. The start of Sugarcoat was promising, with the light fade-in of instrumentation and a groovy base to kick off the song. I quite liked Daehwi’s vocals in the pre-chorus, as his vocals were much firmer and contrasted nicely with everything around it. And in the first instance, the chorus was was smooth and velvety (which contrasted nicely once again with the synths that make up the background), which is with thanks to the nicely done falsettos. But as Sugarcoat progresses, we never get anything new from the production. The funky instrumental simply repeats, with the members and the melodies forced to do the exact same thing to complement the repeating instrumental. The falsettos, though praised in that first instance of the chorus, was done so much throughout the song that Sugarcoat pretty much became overtly light and drifty. Again, I have praised songs in the past for this. But in this instance, this pretty much dulls the song for me. I wished Sugarcoat was grounded in some way. Usually, I would look to the rapping to do this, given that rapping tends to be a heftier and a more intense portion of a song. But because the song was so light and drifty, Woojin’s raps just couldn’t really override this. I have no doubts that he did a great job. I think the song could have used something meatier. In terms of trajectory, Sugarcoat is quite linear that the song doesn’t even peak. Even the dance break doesn’t venture far that the linear, opting for the same synths, rhythm and composition to the rest of the instrumental. Sugarcoat just hasn’t aged for me whatsoever. I pretty much have the exact same impression listening to the song today as I had when it was first released in October.

As for the music video, it is one of the videos that I don’t have much to say about. Half of the members are experimenting in the kitchen and lab, trying to develop the ‘Candy of Love’, while I think the other half are searching for it. Not really a riveting story, but it checks the box. The sets were colourful and neat. Their outfits were okay. I liked the denim and suit look. Not really a fan of that casual look that they went for – it was all pretty shaggy looking, to be honest.

The choreography aspect of this comeback was pretty good. I did like the mix of faster/sharper movements, and the slower/smoother moves in the chorus. This was clever and worked well with the lines in the chorus. The start was also pretty cool, though I wished that was kept for a routine which called for a lot more sharpness and intensity.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.4/10

[Album Review] A to B (5th Mini Album) – AB6IX

July 30, 2022Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged AB6IX1 Comment

As I catch up on album reviews, I will be jumping back and forth a bit. And for today, I jump forward to mid-May, when AB6IX made their comeback with SAVIOR and their fifth mini-album, A to B. Alongside the title track SAVIOR, there are an additional four side tracks on the album. This release follows their January comeback with 1, 2, 3 and the special mini-album COMPLETE WITH YOU.

A to B is pretty strong effort from the group and is worth you checking out. There is one 10/10 song that I highly recommend from this mini-album, so make sure you find out which song that is by reading my thoughts of each song below!

1. PARACHUTE – While there isn’t anything innovative with the percussion and synths of PARACHUTE’s instrumentation, I quite enjoyed its punchiness and the energy that comes from it. It starts the album in a positive manner. I also enjoyed the latter half of the chorus, where the beat is much tighter and amped up. The rapping sequence were strong, but it is the vocals that really stood out in PARACHUTE. The falsetto, in particular, were a memorable aspect of the song. On the other hand, however, the hooks were weak and could have been stronger. (8/10)

2. SAVIOR (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for SAVIOR. (7/10)

3. Sucker For Your Love (우리가 헤어졌던 이유) – As the song progresses, Sucker For Your Love became my favourite side track from this mini-album. It takes on a softer pop rock sound, ladled with a heavy dose of emotion (where the members regret breaking up and want to get back together with their former partners). Courtesy of Woojin, the rapping was awesome. The rest of the members put their vocals on display and sounded quite crisp in this song. My favourite part from Sucker For Your Love is at around the 1:40 mark where the drums become dominate and Woojin shares his line with Woong and Daehwi. (10/10)

4. EINSTEIN – EINSTEIN had an upbeat R&B sound. It was a fun and playful track, which AB6IX has done before. EINSTEIN actually reminds me of MXM’s (the duo which Donghyun was part of prior to debuting with AB6IX) work. But compared to the other songs on the album, it felt pretty standard and is the album’s most skippable track. There isn’t anything wrong with the song, other the fact it doesn’t stand out for me. (7/10)

5. We Could Love – The album closes out with We Could Love, but the members make it sound like ‘Weak Love’. I wish the two words were not merged together, as it has a completely different meaning. Apart from that, We Could Love acts as the mini-album’s ballad. There is a flowy melody to the track that I thought was very warming. And the members’ vocals (in combination with the melody) make the song sound so lovely. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

[Album Review] Complete With You (2nd Special Album) – AB6IX

March 26, 2022Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged AB6IX, Jeon Woong (AB6IX), Kim Dong Hyun (AB6IX), Lee Dae Hwi (AB6IX), Park Woo Jin (AB6IX)4 Comments

I am now back with the album reviews after an intermission last week to focus on the remaining songs from last week’s wave of comebacks. I am hoping to get another two album review out tomorrow, but I Today’s focus is on AB6IX’s Complete With You, which is a special album release. It features the title track 1, 2, 3 and was released mid-January. It also features four solo songs from each of the members. A similar album full of solo releases from AB6IX dropped in 2019, 5NALLY, which I have reviewed if you want to check out other solo songs from the AB6IX members. I regard that album to be the AB6IX’s first special album, making Complete With You their second special album release since debut.

If you scroll down to the bottom of the review, you will notice a ‘recommended’ sticker has been added to this review. That sticker is there to show that I recommend this album (and any other album with the sticker) to everyone out there, as the album is of a high calibre and shouldn’t be missed. That essentially is what I think of Complete With You. The individual solo tracks on this album each showcase the strengths of each members and I was extremely satisfied whilst listening to the album. Even the title track was quite enjoyable and catchy, even after many weeks after its release! Do you agree with me? Let me know in the comments section below!

1. 1, 2, 3 (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of 1, 2, 3. (8/10)

2. VENUS (Kim Donghyun Solo) – VENUS is an ultra-smooth R&B track that just captivates. There are very strong sensual vibes throughout this song thanks to the instrumentation. Very different to his solo song from the 5NALLY album. In particular, I really enjoyed the guitar work in this song for highlighting those sensual vibes I just mentioned. Donghyun’s vocals also sleek and fits the sensual nature of this song very well. His rapping was also a nice treat, adding another dimension and powerful energy to Venus through its autotuned and roughened texture. Definitely a standout on this album. (10/10)

3. CONSOLATION (위로) (Park Woojin Solo) – It comes as no surprise to me that Park Woojin’s solo song would delve into the hip-hop genre. CONSOLATION’s flow is definitely the standout feature of this song and it showcases Park Woojin’s rapping skillset in a very strong limelight. I felt as if Woojin did not take a breath in this track and consistently delivered his lines without hardly a break! I liked how the instrumental of CONSOLATION kept a low profile (almost a fast-ish tempo lo-fi featuring a squeaky synth, which I did not mind) throughout, allowing the focus to be purely on Park Woojin. (8.5/10)

4. CRAZY LOVE (Jeon Woong Solo)– Aside from the title track, CRAZY LOVE is the other upbeat track on this album. It is more consistent from start to end and could have benefited from more variety within itself. The R&B instrumentation felt very ‘rinse and repeat’ to me. But what really saves CRAZY LOVE are the melodies that formed up the chorus. To me, they had a memorable and appealing ring to it, which made it very enjoyable and satisfying. Woong’s vocals also had this raspy approach, which added some additional depth to the song. (8.5/10)

5. IN YOUR EYES (너의 눈에 내가 보여서) (Lee Dae Hwi Solo) – Finishing up the solo tracks and the album is Lee Dae Hwi with IN YOUR EYES. The song takes the form of a ballad. What stands out in IN YOUR EYES are Lee Dae Hwi’s vocals. He sounds so soothing and definitely delivered the emotions that is being conveyed in the vocals. The melodies utilise Lee Dae Hwi’s vocals so well, adding extra sway to the song. The electric guitar to the song was also a nice touch, adding a bit of flair to the song. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10

*Complete With You / 1, 2, 3* Teaser Image

[Review] 1, 2, 3 – AB6IX

January 20, 2022Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged AB6IX4 Comments

Also making their comeback on Monday was AB6IX, who returns with the new single 1, 2, 3 and special album, Complete with You. This comeback comes after AB6IX returned with CHERRY and MO’ COMPLETE (their second studio album since debut) in September of last year, and debuted in Japan with the Japanese version of CHERRY two months later.

1, 2, 3 is another fun and upbeat track that I quite enjoyed from Monday. It wasn’t my absolute favourite from the day in question, but it was definitely heading in that direction. Just like the song I had just reviewed, I find 1, 2, 3 to be wholesome and sweet, but these descriptors come about for different reasons. Put simply, 1, 2, 3 is a song dedicated to their fans (ABNEWs) and such feelings of wholesome and sweetness is a way the group is reaching out to their fans. I am quite sure the messaging and vibes from the song are making ABNEWs (and some potentially new listeners swoon over AB6IX). Personally, I am not as affected by this, but I still enjoyed the song nonetheless. I liked the funky pop nature of the song had. It, along with the beat of 1, 2, 3, was fun, upbeat and bright. What I thought made 1, 2, 3 even more likeable were the instrumental elements that gave the song a vibrant sense of colour. The guitar twangs in the chorus and brass in the post-chorus hook following the second and final choruses where the members became chanty with the ‘Let’s dance, 1, 2, 3, Let’s Dance, Left and Right‘ are prime examples of this. These are very typical when you think about it, but I thought they were well used in the song. The vocals and rapping quite solid, and were the main mechanisms to bring forth that wholesome/sweet combo. The bridge was quite cool, where 1, 2, 3 changes it up with a somewhat balladry-like approach. I liked how it wasn’t an extreme change to the song and how it cut the momentum briefly, but brought it back up for the final chorus. It also provided a bit of relief from the song, in case you felt the vibrancy and colour was a bit too much or repetitive, which I felt the song was also going towards. Overall, I feel that 1, 2 , 3 was another great and enjoyable song from AB6IX.

I was wary when I saw the ‘PERFORMANCE M/V’ part of the video’s title. I expected this to be a straight forward performance piece. But it ended up being a lot more. Sure, the performance plays a very prominent role throughout the video. But I quite like what else they did to the video. For example, I loved the curved corner rectangles at the start of the video and how it was used to introduce each of the members one by one. The black and white was also quite cool. The rectangles returned in a conveyor belt like use during the first post-chorus hook sequence. I thought this was a clever reuse of the style and pulls the video together nicely. Elsewhere, the video shows the different stages of preparing and going through with a serenade. When you consider the fact that the song was dedicated for the fans, I am sure an idea of a serenade from the members was given thumbs up. I just wished there was a bit more to the serenade in the video, as it seems a bit lackluster in terms of execution at least from my end and rushed to fit the song (maybe a brief interlude might have helped out).

Performance for 1, 2, 3 was great. The moves were relatively simple compared to their other releases, but they definitely worked well with the song. The whole chorus routine was quite fun to watch, and I liked when the later part of the sequence where the members move in a X shape just before Donghyun’s solo moment in the chorus. It just added a bit of sharpness to the routine.

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

[Album Review] MO’ COMPLETE (2nd Studio Album) – AB6IX

December 6, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged AB6IX6 Comments

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Another September album is up for review, almost three months after its release! The album in question is AB6IX’s MO’ COMPLETE, which is the group’s second studio-length album since debut. It was released on 27 September 2021, features the title track CHERRY along with nine other new songs, and wraps up the MO’ COMPLETE series from earlier this year. This is also the group’s third comeback of the year, following the release of Stay Young (featured on SALUTE: A New Hope) and CLOSE (featured on MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM).

1. SHOWDOWN – Opening the album and SHOWDOWN is a crowd, something that I feel is sorely missed over the past two years. Continuing that high was the abrasive and heavy electronic synths and beats in the instrumental, which definitely packs a punch. And that translates into intense energy from both the instrumentation and the members, who definitely do an amazing job of creating hype energy. SHOWDOWN definitely is a strong start to the album. (8/10)

2. LEVEL UP – Funkiness is the backbone to LEVEL UP, which is another fantastic song with great energy and a fun appeal. The chorus to LEVEL UP was definitely the highlight of the song, concentrating all the energy into a one stop shop moment for the song. It was also very catchy. I can’t help but dance to this song. Woojin’s section in the second verse also caught my ears. It was extremely vibrant and different to what I am used to. My only gripe about the song is that pedestrian light sound that you get in the verse. I did not like its presence and found it annoying. But overall, LEVEL UP is a recommended track! (9/10)

3. CHERRY (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of CHERRY. (8/10)

4. DOWN FOR YOU – DOWN FOR YOU jumps onto the Latin-pop trend. For the most part, the Latin-pop trend as pretty much died down with the occasion release. DOWN FOR YOU definitely brought on a mature feel and vibe for the group, as evident by the energy exuded from the song, sultry instrumentation and the heavier nature of the vocals and raps. While I found the instrumentation to be quite bold and ‘loud’, I liked that the members stood out above it. Balance is key, and I think AB6IX nailed it in this song. I also liked the buildup during the bridge of the song. It was definitely satisfying. Another strong number from the group. (9/10)

5. DO YOU REMEMBER (그해 여름) – DO YOU REMEMBER tones down the energy a bit and heads in a R&B direction with the combination of piano and tropical instrumentation. The instrumentation gives off a traditional style, but it also brought a lot of nostalgia to me. The melodies of DO YOU REMEMBER also adds to the nostalgia. Elsewhere, the aesthetics that come off the track is so stunning, and the vocals had so much emotion behind them, and I loved the contrast between the whispery style of the first half of the chorus vs. the bolder and louder exclamation of the second half of the chorus. The rapping was also well executed and added the right amount of heft to DO YOU REMEMBER. Overall, DO YOU REMEMBER comes off as one of the best tracks on this album. (10/10)

6. STAY WITH ME (사라지지 마) – STAY WITH ME was a vibe and an experience. I really enjoyed the atmospheric tone of the instrumentation in the verses, while the chorus had a very pleasant groove to it (which compliments the rest of the instrumentation). The rapping and vocals were so well done. I really liked the delicate tone they had opted for the vocals, and the slower speed at which the raps were delivered, which all contributed to a heartfelt sound that was so inviting and appealing. Also adding to the appeal of the song was the harmonization between vocalist and rapper during the chorus, which I found to be very unique. Overall, another standout track on this album. (10/10)

7. BELIEVE (믿어) – BELIEVE brings the group back to their house roots. I was reminded of their debut track when I heard the intro to BELIEVE. But as the song progresses, a lot more is packed into the instrumentation creating a very hefty instrumental piece for the chorus. But this seems to be the star attraction of the song, with the melodies and hooks not being as strong as per the other tracks. They are still good, but not great. I wished there was stronger focus on these aspects to make BELIEVE better, as there was some potential behind the trajectory of the instrumental. (7/10)

8. OFF THE RECORD – The playfulness of OFF THE RECORD stands out. It feels like a neat follow up to the title track, with a similar playfulness shared between the two. I did like the melodies and the harmonization with the backing vocals in the chorus. But for me, the overall style isn’t my cup of tea. It is a bit sweeter than how I like it, and so I found a hard time getting into OFF THE RECORD. (6/10)

9. SIMPLE LOVER – SIMPLE LOVER tackles deep house, and further brings the group back to their house roots. I liked how substantial the track felt, and dynamic it turned out to be, even though it seemed to also be a bit typical at certain points. I like the vocals in this song, especially the ad-libs we get at the start. The chorus also had a nice grooviness to it, which I liked. Woojin’s rap sequence in the second verse seemed to be infiltrated with pings and glitches, which I thought was pretty interesting. (8/10)

10. 3’’ – 3’’ ends the album with some good vocal work and rapping. But I thought the instrumental was pretty boring. There is a positivity tone to it, which was nice. But the instrumental didn’t offer anything new or interesting for me to dwell on. And so, the album ends on a disappointing note, which is quite unfortunate. (5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

[Review] CHERRY – AB6IX

September 27, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged AB6IX2 Comments

One of the comebacks kick starting the final week of September 2021 is AB6IX’s CHERRY. This new single is the latest from the group and is featured on their second studio length album, MO’ COMPLETE. This comeback follows the release of their fourth mini-album from April of this year – MO’ COMPLETE: Have a Dream and its lead single CLOSE. It is also their third comeback of the year, which makes this another busy year for the group.

Right off the bat, AB6IX blasts us with CHERRY‘s colourful energy. This sets the tone overall and continues on throughout the song. It isn’t an overwhelming blast of energy though, which was great. Personally, I probably would have taken the night off and avoided dealing with two overwhelming songs in one day (more on that in my next review – to be posted tomorrow). CHERRY‘s bright energy follows on from The Answer, one of AB6IX’s comeback tracks in 2020, as that too was quite an upbeat and funky comeback for the group (in comparison to their previous releases). However, CHERRY is much more concentrated when it comes to the funky direction they had chosen to go with. I quite like the chorus, but probably not for the reason you would think of. It was definitely dynamic, especially when it comes to the member’s delivery, matching the energy we got from the instrumentation. However, the scene-stealing element was the ‘YUM‘ in the chorus. It was so straightforward and serious, which made me laugh. Not exactly sure if that was the intended effect, but it made the song memorable for me. What I also enjoyed was how the members also brought out that dynamic tone to the verses and bridge, making CHERRY a very satisfying listen. I felt that the verses could have been very plain, but the dynamic delivery definitely liven up the sections in question. The post-chorus following the first and final choruses was probably the weakest element of the song in my opinion. I felt that they toned down the energy by the slightest amount, which felt noticeable to me. I wished they just continued the momentum and had a stronger hook in this part, which I am sure would have CHERRY even more memorable. Overall, CHERRY was a great song that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The music video was quite fun and colourful, just like the song. I wished there was more to the video however, as it is just a bunch of closeups and choreography. They seemed to hint at something more with the members staring off screen at some parts, as if their crush had just walked past behind camera. It was a nice detail to add to the video, but I think it would have been better with an actual person on-screen, kind of like GOT7’s A. I did like the extra graphics they had in the background for one of the choreography shots, and the various effects we saw throughout the video.

The choreography for this comeback is definitely energetic and intense (in the sense that it is continuous and doesn’t offer many moments to catch your breath). I particularly those air punches they do just before the choruses and their expressions on stage make this performance even more interesting to watch.

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

[Album Review] MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM (4th Mini Album) – AB6IX

July 3, 2021Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged AB6IXLeave a comment

As I have mentioned on my blog several time this week, I will be focusing my effort on reviewing albums this week. This is all in a bid to help me catch up on the many albums that I should have reviewed weeks (or months, in some cases) ago. First up on this album review influx is AB6IX’s 4th mini-album, MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM. The mini-album was released alongside their title track, Close, at the end of April, which makes this album review two months over due (sorry!). This release follows their 3rd mini-album, which was later repackaged into Salute: A New Hope (headlined by the title track Stay Young). As you can imagine, I have a lot more work to do. So let’s just get right to the album review.

Album cover for MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM, AB6IX's fourth mini-album. The album is rather simple, with a pale teal background and all writing in a cream colour. — *MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM* Album Cover

1. HEADLINE – HEADLINE opens up the album with bold sounds, via its use of bass, house elements and funky influences in the instrumental. It is a great opener and sets up the album on a very positive note. When it comes to the vocals, they quite strong, which is suitable for the song. It brings it on par with the instrumentation. The melodies and hooks in this song are also quite catchy. I wish the rapping had a bit more oomph to it. I do like Woojin’s technique, but I think his section could have gone further than what it did, in terms of energy and dynamism. (8/10)

2. CLOSE (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for CLOSE. (8/10)

3. LULULALA – Next up is LULULALA, a pop track that feels just right for the summer season. Aside from being upbeat and fun sounding (which is everything you want in a summer song), the song is also a great platform to showcase the vocals from each of the members. In particular, Lee Daehwi’s vocals were superb in this song, working extremely well with the rock influences that made up the pop track. For me, this is my favourite song on the album. I liked the rapping here, as opposed to the first song, as it worked well with the rest of the song. (9/10)

4. MERRY-GO-ROUND – MERRY-GO-ROUND continues the same sound from the previous song. But it isn’t as energetic and as Summery as the previous song. The song tones down that energy and this gives off a very standard type of feel. While I do like the energy that the electronic influences in the instrumental especially when we got to the chorus, there isn’t really much to the song in terms of appeal. As a result, I put MERRY-GO-ROUND as the weakest song on the album. But that being said, it was still a decent song to listen to. (7/10)

5. A LONG WINTER – A LONG WINTER is probably the outlier on the album. It takes form as a R&B song, with a rock band instrumental. This in particular was a highlight for the song, as it spoke to my personal tastes. It was also nice to ease out the album this way, which was full of energy. A LONG WINTER had a good showcase of vocals and rapping, as well. Overall, a soothing ender to the album. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

AB6IX poses in white shirts whilst brushing their teeth in this teaser image for the release of MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM. — *MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM* Teaser Image

[Review] CLOSE – AB6IX

April 26, 2021Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged AB6IX1 Comment

Also making their comeback today is AB6IX, with the release of CLOSE marking their return. CLOSE is featured on the group’s fourth mini-album, Mo’ Complete: Have a Dream. We last heard from AB6IX through their repackaged 3rd mini-album, Salute: A New Hope and the title track Stay Young in January of this year. This also coincided with the release of a remixed version of Why Don’t We’s Fallin’ (Adrenaline) earlier this year as well that AB6IX and the original artists collaborated with for.

CLOSE is a promised return to deep house, a style that ABNEW and other avid AB6IX listeners may find familiar. For those who are not familar with this group, deep house is the style of EDM that AB6IX debuted and followed up with during their debut year (Breathe and Blind For Love) before embarking on a year of different sounds. CLOSE starts off with twinkling synths and warped effects, before heavier synths and percussion come into play. I find all of this contribute to a somewhat brighter and lighter tone than their earlier works. It is an interesting dynamic for the group. I like how refreshing the members sound in the first verse. The pre-chorus is also quite intriguing, as the members come together to sing the sequence together. This too adds to the refreshing tone of the song. For the chorus, CLOSE delves into the more traditional routes of deep house. But layered on top of that are deep textured synths that added an electric touch to the centrepice of the song. For the second verse, the highlight here is Woojin’s rap sequence. The energy he brings to the song resembles AB6IX’s early days, which is what the song is aiming for. Great success there. For CLOSE‘s bridge, I really liked the delayed return to the final chorus. It was a clean transition that added tinge of suspense to the song. It was also reminiscent of Breathe. For the vocals of the song, we saw a solid showcase of them throughout the song. I do think they could have been a bit more dynamic on the hook front to make CLOSE a little more memorable. But overall, CLOSE is a nice return to roots for AB6IX.

While the music video feels like it is a mixture of different scenes, I think the video is fairly straight forward. From what I could tell from the lyrics, a lot of the song is about not worrying about getting lost when you are in the dark. I assume they are referring to the dark moments in life and feeling lost then in the song. But AB6IX portrays this as the darkness you get when you close your eyes when you sleep, which I think is a clever way of presenting this in a visual manner. We see the members sleeping and then waking up in very different locations. But as the lyrics suggest, everything will be okay. We see the members find each other and then a way out of this dreamland. It is a pretty cool video when it comes together like so. I am not sure about the floating rock we get at the end, whether this links up with another video in the future or if there is a detail hidden in the video that I didn’t catch.

The best part of the choreography for CLOSE is the pre-chorus. I really like how Donghyun in the first verse and Daehwi in the second verse interacted with the other members in the pre-chorus sequences. It looked cool and worked really well with the music. For the chorus, nothing felt out of place. Everything was just clean. I also really like Woojin’s rap sequence, which fitted in so well with his image. It also added some intensity to the performance, which was some icing on the cake for me.

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

[International Song Reviews] Jackson Wang & JJ Lin, The Boyz, AB6IX & Why Don’t We, Jun.K, WAYV

March 21, 2021December 16, 2021Posted in JPOP, MPOP, Western POPTagged AB6IX, Jackson Wang (GOT7), JJ Lin, Jun.K (2PM), THE BOYZ, WAYV, Why Don't We3 Comments

It is time for another post International Song Review segment. As promised last time, I would write the post as soon as there are five songs eligible for review (i.e. any song by a Korean or KPOP-related artist who has released a song in a non-Korean market). In this post for this week, I will be reviewing the collaborations between Jackson Wang & JJ Lin, the remix collaboration between AB6IX and Why Don’t We. I will also look at The Boyz and Jun.K’s recent releases in the JPOP market and WAYV’s return.

Should’ve Let Go – Jackson Wang & JJ Lin

Should’ve Let Go is a collaboration between Jackson Wang (member of GOT7) and JJ Lin (a famous Singaporean artist) and was released at the end of 2020. The biggest asset in this song are both Jackson’s and JJ Lin’s vocals. They sound stunning throughout the song with their raspy vocals. The melodies in which carry their vocals are so smooth and this makes the song even more impeccable. And don’t get me started when they harmonise with one another. Those sections are just blissful. Another really great aspect of the song for me is the R&B instrumentation. While I do describe the song as a ballad, the R&B roots are very prominent and give the song a little bit more appeal than a usual classical instrumented ballad would. Oh, and per usual, the ballad makes me sway along (Props to you if you know what that means). The music video shows two love stories. The first is a couple who have been together for some time. The male partner gets into college or a job that requires the pair to go into a long distance relationship. The female partner does not like this idea and chooses not to kiss him one last time before he leaves. The second story is of a high school crush. The male partner has a crush on the female and hesitantly tries to get close to her. One day, she drops a necklace and he picks it up. Using this as an excuse, he plans on confessing to her through a letter. But when he is on his way to the next day, he witnesses his crush accepting flowers from another guy. At the end of the video, we see what should have happened (i.e. the guy moving away hugs his partner as he leaves, and the younger guy makes his move earlier on). I have an interesting theory that suggests Jackson is the guy who moved away as all his scenes are on the bus (which was the mode of transport the guy was taking to move away), while JJ Lin is the high school guy as he is seen holding the necklace that the female character in that story dropped. I liked how the stories felt fitting for the emotional side of the song, and the ambience of the scenes that involved JJ Lin and Jackson were optimal for a ballad like Should’ve Let Go. (10/10)

Breaking Dawn – The Boyz

The Boyz made their return to the Japanese market at the end of February with Breaking Dawn. However following the confusion caused by Tattoo (their first original single in the Japanese market), I still feel like The Boyz, their company and their producers are a little confused with the Japanese market. Three quarters of Breaking Dawn is prosed in the Korean language, with the other quarter being in Japanese (and is limited primarily to the end of the song – i.e. half of the bridge and the final chorus). Moving away from the language confusion, Breaking Dawn is a okay dance track. It isn’t one that I am super excited about. It doesn’t really offer us anything different to what we know The Boyz for. The only observation I made in regards to the song that I felt was a substantial difference was that the vocals and rapping sound a lot rougher in Breaking Dawn, compared to their other releases. While I usually would be praising this modification in sound because I really enjoy textures in my song, its instrumentation is plain and doesn’t provide any dynamic backing to these vocals. The chorus was also okay. It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t necessarily terrible. I would have enjoyed it more with better hooks and maybe a punchier instrumental piece to liven the song. The ‘Breaking Dawn‘ deep toned whisper that kick starts the chorus doesn’t really do achieve any of that. I feel like its whisper really sets the tone for the chorus, which resulted in it not being as dynamic as I thought it could potentially be. For the music video, I really like the visuals that we got. This includes both the visuals of the members and the sets in general. I really like how they used fluoro colours as the main colour palette of the video, which looked stylish and trendy. The choreography was pretty good. To me, it felt like a continuation of the same themes and style as their The Stealer choreography. They show off their performance skills in this routine and there is also that tinge of sexiness in the performance, thanks to the bending back move that kicks off the chorus and the outfits worn by some of the members. (7.3/10)

Fallin’ (Adrenaline) – AB6IX & Why Don’t We

While there is no music video for the collaborative remix for Fallin’ (Adrenaline) by AB6IX and Why Don’t We (one of the criteria a release usually must have to be reviewable), I still want to write a review for it. While the main differences between the two versions is simply the multi-language approach of the lyrics, I have classed Fallin’ as an International Song because it was previously released as Western single and this particular version still involves the original singers of the song. Why Don’t We’s version was already really captivating, thanks to its instrumentation. But I also have really enjoyed AB6IX Remix for a number of reasons. Firstly, I enjoyed the instrumentation of both. They are effectively the same background piece, with really thrilling drumming that really get the adrenaline pumping. Secondly, I really liked how AB6IX really fitted into this song and alongside Why Don’t We. There synergy really made it feel like this was the original version of the song. Thirdly, I really enjoyed the addition of the rap sequence that Woojin contributed as part of the bridge. It continues that momentum from the chorus and it didn’t ruin the integrity, structure or overall feel of the song. I wish that one day (after this pandemic) we will have the opportunity to see a live performance of this collaboration. Just imagine Why Don’t We playing their instruments in the background and bringing us a live performance of that adrenaline rush, while AB6IX throws in a bit of choreography that taps into that energy and vibe. Already sounds like a performance to watch out for. (10/10)

Hide & Seek, 1995 – Jun.K

A release that has probably gone under the radar for a lot of people is Jun.K’s most release Japanese release, Hide & Seek, 1995. The song dips its toes into that groovy trend that has been ongoing in the KPOP music scene, however still keeps a R&B profile. I quite like this combination. It might be a bit typical in hindsight. But it is a good listen, nonetheless. I really like Jun.K’s vocals in this song. His husky tone is used really well and his vocals in general feel really lively and upbeat. Interestingly, his more recent Korean release (30 Seconds Might Be Too Long) actually has a similar sound. But yet, Hide & Seek 1995 seems to sound like a complete turnaround in sound thanks to his brighter sound. The music video for Hide & Seek, 1995 actually looks nice. Through the short previews that you get when you hover your mouse over the thumbnails on YouTube, I thought it would be a dull video. But the post-production, including colours and effects, all really helps the video work in harmony with the song. It is also a stylish manner to make the video appear more energetic. Jun.K also had good chemistry with the camera, which also helped as well. I quite enjoyed it in the end. (8/10)

Kick Back – WAYV

Kick Back is the latest release from WAYV, the Chinese based unit of NCT. Kick Back starts off like your typical male group dance track. I did like the hefty momentum of the song and the percussion in the background. The song then progresses into the pre-chorus, which brought in some dramatic flair. They merged some classical instrumentation into the song and I found this part of the song to be the most engaging. Just before the chorus, we get a long note from Ten, a bit of rapping from Lucas and what I would describe as ‘sparks’ in the instrumentation. This transition felt quite smooth and really connected well with the catchy and repetitive chorus simply. I really like how amped up everything felt in the chorus, but I think it could have gone an extra mile (more on that in a second). Moving along, I also really liked the bridge of the song. The focus is more so on the vocals, which I think was a very strong aspect of Kick Back, and I really like it how the instrumental felt like an extension of the pre-choruses (which I have already mentioned that I enjoyed a lot). The rapping in Kick Back was more forgettable. I felt like this was a missed opportunity to have the rappers deliver a sequence with a little more power and dynamism to offset the ‘neutral gear’ that the song was stuck in. And that is something that I must admit really stuck out at me. While the song was good and what I have described Kick Back is quite positive, I can’t help it but think the song was ‘safe’ for the group. We did get a tease of an octane sequence at the end with a dance break sequence at the end. However, I would have preferred it more if the producers somehow integrated this into the song, rather than just sticking it at the end. I think this would have helped make the song a lot more appealing in the long run. Based on what I am reading, WAYV’s music video for this release is connected to past NCT and WAYV music videos. Watching the music video a couple of times for this review, I didn’t really catch any references to those videos. But maybe my mind isn’t working right today. But the video has good cinematography, which made the video engaging for me to watch. The sets also looked good. Their outfits felt questionable for me. Their choreography routine looks really cool. I really like the footwork that you can see throughout the video and their jelly leg move during the chorus. While the footwork does look easy, I am sure the balancing act they had to do at the same time on the other foot made it really hard. I also liked the subtle tinge of aggressiveness in the choreography. (7.6/10)