Tag: BamBam (GOT7)

[Review] Who Are You – BamBam (GOT7) ft. Seulgi (Red Velvet)

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As mentioned yesterday, I will be reviewing solo releases over the last few months which I had not reviewed yet. To start, I will be looking at the solo pre-releases that I should have reviewed before I reviewed the official main title tracks. BamBam (member of GOT7) is one of the solo members that come to mind. He recently came back with the single Slow Mo and second mini-album, B. Also off the B mini-album is the single Who Are You, which features Red Velvet member Seulgi, and was first revealed to listeners at the end of 2021. Who Are You is the focus on this review post.

While it has been over a month ago since both news of and the actual release, I could remember thinking that a collaboration between BamBam and Seulgi was unexpected and surprising, but also exciting and refreshing. And both BamBam and Seulgi proved with Who Are You that the latter points were the most correct. Who Are You is a very light and smooth R&B track that felt just right. While I don’t listen to the song every single day, I thoroughly enjoy its presence every time I do come across Who Are You. There is so much to enjoy in this song, despite there being so little to the track. Who Are You has a minimal atmospheric instrumental, kicking off with a low hum, before bringing in the simple strumming of guitar and then the later addition of a slow soft piano melody in the verses. For the chorus, the piano element is relatively heavier, and we also get some simple percussion, to help kick the song up a notch. But everything from start to end can be described as light, simple and minimalistic, as described initially. What also makes Who Are You so good are the vocals from both artists. The set up of them echoing each other is so impactful and added a profound colour to the song. It made the song so interesting. Individually, BamBam really surprised me with his softer and gentle vocals in this song. It suits him so well, and the textures that his raspy vocals brought to the table helped made Who Are You so good. As for Seulgi, her light and higher tone balanced out the song, making the entire track more pleasant and smoother. Overall, Who Are You is an amazing single, and BamBam and Seulgi pairing is perfect.

For the music video, I liked it. I felt the different scenes were aesthetic and artistic. I liked the idea of both set and outdoor scenes. The video didn’t feel confined or restricted in anyway as a result, which gave a lot of breathing space to me as a viewer. I am sure there are meaning behind some of the individual scenes, but I don’t have the intelligence to break it down and decipher it this time around. My main gripe about the music video is some of the scenes appeared too dark and it was hard to see what as going on. It was probably done for an aesthetic or artistic reason, but it distracted me and hindered the process of me trying to take everything in.

The choreography routine, performed by both BamBam and Seulgi, is a contemporary piece that is both smooth and captivating to watch. It definitely highlights both BamBam and Seulgi’s skill set as performers and shows them off in such a mature lighting. They also perform in a very harmonious manner, which boosts up the routine to the next level.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.1/10

[Review] Slow Mo – BamBam (GOT7)

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As you can probably tell, I am now reviewing the tracks released later in the week from last week. Next up on the reviewing block is BamBam’s Slow Mo. This latest song from the GOT7 member is featured on his second mini-album, B, alongside the pre-release single Who Are You (which was released back in the last week of December and features Red Velvet’s Seulgi). This is BamBam’s first official solo release since his solo debut with riBBon in June of last year.

Slow Mo thrives on the fact that it is atmospheric and a gentle track. While we hear similar songs with the same descriptors all the time, they usually isn’t the lead track on an album or even a dance track. This alone makes Slow Mo unique and stands out, even thought its elements aren’t intended to do so. In addition to the atmospheric vibes of the song, there were hip-hop influences in Slow Mo and I liked how the beat helped balance out the song and kept Slow Mo‘s lightness weighted. BamBam’s vocals were on display throughout this track and I liked how he kept his delivery soft and light to match the other elements of the song. The chorus was definitely a prime example of his vocals on full display, with the verses taking on a bit of a rapping tone. Everything was quite soothing and calming, which works well with the instrumentation. The melodies and hooks were probably the most lacking component of the song, simply because they didn’t appear to be as memorable. I also feel that repeat listens to the song might dull it, but I guess that is a ‘wait and see’ matter. What I needed the most in Slow Mo was a bit of a punch to keep me interested in the song, and I feel the producers of Slow Mo delivered with that brief yet subtly intense dance break we get at the 2:10 mark of the music video. It just fits in so well with the instrumentation and overall vibes, but also gave the song a little bit more oomph. Overall, Slow Mo was a great track. It might be slightly weak in certain areas, but its execution and delivery overall can overlook that flaw.

I really like the bright pastel colours used as the video’s colour palette. It just felt so fitting for this song. Anything too harsh or bold would have obviously clashed with the song. Aside from that, the music video consisted of a mixture of ordinary (i.e. some of the interior shots) and aesthetic shots (i.e. all of the shots in which looked like they were an ‘exterior’ shot), along with some high quality choreography shots. I would have liked the video to be a bit more interesting in some regards, though. It is one of those videos you just need to watch once as you kind of seen all of it, and doesn’t pull me back for a replay.

The performance was probably the outlier of this comeback. It felt a bit loud, compared to what I would have thought the choreography would look liked (i.e. wideness, energy thrown into delivery or the fast pace nature of some of the moves). Don’t worry though, as it still managed to work well with the song nonetheless, capitalising on the heftier beats of the song.

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

[Review] riBBon – BamBam (GOT7)

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Since GOT7’s departure from JYP Entertainment earlier this year, the members have gone their separate ways, vowing to return on a yearly basis to great fans as a seven-member group. But while we awaiting new of a GOT7 comeback, the members have been doing a lot of solo work. Some of them have gone into acting, while others have gone onto release solo music that shows their individual colours. Today, we witness the solo debut of BamBam, who has signed on with ABYSS Company, the current home of fellow JYP Entertainment alum Sunmi. The title of BamBam’s solo debut single is riBBon (I like the play on his initials within the song’s title), which is also featured on his solo debut mini-album of the same name.

When it came to the GOT7 members, it was clear to me which style of music certain members would go towards for their solo work. But the biggest question mark for me was placed over BamBam, who didn’t really have a chance to showcase a musical style as much as the other members during his GOT7 days. So, to hear riBBon, which is quite upbeat pop sound that has a tinge of hip-hop to the song was a surprise for me. But I guess that really fits in with his cheerful and vibrant personality. To me, riBBon is a pleasant pop song. Nothing more, nothing less. To facilitate the review process, I have had a couple of listens to the song. And each time, I found myself taking a mental step back and appreciating the song for its enjoyable and sweet nature. I have tried to sit down to really tear the song apart. But I just can’t help but take it all in as a whole piece rather than break it up. I think this is a good effect, showing me how wholesome and good the song is. In addition to that, I also liked how ‘riBBon‘ sounded like ‘reborn’. I think that is quite intentional, especially given the lyrics of the song which talks about being a better version of himself. That being said, riBBon is no perfect song. There are some wrinkles throughout the song that need some attention. Firstly, the song could have reduced the autotune it used to process BamBam’s voice. While I believe this is his thing (based on some of the work we have heard during promotions with GOT7 and the fact that it gave the song a good sense of texture), I think this would have cleared up some English pronunciation issues. Personally, I was a bit confused on what he was singing in the opening lines of the chorus without the aid of the lyrics side-by-side on the screen. I know BamBam is a strong English speaker, so I think the issue comes down to the vocal processing. I am also not a fan of the rap inserts in the pre-chorus. I feel that muddled the pre-chorus a bit. Overall, riBBon is pleasant solo debut for the GOT7 member.

Like the song, the music video can also be described as pleasant. it was an extremely well styled music video and all worked in harmony with one another. From the black background at the start, the black suit worn by BamBam and the use of multi-coloured flowers on the ground and on the suit complimented one another. In the more colourful scenes, everything was pastel and nothing was overwhelming or harsh to look at. The video definitely showed a good side of BamBam.

The choreography is pretty good. It is upbeat and bouncy, which fits in with the song. While I am not a big fan of those rap inserts in the pre-chorus, the move that it enables to be in the performance looks quite cool. I also found the moment in which the two dancer used their legs as like gates to which BamBam opens up to be quite memorable.

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