WENDY made a comeback last month with the mini-album, Cerulean Verge, her first solo release since leaving SM Entertainment and signing with ASND for solo promotions (which is also the home for fromis_9). WENDY remains under SM Entertainment for Red Velvet activities. The mini-album serves as her third solo mini-album, following last year’s Wish You Hell, and is led by the single Sunkiss.
Sunkiss is a stunner. Sunkiss features WENDY’s crisp and strong vocals prominently, with the rock band instrumental considered secondary. I really enjoyed the bright, warm melodies and WENDY’s vocal delivery, with the pair coming together to give Sunkiss a nostalgic and comforting feeling. This is particularly true for the choruses, which allow WENDY to really soar. As for the instrumental, I consider it secondary in Sunkiss because it follows WENDY’s lead – where she goes with her vocals, it follows. Standalone, I really liked its wholesome vibe and the intensity of the rock sound that comes through. I also enjoyed the upbeat quality it gives Sunkiss, which works well with the summery season, as well as adding something upbeat to WENDY’s solo discography. My only concern is that the single is a little safe for her, but it is still a fantastic listen.
I agree with everyone’s concerns when the teaser images and music video dropped – WENDY looks far too skinny for this comeback. I do hope it was her own choice (i.e., she was not pressured by her own management or others’ expectations to present herself in this way). But she does look great nonetheless, and I can say the same thing about the rest of the music video. It may not have the SM budget, but it had a lovely aesthetic to it. I also liked the adventurous vibe that WENDY exudes throughout the music video, as she searches for the sun-kissed glow that she sings about in the song.
Performance-wise, WENDY looks great on stage. You can feel the happiness from WENDY as she performs and sings live. I love that she focuses on the live aspect of the performance, as Sunkiss sounds best in this form. That being said, she participates in some of the choreography. While it is not complex, she manages to showcase remarkably stable vocals while performing what she can on stage.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.9/10
For some reason, in my mind, I have been reviewing just only SM Entertainment releases. That isn’t true, but I will be continuing this mindset with more SM Entertainment releases from the last couple of weeks to still review. One of them is SEULGI’s long-awaited solo return with Baby, Not Baby, the title track off her 2nd mini-album, Accidentally on Purpose. Her last solo release occurred in 2023, where she debuted with 28 Reasons (title of both her solo debut mini-album and debut single).
Baby, Not Baby is a cool song. It has a complete different aesthetic and sound to SEULGI’s debut single, showcasing variety in her discography and confidence in doing something different. Baby, Not Baby is a pop dance track, with a blend of orchestral and rock elements that come together to give the song a groovy and funky sound profile. I like the boldness that comes from the instrumental, especially when the orchestral elements give off a dramatic flair. This complements well with SEULGI’s sassy and attitude-heavy delivery style. Altogether, Baby, Not Baby has so much oomph and character. In addition to be sassy and attitude heavy, SEULGI manages to infuse a lot of charisma into her vocals, which just makes Baby, Not Baby‘s hooks very appealing and catchy. Personally, I was searching for a rap sequence of some kind, perhaps someone featuring in the song who could have given Baby, Not Baby more edge and heightened that sassiness mentioned earlier. While I did like the vocal-forward approach of the song and SEULGI does slip into a rapping motif at time (although briefly), I just felt that was a missing piece of the puzzle that is Baby, Not Baby.
The song itself is about how someone may appear innocent and pure to their lover, but they might not be in reality. The music video portrays SEULGI doing something innocent and cute, but then she switches it up to show her wild side soon after. For example, at the start of the video, she appears injured and about to be hit by a car. But she ends up smashing the car to get someones attention. In the next scene, she gives out free hugs to people in the mall, but no one wants one. She throws a fit, but uses that to capture the ‘perfect selfie’ and disregards everyone around her. We see her smash up a shop soon after. Overall, SEULGI’s acting was pretty good and I enjoyed watching the bold nature of the music video. The video did well in bringing that edgy factor that I wanted in the song to life in a visual manner.
I liked how engaging the performance from multiple standpoints. SEULGI showed off a very confident and sassy vibe that made the focus on her more exciting. I liked how the dancers added to the stage presence of the performance. And the moves showed off a mature and sexy vibe, without it going into that stereotypical domain of showing skin or looking explicit.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
Red Velvet’s Chill Kill is nominated for Best Music Video and their Midsommar concept in Cosmic’s music video is nominated for Best Concept in the 2024 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support Red Velvet’s music videos by clicking here to vote today. Voting closes on 31 January 2025.
Red Velvet returned in June 2024 with their 7th mini-album, Cosmic, after a 7-month hiatus from their previous comeback (Chill Kill in November 2023). The mini-album features the title track of the same name as the mini-album and five additional side tracks. The mini-album was re-released in September 2024 to include the special single, Sweet Dream, to commemorate their 10th year together. Today, I am finally getting around to reviewing the full mini-album. Overall, Cosmic was a strong mini-album, fitting for both Red Velvet’s style and discography. Continue reading to see if you agree with my thoughts on both the Cosmic mini-album and its individual songs.
Cosmic (June 2024) Album CoverCosmic (September 2024) Album Cover
2. Sunflower – Red Velvet kills it in Sunflower. It is dance pop track, which boasts stunning vocals from the members and awesome EDM instrumental that gives the song so much oomph. The melodies and hooks make Sunflower so addictive and vibrant. I found it very hard to pass this track. (10/10)
3. Last Drop – Last Drop revisits Red Velvet’s velvet side. I enjoyed the smooth R&B pop instrumentation, which helped make Last Drop feel drifty. The all-member vocals in the chorus make Last Drop stunning, while everyone holds their ground extremely well. The spoken words that form part of the bridge were also a nice addition. (8/10)
4. Love Arcade – We return to the ‘red’ side of Red Velvet in Love Arcade. They turn the bright and cuteness dial a fair bit. The instrumental is fun, sometimes feeling like a cute arcade game and music box. The vocals were lovely and added a very youthful energy to the song. The bridge concentrates the cute instrumental detailing – a great direction for the song. Though, I think there is opportunity for the bridge to be more prolonged and intense to give some extra oomph. (9/10)
5. Bubble – Bubble is a nice song. The track features a mid-tempo synth-pop instrumentation. While I find everything likeable, I notice Bubble just doesn’t get as much attention as the other songs on the mini-album from me. I put this down to the melodies, which feel typical and standard compared to the rest of the mini-album. (7/10)
6. Night Drive – Night Drive is also another nice song. But there is a difference between Night Drive and Bubble. What ultimately wins me over are vocals – I think Red Velvet sounds better in Night Drive. WENDY’s high note and ad-libs are stunning, and the members just sound wholesome when they sing together in the choruses. The R&B instrumental is quite atmospheric and dreamy. Night Drive felt like you were lying on the ground and looking up at the night sky filled with stars. (9/10)
Tuesday saw IRENE from Red Velvet make her solo debut with the mini-album and lead single of the same name, Like A Flower. This is her first release since Red Velvet’s Cosmic and Sweet Dreams, which were released earlier in the year. Fellow member WENDY also made her solo comeback earlier this year.
Like A Flower is another pleasant song. My use of the word ‘pleasant’ in reviews can either be a good or bad thing. But for the first time, I am unsure what side of the spectrum I fall on. Part of me really likes Like A Flower‘s pop-dance instrumental, which has an excellent rhythmic beat. The percussion was soft yet yielded an upbeatness that felt robust and dynamic. The piano melody that peeks through the backing makes it feel pretty and dreamy. There are also some textural vocal chops in the back of the latter parts of the chorus, which I also enjoyed particularly because they help cut the linear nature of the song. The rest of Like A Flower is where my liking of the song weakens. Mostly, the melodies came off as monotonous, and IRENE’s vocals ultimately felt bland. She does a decent job of making herself sound soft, but that comes at the cost of something riveting or captivating. The English lyrics in Like A Flower‘s chorus suffer a similar fate as ATEEZ’s Ice On My Teeth, though not as bad. Overall, Like A Flower is a decent debut track. However, it could have been more enticing.
The following is just my interpretation of the events in the music video. It starts with IRENE recording different sounds in life, including love. It is all shown in a bright and sunny environment, implying her hobby is innocent. I assume that doing this makes her want to experience her love, so she seeks out a guy she met once. She pleads to the internet to help her find the person, going to lengths of using a computer program to find the person and printing out a huge photo of him. But once she does, things turn a little sinister. The mood shifts from innocent to creepy as she chases after him. At one point, he looks up, and she is staring back down at him. This change in the video’s mood shines a different light on the van as she travels in at the start and stores her tapes. It is suspiciously spacious. Scary movie-loving me now thinks IRENE is a serial killer, and the tape recordings represent a victim, with the guy’s tape being titled ‘See The Sun’. I could be very wrong about the dark twist in the story, but that is what I got out of it.
I quite enjoyed the choreography for IRENE’s solo debut. It fully embraces the rhythmic beat I spoke about earlier, and the routine has a contemporary and elegant feel. There were some glitchy-like hand movements in the routine, which I thought was a standout detail.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.3/10
Wish You Hell is the next album to be reviewed on the blog. It is WENDY’s 2nd mini-album since her solo debut with Like Water in 2021. Released in March this year, it features a total of 6 songs, including the title track that shares the same name as the mini-album.
While I don’t think this thought came across my mind when I checked out the mini-album back when it was first released in March, I believe that WENDY was trying to end all of us with this mini-album. I think consolidating my thoughts into words has brought this thought to the surface. Wish You Hell (the mini-album) highlights what WENDY is capable of. While the first half of the mini-album wasn’t as strong as the second half, it still has a lot to offer. And the second half, well, it was all 10/10 to me. Keep reading for my thoughts on each song below to find out why this mini-album is among the highest-ranked this year.
2. His Car Isn’t Yours – His Car Isn’t Yours is an R&B pop track with a really atmospheric instrumental. The bass comes at all the right moments to emphasise this side of the song. WENDY sounds stunning throughout the track, dreamy yet conflicted, as she sings about how the person she is with isn’t the person she is interested in. The track is also fully in English, which is long overdue. I wouldn’t mind listening to more English songs from WENDY in the future. (8/10)
3. Best Ever – Best Ever switches up the mini-album completely with a more cheerful and upbeat indie pop sound. The way she started this track set the contrast (with the previous song) in stone and made me go wow. I really liked the jazzy elements that make their way into the instrumental. It just gives Best Ever a whole new breath of life. WENDY just brings a smoothness and airy feeling that makes this track attractive. But it is the combination of WENDY and backing vocals that delivers the song’s “La da da da” hook, which is the best part of the song. Her breathy ad-libs were also amazing. (9/10)
4. Better Judgement – Better Judgement slows down the mini-album slightly with another R&B track. But it still packs a punch. The standout element in Better Judgement is WENDY’s vocals, which are captivating in this track. Her vocals alone have sold me on the song. Better Judgement’s instrumental is one of the simpler backings on the mini-album, composed of a pounding beat, acoustic guitar and some twinkling synths. The complexity this song offers comes purely from WENDY’s vocals. If there is any song on this mini-album that shows off WENDY’s vocals the best, it would be this one. (10/10)
5. Queen of the Party– Queen of the Party returns us to upbeat territory with a robust and dynamic number. And this one nails everything with ease. I loved the way the Queen of the Party builds in the pre-chorus. I loved how WENDY effortlessly delivers the choruses, particularly the “I’m alone, but the queen of the party” line. The bridge was stunning, and I also enjoyed her soaring vocals in that part of the song. Another 10/10 from me. (10/10)
6. Vermilion – Closing out the mini-album, WENDY returns to R&B territory with Vermillion. I like how dramatic and epic the instrumental is and how well WENDY complements this energy. The former is right my alley, and the latter is just another example of how well she can put her vocals on full display. Another easy 10/10 from me. (10/10)
At the start of this month, Red Velvet celebrated its 10th year as a KPOP group! A huge congratulations for reaching this milestone! As part of the celebrations, Red Velvet released Sweet Dreams as part of a newer version of Cosmic (their 7th mini-album released in June this year, led by the same-name single).
Sweet Dreams is indeed a sweet song. The group sings about their journey with their fans, likening it to a child who has reached the age of 10 alongside them. For long-term ReVeluvs, this is sure to be a heartfelt song. Sweet Dream‘s instrumentation is a mellow and hopeful pop track. While the instrumentation isn’t exactly the most riveting piece of music out there, I did like the use of the heavy beats and synths. The song is already quite light overall, so the heavy beats were helpful in anchoring Sweet Dreams down, while the synths provided a nice complexity and texture to the song. As mentioned earlier, the song is sweet, and this comes down to the members’ vocals. Very light and airy on this side of Sweet Dreams as well. Like the heavy beats, the rap-like deliveries we get interlaced throughout Sweet Dreams help anchor the track down, while their high ranges bring out that high range quite nicely. I can’t pinpoint exactly if it is the instrumentation or melody, but something within Sweet Dreams reminds me of a nursery rhyme of some kind. Given the song’s analogy towards a 10-year-old kid growing up alongside Red Velvet, this felt appropriate for Sweet Dreams.
There isn’t a formal music video for this release. Instead, we got a ‘special video’ of Red Velvet recording Sweet Dreams, presented in a scrapbook format. Around these recordings were moments from past music videos, behind-the-scenes shots and the song’s lyrics, all presented in the same format. This concept worked well with the song and was a nice way to reflect on 10 years of music videos and other content. A proper music video would have been more satisfying if I were honest. But this works just as fine.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
I know I haven’t posted over the last few days (work depleted all of my energy) but now we find ourselves at the end of the week. But I don’t think I can ‘end the week’ perse without reviewing Red Velvet’s latest comeback, Cosmic, which is both the title track and title of their 7th mini-album. Obviously, this review is just for the song, and I will definitely be returning to review the album some time in the future. Cosmic is the group first release since last year’s Chill Killstudio album and lead single comeback.
Elegant and soothing is what came to my mind when I first heard Cosmic on Monday. I wasn’t completely sold on it, at first, and I will speak to that in a moment. But repeat listens to Cosmic since its release has helped me realized that the track is indeed wonderful. Cosmic has this really enjoyable smooth flow to it, thanks to the members’ vocals and the song’s melodies. I honestly would not expected this from Cosmic‘s instrumental, which takes on a slightly more groovier texture and disco profile. But then again, Red Velvet have previously spun a unexpecting sound profile into something aesthetic (like Chill Kill and Psycho), and in the case of Cosmic, tranquil. The melodies themselves have a nice ring to them, and that gets the song in my mind even after it has ended. What I also liked about Cosmic is the spark of brightness the members bring to the song, whilst singing about a short-lived love-at-first-sight interaction. This brightness and the earlier mentioned flow propels the song forward for me, making it feel like it went somewhere. I also really enjoyed the harmonies and ad-libs that Cosmic had. A great song, overall.
But earlier I mentioned that I wasn’t completely sold on Cosmic in the first listen and part of me still feels that way. It stems from an inherent problem with ‘smooth songs’. Too smooth can make a song easily be passed over. Because I know what music Red Velvet puts out, I will always check them out (no matter the level of smoothness). I just not sure how this would go with the broader audience who don’t tune into Red Velvet as often, or know about Red Velvet whatsoever. As such, I feel like Cosmic needed a striking element. I am not sure what that would be, but it needs something aesthetic enough to fit in with the rest of itself and also really grip the audience at the same time.
As confirmed at the end of the video, the music video for Cosmic is inspired with Midsommar, a film about an American couple in a deteriorating relationship who are drawn into a violent cult in rural Sweden. Obviously, Red Velvet’s visual material doesn’t focus on the first part or the violence that featured in that movie. But the video does feature a similar cult from the movie. Flowers and the maypole are elements also taken from the movie. Additionally, we see a person fall from the sky and the cult members (including Red Velvet) pick them up and carry them to their base to be sacrificed (I think this is the case based on the placement of flowers on the eyes towards the end). Both the person who fell from the sky and Red Velvet seem interested in one another throughout the video. But as the song lyrics suggests, this is rather short-lived, given my theory that a sacrifice had to happen. Interesting video overall, as well as an interesting choice for a KPOP music video inspiration.
The choreography for this comeback is very pretty. The pace and moves all match the smooth drive that the song has, and focuses on an output of elegance. I also like how the performance was also very smiley, which shows off a great side of Red Velvet.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
I somehow missed the news that SUHO (from EXO) will be making his solo comeback at the end of this month with his third mini-album, 1 to 3. But luckily, he pre-released the single Cheese this week in preparation, so I am now caught up with the news of the comeback. This comeback is SUHO’s first in since 2022’s Grey Suit (which also doubled as the title for his second mini-album) and Hurdle. Cheese features WENDY from Red Velvet, who made her solo comeback earlier this year with Wish You Hell.
Cheese goes down a soft rock instrumental. I like the funky bass and the piano that leads the background. It feels striking, but melds well with the soft rock side of the instrumentation. I do like the retro 70s groovy energy that comes off the instrumental, which makes Cheese feel so good. The instrumental break with was dominated by the electric guitar solo was a nice concentration of the soft rock energy that forms around it. I also like the little bit of intensity it gives off, which adds a little something different to Cheese, compared to the rest of the song. The way the song likens a relationship to cheese was intriguing – if both become warm, the cheese becomes stretchy and a relationship can become longer, and if the cheese is cold, the cheese and relationship will fall apart. As for the vocals. I like how well-built SUHO’s vocals are for a soft rock song like Cheese. I also liked how light his vocals are throughout the song, particularly in the choruses and the ad-libs we get from the EXO leader at the end of the song. WENDY’s usual stunning and clear vocals comes into play during the second verse and is quickly joined by SUHO, who are both a formidable force in Cheese. Their pairing in the second chorus gave some nice oomph to the song and allowed to build the song up without much else to it. The melodies of Cheese were comforting to listen to. But in the long run, I am not entirely sure if they (or the rest of Cheese) would keep me coming back for more.
It should come as no surprise that the music video is full of cheese. Literally. I really liked the montage of cheese related art in the video, as well as the cheese visuals. We also see SUHO steal a big hunk of cheese that is on display at an art gallery. Little did he know that WENDY was watching him as he prepared to steal for the cheese. She goes after him and catches him in the act. There is a bit of a chase, which I assume represents the blossoming of their love (i.e., their relationship became stretchy). In the end, they decide to steal the cheese together (as seen in the 8-bit shot that finished off the video). But during their heist, the security came in (probably heard all of the ruckus of the two chasing each other and throwing cheese at one another) and they pretended to be an art installation, fooling the security guard and allowing them to get away with their heist. Overall, it is a cute and fun video, complementing the funky and groovy vibes of Cheese.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8.5/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
WENDY made her solo debut back in 2021 with Like Water. Almost three years on, WENDY returns as a solo artist with her second mini-album and title track of the same name – Wish You Hell.
Wish You Hell is a simple pop track, with a nice bright profile that sounds fitting for WENDY and rhythmic guitar work that helps keep the track moving along. I really like the punky start to the song and wish that was carried on throughout Wish You Hell a bit more. The song stays firmly in the pop genre, and I think is a missed opportunity for Wish You Hell to have more bite and oomph, especially since I felt the groundwork and foundation for exploration of that genre to already be there in the song. That being said, WENDY does sound great in Wish You Hell and the ad-libs we hear at the end definitely brands the song as her own. But no matter how many times I have listened to Wish You Hell today, my main question is whether the song is too simple for WENDY. We all know that WENDY could have taken on a song with much more complexity. Take her solo debut Like Water or collaborations like last year’s Miracle (with MeloMance) as examples of what WENDY could do. Now, I don’t mean she needs to belt out each song or have to tackle a ballad each time. In fact, exploring that punk genre could have been the solution. But repetitive lyrics and a feeling that Wish You Hell doesn’t go anywhere doesn’t do WENDY justice and is definitely not what she is capable of. But like I said, the question above shouldn’t take away that WENDY sounds great in Wish You Hell as is and executes it well.
One particular line in Wish You Hell stood out for me – “In my villain era“. That one line basically summarises the song, which is about being a completely different person thanks to an ex. In the lyrics, she references that she is no longer the nice person that she once was (depicted by the innocent version of WENDY we see in the coffin dressed in white) and have become a stronger version of herself (depicted by the version of WENDY we see dressed in black). I like how the lyrics touch on the fact that everyone thinks she is mad, which she does rebut in the lyrics. We see princess version of WENDY smash cakes and another version of herself trashing a party. I did also like the comedic touch of WENDY dragging the coffin containing her other personality out and the presence of the janitor reacting to the aftermath to her crashing the party. The music video is also bookended with the sound of thunder and a slight creepy vibe, which I wished the music video explored a bit more. But what we got conveys the lyrics well enough.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.1/10
Red Velvet made their long awaited comeback after almost a year’s hiatus from the KPOP scene with Chill Kill in November 2023. Their last release was The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday mini-album, which was released in November 2022 and led by the title track Birthday. Chill Kill features a total of 10 songs, including another title track that shares the same name as its album. While the future of Red Velvet is a little questionable, given SM Entertainment’s complete slow down of promotions for the group during 2023 and the unknown status of each individual members’ contract (sans Seulgi, who was confirmed to have renewed her contract with the company earlier in 2023), Chill Kill provides a very good dose of Red Velvet. However, I do hope that SM Entertainment sufficiently promotes Red Velvet in the new year, particularly giving them group and solo promotions. So far, it has been confirmed that Wendy will be returning as a soloist this year. But more would be better!
2. Knock Knock (Who’s There?) – Knock Knock continues the mysterious and eerie vibes from the music video of Chill Kill, but in song form. And they do it so artistically and consistently. The percussion and beat felt like something sinister was brewing the background, while the strings and melodies in Knock Knock is a sample of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’, which is an ominous track in itself when you listen to it standalone. Throw in Red Velvet’s usual amazing vocals and this is definitely a standout song. As an added treat, stunning harmonies that adds suspense to the track is also present in the chorus. It was very hard to keep away from this one. (10/10)
3. Underwater– The age-old question reappears. Does Red Velvet still split their music into the Red and Velvet categories anymore? If they do, then Underwater is a clear addition to the Velvet side of their discography. It is an R&B track, with velvety vocals from the members. And they really nail this contribution to Underwater. I was very captivated by their vocals and harmonies, once again. I liked the presence of the bass and trap synths in the background, which helps amplifies and gives Underwater oomph. (9/10)
4. Will I Ever See You Again? – The synth-pop in Will I Ever See You Again? is amazing. At first, it was a very atmospheric introduction. But when we reach the chorus, the synth-pop literally raises it to 100 and creates a blissful and energetic piece that is hard to forget. The vocals had impact and Wendy’s ad-libs in the bridge and final chorus were spectacular. Another easy and logical 10/10 from me. (10/10)
5. Nightmare – We go back to the horror tropes in Nightmare. The verses in Nightmare are quite intense and creepy, while the chorus takes a brighter and almost-cutesy approach. It makes for an interesting blend that only Red Velvet can pull off. The instrumentation opts down the R&B path, with a strong dose of strings to really create that suspense in the verses, while the chorus features a twinkling background that exudes the brightness and cutesy nature already mentioned. The bridge was also a highlight, with heavenly vocals coming into play. (8/10)
6. Iced Coffee – We continue on with the R&B genre via Ice Coffee. This was a very nice and pleasant track. Not necessarily the big standout of the album, but hearing the members sing this one felt comforting and warming (even though they are singing about an iced beverage). (8/10)
7. One Kiss – Red Velvet goes in hard during One Kiss (relatively to any of the song above it). It is a dance trick with a very cool instrumentation, made up of the synth clap sound that goes through the track, and hefty beats and synths in the chorus. I like the power they put behind their vocals in this song and delivery they give in One Kiss, which makes the track very alluring and sexy. The bridge really re-iterates the latter. (9/10)
8. Bulldozer – The shortest track on this album is Bulldozer. I really like the deep and low rumbling or humming in the background of this track. The beat is super cool, and I really like the melodies to the vocal section of the chorus. I am not a fan of the ‘What can you break’ repetition that makes up the second half of the chorus. I felt like Bulldozer could have done without this. (8/10)
9. Wings – Opening up Wings is harmonisation, which flags good things are to come. And Red Velvet makes sure of this. Wings takes on an uplifting tone with this R&B track. The synths that make up the background was amazing. But the element that ultimately wins me over Wings are the vocals, which are stunningly beautiful. I am floored by how simple yet profound the vocals were in Wings. The end, where all of the instrumentation was stripped away, showcases how effortlessly good their vocals are. When there is instrumentation, the chemistry that comes about between the vocals and background is very harmonious. Another clear 10/10 for me. (10/10)
10. Scenery (풍경화) – The final track on the album is a ballad. No surprises here. And with a ballad as the vector, you can expect great vocals from the members in Scenery. I find myself closing my eyes, swaying along to the melodies and getting lost in the beautifulness that is Scenery. Their vocals are very delicate here, and acoustic guitar paints a very pretty soundscape. (9/10)
Red Velvet has made their return to the stage, almost a year on from their last comeback with Birthday and The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday. This time around, the group is back with their 3rd studio-length album Chill Kill, and the title track of the same name. Aside from a collaboration last Christmas with aespa and concerts earlier this year, it has been fairly quiet for Red Velvet. They did face contract negotiations as they are in their 7th year as a group, but the only news coming out of that is Seulgi re-signed with SM Entertainment. We haven’t heard too much about the future of Red Velvet, asides from the news of this comeback with Chill Kill.
I liked Chill Kill. It could be that being deprived of Red Velvet for so long makes the release more enticing (similar to how hunger can be a great seasoning for any meal). But I genuinely think that Chill Kill is a great song. I really liked the creepy and eerie beginning of the song and the atmosphere that it creates. The bass elements and detailing in the verses gives Chill Kill so much likeable oomph, while the vocals and rapping in the verses was very solid. The vocal and rapping combination, along with the intensification, in the pre-choruses makes the incline towards the chorus to be feel very familiar. The chorus interestingly brings a nice pop of colour, turning away from the atmosphere that Chill Kill started off with. The harmonies when the members sing together also brings forth that familiar sense that I just mentioned. I also like the splash of retro in the bridge, which was a nice change in sound. The thumping beat that accompanies the bridge was a nice touch and adds to the pop energy of the song, while the vocals were beautiful. Now the song isn’t perfect, and the high pitched flute-like synth in the chorus is a prime example of this. It is one of the unlikeable aspects of Chill Kill due to its unsettling nature. But thinking back to the roots of Chill Kill, I wonder if that was intentional. I am also not a fan of how the song suddenly fades away in the end. It feels incomplete and I wished the ending was more satisfying. Looking back at the entirety of Chill Kill, I also wish the song went deeper into the energies it exuded, by concentrating the creepy/eerie energy of the verses and the pop influences of the chorus, to really take it to the next level. Something felt missing from Chill Kill and I think it was that.
The music video for Chill Kill features the members being trapped in the basement and it looks like they were held captive by the man with no face in the picture. They try to entertain themselves to pass time, but try not to attract too much attention to themselves. One day, they hear a disturbance upstairs and Wendy (and after a while, the rest of the group) go investigate. It is unclear whether the man with no face dies during the disturbance, or whether Wendy has something to do it (given there was a short period of time in which she was alone upstairs and there is a scene where there is blood on her face). But what we do know is that the members discover the body. Determined not ruin their lives, the members hatch a plan to hide the body and crime scene. During the sequence of washing blood, cleaning the floors and rolling the body up in a rug, there are two members to look out for. Firstly, Yeri is seen detached from the group during the cleaning scenes. I think she realizes that Wendy might have something to do with the death and the members didn’t just stumble into a crime scene. If not that, I think stepping into the blood might give her some trauma and her becoming ‘detached’ by watching the TV is her way of coping with the situation. Wendy is seen breaking down a number of times, and she goes off by herself at one point (presumably to hand herself in and save the rest of the group). But Seulgi holds her back. And with the support of one another, they end up staying together. The members go out to buy gasoline to douse the body and house they are in (though, I did find it funny that the group took the bus with massive bottles of gasoline). After setting the place on fire and watching it for a bit, they run away. But they are later caught by the authorities (maybe someone noticed them on the bus =and reported it to the police). However, we do see the members stick together at the very end. Interesting music video and I love these darker concepts from Red Velvet.
The choreography that we do see in the music video looks quite good. Nothing really stands out. But knowing Red Velvet’s track record for their performances, I don’t think we need to worry about that – it would still be worth watching. The chorus routine matches up quite well with the pop sound of the choruses, and I like the smiling energy they have during this same sequence.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 10/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.9/10
Red Velvet is the next group up for an album review over this Easter long weekend. In November 2022, the group returned the next installment of The ReVe Festival 2022 series, The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday. The new mini-album release features the title track Birthday and four additional side tracks. The Birthday era follows the release of Feel My Rhythm and The ReVe Festival 2022 – Feel My Rhythm, which was released back in March 2022. Again, this new mini-album is a great addition to Red Velvet’s discography and has a number of standout tracks on the mini-album, which I highly recommend you listen to. To find out which ones in particular, continue on reading my album review.
2. BYE BYE – BYE BYE is without a doubt one of the strongest standouts on this mini-album. It is a R&B single, but the instrumental elements (in the form of groovy bass and a heavy beat) give it boldness which attracts attention. I know it attracted mine! The vocals are equally as good, with Wendy’s vocals in the second verse getting a massive thumbs up from me. The harmonies are to die for. There is also something very intriguing by the dragged-out delivery of the song’s title in the chorus to fit in with the infamous Für Elise melody. BYE BYE definitely is a cool listen. (10/10)
3. On A Ride (롤러코스터) – On A Ride plays into the group’s Red side with such a playful and fun instrumental. It is definitely a strong point of On A Ride. Again, solid vocals from the group. These vocals do help ground the song in my opinion, preventing the song from spiraling out of control from its instrumental. I did wish the vocal hooks were a little more impactful and memorable, just to take On A Ride to the next level. (8/10)
4. ZOOM – Red Velvet putting ZOOM on this mini-album tells me they are all about business. ZOOM is such a dramatic and memorable song. I remember falling for the song the first time listening to it, and I have enjoyed every time I have listened to the song since then. It tackles R&B, but with a very trendy groovy instrumental. ZOOM has the best showcase of the group’s vocals. I like how they play with high and low tones in the song. The prolific and plentiful hooks are also undeniably catchy. There is a lot to like in ZOOM! (10/10)
5. Celebrate – When I listen to the song and read the lyrics to Celebrate, I feel like the mini-album has come full-circle. Celebrate is a warm and inviting R&B song. Just like everywhere else on this mini-album, Red Velvet’s vocals were so strong here, especially when it came to the harmonies. The melodies were quite dreamy and flowy. The instrumentation was soft, allowing the vocals to do most of the speaking. (8/10)
Needless to say, this review is very overdue. But as the saying goes – better late than never. Got the Beat is due to make their comeback on Monday with their first mini-album, Stamp It Out. So in preparation for that, I have decided to finally write me review for Step Back, their debut single that officially dropped early 2022. For those who may not have tuned for Got the Beat’s debut, the lineup of this super female group hails from SM Entertainment’s female artists and consist of a legendary lineup, including BoA, Taeyeon and Hyoyeon (from SNSD), Seulgi and Wendy (from Red Velvet) and Karina and Winter (from aespa).
My impression of Step Back from a year ago is exactly the same today. And it isn’t any good news, unfortunately. While I commend the lineup for their powerful energy and vocals (however, this does become an issue – more later on) that will definitely wakes you up no matter what state you are in, my biggest gripe about Step Back is that it is overly repetitive. Aside from the bridge, which features a very smooth slow down in momentum and an really cool yet unhurried ramp back up towards the final chorus through the use of raps and high notes, everything else in the Step Back‘s instrumental just felt like it was on a loop. The same synths was just on repeat and there was never any new offering (until we got to the bridge). And even the final chorus, which was an opportunity for Step Back to concentrate or offer something new (or do anything more than feature the same loop), just featured the same synths we heard earlier on in the song. The melodies have a nice ring to them, but they do feel slightly monotonous. A major help to Step Back were the vocals, which I have already described as powerful. Standalone, each member really had their moment to shine in Step Back, with the many high notes flooring me. But as I mentioned at the start of this paragraph, the powerful vocals do become a bit of an issue when it comes to the chorus which all (if not most) members of this super female group contribute to. I just felt all of them singing at once created an overwhelming effect, which felt slightly uncomfortable in my opinion. Had the vocals been toned back, just by a slight amount, this effect would not have been apparent and Step Back would have just have repetitive issue as its Achilles’ heels.
Another reason to why I had not reviewed Step Back earlier on was that I was waiting around for an actual music video to drop. But that never happened. Instead, the performance video that was first release stands in as the main promotional video. It looks cool and all. But I felt a proper music video would have helped made everything feel more dynamic and interesting, rather than seeing the same set and outfits for almost four minutes. The performance video does make do, however. I liked how the lighting in the background helps transform the same set into what felt like a few different sets. The performance itself was pretty amazing. I did like the sassy attitude that the performance featured, which is miles away from the disappointing lyrics. They really put all of their energy and power into making the performance a strong one, and it delivered.
Song – 7/10 Music Video / Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.4/10
SEULGI is nominated for Best New Female Soloist and Best Solo Choreography (Female) in the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support SEULGI and your other favourite artists, songs and performance by clicking here to vote today.
SEULGI made her solo debut weeks ago with 28 Reasons, the title of both her title track and her debut mini-album. Today, I will be reviewing her mini-album, which features an additional five tracks alongside 28 Reasons (the title track). More recently, SEULGI has returned with Red Velvet for their latest release, Birthday. But this particular review is for SEULGI and her high calibre solo debut mini-album, so let’s go!
2. Dead Man Runnin’ – Dead Man Runnin’ is the track that sticks in my mind the most from this mini-album. It is haunting to R&B listen to, but it just remains with you. It might be the due to the soaring chorus that inclines out of nowhere but manages to do so in a stylish manner. It might be due to the lyrics, which expresses the vengeance one intends for the person who caused them pain. But I think it is because of SEULGI’s vocals, which leaves my jaw hanging open and complete floored each time I listen to the song. (10/10)
3. Bad Boy, Sad Girl (ft. Be’O) – In a completely different style, SEULGI brings to the album a hint of cutesy vocals in this otherwise R&B number. For the most part, Bad Boy, Sad Girl was a fine song. But the issue for me comes about when BE’O starts. I felt the way he started his featuring was a bit too overpowering for my liking. While his featuring does settle down and does allow SEULGI to come back into the song, I am still not keen with that shock. But we do get some good harmonies from the pair. (7/10)
4. Anywhere But Home – Anywhere But Home is a pleasant track to my ears, featuring an upbeat and funky backdrop (thanks to the bassline). There is also an atmospheric undertone to the single, which helps the single come off as dreamy. And SEULGI’s smooth vocals complement this dreamy aspect so well. The melodies were catchy and memorable. The electric guitar riffs at the very end of the song were really cool. My only question is regarding the start, which didn’t add much value to Anywhere But Home in my opinion, aside from reiterating the title. (8/10)
5. Los Angeles – I really enjoyed the suspense the verses of Los Angeles had going on. It brought a clubbing beat to the track that felt sensual and flirty in a way. I like how the song gears towards the chorus, before the beat drops into EDM territory. The whole journey was really exciting and cool. It does repeat and the rest of Los Angeles doesn’t offer anything new in the lead up or during second or third rounds at the EDM drop. But it is still a blast that I would gladly put on my playlist. (9/10)
6. Crown – Crown returns us back to the haunting vibes that we got at the start of the mini-album (and also ends the album). There is also a regal vibe and tone to Crown, which is just so fitting for the song and SEULGI herself. SEULGI again wows me with her vocals, especially during the chorus, where she serves us with upfront and backing vocals. As the song progresses, the instrumental gets heavier and heavier, and I feel like SEULGI follows through with her vocals. Altogether, it is an amazing end to the album. (9/10)
As you may be already aware, I am currently on a break from the blog to spend some time with family and friends this Christmas. But this does not mean I can’t celebrate the holidays with you, as well. And I do this by sharing a whole bunch of festive themed songs that our favourite and beloved KPOP artists (and companies) have released this year.
Again, I wish you all a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays full of joy, laughter and the company of family and friends. If today is business as usual for you or you don’t celebrate the festive season, then I hope today goes seamlessly for you.
And given that from tomorrow we are in an awkward limbo state between Christmas and New Years (honestly, what do we do in during this period?), I will also wish everyone a happy new year.
Red Velvet is nominated for Best Group Performance (Female) for the 2022 KPOPREVIEWED Awards, while aepsa is nominated for Best Female Group of 2022. Support Red Velvet and aespa, along with your other favourite KPOP artsists, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.
If you have not been made aware of it yet, we are currently in the festive month of December. So it is time to put those Santa outfits on and bring out the Christmas tree. Red Velvet and aespa have the right idea. They have joined hands for a collaborative single Beautiful Christmas, which dropped last week. This new single serves as the title track of the upcoming 2022 Winter SM Town: SMCU PALACE album that will drop the day after Christmas. I guess some of the songs are not exactly Christmas themed, which I believe was the case for last year’s SM Town album.
As per most Christmas-themed songs, Beautiful Christmas exudes a lot of that festive energy that brings a smile to my face. And you know me, I won’t say no to an upbeat track that makes me want to get up and have a boogie, which is also what Beautiful Christmas makes me want to do when it comes to the chorus (more on that in a second). It has the classic tropes of the Christmas holiday such as sleigh bells, Christmas carol references in the lyrics and twinkling percussion. But Beautiful Christmas also features some brass and some deep piano notes, which to me, added a fun vibe to the song. Going back to the chorus, I really enjoyed the sing-along shouty style of the first half of the chorus. It was simple to get right into and just radiated so much positive energy. But it is the second half of the chorus, with the shouty chant that wins me over. I also like how they broke it up between groups for the first two line, before coming together for a third line. Elsewhere, great vocals featured throughout the song, with Wendy and NingNing delivering the peak of Beautiful Christmas with their high notes. The rapping (in the second verse) was a little standard for my liking, but it still fitted into the song. As for the rap-speak in the bridge, that was cringy. My only other gripe about this song is the lyrics. Not something I usually pay attention to, but ‘To my friends and to my family, You mean to me the Christmas time” just doesn’t make any sense and sticks out a sore thump as it is the line that peaks off the song. And given that it delivered to us by Wendy who is a native English speaker, it is a bit embarrassing. But that is just me being picky. Overall, the upbeatness and energy of Beautiful Christmas just wins me over.
Christmas and Winter Wonderland are the two themes running throughout this video for quite obvious reasons. And it is a nice video to compliment the likes of Beautiful Christmas. I did notice a few things (both positive and negatives) that I want to point out. I found Yeri’s “I Like Winter” to be quite cringy when she sings that Winter. It is such an expected pun knowing that aespa was involved in this release, so it came as no surprise to me. NingNing really needs to loosen her facial muscles, particularly for that high note. It looked like she was disinterested from the whole thing at the point. It is quite disappointing, as she was pretty much all smiles throughout the video. Similarly, not too sure why there were some serious facial expressions throughout the video. It was not the time nor place for that! On the most positive side, I really liked the sets that were built for this music video. It all looked really cool and super detailed. I also liked the red dresses that both groups donned during some of the choreography scene. It looked very cute.
I don’t think the choreography for this release is supposed to be taken too seriously. But it is a simple routine that expressed the positivity and upbeatness of the song quite well. I pretty much enjoyed it.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
KPOPREVIEWED 