As mentioned yesterday, there are a few more solo debut reviews that I want to knock out over this weekend. This review is focused on KINO’s solo debut, POSE, which dropped at the start of August of this year. For those who do not know, KINO is one of the nine members that make up the male group PENTAGON and I believe he is the first member of the group to debut as a solo artist. Prior to POSE, we last saw KINO through PENTAGON’s group promotions for Feelin’ Like.
As a solo debut track, POSE is definitely a good foot forward. It is a groovy and sleek dance track that pushes a mature and sensual agenda. Don’t worry if you think that POSE is either a safe track or is more on the typical side in the grand scheme of solo work in the KPOP industry. I had those exact same thoughts when POSE came out. But knowing KINO’s strong performance skills, POSE is definitely material that KINO can really work with to show himself off (more on that later on in the review). On top of that, there were a number of elements within POSE that I really enjoyed. I enjoyed the smooth melodies that KINO brings to life with his whispery-like vocals. It pulls the song along, and contrasts really nicely with the groovy bass-heavy beat in the background of the chorus. It also hones into that sensual energy very well. I also like how the second half of the chorus features an amped up set of instrumentation and the ‘Aah’ that KINO adds to the sequence. It gave POSE more body and oomph. As for the verses, I liked the heavy thumping and the autotune present within it. They acted as detailing and added more depth to the verses, which helped keep the verses interesting and not feel too mainstream (in terms of execution). I also liked the brief stints of vocal layering in the bridge, which adds dimension and more depth to POSE. Similarly, the delayed launch into the final chorus and that gasp we hear added gives character to POSE. I did wish the character was heard earlier on, but better late then never. Overall, POSE definitely does a good job of setting up KINO’s solo career. I do hope that KINO can show more of himself as a soloist in the future, whilst also being active as part of PENTAGON. It will be interesting to see what he comes out with next.
I am fairly confused to why this video’s views only just passes the half million mark. Better marketing and promotions in the lead up to the release should have happened to bring more people to this video, CUBE Entertainment! And here are just some of the reasons to why people need to watch this video! The music video was quite moody and artistic, encapsulating that sensual and mature feel of POSE very well. It did a great job of highlighting the parts of the choreography and KINO is dressed in outfits that just showcases KINO and his moves so well (i.e. tight clothing to really emphasis the body waves and looser jackets to show off the flowy moments of the choreography. And KINO is just charismatic and alluring throughout the video, it was very hard to keep your eyes off him.
Without a doubt, the performance is a sexy one. There were body waves and sexy touches throughout the performance – all of which is essential to a sexy routine. What I did like about it is that it doesn’t push the boundaries, but feels captivating enough to watch nonetheless. That slow drag across the fingers over the forehead/nose in the second chorus was probably the most impactful part of the choreography, for me. KINO had some sexy stares at and glances towards the camera that really sells the performance, but also showcases KINO’s performance abilities and the ability to make the stage his own.
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10
KPOPREVIEWED 