Making her solo comeback last week was MIYEON from i-dle, with the single Say My Name, which serves as the title track off her 2nd solo mini-album, MY, Lover. This new release marks her first solo comeback in several years, following her solo debut with Drive and the mini-album My, released in 2022.
Say My Name sees MIYEON delve into a pop ballad, providing us with a perfect dose of melancholy that puts the lyrics into perspective (more on the lyrics later). The instrumental for this song features the usual suspects for a ballad at first. But as the song develops, the growing presence of drums and guitars gears it away from the traditional classical hallmarks of a ballad and into pop territory. Say My Name is made stunning with MIYEON’s vocals. The way she carries the melodies with her voice and falsettos during the choruses was definitely a memorable aspect of the song. The high note was also spectacular. As mentioned earlier, you can sense the emotions behind her vocals. I must admit that I did get worried seeing the length of the song, noting that I am not a big fan of the ongoing trend of keeping songs below the 3-minute mark. But Say My Name‘s short length strikes the right balance to make the song appealing without feeling too much or too short.
Say My Name is about wanting to let go of an ex, but being unable to entirely forget someone because you can still literally hear their voice and recall the good memories with them. The music video depicts heartbreak by showing MIYEON turning around when she thinks she hears her name, but there is no one around her. It becomes more heartbreaking when it is later revealed that she passes by or is a few steps behind a person who can only be her ex, which represents the idea that the memories linger. It is a rather minimalist and straightforward video, but it does a great job of portraying the lyrics. I also like how it complements MIYEON’s vocals. Listening to the song whilst watching the video made it feel like we were walking with her.
I am unsure if this comeback required choreography, particularly since MIYEON remains in one spot for most of it and only performs minimal moves during the performance. But the dancers do make it look lovely, and give the stage a bit more depth and dimension to enjoy
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 8.6/10
I made a promise on the blog a while back to review MINNIE’s solo single ‘soon’. Well, ‘soon’ has come as I am finally getting around to reviewing MINNIE’s official solo debut single HER, which is featured as the lead single off her debut mini-album of the same name. An album review for this mini-album will follow, after I’ve reviewed some of the other singles with accompanying music videos. I haven’t decided whether to review all of them separately before the album review, but you will find out soon enough. (Note: ‘soon’ has been used this time around to mean soon, and not a couple of months away.)
HER leans into the groovy and upbeat pop music trend that we have been hearing a lot in KPOP (now and back when HER was released). I find the instrumental to be pretty simplistic, with a hefty beat and those groovy tropes serving as the main elements of HER‘s background. MINNIE’s vocals throughout the song are light and delicate, which I find to be well-balanced with the instrumentation. I did wish MINNIE had been given material that made her sound stronger to give HER some additional oomph and dimension. Yet, somewhere along the way, both vocals and backing come together to make HER sound sophisticated, which suits the concept the debut went for (more on that in a second). What I have always liked about the song is how catchy it is. The chorus plays the repetitive card, but it was effective and has allowed the song to stay strong in my books. Overall, a strong solo debut track from MINNIE.
The music video sees MINNIE play 3 versions of herself. The first version we see, MINNIE dressed in white, is actually MINNIE herself. She goes on a drive at the start of the video, but returns home later on presumably to deal with the other two versions of herself. Left behind at the mansion are playful MINNIE (dressed in pink) and serious MINNIE (dressed in red). They are polar opposites, representing two distinct halves of MINNIE’s mind and personality. I like how they are continuously clashing, though I wish it were more physical than verbal clashing. I also like MINNIE’s final expression in the entire video, clearly fed up with her alter-egos.
I liked how MINNIE embraces her sensual and seductive sides for their accompanying performance. I liked how sassy the chorus felt, both on stage and within the music. It was definitely worth checking out.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
After rebranding from (G)I-DLE to i-dle earlier this month and pre-releasing the single Girlfriend, i-dle is officially back with their 8th mini-album, We Are. Leading the mini-album is the single Good Thing. It is their first release since July 2024’s Klaxon and their 7th mini-album, I SWAY.
To me, Good Thing is an underbaked version of their top hits. The instrumental behind Good Thing has so much potential and is its best asset, with the synth work and 8-bit sounding reminiscent of second-generation KPOP. The infusion of rock elements was a great way to make Good Thing feel very much in i-dle’s wheelhouse, but I wished the song explored more of this. Perhaps make the song even more electrifying. But it is ultimately the song’s hooks that don’t offer much in terms of robustness and dynamism that let Good Thing down. I liked how they carried their usual sassy feel into the chorus, but the hooks themselves didn’t spark any excitement. Also, “I heard your good thing” isn’t too great of a line. Aside from that, the rest of Good Thing is okay. Their rapping and vocals were nice. YUQI’s rap in the second verse is solid, while the pre-choruses were strong segments from the vocalists. While I don’t usually agree with autotune, I think it fits in with the instrumental of Good Thing and gives off a good effect. Overall, Good Thing has promise but undelivers when it matters the most.
The music video for Good Thing was a blast to watch. While I am not entirely sure what message the group is trying to say through their lyrics, the mix of constant fighting and then vibing with one another actually makes for a fun video. My favourite part involves MIYEON on the train, where she gets her hair pulled by MINNIE and pushes YUQI off the train. As to what this could possibly mean, my best guess (and I want to emphasise that this is a guess since I don’t understand the lyrics) is that the “constant fighting and then vibing with one another” dynamic represents their toxic relationship with a former lover, with the lyrics coming off as sarcastic and making fun of their past lover.
The choreography for this comeback is fantastic. Quite sure I have mentioned this about them in the past, but I love how their routines exude confidence, boldness and sexiness. They are a powerful group, and their choreographies have consistently shown this. The only part that I felt could be cleaner and smoother is the start of the instrumental break at the end.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the group formerly known as (G)I-DLE will be making a comeback under the new name, i-dle. Alongside this announcement, the group released a special mini-album titled We are i-dle, which features 5-member versions of their past singles from their debut track LATATA to 2021’s HWAA. This rebrand also follows their contract renewal with CUBE Entertainment, which was announced at the end of last year. Their newly released single, Girlfriend, comes from their upcoming 8th mini-album WE ARE, which will drop in 10 days.
Girlfriend leans into the pop rock genre a fair bit, more than usual for i-dle. I was geniunely surprised (in a good way) to hear how pop-leaning the chorus was, while the verses shows more of the rock elements to make it pop-rock overall. The chorus actually reminds me of a KPOP track from the early ’10s, thanks to the upbeatness, the simplicity of the hooks, the straightforwardness of the pop sound, the slight toots and the all-members sing-song chorus. The simplicity of Girlfriend‘s hooks comes across quite effectively. The “I don’t give a f*ck about love cause we are i-dle” is very catchy and addictive. At first, I was disappointed with how repetitive it was and thought it was wasted real estate. But I am not too bothered by it now. The vocals and rapping are clear and crisp, as usual. Overall, the saying ‘simple is best’ applies well for Girlfriend. I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us on the 19th with the rest of WE ARE.
i-dle in the music video seems to be some sort of underground group that goes hunting down bad exes to scare them away from their former lovers, who sought out i-dle’s services. At the same time, they also provide company to those who sought them out, referring to themselves as the ‘girlfriend’ in the lyrics. Again, simple is best and I liked how clear and straightforward the video was. There is nothing to confusing and I liked how the story is on par with their other music videos in the past.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
(G)I-DLE is nominated for Best Female Group, Best Stage Presence, Best Vocal Performance for FATE and Best Pop Song for Super Lady. Support (G)I-DLE’s by clicking here to vote today. Voting closes on 31 January 2025.
(G)I-DLE made their comeback back in July 2024 with their 7th mini-album, I SWAY, and the title track KLAXON. This could have been their final comeback, as they were in the midst of renewing their contracts with CUBE Entertainment at the time of the mini-album’s release. And in the past, the group has been open about their displeasure with their company. So there was a possibility of not renewing with their company. But as good news, (G)I-DLE confirmed they had renewed their contracts with the company at the 2024 Melon Music Awards. Thus, there will be more (G)I-DLE music coming our way in the future!
Back to I SWAY, the mini-album is on the shorter side, with just four songs (including the title track). These side tracks made for a strong mini-album release, whereas the title track was forgettable. I SWAY follows the release of 2 (their second studio album) and their Super Lady comeback from January 2024.
2. Last Forever – I really like how pleasant Last Forever is. This pop song features touching vocals and hearty melodies from the members. It is super easy on the ears, straight forward and simple. And while the song is the shortest track on the album, it always feels satisfying and fulfilling. (9/10)
3. Bloom – The first thing I notice in Bloom is its dreamy motif, which makes Bloom sound so heavenly. If that wasn’t enough, then the instrumentation’s retro touch and pleasant upbeatness would have won me over. And if that weren’t enough, the amazingly perfect and airy vocals from (G)I-DLE would have. I don’t see how I could have avoided the attractiveness of Bloom. (10/10)
4. Neverland – Neverland falls into the realm of a ballad. Again, I like how straightforward and unfiltered their vocals and rapping felt in this track. The acoustic instrumentation is just stunningly beautiful. As mentioned above, had (G)I-DLE chosen to not renew their contracts with Cube Entertainment, Neverland (titled after their fanclub) could have been the group’s final track. And that would have made the song bittersweet. Just a food for thought for a moment. But as also mentioned above, the group has renewed their contracts and will be continuing forth together to bring us new music. (10/10)
(G)I-DLE started the year strong with their 2nd studio album, 2, lead by the pre-release single Wife, title track Super Lady and the unexpecting hit single Fate. The group has now returned with a new mini-album titled I Sway, which is lead by the single Klaxon. Following promotions for Klaxon, the group will embark on their third world tour, as announced back in May.
I am a bit torn as to whether I like Klaxon. It has potential to be a hit and there are some likeable elements in the song, but it doesn’t surpass the likes of DUMDi DUMDi (a (G)I-DLE summer time hit from 2020). The track itself had brightness and energy. But it felt held back and Klaxon didn’t fully embrace these summer time essentials. On the other hand, Klaxon also features brass elements and upbeatness, and these definitely helped sell Klaxon as a summer time song. But beyond that, the backing of Klaxon does still feel rather basic and not as bold as (G)I-DLE’s more recent tracks. Had Klaxon embraced some boldness (perhaps accented the background a bit better) and maintained the current summery vibes, the song would have a lot more bite to it and it could have rivaled the other Summer time hit (G)I-DLE already have under their belt. As for their vocals and rapping, I thought they were good. Again, basic melodies. But the members delivered those well. An awkward aspect of Klaxon are the hooks. The song’s two main hooks were rather lackluster and not as enticing as in the past. These dry out the song, though I have to admit the randomness of the “Hon hon hon hon hon honk” hook does keep things a bit interesting. Without any context (like how Klaxon is another word for horn), it feels like an odd choice. I just wished it was delivered with a little more emotion. The other hook in the song, the “Oo, Oo, Wa-Oo“, was indeed much better in terms of effect and delivery, but also lacked innovation and felt typical. Overall, another song that has resulted in mixed feelings.
As for the music video, the members fully embraced the summer heat and made it into a sexy summery music video. I liked that, especially the fact the members did not shy away from donning the outfits throughout the video. SHUSHUA definitely stole my attention with her looks throughout the video, with MINNIE’s curls being a close second. However, I am not keen on whatever the hair situation YUQI had on the beach. Elsewhere in the video, it appears the members are chasing someone. But it only becomes apparent towards the end of the video during the desert scenes. The connection here with the song is that the members have fallen for this mystery person and are driving after them to get their attention (presumably by honking the horn of the car they are in).
The choreography for this comeback looks relatively simple. And I quite liked that. It works well with the basic profile of the song, and sometimes simplicity is indeed better. I liked the various key moves that accompany the hooks of the song (not matter how basic and typical they sounded), as well as the cascading bit in the bridge of Klaxon led by Minnie.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
As flagged last week, I have been gearing up to review (G)I-DLE’s second studio-length album, 2. A classic sign of that is when I review side tracks that got the music video treatment in close proximity to one another. In the case of 2, the two sides tracks that I reviewed in close proximity was the pre-single Wife and Revenge (a side track that (G)I-DLE released a music video post-release of the album). Sitting in between the two releases (in terms of chronology) is the title track Super Lady. The album also features another 5 songs (making it 8 songs in length), including the hit single Fate (which the group ended up promoting after it got popular in March – two months after the release of 2).
As you can see, this album is full of bold tracks from (G)I-DLE, which shows off their artistry and continues to show their ability to take on multiple music styles. I do also like how they continue their confident and powerful messaging in this album. This theme that is very consistent across their recent releases, such as in their previous Korean album release was last year’s I FEEL (which features the single Queencard).
3. Doll– Doll continues the darker vibes that we heard in Revenge. While it is a good song with a further touch of grunginess in the chorus and a classic creepy feel to the verses, I am not exactly thrilled by it. The vocals were more typical. They did have a powerful aura to them. But I wished there are more melodies in Doll song, rather than the spoken motif that was consistently present throughout the track. The song also ends with the typical “La La La”, which was also how Revenge (i.e., previous song) ended. (7/10)
4. Vision – The consistent beat to Vision makes this song very addictive and cool. I liked how the elements of the song are backed up and how it gave Vision a lot of definition. The beats are backed up with some strong bass, while the vocals (during the choruses) are backed up with this low and subtle spoken utterance of the lyrics. The more upfront vocal work was very fluid, while the rapping is one of the best examples on the album. Altogether, a very alluring track that really stuck out at me when the album was first released and remained as one of my favourites ever since. (10/10)
5. 7Days – 7Days is a soft drum and bass track, which I found to be quite soothing and calming to listen to. Compared to the bolder sounds on the album, 7Days is easily forgotten. But when you return to listen to the album in full, its lighter presence does provide relief from everything else on 2. The softer instrumentation helps makes the song soothing and calming, but the members’ softer vocals also play a big part in this. They sound so light and delicate throughout the track, while the melodies sound very comforting and wispy. (8/10)
6. Fate (나는 아픈 건 딱 질색이니까) – Interestingly, Fate ends up being one of the bigger songs on the album alongside the title track, rising to prominence after a performance on Lee Hyori’s Red Carpet and through its It’s Live YouTube video. Fate itself ended up winning a triple crown on the weekly Korean music show Inkigayo and rose to the top of the Circle Charts in Korea (something the title track didn’t achieve). Fate is a funky pop-punk track that had reminded people (including myself) of the 00s era of JPOP. I quite liked the vocals in this track, which came off as very refreshing and vibrant to listen to. Vibrant is also how I would describe the instrumentation in Fate. We also get some interesting vocal colours from the members throughout the track, with a cutesy flair coming to my mind from all members. Some members, like SOYEON, gave Fate an interesting zing with their vocals. Overall (and just like everyone else), I was definitely captivated by the unsuspecting Fate. (10/10)
7. Rollie – Leading us towards the end of the album is Rollie. There is a fair bit to like in Rollie, such as the flow of the song to the trap beats to the husky vocals to the simple hooks that are quite addictive. I would have liked the producing team (which includes YUQI) to turn the dial up a notch to bring up the heat and make the song feel wow. Rollie just feels a little simple in its current form. I think the song demands a bolder feel, particularly for its self-confidence message, and the mature tone that comes off Rollie. It is still a great song as it is. (8/10)
If you can’t already tell, me reviewing the side tracks that have music video so closely to one another is a sure sign that an album review is coming up. For (G)I-DLE, the album in question is 2, their 2nd studio length album. An album review for 2 can be expected this weekend. I reviewed Wife last week and Super Lady was reviewed a couple of weeks after its release. Whilst going over the album for the album review, I did realize I forgot to cover one song that also got the music video treatment – Revenge, the second song on the studio album 2.
Revenge is another short song, clocking under 2:30 minutes. Listening the song a couple of times for this review, I am still caught off guard by how short it actually feels. But despite it being short, (G)I-DLE manages to still pack a fair bit into the song. Revenge features two big influences in its instrumental – the rock in the choruses and a Latin sound that backs SOYEON’s rap sequence in the second verse. There is a bit of a groovy touch to the first verse, but I put that in the realm of rock as well. As for the execution of vocals and rapping, (G)I-DLE did well in Revenge. MIYEON’s vocals stood out the most in the song, with her vocals clear and powerful. SOYEON’s rapping sounded quite sleek and I prefer her charisma in this delivery than her other deliveries in the past. The only part I am not exactly sure of is MINNIE’s part in the second pre-chorus. It just seemed a bit too high pitched, relative to the rest of Revenge. I do think Revenge could have benefited from a stronger melody to really pull the song together and give this shorter song a memorable element. The chorus itself served as a decent central point to anchor and pull us in, but it didn’t last for long (based on how I completely forgot about song prior to the upcoming album review). Something similar can be said about the “La La La‘ at the end, but I not sure if that can be categorised as a hook given its brief and at the end of the song. Overall, Revenge is a good song and serves (G)I-DLE well for the most part.
The music video is age restricted due to the domestic violence and murder scenes in the video. Am I allowed to say that? Not sure. Oh well, spoilers ahead. I have to say, this is one interesting music video. Essentially, it begins with an explosion involving Shuhua as the victim (i.e., Victim Shuhua) and her partner. Another character played by Shuhua comes into the picture as the detective to investigate the explosion. The suspects she is investigating are patrons or workers at the hotel in which the explosion occurred – Minnie (a celebrity), Soyeon (the maid), YUQI (a musician) and MIYEON (another detective). It turns out each person (sans Detective Shuhua) became involved when MINNIE was seen running away from Victim Shuhua’s room, shocking YUQI. SOYEON also comes from the same direction, suggesting she showed MINNIE the what had happened in the room, and MIYEON became looped in after seeing the aftermath of this encounter between everyone. Later on, it was revealed what has been happening to Victim Shuhua – she was a domestic violence victim. However, she fights back with the help of her new friends. I quite like this montage of events, from the POV of the partner. Victim Shuhua hits him back enough to draw some blood, YUQI knocks him out with her guitar. The partner then wakes up to see SOYEON pouring gasoline over the partner, MIYEON stabs the partner to incapacitate and MINNIE lights the match to set the place alight (which probably prompted the explosion). Later on, SOYEON is seen disposing of the body, while MIYEON removes evidence (i.e. the pen she uses to stab her friend’s partner) as she questions MINNIE earlier on in the video. Victim Shuhua stays in the hotel room and becomes a victim in the explosion, probably to pin everything on the dead partner (whose body was later discovered, leading to this investigation). As for detective Shuhua, we see her piecing the events in the video together. But once it clicks, she doesn’t proceed to arrest anyone, letting everyone get away with the revenge murder. Violence of any kind and murder is never the answer, but it made for an intriguing storyline in this instance and I really liked how dark it is. I do feel like the video has a few gaps, and I wished the video was longer to accommodate those missing details to tell a more complete story.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
I case you can’t see the music video for its age restriction, but want to hear the song still.
Ahead of my album review for 2, I need to review (G)I-DLE’s pre-release single Wife. This single dropped a week prior to the release of Super Lady, the title track from 2 and another hit of (G)I-DLE’s.
Over time, Wife has become 2024’s guilty pleasure song for me. There is no way I will bragging about or showing off the song’s opening lyrics (‘I cook cream soup, taste is Coco Loco‘) to my friends or peers. At first, Wife was an odd song to me, as well. Musically, it didn’t fit (G)I-DLE’s repertoire at all and felt like a step away from their powerful title tracks. But Wife has become more fun sounding and catchy number with more listens and as it ages. The bubblegum pop is earwormy, and the song’s hooks are quite addictive with repeat plays. As time has gone by, I have also learnt that Wife has a deeper meaning, with the lyrics mocking the traditional stereotypes of a wife. This aligns with (G)I-DLE’s usual themes in their tracks that have repeatedly addressed and broken the social norms and expectations of what a ‘lady’ is supposed to be. The childish sound of the song also contributes to the mockery, and I feel that sets up the track quite cleverly. That being said, Wife definitely isn’t (G)I-DLE’s best work. But it is a really fun gem.
The mockery continues in the music video. From a glance, the music video appears very plain (but this is deliberate), aside from a striking element in the members’ looks. Their first look sees the members dressed in a striking blue green wig and white shirt, pants and shoes. In the second look, the wig turns white and the attire turns green. No matter what look, there is always something that blends them into the white background. The emptiness in the music video, as well as the blending into the background, signifies a wife without any interests, other than cooking and cleaning – the very traditionalist and stereotypical expectations a man has for a wife. The members also don’t lipsync until the very end of the video/song, where the lyrics are ‘I Don’t Wanna Wife, Wife, Wife‘, which further highlights their messaging of not wanting to be that traditionalist and stereotypical wife.
The choreography feels less of a mockery, with the members looking to have more fun. But there moves that still looked childish and elementary, which probably is their way of continuing that mockery in this final element of the release.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
Welcome back for the Weekly KPOP Charts segment. It has a little while since the last one, which was posted before I went on an extended break for a holiday. But I am now back and ready to return to continue the segment!
If you remember back to the last one I posted (2nd Week of January 2024), I announced that the Weekly KPOP Charts for the remainder of January 2024 were to be cancelled and that I will bring back the segment from the 1st Week of February 2024. Unfortunately, that didn’t pan out as I hoped, so I have merged the 1st and 2nd Weeks of February 2024 together. But from here on out (until my next extended break, whenever that may be), the normal weekly transmission will occur.
Things will look a different as a result of the cancellation and merger, which I will explain down below. Let’s go!
UPDATE – 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards
If you remember a while back, I was hoping to post the winners of the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards that YOU voted for by the end of this month. While I did work on it somewhat during my break, I don’t think I will hit that deadline, and may need an extra week or so. I will confirm next week how much more time I need. Apologies for the delay and I am endeavouring to get it done as soon as possible, soI can move onto even more exciting stuff for 2024.
The Charts
Congratulations to (G)I-DLE, who’s latest comeback with Super Lady has topped the Weekly KPOP Charts for the combined 1st and 2nd Week of February 2024.
For those who are wondering, the golden (NEW) represents songs that were released whilst I away and have no been part of the chart system yet. The purple (NEW) represents the songs that were already in the chart system before I went on break (I have put them down as ‘new’, as it would not be possible to compare to charts from 5 weeks ago).
Another big release over the last few weeks is (G)I-DLE’s comeback with Super Lady, the lead single off the group’s second studio length album 2. This follows on the pre-release single, Wife, which is also featured on the same album (I’ll be back to review this single separately in the future), their previous Korean comeback with Queencardlast year and their debut with their first Western singles I Do and I Want That.
Super Lady is a grower, growing immensely on me over the last few weeks since its release. For the most part, my thoughts on Super Lady has remained the same from the beginning. But I do find myself fair more addicted to the song since my first listen. I very much liked everything in Super Lady, with the exception of the club-like breakdown we hear in the bridge and as the backing of the final sequence of Super Lady. I personally find it cuts the powerful and empowering tone that (G)I-DLE, and in particular Soyeon (who produced the song alongside Pop Time, Daily and Likey), had set up in Super Lady, and opts for a cliche breakdown that doesn’t show off the uniqueness that we know (G)I-DLE can pull off. I wished the song had better maintained that powerful/empowering tone throughout to the very end, as that had some substantial bite and would have really made the song a home run for me. Aside from that, Super Lady is a powerful track that (G)I-DLE knows how to handle extremely well. Soyeon’s introduction was commanding and kicks off Super Lady with a bold opening that practically sets the tone from the get-go. From there, the members follow up with strong vocals and rapping that highlights their skill set and talent. When it comes to the chorus, I really like the unapologetic catwalk vibe that is given off the music, while the tenacity and the ‘in-your-face’ nature of the song helps sell Super Lady‘s messaging so well.
Super Lady‘s music videois a homage to strong females we have seen in pop-culture and history. For example, each member portrays a strong female who have made a name for themselves in their respective story or chapter in history. Soyeon portrays Athena (the Greek Goddess of War), Minnie portrays Medusa, Yuqi portrays Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians, Shuhua portrays the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, and Miyeon portrays the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. In addition to those characters, it is theorised that the song’s lyrics also makes references to currently active female groups like IVE, LE SSERAFIM, EVERGLOW and aespa. Even the black and white palette used in the video for the background, outfits and styling reminds me of 2NE1’s I Am The Best music video (though there was a bit of colour in that video). I also really liked the stadium stage setting the video was also set on. It looked epic up close and the crowd cheering at the end really seals the deal that (GII-DLE are Super Lad[ies].
The choreography definitely reflects the song well. It is powerful, shows us who is boss and definitely showcases (G)I-DLE in their strongest mode yet. I really like the domino sequenced move in the verses, and the chorus routine looks very catchy (though I will put that towards the Super Lady dance challenge that I am seeing on my social medias).
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.8/10
(G)I-DLE, Jung Kook (and his fellow BTS members), JENNIE’s groupmate JISOO and NCT (and its units) are nominated in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support your favourite acts byclicking here to vote today.
It has been a couple of weeks since the last International Song Review post, so it is time for another. Last time, I focused on songs releases by Anne Marie and Minnie ((G)I-DLE), LE SSERAFIM, ITZY & CHEN (EXO). This time, I will focusing on (G)I-DLE’s I Want That, Jung Kook’s Standing Next To You, JENNIE’s You & Me and NCT NEW TEAM’s Hands Up.
I Want That – (G)I-DLE
Language: English Release Date: 5 October 2023 Release Type: Heat (1st English Mini-Album)
(G)I-DLE made their official Western debut with the single I Want That, following from their I DO pre-release earlier this year. I don’t have too much to say about the track. I do like what they have offered to us, but I think more could have been added to I WANT THAT to really enhance it. The club style and heavy bass gives this dance track some sassy and powerful energy, which is backed up by their lyrics. The chorus is super addictive, thanks to the combination of the beat drop and repetitive hook. Personally, I would have liked more character from each member, as I WANT THAT does get monotonous at certain points. A bit more sassiness and attitude from the members in I WANT THAT would have taken it to the next level
The music video begins with the members on the boat, which I presume is the aftermath of the events in the video. We are then shown the toxic relationships between the members and this guy. At points, it is sweet and romantic. Other times, he is abusive and a horrible human. In particular, we see Minnie walking down the aisle as a bride to marry this guy. But when she turns back, she only see a dark church (which alludes to her future with him). She runs away from the wedding before it gets any further. In the end, she takes matters into her own hands by walking into the guy’s workplace and points a gun to his head. We see glimpses of the other members pointing guns at the same guy, which represents the anger from his past partners and revenge they want. He taunts her, but he doesn’t realize that she was determined and shoots him point blank. To finish the job, she also brought a bomb, which causes chaos with the other workers. In the end, Minnie and the rest of the members walk out and get on the boat we see them on at the start of the video. As for the choreography, we don’t get too see much of it. But it looks okay. I just wished the choreography scenes were better incorporated into the video and featured better styling.
Overall Rating – 7.9/10
Standing Next To You – Jung Kook (BTS)
Language: English Release Date: 3 November 2023 Release Type: Golden (1st Studio Album)
Following the success of his other singles (Seven and 3D) earlier this year, the announcement of Golden and Standing Next To You became highly anticipated releases. I will be making plans to review Golden, but that might not happen until next year. But for now, I can say that my thoughts on Standing Next To You are somewhat positive. When I really focus on Standing Next To You, I really find myself appreciating the sleek vibes, retro energy and funky tones this pop track offers. I like that the track doesn’t mess with such a formula, keeping the track consistent from start to end. In the context of Standing Next To You, this is a very positive aspect of the track. Jung Kook’s delivery is charismatic and sensual in this song, which I am sure fans are enjoying. His falsettos can become quite addictive, but I particularly like the shoutier style he gives the pre-chorus, which heightens the chorus that comes after. But reflecting on the track afterwards and when I don’t focus on Standing Next To You, the track is rather forgettable and doesn’t really hold me as much as Seven and 3D did. It might be the case of being too sleek, but I boil it down to a lack of memorable hooks to really get this song into my mind and make me want to return.
In addition to the song, the music video also shows off Jung Kook’s charismatic charms that fans consistently highlight. His good looks are definitely are also on full display, which again, I think fans would be loving. The video is descried as showing Jung Kook chasing after a mysterious femme fatale. We see him catching up to her at the “light at the end of the tunnel”, which is a nice way of showing us the positive effect this femme fatale might have on Jung Kook. I did also think Jung Kook dancing in front of the big hole in a way is his way of showing how he could potentially fill that void in the femme fatale. All of this (and I am presuming the dancing also had an effect) convinced her to approach Jung Kook at the end of the music video. Talking about dancing, it is no doubt that Jung Kook’s performance skills were on full display, which I personally really enjoyed each time I have seen the music video. The sleekness and sensual nature of the song comes through really well in the choreography, and I also like the more intense parts of the routine, as well (such as the pre-chorus and the end).
Overall Rating – 8.2/10
You & Me – JENNIE (BLACKPINK)
Language: English Release Date: 6 October 2023 Release Type: You & Me (Digital Single)
You & Me was released following the conclusion of BLACKPINK’s massive Born Pink world tour. Upon first listen, I was disappointed with the track for a number of reasons, including the lack of personality, the disconnect between the different parts (particularly the verses and choruses), the lack of any memorable melodies or hooks etc. There was a lot in You & Me that just did not sit right for me. But the more I continued to listen to You & Me, the more I grew to like You & Me. After all, I am all about giving second chances when it comes to the music I listen to. The problems are still there, but they are less jarring then before. The standout parts of the song, for me personally, are the verses and the instrumental outro. The verses had a nice pleasant pop vibe to them. Sure, it isn’t anything riveting, but I felt a sense of nostalgia to those sequences. The heftier beats and electronic instrumental outro felt like a decent conclusion to the song, which was all very synth forward from the get-go. Heck, even the squeaks became charming for me. But there are some stuff in You & Me that I still feel the same way about from day 1 – the chorus instrumentation and vocal work was bland, there isn’t memorable melodies or hooks in the song to make the track memorable, the post-chorus vocal tone was not appreciable, and the rap speak sequence reiterated the song’s blandness. Overall, the good aspects were balanced out by the bad aspects in You & Me, and so I am on the fence for this one.
As for the performance video released to accompany You & Me, it is your standard high quality video that you would expect from YG Entertainment. It is more on the simpler side of the spectrum of music videos, but it still features a memorable moment or two, such as the silhouette of JENNIE and the male dancer whilst the moon in the background was brightest. JENNIE’s red dress is also pretty memorable. Performance-wise, it looks good. Nothing stands out to me, but it was a good routine nonetheless.
Overall Rating – 7/10
Hands Up – NCT NEW TEAM
Language: Japanese Release Date: 8 October 2023 Release Type: Hands Up (Digital Single)
The final song in this post is for a future group. NCT NEW TEAM is the current temporary name for NCT’s Japanese (and final) unit, who will debut next year. Beats me to why we don’t have an official name when they are already putting out Japanese songs. Hands Up is what you expect with NCT title tracks – a very synth driven dance number. There is more to the synths, but my mind keeps on coming back to describing the synth selection as “tinny”, and this I find to be pretty standard. The drumming/percussion added to the song does infuse more energy and texture to Hands Up. But I would also describe this to be quite tinny, so it doesn’t really add anything new to the song. At least, the energy and texture does provide a fun vibe, which is backed by hooks like the “Ooh Ooh“. The vocal work is a bit standard, as well. A good showing of skills, but nothing worth discussing further. And with every other NCT (or SM song for that matter), the bridge is definitely on point. As a starting point, Hands Up does a decent job of introducing us to the new unit/group. However, as they begin to pump out more songs (which I hope will be the case) and finds an actual name, I hope they can also develop a sound for themselves that is within the realm of NCT’s music.
The music video sees NCT NEW TEAM’s world become overrun with these green blobs that keeps on self-generating. The group, whom are just high school students, use their skills as baseball players and the power of the baseball to smash these green blobs. Ultimately, they kill the biggest blob with a power pitch and hit by the members, which causes all of the others to die. At the end, we see one of the members back on a train with a glowing green baseball, suggesting we might not have seen the last of the green blob monster. Overall, I quite liked how the producers showed off the group’s youthfulness and the new energy they bring to the industry. The choreography looks good, matching their synchronisation with what the other NCT units are very much known for. The energy they bring via their performance and choreography is refreshing and fun, as well. The choruses’ routine is the best bit.
Language: English Release Date: 9 March 2023 Release Type: Expectations (Digital Single)
I start off this post with Anne Marie and Minnie’s collaboration single, which I was promptly reminded of last week when they (and Expectations) were nominated for Best Collaboration at the 2023 MAMA Awards. For me, Expectations is very much on trend with the current sound of pop music in the Western world. I really like the instrumentation, which has an addictive vocal synth in the background, some really refreshing guitar work and the slight punkish pop rock sound in the chorus. Both Anne Marie and Minnie’s vocals are quite good and sound well-rounded. The bridge is probably a really good example of this. As for the chorus, the centrepiece of Expectations feels like an anthem, both easy to follow and easy to commit into our minds. I like how the instrumental makes way for the vocals at certain points within Expectations, allowing the vocals to have moments of impact. Overall a strong showing from the pair, with a song that has an impactful message telling you to go on your own way, rather than following the expectations of everyone around you.
The music video is a miss for me. I think I watched it once when the song was first released, but I definitely have not gone back since then. It is super cheap, and I think the company behind this video (Warner Music Korea) could have done a lot better. It honesty looked like two random rooms were chosen on the fly and the producers just gave a microphone to the pair to sing into. No additional styling or budget was given to give the rooms some life or identity. At least, there was some post production to the video, but even that was pretty ordinary.
Overall Rating – 7.1/10
Perfect Night – LE SSERAFIM
Language: English Release Date: 27 October 2023 Release Type: Perfect Night (Digital Single)
Perfect Night is the newest track in this post, dropping only just yesterday. I would describe Perfect Night to be a pretty track, thanks to subdued instrumentation consisting of the twinkling synths, trap beats and the rhythmic guitar. This formula unfortunately doesn’t push any boundaries and doesn’t offer the usual upbeat energy that LE SSERAFIM puts behind their title tracks (which I kind of was hoping for in this collaboration – more on this in a moment). In fact, the instrumentation remains pretty much the same through and through. On the flip side, however, I found that LE SSERAFIM’s smooth and light-on vocals went quite well with the instrumentation subdued nature. Again, this is through and through Perfect Night. I think with that comment, you can probably guess that I found Perfect World to be quite consistent. As usual, I say consistency can be a good thing. But in the case of Perfect Night, I find the consistency to be a problem, where that multiple listens to Perfect Night might wear off the current charm and prettiness that I get from the song. At the moment, I find this new song to be “just nice”, but I don’t know if that is how I would describe the song the more I listen to it.
As mentioned above, this release is actually a collaboration with the game Overwatch 2. Essentially, LE SSERAFIM are celebrities in this virtual world, and the OVERWATCH characters make their way to watch LE SSERAFIM’s performance of Perfect Night. The characters experience some problems, such as bumper to bumper traffic and forgetting the tickets. But having abilities, the characters bypass these issues quite easily. But the video ends happily with the characters enjoying the LE SSERAFIM concert. I also like the slight node to Fearlesswith the dance studio that LE SSERAFIM started in for this music video. As for the choreography for this release, it looks quite nice and matches up with the prettiness that the song embodies.
Overall Rating – 7.8/10
RINGO – ITZY
Language: Japanese Release Date: 18 October 2023 Release Type: RINGO (1st Japanese Studio Album)
RINGO is a fairly new release that I haven’t actually checked out yet. So my thoughts on RINGO here will be my first impression. RINGO is a very in-your-face type of song, kicking off with some bold beats. I like the Latin tinge and the bombastic feel that RINGO brings to the table. The chorus concentrates all of this into a singular strong central piece, which comes off as both memorable and intense. The hooks were fantastic, as is the dance club energy that comes off RINGO‘s centrepiece. However, the disappointment aspect in the chorus, for me, were the vocals. They felt very shouty and was definitely pitched higher than what it needed to be. This approach makes me nervous for the group, because it makes things more difficult for the group and creates a needless form of tension in the song. Yes, the members needed to be heard over the bombastic energy coming off the background, but surely the producers could have been a lot clever about how to approach this. On the other hand, Ryujin’s rapping, particularly, in the second verse, leaves me impressed. Overall, I do like what RINGO has to offer and there is enough in the track for me to enjoy and remember the track by. But I think better execution in terms of production would have made RINGO feel more at ease.
RINGO is about forging one’s story, rather than following a story that is already set out for them, such as in the fairytales. The word RINGO is the Japanese word for ‘apple’, and the music video begins with the infamous fairytale of Snow White (which we all know features an apple). The bitten apple in the story turns into a sword and shield, the very same sword and shield that is later held by Lia. This represents that the members don’t need a prince charming (or another ‘saviour’) to help them out. Instead, we see the members protect themselves when they are under fire and finding their own way out of situations. We also see the members pick their own apple and taking a bite out of it, regardless of if it is forbidden or poison, going against the fairytales to create one’s one story. The choreography for this release is equally as strong and powerful as the song and story behind the music video. I like the many apple biting references and also that power walk that kicks off the final chorus.
Overall Rating – 8.5/10
Light Of My Life – CHEN (EXO)
Language: Japanese Release Date: 17 August 2023 Release Type: Polaris (1st Japanese Mini Album)
In the lead up to the release of Polaris, CHEN dropped a single from the mini-album each week. This ended on 17 August 2023, when CHEN dropped the final and lead single Light Of My Life and the full mini-album. Light Of My Life is another beautifully executed and really well-done ballad to add to CHEN’s repertoire of ballads. But what I like about Light Of My Life is that it doesn’t conform to the ballad numbers that CHEN has previously released before in Korea. Instead, he opts for a mid-tempo band instrumentation and some orchestral touches in the instrumental, which is distinct from his previous tracks that were just orchestrally instrumented. The band instrumentation really helps make the track more powerful, in my opinion. It added some punchy moments that we haven’t heard in CHEN’s ballads in the past. The band instrumentation also allows CHEN to really show off his vocals and give Light Of My Life so much more oomph. When the combination of the instrumentation and his vocals peaks in Light Of My Life, you find these to be the most powerful moments in the song, and are truly breath-taking. Overall, a breath-taking number.
The music video features CHEN at two locations – the more memorable location (in my opinion) is on the moon. I thought the moon was a clever concept. The song’s lyrics features a message of finding the light, which implies that someone is in darkness. And the source of light in the night (which is when we commonly find ourselves in the dark) is the moon. So having CHEN sing on the moon, with the light shining of him is a clever way to represent light in the darkness. The second location is the city scenery, which were briefer moments in the video. CHEN doesn’t look sad in these scenes, even if the lyrics do feel emotionally charged. Instead, I think these scenes represents finding one’s way. And the only way to do that is if you get up and move about. For me, this was a super nice video to watch and works perfectly with the song.
Next up on the album review front is (G)I-DLE’s I FEEL, which is the group’s 6th mini-album to date. The mini-album is headlined by the hit Queencard, the pre-release single Allergy and four addition title track. More recently (as this mini-album dropped back in May of this year). the group has been touring the world with their successful discography and have also signaled their English debut with the single I Do and the upcoming release of their 1st English mini-album HEAT.
3. Lucid– Lucid is a club-like pop track with a consistent thumping beat and some interesting bass-organ element in the background. Quite striking, if you ask me. The members sound very sleek and mature in the song. Both styles complement that club-like nature the song immediately makes me think of. The chorus was a strong centrepiece and exudes a sensual vibe, thanks to the vocals and instrumentation working together. (8/10)
4. All Night – Kicking off All Night is a very suspenseful piano. But this is soon left behind, after the song switches up into club-banger territory and stays in that realm for the rest of the song. Groovy bass and a mixture of soft and crunchy rock guitar riffs make up the backing of All Night. Throw in a super cool and catchy chorus, in terms of both melodies and hooks, and you pretty much have the best song of the tracklist. (10/10)
5. Paradise – Paradise takes the form of a pop ballad, with the members showcasing their vocals in this track. Their vocals are beautiful and soothing to listen to, while the instrumentation features a peaceful and atmospheric set of synths. The melodies and chorus were stunning. The bridge features Soyeon’s rapping, and she does it at a paced manner that allows it to fit Paradise nicely. It is a hard song to dislike. (9/10)
6. Peter Pan (어린 어른) – Finally, Peter Pan ditches the synths and brings us back to an acoustic form of instrumentation with this pop number. We get acoustic guitars and a consistent beat in Peter Pan. The members deliver their vocals and rapping in a punchy and fun manner. Overall, it’s a light and an easy-going pop track to close out the mini-album. (7.5/10)
Prior to their Queencard comeback earlier this year, (G)I-DLE pre-released the single Allergy as a teaser for their I Feel comeback in May of this year. I had flagged that I will review Allergy some time in the future, and that is finally happening today. So, here we go!
Allergy takes on the early 00s form of pop punk rock and it comes together well. It is more on the softer and delicate side of the spectrum, but still has some good energy to it. I did wish there was a bit more oomph or a kick to the pop rock to help Allergy become a more memorable anthem or track. This would have aided the lyrics of Allergy as well, which expresses insecurity due to the pressure of social media and social norms. Also (while we are on the topic of lyrics), there are also references to Hype Boy and TOMBOY in the song, as well! To complement that softer side, the members approach Allergy with vocals. While the choruses’ melody does have a nice ring to it, I did think the extra kick to the instrumental would force the members to give a bit more power and oomph to their delivery, which would help prevent Allergy from sounding flat. Allergy wasn’t necessarily flat, but the neutral nature of the song did lead it in that direction. So, Allergy is just missing that extra something to give it a boost, which in turn would have really helped everything else.
The music video for Allergy serves as a prequel to the events in Queencard. In this video, we see the members struggle with the impacts of social media and social norms. Soyeon, an ordinary person, is deeply insecure about her looks and decide to go under the knife. The video cuts out with Soyeon going under, which the events inQueencard following immediately from this. I thought that this video did a really good job of showcasing the lyrics, and I quite liked the scrapbooking effect that we see throughout the video.
There really isn’t too much to the choreography of Allergy. It is a fairly simple routine, that features more acting that dancing. The members taking a slightly cutesy approach to show off their insecurity on stage. It isn’t as strong as the theme was in the video, but you could still feel it on stage.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
After a super successful year with TOMBOY and Nxde, (G)I-DLE is back with their new title track Queencard and their 6th mini-album, I Feel. It follows the pre-release of the single Allergy, which is also featured on this new mini-album. Unfortunately, once again, I have not yet reviewed the pre-release, which the accompanying music video for it actually set up the events in the music video for Queencard. I will definitely return in the future (ahead of the album review) to review the pre-release. But for now, here are my thoughts on Queencard.
To me, Queencard had the slightest essence ofTOMBOY. Drawing upon one of KPOP’s hits last year is a smart move (not whatever Nxde had attempted to do). There are some key differences between the songs that make them individualistic from each other and there are some aspects within Queencard that weakens the song from my point of view. Let’s start off with those differences, as they are also the more positive aspects of the song. Queencard is clearly more upbeat and suited for the incoming Summer season. The more melodic pre-chorus was really nice and pleasant sounding. The energy the members bring to the song and the grungy pop rock influences really gives Queencard a strong and resounding glow. Queencard‘s main hook were repetitive, but the repetition felt punchy and bouncy, which helped win me over in the end. The weaker aspects of the song come in two forms. The first are the lyrics. I get that Queencard‘s message was of self-confidence and self-love, and I do see the intention of the lyrics. But “My boob and booty is hot” and “I’m twerking on the runway” is quite cringy. The second aspect that weakens the song is whatever the second verse was. It was a poor attempt of changing up the momentum of the song, and slows down Queencard to a sluggish affair. I could totally have done without the second verse, and substituted a similar approach to the first verse with different lyrics. That would have been more interesting and exciting to my ears. Overall, Queencard doesn’t top TOMBOY or any of their other title tracks that I personally still enjoy from them. But it a neat follow-up to the 2022 hit.
As mentioned in the introductory paragraph, the music video for Queencard follows on from the Allergy music video. In case you were not caught up with Allergy, the opening to this music video has a “Previously on…” introduction which reminded us that Soyeon was not confident in her current looks and had decided to go under the knife for a new look. In this music video, the other members show us what it is like to be confident and to be the centre of attention at a party. Meanwhile Soyeon comes to the realisation that she is already a ‘queencard’ and opts out the surgery. She is immediately rewarded by the attention she gets on social media at the end of the video.
With the choreography, the literal less than a second move done by Soyeon and Yuqi that is causing it not as big of an issue as the Korean netizens make it to be. I understand that Korea is a more conservative country, but it is not as bad as other performances that already exist in KPOP and the content of Western media (which I grew up on). Overall, I thought the choreography for Queencard was fun and upbeat, just like the song.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 7.6/10
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