Tag: i-dle

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 in Queencard 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 of TOMBOY. 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

As I mentioned in my last review, it is a big week of reviews. And I am namely saying that because of the many song/album reviews I am trying to prepare/post over the coming days. Last week, I completely missed the return of one of KPOP’s trendiest groups of the year. But today, I am going to knock out the review for said comeback on this blog. If you are wondering who I am talking about, it is none other than (G)I-DLE. They had a smash hit with TOMBOY earlier this year. On Monday last week, they returned with what looks like another hit – Nxde.

Let me start off by saying that TOMBOY did end up growing on me after I reviewed it (I acknowledged this in the album review I wrote for I NEVER DIE). So I am hoping that more listens to Nxde might change my perspective. I am of the opinion that it could have been a decent track, with a nice Broadway and old Hollywood influence to it. But there are some major flaws and it is because of these flaws that I hesitate with liking Nxde. Let’s start off with the positive aspects of the song. Firstly, the chorus. It can be broken down into two halves. The first half of the chorus is probably the most memorable aspect of Nxde, with the whisper utterance of the “Yes, I’m a nude” and the somewhat screechy violins. It is also one of my favourite parts of the song. The second half of the chorus fails to capture that same attention, as it opts for a pretty flat melody. But I did like the forceful vocals in this part. The pre-choruses were a nice ramp up to the chorus (though they and the vocal aspect of the verses were pretty standard for KPOP). I did like the additional touch of electric guitars during these pre-choruses, giving Nxde some extra edginess. The anthem sequence at the end was also a strong moment. The English could have been better, but I really like how the energy of Nxde peaks here. Now, with the positives listed, I turn my attention to the flaws of Nxde. I find all the flaws boil down to one particular member – Soyeon. I feel like if her parts were removed (i.e. the awkward intro, her overly energetic rapping in the first verse, her clumsy blur of a rap sequence in the second verse and the line “Now, I draw a luxury nude” in the bridge) and replaced with cleaner, clearer and toned back rap sequences, Nxde would have been much better and stronger. Her parts just attempt to jam her own individual style into the song and it just doesn’t work out. It also doesn’t help that she alone has a massive chunk of the song. On a quick side note, I am full aware that the intro shares the exact same lyrics as that anthem end of Nxde, but I felt Soyeon was trying too hard at the start. It left a poor taste in my mouth – not really the way you would want to start off the song. Overall, I wished Nxde was more refined and clever.

Concept wise, I think the video nailed the various vintage concept styles in this video. We got an amazing old Hollywood style going on with the group performing as showtime girls in the first chorus. We also see Marylin Monroe influence in some of Yuqi and Minnie’s solo scenes at the start of the video. Monroe is also acknowledged and thanked at the end of the video for being an influence. In the second chorus, we see the group don more modern/sleek outfits with a tinge of that vintage feel to it via the jewelry pieces. And then we get a bit of vintage and classical art at the end, with the members performing at an art gallery and posing as pieces of art throughout the video. Banksy was acknowledged as an influence for this part of the video, which I suppose is in reference to that “Nude” painting that is shredded. Needless to say, the visuals and outfits are the highlight of the video.

I liked that the choreography embraced that sensual undertones of the song, going with a memorable ‘pulling a zipper down’ move for the chorus and sexy hip waves. I did think when the sexy undertone was not there, the moves were a bit clumsy. I also feel the choreography is best when the members are in their showtime girls outfit.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.1/10

Another group who made their comeback yesterday is (G)I-DLE (though sans one member, Soojin, who was permanently withdrawn for the group following past bullying accusations made against her). The group has since reformed into a five member group, and made their long awaited comeback with TOMBOY, which leads the group’s first studio album, I NEVER DIE. This is the first comeback following the release of HWAA in January 2021. It also follows the solo debut of Yuqi (who debuted with Giant and Bonnie and Clyde) and the solo comeback of Kim Soyeon (with Beam Beam).

Just like the name suggests, TOMBOY takes on an edgy appeal. This edgy sound is something that I have personally thought would fit (G)I-DLE really well and that is what I get out of TOMBOY. The instrumental has this punkish rock profile that is powerful, tough, intimidating and fierce. The electric guitars are top notch and slamming throughout. But while the instrumental gets the praises, the other elements to TOMBOY are a bit … flat. From start to end, I felt the members delivery just didn’t live up to the hype and energy created by the instrumental. You can tell what the intended effect of all the parts were (it all goes back to being edgy), but their delivery and execution was weakened by the poor lyrics of the song. Within the first few seconds of the song, we get ‘Look at my toe‘. The repetition of the line ‘Ye I’m a tomboy‘ and similar variations loses its effect every time it is repeated. And ‘Sometimes we swear without cigarettes. I like to eh on drinking whiskey‘ doesn’t show for anything. Furthermore, it was all delivered in the same manner/tone and didn’t give much opportunity for the group to show off their own character or personality. It isn’t all weak though. There were some good vocal moments, such as the pre-chorus, which I liked. But it just wasn’t enough to save the likes of TOMBOY. The ‘Man or Woman‘ sequence and the extra bit of instrumentation we get at the end was good though. But again, not enough to save the song. Overall, I liked the idea of TOMBOY and think it fits with the group. But it was just not executed in a manner that it a great enough manner.

The music video was a lot cooler than the song. It was dominated by a heavy presence of the colour red and had some edgy imagery (i.e. blending of the Ken doll for some blood). It does steer the concept towards ‘try hard’ territory. But I don’t think we get there yet. The music video contains a lot of confidence and charisma that might have just helped hold back the music video from entering that territory. What I really enjoyed was that whole doll sequence, where the members (as dolls) drug the male doll, kidnap him and hang him upside down while threatening him with a gun, whilst innocently swaying their heads from side to side. Also really enjoyed the timing of the car explosion.

The charisma and confidence I just mentioned is all over this stage. It made the performance extremely worthwhile to watch, even though the main move looked meh. The verses were also good, and the final sequence just oozed of coolness and edginess, which I am sure is exactly what the members/choreographers wanted.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

Please accept my apology for drip feeding you the reviews like this. Today, we are covering another comeback that occurred on Monday of this week. (G)I-DLE made their comeback with HWAA and the mini-album, I Burn. This release follows their DUMDi DUMDi comeback that occurred back in August of 2020. Since the August comeback, the group has been busy with their Japanese comeback, their return as part of the K/DA lineup and an online fanmeet.

The first thought that popped into my head while listening to HWAA the first time was that this new song reminded me of HANN quite a bit, a previous single by the group. And I guess this was based on the atmopsheric approach that the songs share in common. But HWAA is a little different, as (to me) it has a bit of an edge thanks to the more upbeat instrumentation that the song ended up developing towards. I also find that the more intense moments of the song come during the verses, which is slightly different to HANN’s chorus approach when it came to that atmospheric vibe. And as we have that atmosphereic mindset in play, I was also slightly convinced that the group was going to pull an Oh My God styled chorus, which I personally would have been down for. I specifically note this, however, as I have recently found that I seem to be in the minority of people who actually enjoyed the Oh My God comeback. Obviously with that supposed general consenus, something similar would probably have made HWAA less palatable. I am hoping that this is more satisfying for other listeners to actually appreciate the effort that (G)I-DLE has put in for this song/comeback. I personally enjoyed the chorus, but wished there was something more than the HWAA harmonisation to give it that extra oomph. The rest of the vocal work in the song is superb, especially with Soyeon’s vocals at the start of the song and rapping in the second verse. It is however disappointing to hear that Shuhua only got four seconds of lines in the song. The biggest flaw for me with this song was the ending. Too abrupt for my liking. Overall, HWAA was a great song, though the ending was the biggest let down. And such an ending stays with you.

The music video was very aesthetic and stunning to watch. To me, this would rival any YG Entertainment music video. And this is saying a lot given how I am always amazed at the quality of their videos and the grandness of their set design. HWAA consisted for really beautiful and captivating set designs. The icy landscape with the dying tree in the background, Soyeon’s birdnest, the oriental styled walling and the moonlight garden were just so good. I also find their outfits and visuals stunning. Stealing my attention right away is Yuqi’s haristyle and those dresses with flowery patterns on them. The song doesn’t necessarily suit those dresses, but they work extremely well in that moonlight garden setting.

Hand motions and arm work heavily dominate the choreography. It is commendable how graceful they make the all those motios look during the pre-chorus vocal moments, matching with the music. And I really like how robust they make it look during the chorus, giving it energy and intensity to also match with the music at those parts. Essentially, they are doing the same thing but making it go both ways.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

Apologies for my absence over the last two days. I will explain myself later on once I get pass the many releases have been left un-reviewed during my absence. Let’s restart the reviews! First up is a Monday release from (G)I-DLE. I actually tried to write a review for DUMDi DUMDi on Monday, but ended up running out of time (as I needed to sleep for work the next day). And here is the review, finally! This is the female group’s first release since their epic Oh My God comeback earlier this year and online concert, I-LAND.

I personally wondered where the group would go after releasing Oh My God. DUMDi DUMDi was not what I had expected. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. First off, it is a very bright and energetic song. And I will compliment the song for that. It is definitely suitable for the Summer season. Secondly, I felt that the song’s instrumental was pretty good. The song does feel quite plain and quite slow during the verses and it doesn’t become exciting and energetic until we reach the chorus. And the EDM we get in the chorus really makes up for the slowness and plainness we got in the verses. The African drums and music influence during select parts added a little something different to the song and it allows the song to standout in the sea of releases we have gotten recently. One of the letdowns of DUMDi DUMDi actually is associated with the instrumental itself. Reflecting over the song retrospectively, it seems like the instrumental is a bit hectic and messy. I wished there was a little bit of more consistency throughout the instrumentation. It sounds good, but it needs to be tied up better. The rapping was probably a skippable section. Sorry Soyeon, but I felt your part was the least memorable in the song. As for the vocals, I am a bit torn about them. Miyeon, in particular, brought an interesting vocal sound to the chorus which makes the song’s chorus memorable. But the more I listen to the song, I can’t help but find the chorus becoming more and more whiny. DUMDi DUMDi has some good and bad aspects. But overall, it is still enjoyable.

The video starts off with a very long ‘context’ preamble, where it specifies that six souls (the members) converge to a motel in the middle of nowhere to spend their ‘most exciting’ day of their lives. Of course, it was fluffed up to be mysterious. But it went by too quickly to actually read while the video was in play mode. The video then begins what seems to be the longest minute and half in KPOP ever. Like most Western films, I felt the entire introductory sequence that introduced each member converging to this motel to be incredibly boring. The Western music did not help. The producers of this video could have directed more time to showing us how the members came together to actually fun. It just feels so random that the members went from being strangers to best friends in a matter of seconds. The rest of the video was essentially of them having a great time, which ties in nicely with the Summer theme. I do have one additional complaint. During some of the solo shots of some of the members, it was quite obvious that the other members were told to sit there and be pretty. I wished they did something in the background rather than sit there and stare at one another or look off into the void.

I can’t but think there are some moves in this choreography that brings me back to their previous releases such as Oh My God and Lion. I am not sure if my eyes are playing trick on me. But other than that observation, the dance was quite fun and energetic, which defintiely suits the song and Summer season.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 6.9/10

(G)I-DLE ended 2019 with their attention-gathering appearance on Queendom, who showed the industry that the new ‘concept Queens’ are here. They also finished the year off by promoting their Queendom single, Lion. Interestingly, Lion was also the only single out of the 6 songs performed by the participants that later had a music video released alongside it. But enough of their 2019 promotions. We are currently in 2020 and the female group is now making us go ‘Oh My God‘ at their latest comeback, which was also released today. Their title track ‘Oh My God‘ is featured on their latest mini-album I Trust.

This track, undeniably, sounds different from what we are used to in KPOP. We start off with Minnie hauntingly speak out some lines, which reminds me of one of their Queendom performances. The song then develops quite quickly, building up between Soyeon, Yuqi and Miyeon’s sections in the first verse and pre-chorus. We get some vintage piano in Soyeon’s section (and Soojin’s second verse) that really stands out in this song. The rush we get here is very fulfilling and intense. The song continues to infuse managed to add more intensity through the hip-hop centred chorus. I liked how they paused the music as the rush from the pre-chorus is about to climax, dissipating the flow/energy we had gotten so far and replacing it with a completely different energy for the chorus. This does annoy me to an extent but it is one of the song’s charms that continues the intensity along the song. The ‘Oh My God‘ echoes in mind even after the song ends, showcasing its memorability after just a few listens. I also like the beat of the song, overall. It was added some catchiness to the song. Soyeon’s rapping section in the second verse also adds more hip-hop flair to the song. The song ends with Minnie’s opening chant, capping the song with that eerie feeling again (and also reminding us of the intensity that we felt throughout the song. Overall, I think is this one of the group’s best releases yet.

This music video is already a contender for Best Music Video in 2020. I just want to put that out there. The music video is so elaborate and jam-packed, I am overwhelmed and speechless. I don’t know where to exactly start with this new side of the group. I wouldn’t even say this is edgy, as it would lump it alongside other music videos and concepts that I have already described using that term. And this is like no other. As mentioned there is a lot to take in with this music video. There seems to be a heaven and hell dynamic in this music video, along with fallen angels. The devil, played by Soojin, in this video tempts everyone. Soyeon was already tempted, but she is placed in the white hallway or limbo to help Soojin gain followers. Minnie is a new person being brought into limbo and she is tempted from the start with the red wine. She tries to fight it off, but ultimately fails. Yuqi seems to be an innocent wanderer in the corridors that lead to an angel (i.e. the way she holds her hands together remind me of someone praying), but she is later tempted by some red wine as well (i.e. her eyes look like they were bleeding). Miyeon is an angel sitting on a throne. But she is turned when Soojin’s followers (i.e. the dancers dress in black) surround her throne, forcing to be tempted. Shuhua is another angel, dressed in white and all pure. But she is also tempted, following the dance moves that we see Soojin do at the front of the group during the chorus. We see Soojin kissing Miyeon’s foreheard, and Soyeon appears (a known tempted member). That’s my take on the video and I can tell you right now, there are a lot of details that I don’t have time to mention.

The performance looks fanatasic. I really like their moves in this choreography. It has that contortionist type of feel to it, especially in the chorus. The use of backup dancers really helped drive the eerie feeling of the performance as well, making it very captivating to watch.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.3/10