Tag: BIGBANG

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[Album Review] Down To Earth (2nd Mini Album) – TAEYANG (BIGBANG)

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TAEYANG kicked off 2023 very strongly with the release of VIBE, a collaboration with JIMIN from BTS, and his second ever mini-album, Down To Earth. Alongside VIBE, the mini-album also features the title track Seed, the side track Shoong! (which is a collaboration with LISA of BLACKPINK) and three additional side tracks (two of which are further collaboration with other artists). Per usual, all the links to the individual song reviews and my thoughts on the other three additional side tracks are located down below.

Down To Earth Album Cover

1. VIBE (ft. JIMIN of BTS) – Click here to read the full review for VIBE. (9/10)

2. Shoong! (슝!) (ft. LISA of BLACKPINK) – Click here to read the full review for Shoong! (7/10)

3. Seed (나의 마음에) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Seed. (9/10)

4. Reason (나는) – Reason is such a soulful and dreamy track to get lost in. Considered me charmed and captivated from the opening second. TAEYANG’s vocals steal the show and the instrumentation was beautiful. The song was a stunningly swayable melody that you know I enjoyed and that saxophone midway in the song was beautiful. (10/10)

5. Inspiration (ft. Beenzino) – I liked the touch of funkiness in Inspiration. The guitar riff and flute was a nice touch. Altogether, it makes for an appreciable and pleasant instrumentation. TAEYANG gives the song some oomph with his vocals, which moves it up the rating spectrum for me. Beenzino’s rapping sequence starts off good, but I do not like the way it ended with the spoken motif. I was also not a fan of the distant filtering that he applies to his vocals in the in the bridge. (7/10)  

6. Nightfall (ft. Byran Chase) – Nightfall is a synth pop track that gives off such an atmospheric vibe. I found it hard to step away from Nightfall, just because it pretty much had everything I liked. Needless to say, TAEYANG and Byran Chase’s vocals were really amazing and complements this synth-pop track so well. The instrumentation itself was perfectly upbeat and consistent throughout, yet it never felt tired or overdone. Both the instrumentation and TAEYANG gave the chorus the right amount of punch to it to make it feel impactful, making this the highlight part of the song. (10/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.7/10

Down To Earth Teaser Image

[Review] Shoong! – TAEYANG (BIGBANG) ft. LISA (BLACKPINK)

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TAEYANG made his long awaited solo comeback earlier this year with his second mini-album since his debut as part of BIGBANG way back in 2006. As part of the comeback, TAEYANG has released VIBE (which features JIMIN from BTS), the title track Seed and a performance vide for the side track Shoong! (which features LISA from BLACKPINK). As flagged in Seed‘s review, a review for Shoong! was on the cards and I will finally be getting around to doing that today.

Of the songs that was released in April as part of TAEYANG’s second mini-album (Down To Earth), Shoong! is the one that comes to mind most readily (more so than the title track). It recurred in my recommendations quite a bit in the weeks following its release and the track also boasts the featuring of LISA from BLACKPINK (which probably helped widen the audience of the song, and so it was shared further). But despite it boasting two big names in the KPOP industry and was shared around quite a bit on my social media, I oddly don’t remember much of Shoong! months on from its release. Listening back to Shoong! now, I find it uneventful. On Wikipedia, Shoong! described to be a mid-tempo dance track, described as an R&B and trap song. That is pretty accurate. But Shoong! is also is described as having “addictive melodies and trendy hip-hop beats”. This I disagree with. I find the melodies to be a bit of a drag (even though there is a ring to it, but not enough for me to categorise it as memorable or addictive) and the trendiness to be absent. Also, for a song titled after the sound of cars passing by, the way that the title is delivered throughout Shoong! makes it seem like everyone is going below the speed limit and passing by. The vocal work in Shoong! is reasonable for a mid-tempo song, with TAEYANG’s being quite solid and LISA adding a tinge of brightness to the song with her higher pitched vocals. I also liked LISA’s that flirty delivery, which adds a bit of character to the song. However, I think more could have been done in pretty much all areas of Shoong! to make it even better. As it is, Shoong! is an okay song, but it doesn’t live up to the expectations that I had expected with the two artists.

For this review, I am combining the music video and performance aspects of the release into one paragraph, given the video we do get is a performance video. I did appreciate the crispness and quality of the video, which is an expectation of a YG product. For those who are wondering, The Black Label (the company which TAEYANG is now signed to following his departure from YG Entertainment is actually a subsidiary under YG Entertainment). With the song in mind, the simplicity of the T set made a lot of sense. But I also enjoyed the “outdoor scenes” in the alleyway and cityscape roof. It was also definitely nice to see LISA in the video alongside TAEYANG. As for the choreography, it works. It was by far the most memorable aspect of the release. The key moves were smooth and I liked their chemistry. LISA’s flirty tone makes it into the choreography, while TAEYANG does a great job towards the end in adding a bit more intensity to the routine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video/Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10

[Review] Seed – TAEYANG (BIGBANG)

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Earlier this year, TAEYANG made his long awaited solo comeback with the single VIBE (which featured JIMIN from BTS). Fast forward a quick three months, TAEYANG makes a speedy return (relative to his comeback prior to VIBE) with the title track Seed. Alongside Seed, TAEYANG also released a performance video for the side track Shoong! (which features LISA from BLACKPINK), which I will review later on. Both tracks are featured on his new second mini-album, Down to Earth.

Seed is a stunning ballad, instrumented beautifully by piano. As the song progresses, we hear the emergence of guitars, orchestral strings and even band instrumental as part of the final chorus. But throughout the length of Seed, the piano has a constant presence in the song, which keeps the song consistent and allows the same feelings that you get from beginnings of Seed to come through the latter parts of the song. Now, you might think that what I have described thus far is pretty generic. And to a degree, you are right – the instrumental doesn’t really deviate much from a standard ballad. But what really makes Seed standout from other ballads is the heavy amount of emotions and sincerity that you can tell TAEYANG poured into the song, and that also pours out of the song. The few listens I have given Seed tonight required me to stop with whatever I was doing to take it all in (even as I am writing this review!). And it is these type of ballads that really captivate you are the good ones. The choruses in particular were the most captivating sequences of the song. Obviously, the emotions could not have been as heartfelt had it not been for TAEYANG’s vocals, which were outstanding and also nostalgic for me. His tone was just so comforting and warming. Overall, Seed is an amazing ballad that showcases TAEYANG’s artistic abilities.

The music video felt quite fitting for the song. While I am not exactly sure of the connection between the different scenes or cinematography used with the song, the overall vibes of both were in tandem with one another. And paired with the song, the video ends up becoming quite captivating, as well. There was one scene in the video that stood out to me. That was the scene with the five kids playing at the beach (and I believe there was another shot with Taeyang in the foreground and four figures in the background). I wonder if this is a hint towards BIGBANG, which used to be a five member group.

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

[Review] VIBE – TAEYANG (BIGBANG) ft. Jimin (BTS)

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It has been a while since we have heard from TAEYANG, with his last album release, White Night, being from 2017. Leading the album were the title tracks Darling and Wake Me Up. Since then, Taeyang had enlisted, got married to actress Min Hyo Rin and both of them had a child together (congratulations!). As for his singing career, things have been rather silent up until the end of last year when it was announced that Taeyang had decided to not renew his contract with YG Entertainment and went on to sign with The Black Label (a YG Entertainment subsidiary label). Now signed with a new label, TAEYANG announced his return to the stage through the release of VIBE, a collaborative single with Jimin (from BTS).

Now, the announcement of this single was quite a surprise. But it was a surprise that I was interested in seeing, given VIBE joins the forces of two of the biggest acts from the second and third generations of KPOP. VIBE definitely continues the idea of surprises, bringing forth an upbeat groovy ‘vibe’ that taps into retro and new jack swing influences. They help liven up the song and adds a fresh flair to the current KPOP industry. I also enjoyed the subtle presence of electric guitar towards the end of the song. It just gives even more refreshing at the end and helps bring everything in VIBE to a fitting and satisfying close. As for the vocal work, both TAEYANG and Jimin sounds really good throughout VIBE. I liked that TAEYANG doesn’t waste a second, starting off the song with a smooth R&B melody and sultry vocals. Once the instrumental kicks into gear, his vocals drives VIBE upwards and forwards, and he also brings a really vivid tone to the song that just kicks everything into gear. Jimin’s vocals in the second verse brings out a more innocent and young tone to the song, which contrasts really nicely with TAEYANG’s vocals. His higher pitch gave the song a bit of depth and adds to the dynamics of the song. The chorus, to me, was quite memorable thanks to the melodies and the energy both TEYANG and Jimin puts in. If I had to make some sort of complaint about VIBE, it is that I found the to be too short. I think more could have given and I would have enjoyed it just as much. Hopefully, we see more of TAEYANG in the near future!

When the video opens up and we sing TAEYANG shirtless, I was brought back to his Eyes, Nose, Lips days (back in 2014). That was a nice throwback. We then get both TAEYANG and Jimin, during their respective parts, fill the massive sets with their stage presence. Both TAEYANG and Jimin show off their sleek choreography skills (more on that later) and impressed me with how they carried themselves throughout the video. Watching them do their thing in this video was truly a vibe. I liked how there was the lowering of the stairs structure for TAEAYNG’s solo part and the lifting of a cityscape for Jimin’s solo part. These probably have some sort of meaning to TAEYANG or the song. It just isn’t apparent/obvious. But it was a simple addition to the song that felt aesthetic. When the pair finally came together in the second chorus to the very end of the video, they knocked it out of the park. Overall, I find this music video to be an example of simplicity done effectively.

As mentioned above, this music video shows off both TAEYANG and Jimin’s skills in the performance department. In TAEYANG’s case, he proves he still has what it takes to put together a riveting and skilled performance. I am unsure whether their solo parts were freestyle or actual choreography. Hopefully we find out through promotions (though I haven’t heard anything about that just yet). As for the chorus routine, that is all choreographed and I really liked the chemistry the two brought together when they performed together. The sharpness with their movements was very cool and memorable.

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

[Review] Still Life – BIGBANG

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The biggest comeback of this week is undeniably BIGBANG’s, who returned on Tuesday with their latest single Still Life. This new release ends the four year BIGBANG drought, with their last official group release being Flower Road, which was over four years ago. It has been even longer since we have heard from the individual members. While the group has been inactive over the last four years, a fair amount has happened. The members each undertook their military enlistments, Seungri retired from both BIGBANG and the KPOP industry due to a scandal and T.O.P ended his contract with YG Entertainment (but will remain a member of BIGBANG going forward).

Still Life is a subdued rock track that focuses on two elements – vocals and emotions. Both goes hand-in-hand within Still Life, making this both a somber and powerful release. Still Life‘s instrumental starts off slow and builds as the song progresses, allowing the song to grow towards the peak (i.e. the ‘La La La‘ sequence of the song, which really bundled Still Life in a nice, warm and comforting manner). There isn’t anything mind-blowing with the instrumentation, but it acts as a beautiful background to the members. Each member stunned me with their delivery. Taeyang started off Still Life with his warm and hopeful vocals, while Daesung followed up with his signature husky and raspy vocals. G-Dragon and T.O.P follows with vocals and expertly weaves in some powerful rapping, completing the BIGBANG reunion. The melodies in Still Life are remarkable, captivating and elicit that swaying effect that I talk about a lot when it comes to ballads (or other slow songs). Big ticks from me. I am also in awe with the way the song’s Korean title rolls off from both Taeyang and Daesung’s tongues. It just comes out beautifully. While the melodies and vocals act as an effective carrier of those emotions, it is the lyrics that are deep and meaningful. When I read the English lyrics, it just makes the members’ melodies and vocals just so much more impactful, and I recommend that you do the same for this song. Overall, Still Life marks the return of one of the legendary and famous KPOP groups, and does so in such an emotional and stunning manner that was expected of BIGBANG by all fans.

The music video was a beautiful accompaniment for this comeback. It appears each member represents a particular season, which would be in line with the song’s title. My best guess is that Taeyang represents Spring, thanks to the presence of the flowers and lamb; Daesung’s blue background felt refreshing and so represents Summer; G-Dragon’s umbrella and harsher reds represents the Autumn seaon; while T.O.P’s scenes features darkness and snow, which one would associate with Winter. I believe this order (which is the order in which they appeared in the video/song) matches up with the Korean title of the song. The video has also been theorised to be hinting at a possible disbandment. And personally, I do see that angle, with the members being separated and never coming together. We do see a glimpse of four chairs, but they are never all filled. Taeyang is featured with a lamb on a ship, which might represents his child and his journey into fatherhood. Daesung appears to be looking at himself in the present (based on the silhouette of the person we see in the background with the same hair) and is seen taking a picture with the four chairs, which might suggest that he is hanging back to hold onto the BIGBANG name/title. G-Dragon’s scenes featured a stage and a ‘behind-the-scene’ foldable chair, which might represent his desire to still be part of the industry, but in a producing or off-screen role. T.O.P’s scenes are on a different planet, which might represent his departure of YG, but his presence in the video confirms that he is still loyal to BIGBANG. At the end, we see each of the members walk away, leaving behind their empty set. Regardless of what the meaning and intent of the video, it is one that works extremely well with the song and is definitely nice to see the members in a video once again.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.4/10

[Album Review] The Great Seungri (1st Studio Album) – Seungri (Big Bang)

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So I wrote yesterday that I would be reviewing Seungri’s full album later this week. I just did not remember that I had organised for this to be done the day after. But we are here to look back on the release of Seungri’s first studio album, which is titled as The Great Seungri. His entire album seems lean towards electronic music, with the exception of just a few tracks. But that is all for you to read later on.

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The Geeat Seungri Album Cover

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

2. Where R U From (ft. Mino) – Click here for the full review of Where R U From. (8/10)

3. Love Is You (ft. Blue.D) – Love Is You showcases a groovy R&B sound which I really like. It attracts my attention straight way, especially with the guitars throughout the song. Seungri has a nice voice in this song, which makes it even greater. Joining Seungri is Blue.D, who I just found out is a YG trainee. She has a very nice husky voice, which complements Seungri’s vocals very well. It was quite disappointing when there wasn’t enough opportunities for the two to sing together. There were some and it left me wanting more (I am not considering the chorus as the focus was on Seungri the entire time and she was only heard as backup vocals). But other than that, it was a good song. (8/10)

4. Mollado (몰라도) (ft. B.I) – The next song on the album takes on that Latin trend that KPOP has been having this year. It combines that Latin sound and EDM, creating a very catchy and upbeat sound that sticks in your head for quite a while. The song also features B.I from iKON, who delivers a really cool rap sequence for the bridge of the song and takes over the hook at the end. Little confused to why they allocated that part to him but I am not complaining. (8.5/10)

5. Sweet Lie (달콤한 거짓말) (ft. Dannic) – What makes this track so awesome is the build-up to the epic drop and the epic drop itself. I honestly pass over the vocals. They are good, and the production did a good job of letting the two come together but they just weren’t at that same level as the instrumentation. It remained too consistent here, staying within the same style for the entire song. I feel like if his vocals were tweaked a bit or some autotune was applied, this would have been much more appealing. (7/10)

6. Be Friend – As soon as the song starts, you are basically thrown into this extremely upbeat yet cheerful atmosphere. The instrumentation reminds me of a G-Dragon song, while his vocals felt like some that iKON would be releasing as a b-side track. The combination of the two does work together and allows Seungri to deliver a catchy song. A part of me also thinks this song could work as a soccer anthem, just some tweaking in the lyrics would be required. (8/10)

7. Hotline – The instrumentation and the hook for this song would work extremely well for Psy. It also sounds like the perfect song to slide into a random group at the club to. Just listening to this track, you can basically imagine a club-themed music video, which seems to be something right up YG alley a few years back. It is another song that hypes the crowd up and attract your attention. It had a powerful build-up and great level of energy to it, which I like. (9/10)

8. Alone (혼자 있는법) – Following the electronic music theme that this album had going on, Alone brings a different feel to the table. Something which the album hasn’t experienced yet, emotions. I also like how ‘different’ the synths during the chorus felt. Instead of usually featuring an increasing tone, it felt more like a downward spiral, which I thought was interesting and quite cool. It did get a little repetitive towards the end, but it was still good. (8.5/10)

9. Good Luck to You – The album saves the best track for last. The song starts off generic but once it gets to the chorus, another epic drop presents itself. I liked how there was two sections of the chorus drop, which felt like it prolonged the awesomeness of the chorus. The lyrics for this song were cool and Seungri’s vocals here has to be my vote for best on the album. I would have liked for there to be a rap of some kind of give the song some edge, which would have it made more interesting. But overall, one really great song. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

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Seungri & Mino Teaser Image for Where R U From

[Review] Where R U From? – Seungri (Big Bang) ft. Mino (Winner)

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As mentioned previously, I will be catching up on some songs and videos that were released in the past few weeks, which I haven’t had a chance to write about yet. And with Seungri’s album review due to come out this week, I thought I look at the second music video released for the artist’s solo comeback, Where R U From?, which features Mino from Winner. Seungri previously returned with his main solo track, 1,2,3 last month.

The main intention for Where R U From is to hype up the listeners and be a fun track to listen to. It isn’t meant to be taken seriously, as you can tell from its sound and the music video that was released alongside the track. The song relies on a really simple yet catchy hook that gets you into the song. And this one hook did a good job at it. Seungri does a good job with his lines but I don’t think he was the star of the track. The featuring artist, Mino, was the better out of the two, in my opinion. His lines gave just enough edge to the song to make it not feel too repetitive and added that extra ‘cherry-on-top’ for the listeners to enjoy. The only issues with similar tracks to this one is that multiple listens later, you get tired of hearing the same thing over and over again, which is also happening to this song, unfortunately.

The entire video is a comedic response to the ongoing political tension throughout the world. I am surprised that this video hasn’t garnered much attention for its certain portrayal of two political world leaders. But putting that aside, I thought the video was interesting. I chuckled when Seungri pulled out the YG Entertainment table plaque thing and Seungri/Yoo Byung Jae’s paradoy of BLACKPINK and G-Dragon. In a few other ways, the video felt like it was pushing for a new Psy, which I am a little unsure about at this stage. But overall, it was good to see something different (and fun) for a change.

The performance confirms my last statement. The company is pushing Seungri to be the next Psy, who left YG Entertainment earlier this year. The way Seungri looks when he performs remind me of Psy. I thought some of his moves were good but others were just plain odd. But he did a good job with connecting with the audience and made it look decent overall, at least.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

[Review] 1,2,3 – Seungri (Big Bang)

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After 5 years, Seungri is officially back with his first ever studio album! Seungri is the youngest member of Big Bang and is the only member yet to enlist in the military (the rest of Big Bang are currently in the army). He has had a successful solo career so far, with his last release way back in 2013 with Gotta Talk To You. His latest title track is 1,2,3 (셋 셀테니) and this is featured on the studio album titled as The Great Seungri.

1,2,3 is probably going to be next favourite hit of 2018. The song itself is super energetic and upbeat, aspects that I tend to find extremely appealing. It is definitely something that we haven’t heard in a long time. I really like the retro vibes from the instrumental, which can felt most prominently through the bridge of the song. KPOP does retro pretty well and this is probably proof. I also really like the sudden 1,2,3 that throws us (literally) into the chorus, along with the addictive nature of the chorus. I also liked his vocals, which definitely added an extra layer of appeal, in my opinion. Personally, I didn’t expect this song from him, considering his past titles. However, it does fit in with his playful personality, which I do admire him for.

Like the retro sound, the video goes for a retro concept as well. Some parts remind me of the Grease era, especially the leather jacket, the smooth comb over hand movement and the bleachers on which the second verse focuses on. Anda features as the female lead in the music video, who does a jive (or something – I am not a dancer in any way) during the first chorus and rejoins the party in the final chorus. I also like how everyone joins in at the end of the song for the final chorus, which is definitely something we see often in a retro context. The last two minutes showed behind the scene footage, which I thought was nice. Overall, it was an excellent video.

The dancing is definitely quite good. While there isn’t a live performance for the comeback yet, what we see in the music video is definitely convincing me to check out the live performances. Really like the dancing between Anda and Seungri, along with the rest of the choreography.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.7/10

 

[Review] Darling – Taeyang (Big Bang)

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This is the second review for Taeyang’s latest comeback. The previous post for his other promotional track, Wake Me Up, can be found by clicking the name title. As mentioned in the previous post, This is Taeyang’s first comeback since Eyes, Nose & Lips.

Compared to Wake Me Up, Darling does have that same level of energy or suspense to it. However, despite it being a ballad, it does leave a very deep impression on your mind and has an impact, in its own way. The song, overall, is brilliant. I liked how striking the piano is, in the background.  I also liked how the piano was the main instrumentation for 2/3 of the song.  The final 1/3 of the song brought in some drums and percussion.  It have the song an extra dimension, which I thought was quite cool.  But what stole the slow was his vocals.  I really like how he projected his voice throughout the song. We know how capable he is with his vocals but here, it felt beautiful and like no other song that he had released in his career so far.  

The video does feel underwhelming.  For the most part, it did suit the song quite nicely.  The different scenes through the video made it feel amazing.  The drone -aerial shots looked spectacular and added aesthetics to the video.  The scenes with the female model was what I felt was the underwhelming part of the video.  They didn’t seem to be that much going on with her and Taeyang.  While i didn’t expect them to hold heads and skip in a field, her addition felt like it wasn’t needed, especially when majority of the video featured Taeyang and beautiful shots. But overall, the video was still quite nice to watch. 

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

[Review] Wake Me Up – Taeyang (Big Bang)

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Taeyang has marked his return to the stage with his latest solo comeback. Taeyang attempts to make another successful comeback with Wake Me Up and Darling as successful as his previous solo tracks, like Eyes Nose and Lips. But since we are talking about Taeyang himself, there is no doubt that he will reach that same level of success or even possibly go higher this time around.

Wake Me Up is one epic song. I don’t know what other words could describe the song better than ‘epic’. Compared to my previous comments for his last comeback, Wake Me Up is a song that sounded unique and unexpected at the same time. It started off very silent in terms of the instrumental. I almost thought he would have gone towards an acapella type of song. But instead, it was all for the suspense. Once the beat dropped for the chorus, it felt like bliss. The suspense throughout the start was amazing. The chorus itself (with the beat drop) was what gave it that epic feel. He maintains the momentum and his signature vocals are on full display in this song. So, what more could you ask for? The impact was there and the lasting impression is strong.

Well surprise, surprise. Taeyang is not wearing a shirt in this video. To add to the oddness, Taeyang doesn’t have some weird or wacky hairstyle. On a more seriousness vote, I thought the video was very elegant. There is an obvious lack of colour in the video during the more slower parts of the song and once the beat drops, you get that golden colour that is replayed constantly through the video. It is a little confusing to piece everything in the video together (and I am sure there is a story to be told) as the editing was made to match the upbeat and fast pace music. But besides that minor detail, it is a great video to watch.

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

[Review] Untitled, 2014 – G-Dragon (Big Bang)

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Within just an hour of release, there are only a few artists that are capable of debuting at the top of charts in South Korea. Actually, that might be incorrect, since I am only aware of one occurrence of that happening (just yesterday!). I am referring to the long awaited comeback of G-Dragon. And he has been topping charts everywhere around the world with his latest mini album, Kwon Ji Yong. The main track is Untitled, 2014 and is the first YG artist in a while to only come back with one main title track (not exactly sure if promotions will actually occur).

And of course, the Digital King himself went with a completely unanticipated style with this track. Though I am quite sure G-Dragon has released ballads in the past, I don’t think I have heard anything from him that is this heartfelt. Just by listening to it, you can tell that it goes deep. There are two parts of this song. The melodic piano instrumental receives big ticks from me. It’s simple and clean. Nothing too fancy. But the real winner has to be his dominating and amazing vocals. If the instrumental received big ticks, then G-Dragon’s voice has to receive massive golden stars. I think that description alone tells you what I think of the song entirely. I  am literally just staying still for the entire song, every time I replay it. I am in awe and am speechless at the same time. There is no highlight. I usually point out to a certain section of the song that I love the most. But it is evident that for the very first time, I think the entire song is the highlight. We all know what G-Dragon is capable of, but yet he manages to blow everyone (including myself) in one away or another, majority of the times he come back.

The music video showed his professionalism and skills. Essentially, the video was shot in under an hour. That is something unheard of. According to the new articles I am reading, the idea was extremely simple (which matched the simplicity of the song). The video focuses on G-Dragon’s performance, not content or complexity. And that is what is delivered. I love a good old simple video and this one probably one of the few that does it right. While we do not see G-Dragon that clearly, it is an amazing video to watch that matches the song perfectly.

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

[Review] Palette – IU ft. G-Dragon (Big Bang)

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The digital queen is officially back. This is her first major release in the last three years. On top of that, this is her first return to the stage in four years. Who am I talking about? It is IU, of course. And with her already (and always expected) chart topper, she is bringing out the big guns with one of the most unexpected collaborations to date. G-Dragon features on her title track and that will be reviewed today. And don’t worry, I will be getting an album review out for her fourth album, Palette, sometime next week!

Her last song was titled as 23, due to her age. This song seems to be an extension of that idea, but this time, IU is 25. However, the sound is completely different in comparison to her previous track. It’s a slow track that doesn’t much going on it. It doesn’t rely on a heavy instrumental. Instead, it is very minimalistic. The song reminds me of a white room or a blank canvas. Sure, it may sound boring to some people, but it can mean a lot and be interpreted differently by others. And with that minimal sound (or white room or blank canvas), it gives her vocals the chance to shine. We already know of her vocal capabilities, but with this song, she displays a much more mature sound that we haven’t heard from her. Her higher pitch during the chorus and the slowness of the song makes the track sound so much better. Furthermore, the song is addictive and extremely catchy. I have already replayed it a number of times and I am singing along (in my awful voice) every time the chorus kicks in. Finally, G-Dragon’s rap sequence sounds pretty cool, I can’t really deny that. It was extremely fitting and added an urban sound to the song. Something that brings the song down a bit, since IU was singing her parts at a higher pitch before G-Dragon came in. Overall, it is an amazing song, so do check it out.

I mentioned the idea of the white room before. And the video was shot is a white room, as well. And yes, while a white room may be boring, but it is what IU does in the room (besides stealing the spotlight, of course) does fill it up. It’s an odd idea and it’s one that didn’t occur to me until I started writing this part. But her presence fills the room. And in a sense, that does paint on the white walls. It is just a thought that I had while writing this, but it made me go back and watch the video a couple more times. We are also shown other shots. One that stole the show was when she appeared in her Good Day outfit (I think. It’s the one where she is wearing the pink dress with her name and the age ’18’ written at the bottom of the video). It shows how far she has come. From Good Day, which was her big breakthrough in the industry, to her current video and matured style. I think the video is amazing. Like the song, it is minimalistic, but that does speak volumes in certain cases and this is one of those cases. Watching the video many times already and I have yet to feel bored.

[UPDATED] The accompanying choreography isn’t a big part of the comeback. She only dances during the chorus of the song and it is that little segment seen in the video. It wasn’t needed but I didn’t mind it. It too showed a more mature side to IU, matching the mature sound of the song. She also rapped G-Dragon’s part for her first stage. That blew me away. Search up the performance to watch her perform Palette!!

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 8/10 [UPDATED]
Overall Rating – 9.5/10 [UPDATED]

 

[Review] FxxK It – Big Bang

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Big Bang has made their long awaited comeback with their latest album, M.A.D.E. The album consists of all the song released in 2015, such as Loser and Bae Bae (just to name a few), along with 3 new tracks. This is their final release as a 5-member group as T.O.P will be enlisting in the near future. This is the review for just FxxK It. A review for Last Dance was released earlier, which you can access by clicking here.

Compared to Last Dance, I don’t fancy this song as much. However, I still like it. There were a few things that did leave me a little bored with this song. The song fits the party setting quite nicely and has certain parts have a nice kick to it, giving the song a pumping feel. While the rest of the world continues to praise G-Dragon’s rap, I think of the opposite. I don’t have a problem with his rapping. It is just his part feel a little empty. I am a guy who enjoys listening to vocals more than rapping. But we all know how epic GD’s rapping can be (you would have to be in denial if that is the case). So I was a little disappointed. T.O.P’s fitted perfectly with the song.  However, Taeyang’s and Daesung’s part built up quite nicely to the chorus (and in my opinion, did the song a huge favour). The chorus was quite simple but still catchy, like all Big Bang’s choruses. Singing along to it every time it plays. Seungri was left with the bridge and he did an amazing job. My other disappointment with the song (as a whole) felt a little repetitive. It was more prominent here than other songs because I felt it most at my two favourite parts (Daesung and Taeyang’s). But besides all of that it is still a solid party song when you just want to go and have a good time.

Many people are comparing the music video to We Like 2 Party and I do agree with this. Just everything looks more planned out and staged. This music video gives a nice contrast to Last Dance and shows the more typical side to Big Bang that we are used to. Which is the crazy and fun side, like they made a disco into a club within seconds. Just moments before, they were peddling down a market on a 5 seater bike, with a bunch of shop keepers (mainly old folks) standing around awkwardly. Besides that, there really isn’t much to say. I am not disappointed with the video in any way. Everything matched the song and lyrics of the song.

Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] Last Dance – Big Bang

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Big Bang has made their long awaited comeback with their latest album, M.A.D.E. The album consists of all the song released in 2015, such as Loser and Bae Bae (just to name a few), along with 3 new tracks. This is their final release as a 5-member group as T.O.P will be enlisting in the near future. This is the review for just Last Dance. A review for FxxK It will be released very soon.

Despite being released in December, this song leaves a long last impression on you. First time listening to the song, I was blown away. And now it is a song that I am wanting to listen to every time I plug my headphones in. Big Bang has a few excellent ballads up their sleeve, but there is something a little extra with this one that makes it one of their best. I think it might be the circumstance (impending military enlistments) that the band finds themselves in, which gives the song a more emotional and powerful feel. The vocals in this song are superb. Every member takes part in the song vocally, ending with a small yet deep sounding rap sequence by T.O.P. I personally think this would have to be one of their best songs (vocally) ever. The song has a very nice, soft piano instrumental as well. It added to that emotional side that I mentioned earlier and also gave the song a nice swaying effect, which I love. To me, there are no flaws in the song. Nothing is missing, overdone or underwhelming. Everything feels just right with this track.

The music video is visually stunning. Per usual, YG Entertainment did their thing when it comes to music videos. The video fits the song perfectly. You will be surprised how smashing everything and giving the sets a post-apocalyptic feel goes hand in hand with most ballads from a YG point of view (Check out Love Song by Big Bang for reference). I love the cinematography in this video. Everything is shot on an angle and I think it gives a nice effect to the video. G-Dragon’s reunion with his girlfriend for that one last dance at the ending during T.O.P’s rap sequence is quite haunting. But still really something that adds to the video. Someone should just change Taeyang’s hair for crying out loud. I am not a big fan of dreadlocks (refer to any review with someone who has dreadlocks).

Rating – 10/10

Recap of Golden Disk Awards 2016 + Thoughts

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Probably one of the biggest award ceremonies for music and also probably one of the most prestigious, the 30th Golden Disk Awards (GDA) was held on the 20th to the 21st of January 2016. The GDA was supposed to be held in China but was moved back to South Korea due to the recent earthquakes that occurred there just 1 or two weeks before the scheduled event. Even though many people were shocked and feared the award ceremony would be either postponed or cancelled, the ceremony went off without a single hiccup and was broadcast live in both Korea and China.

What I like about this particular awards is that is focuses on both the physical albums and downloaded songs of the year. In other words, more awards for everyone. It is also nice to see who excelled in what (hahahaha…). The digital awards were handed out on the 20th of January, while the physical album awards were handed out on the 21st of January. The award show on the first night was hosted by Jun Hyun Moo, Kim Jong Kook and Seohyun (SNSD). The second night was hosted by Jun Hyun Moo, Leeteuk (Super Junior) and Krystal (F(x)) I have recapped the award winners on the two nights below.

Disk Daesang (Album Of The Year) – EXODUS (EXO)
Digital Daesang (Song Of The Year) – Loser (Big Bang)
Disk Bonsang (Best Artist) – APINK, VIXX, F(x), BTS, CNBLUE, Jonghyun (SHINee), EXO, Beast, Super Junior
Digital Bonsang (Best Artist) – Red Velvet, EXID, AOA, Zion.T, Park Jin Young, Sistar, Taeyeon (SNSD), Kyuhyun (Super Junior), Big Bang, Girl’s Generation
Best New Artist – GFriend, iKON, Seventeen, Twice
Popularity Award – SHINee
Best Rap / Hip Hop – SanE
Best Rock – Hyukoh
Global Popularity Award – EXO
Best Group Vocal Award – BTOB
Best Solo Vocal Award – Jung Yonghwa (CN Blue)
Best Male Artist Award – Big Bang
Best Female Artist Award – Taeyeon (SNSD)
Next Generation Star Award – Monsta X

Once again, this wide spread of award winners seem to be more representative of main stream KPOP. Not that I am complaining. Most of the award recipients were similar to the Seoul Music Award 2016, however a lot more artists won in this ceremony, since their was more rewards. Not that I am being a hater or anything, but Kyuhyun’s bonsang award seems a little far fetched. From memory (correct me if I am wrong though), his song never charted high on the charts and likewise Super Junior barely makes an impact on the digital side of the music industry. So I am a little suspicious of how he managed to get an award for a digital bonsang. Saying that, he did sell a lot. Like a lot on the physical side. But beside that, I think it was a nice range of artists who won and I think it is accurate (as in which artists managed to shine the brightest in 2015).

I really need to think of ways to start off the different sections, but once again… I think out of the all the ceremonies that have already been broadcast (NOTE: I am typing this prior to the Gaon Chart Awards), GDA has the best performances. Why? Because many of the artists performed multiple songs and I really enjoy how some artists (or their producers) integrate different songs together. GFriend, Red Velvet, EXID, Seventeen and BTS had the best stages on the nights. Some artists performed some songs that were released in the past (in previous years, such as EXID’s Up & Down, VIXX’s Error, Sistar’s Touch My Body etc.), which I kind of liked, but, the songs were released last year… so maybe a little outdated. But overall, the performances, I think, were to a very high standard and pleased me (*points at myself* and *acting as the biggest critic of all time*).

Below are just the few performances that I found and slapped together in a playlist format in no particular order.

For a last minute change to the ceremony, it managed to do pretty well in my books. Awards, performances. Everything was just great. There is one more to go of this season’s award ceremonies, which will be coming out in the coming days. Until then, bye!!

 

Recap of Seoul Music Awards 2015 + Thoughts

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The Seoul Music Awards is one of the award ceremonies held the year after for the year before. For example, the award ceremony for the 25th Seoul Music Award was held in 2016, but celebrates the flourishing artists of 2015. Understand yet? Well now that hard to understand concept has been dealt with, the 25th Seoul Music Award ceremony was held on the 14th of January 2016, in Seoul. It is said that this award ceremony is one of the most prestigious awards ceremonies for the year as it recognises the popular and talented artists of the year. Selection process for winners on the night are as follow: 20% mobile votes, 10% Popularity Polls, 40% music sales (both digital and physical album sales) and 30% judging panel’s scores. Only artists who released singles or albums in 2015 are eligible to win.

Like all ceremonies, a number of actors, actresses and other celebrities attended the event to give out awards. The night was hosted by Jun Hyun Moo, EXID’s Hani and Honey Lee. All artists that received the award on the night performed on stage (minus those whose awards were accepted on their behalf by label mates – Big Bang is who I am trying to refer to).

Just to recap the awards winners of the night:
Bonsang Awards – EXID, Red Velvet, Taeyeon (SNSD), VIXX, Yoon Mi Rae, Zion.T, BTS, EXO, APINK, Sistar, Big Bang & SHINee.
Best New Artist – iKON, GFriend, Seventeen
Performance Award – Hyukoh
Best Trot Award – Hong Jin Young
Best RnB Award – Sane
Best Ballad Award – BTOB
Best OST Award – Jang Jae In (performed with Wonwoo (Seventeen) on the night)
Male Dance Performance Award – Monsta X
Female Dance Performance Award – Ailee
Mobile Popularity Award – Kim Junsu (JYJ)
Hallyu Special Award – EXO
Record Of The Year (Digital Release) – Bang Bang Bang (Big Bang)
Record Of The Year (Physical Release) – Kiss My Lip (BOA)
Daesang Award (Best Artist Of The Year) – EXO

The Bonsang awards seem to be more representative of the mainstream KPOP this year. Finally, Seventeen get their Best New Artist award that I think they truly deserve. Most likely they got it for their record breaking album sales. And finally some people decided to pay attention to BTOB. I am not technically fond of their ballads in the past year, but hey, it looks like South Korea is finally paying attention to them. Ailee’s award is one I am not exactly sure of. I don’t think it was the best dance performance of the year. I think that belongs to a particular rookie who was present on the night as well. Regarding Kim Junsu, who was apparently not invited to the ceremony despite winning a key award on the night, there is some shady business going on. But hopefully, when this matter is resolved, justice for Junsu and JYJ will occur. 2015 was a step forward for them, with the introduction of the JYJ Law.

Ailee should not have been pestered for the cameras catching her “on her mobile”. The netizens make it sound like she was too busy texting another person or was too busy looking at pictures of food. Put simply, she was just downloading an app to support SHINee and was later seen supporting Boa. People should really see the bigger picture (or in this case, wait for it) before making a big deal out it. Also, Boa’s award. Even though it was nice to see her win something, I agree with a lot of people who say she got the award just because of her senior status. It was her 15 year anniversary and she probably wouldn’t have received any award for her album if she debuted later on. Also, Starship should not deprive Sistar of any chances to get on the stage. They looked like they really enjoyed being there and were probably excited for their first stage together in what seemed to be 6 months.

Performance wise, I actually did not pay that much attention to the performances in this ceremony. Some of them were disappointing to watch, while others just did not appeal to me or make me want to watch. All I am going to say is the few that I did manage to watch (mainly the first half) were okay. Just minus the introduction for EXID’s performance. That was shocking. Stand out was probably GFriend’s intro. While their fan chant came to a close second. I don’t why I feel that way regarding the performances, I just was not feeling it. For the past few years which I have been watching the SMA ceremonies, their performances are by far the weakest of all ceremonies. Below I have put a handful of performances that I could quickly find into a playlist from the night.

Well, that is it for my wrap up of the Seoul Music Awards 2016. Hopefully, next year is better. Less controversy and better stages required to make this an award ceremony that I can look forward to.