GreatGuys – KPOPREVIEWED

Earlier this month, GreatGuys made their comeback with Run, which is the title track of the group’s third mini-album, We’re Not Alone_Chapter2: You&Me. I am not familiar with GreatGuys at all. The only song which I have reviewed from the group was their 2019 release, Be On You, which was the title track off Chapter1 of this We’re Not Alone series. Based on a quick Google search, the group is made up of nine members (Jaei, Uiyeon, Horyeong, Daun, Baekgyeol, Donghwi, Hwalchan, Haneul, and Dongin). They are under DNA Entertainment and have been around since 2017. Chapter2 also features the remake track In Summer, which also serves as a title track for this release. I haven’t decided whether to review it yet, but if I find time, I will try to. In the meanwhile, here is my RUN review.

Despite being an unknown group to me, RUN was an enjoyable track. I prefer it without the horse neighs at the start and throughout the song. But I will give the producer some points for using that unorthodox way of drawing/keeping the attention of listeners into the song. What I really like about the song is its intensity and its fast-pace. The trance-like instrumental just continues to come at you while the members are singing or rapping. It packs a punch when it matters most, such as when the members are singing and during the very important chorus. But it also knows when to hold back on the punches, such as the stripped back pre-choruses. The instrumental also has this thrilling side to it. Replay it a few times and you will probably hear what I mean. It felt like the music you will get in a thriller or action movie when the character is running away from death or the antagonists. This is probably intentional, given that the song is titled RUN. Vocally, the group had some really good moments. But overall, I thought it was decent, at best. I just wanted a little more to the song in the vocal/rapping department so it can go that additional mile and pull in some more listeners. Overall, it is a really cool track that is exhilarating. It is safe to say that RUN has put the group on my radar.

For a music video from a smaller company and an obvious low budget, this one was pretty good. Their company didn’t opt to use any of those overused music video sets. The water fountain background that they shot majority of their choreography shots and some solo shots actually looked very unique. I am also glad that they didn’t have outfits that intentionally expose their bodies like in their previous comeback. Though, some abs were shown towards the end of the video. Overall, everything looked quite good in the video. However, I am going to picky with one particular element. The post production addition of flames during the second verse rap sequence looked really cheap and unnecessary. As far as I could remember, that was the only appearance of it throughout the entire music video. Glad it didn’t make its way to anywhere else in the video, as that would really lower the quality (which should be avoided given that the video already does have a ‘low budget’ feel).

It was an okay performance, overall. I felt that the moves could have been punchier, refined and cleaner. This would have matched the intensity of the song quite well, but also give off the impression of being in sync. I am quite sure we all know the reasons for the latter. It just looks better.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 7.6/10

It is the final Catch Up Review post for the meantime as I will knock off the final four songs from the ‘Coming Soon’ list. But the segment might come back in a near future so I can tackle reviews for the tracks that I might miss throughout the month. After all, they are quite short to write compared to my full reviews. But before that, we need to tackle four more reviews with the focus on M.O.N.T, Teen Teen and GreatGuys.

Rock Paper Scissor – M.O.N.T

For this review, we need to cast our mind back in January 2011, where M.O.N.T made their debut with Will You Be My Girlfriend?. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember that track whatsoever, so I thought M.O.N.T made their debut with Rock Paper Scissors. But actually, the group made their first comeback with Rock Paper Scissors in August 2019. The group recently came back (unknowingly) and I will have a look at their most recent single another day. But on with the actual review. The song capitalises on the funky hip-hop influences that has been attempted by a number of groups so far. And it is these funky elements including the brass really make the song standout for me. I thought their rapping and vocal work was pretty good. The only issue with the song is that you don’t really hear much development with the track. It stays rather neutral and very consistent with the retro funk sound. But I think the song is very vibrant and appealing that I look pass this and thoroughly enjoy the song as a result. The music video shows the guys catching a glimpse at a lady and battle against one another to get to her with the game in which the song is titled after. As cliche as the next part sounds, they all manage to win and end up going up to he, overwhelming here most likely. It is a good video, with the comic book word effects landing on our screen every now and then throughout the video, which I guess helped the video from developing into a boring mass. The performance was rather weak though. For a song as vibrant as this, you would expect the routine to be a little more uplifting and energetic. (7.1/10)

Bae – M.O.N.T

As far as I know, Bae is a b-side track from the same album that Rock Paper Scissors is featured on. And well, the ‘b-side’ description is very much the song summed up in a nutshell. Firstly, Bae isn’t as heavy or loaded as the title track. Secondly. I find the song a lot sweeter and lighthearted, which contrasts significantly with the title track (see review above). However, I have my reasons to why I am including this song on the review (minus the fact that it has a music video). I thought it was a decent track. Their vocal work was very solid and the song was rather catchy after multiple listens. The song also showed off a different side of the group which we haven’t seen yet, which is always a nice thing since KPOP is very dependent on variety. The music video was shot in a European country that I cannot identify and it showed the members going on a scavenger hunt. They follow clues left on Polaroids and have to complete mini missions to get the next clue. At the end, their prize was a mini fan meet, which I am sure the group will remember for a long time. I am not sure if the group knew at the time, but I thought it was a nice way of showing gratitude to their fans with a lighthearted song like this. As far as I am concerned, there is no live performance/dance routine for this track. (7.6/10)

It’s On You – Teen Teen

I will be honest that this is the first time in a number of months that I have checked out the music video for It’s On You (obviously, for the review). What really strikes me in regards to this group is that that look very young. And after some fact checking, all the members were born in 2003 or 2004 (i.e. when I was in first grade). The group are also former contestants on Produce X 101, so that is why they might seem familiar. It’s On You is another funky hip-hop track. similar to the first song on today’ post. This one is a lot lighter and not as vibrant as the earlier track. It is a little disappointing as the instrumental does feel like it is lacking something to give the song some much needed oomph. I do think the song is a lot more suited for their age. The singing and rapping balances on a fine line of being suitable for the song but also lacking energy, which I thought was interesting. The chorus was at least vibrant enough to really catch my attention. The music video is based around planes, which I think is a fine concept. The video also looks like a 3 minute video of friends having fun, which is obviously the route you would want your music video to go if the artists performing are from such a young age range. I am not for the cutesy side of their performance, however. Yeah, they may be young. But after many years watching music videos and performances, it just looks when they overdo it. And I feel like it that is the case here. (7.1/10)

Be On You – GreatGuys

The final on the list is not a funky retro hip-hop track of any kind. Rest assured. As far as I know, this is my first time reviewing GreatGuys, so I am very unfamiliar with the group. According to a Google search, they are a 9 member male group under DNA Entertainment since 2017. Past works include Illusion, Dang, Ganda and Last Men. Be On You is a very ‘noisy’ dance track. The instrumental, described as a R&B dance track, is loaded with elements that really either works well with one another or you will think is headache inducing. I go back and forth between the two sides depending on my mood. But there is no point in denying the intensity of the song, which I think really helps make this track feel bold. Its noisiness might also be a charm, depending on how you feel about it. I thought the rapping and vocal work (when you can hear it over the instrumental) was pretty good. One concern about the song I have is the questionable title/repeated chorus lyrics. The music video shows two sides of the members. The first being the more intense and dark side of the group, while the second side is the more casual side. Obviously, the latter is more appropriate for the song’s vibe. For some fans, the presence of skin might be a draw point. I personally don’t find the video captivating. It more of the ‘seeing it one is enough’ type for me, as the concepts have been done before by other groups. The choreography was definitely a strong point, in my opinion. Given the song’s sound, I had expected this and through the group delivered nicely on this front. (7.2/10)