Continuing on from last week’s catch up, I have selected Stray Kids latest release as the next track to review. Stray Kids released a new mixtape single at the end of June titled Mixtape: OH. It is the group’s first release since Back Door last year and their participation on the survival show Kingdom: Legendary War. It is also marks the return of Hyunjin, who has sat out group activities (including Kingdom: Legendary War) over the last few months due to a bullying scandal. His return raises the anticipation of their impending August comeback. But ahead of that review, let’s give Mixtape: OH a listen.
Mixtape: OH takes on a melodic profile, which strays a bit away from the usual genre in which mixtapes are usually aligned with (i.e. hip-hop). It also strays away from their usual sound that they opt for in their main title tracks, which tends to be bold and dance-centric. But while it is different than ‘business as usual’ for the group, Mixtape: OH puts the spotlight on the group’s vocals. We have seen Stray Kids put out ballads before through their albums and have heard all the members sing in some capacity. So them showing off their singing abilities come as no surprise to me. And this song doesn’t really featuring any mind-blowing vocal work that wows or amazes me. Rather what makes this song a nice release is the pleasantness, which I find to be really glowing. This effect is partly due to the lightness of the vocals, but it also adds appeal to better position the vocals at the same time. Contributing to the glowing nature of Mixtape: OH are the instrumentals. The soothing nature of this release really encapsulates that pleasant description, with it being nothing less or nothing more than just that. I also like the soft jabs in which the instrumental has at the start of the choruses, which in turn causes the members to punctuate their delivery in a similar manner. It was a good effect and one that I felt to be the most memorable aspect of the song, music-wise. The tropical influence was also a decent touch to make this song feel somewhat refreshing for the Summer season (and not like a heavy ballad that otherwise would have been ideal for Winter). Mixtape: OH is a strong showing from the members, even though it isn’t their best (and I don’t think it is meant to be their best). Though, it does get me into the mood for more Stray Kids, which is certain to come within a blink of an eye.
First things first, welcome back to Hyunjin. It is definitely nice to have the full group back together again. Now, onto the rest of the music video. In their previous Mixtape music videos, we have seen a bit of a story come together. In Mixtape: Gone Days, we saw the members close to one another as friends in a classroom setting. In Mixtape: On Track, we saw the friendship of some of the members tested when two of them fall in love with a female classmate. And now, in Mixtape: OH, it seems like that friendship had broken down with each of the members going their separate ways and acting cold to one another. Based on what we see in the video, the member do miss those olds days in which they were together. But we dont see them come back together by the end of the video. However, Felix wishes for the members to return with the help of his birthday cake. So if there is another mixtape release, I believe that would be the subject of the next music video.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
Earlier this month, Kingdom: Legendary War began its run, pitting six well known and high performing male groups against one another for the throne. The Boyz, winner of the prequel season Road To Kingdom last year, is featured as one of these male groups. During the 2020 MAMA Awards, it was confirmed that Stray Kids and ATEEZ will be participating. And in January 2021, it was also confirmed that iKON, BTOB and SF9 will be joining the lineup. It was also confirmed that TVXQ (a name in the industry worthy of the Kingdom title without a doubt) will be hosting, but this was later reduced to just Max Changmin, as Yunho was involved in a scandal and was edited out as much as possible (and will not make an appearance in future rounds).
As I have reviewed part of Queendom and all of Road To Kingdom, I will also be reviewing the stages of Kingdom: Legendary War, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Final Round – WHO IS THE KING?
After two months of performances, we have finally reached the final round. WHO IS THE KING? started a week prior to the episode airing, with the final songs released to see which group would garner more attention on the music charts. This attention (and their ranking on the music charts) would determine the first set of points the group’s would get, thus contributing to their final score.
When the episode starting airing, fans were given the opportunity to live vote for their favourite groups, thus creating a second set of points the groups were able to get in the final round.
At the conclusion of the performances, the live votes were tallied and added to all the points which the groups have accumulated throughout the competition. The group with the most points would be crowned the King!
For this review/rundown, I will be having a deeper listen to the songs released by each of the groups and a closer watch of the performances. I will also be giving a final rating based on these aspects, allowing me to determine a rank for the final round.
Then I will look at all my rankings I have done since the start of the show to determine who I thin should have been crowned the King! See you at the end.
The Real (멋) – ATEEZ
Going first up in the final round is always a daunting task and that task was assigned to ATEEZ. But knowing ATEEZ’s style, this task was going to be a piece of cake for the group. The Real taps into the hip-hop genre, combining it with a really dynamic and upbeat instrumentation filled with abrasive synths that has a sense of familiarity for me. I am sure somewhere on the blog, I have heard these same synths somewhere. But despite that, I really like that ATEEZ took those synths and really made it their own hype song. ATEEZ’s rappers kept the song dynamic, especially in the verses, and helped moved the song along. The vocalists really help give The Real some definition, and kept the song grounded and still for a brief moment. I think this was needed to prevent the song from being too overwhelming with the synths and energy. It also made the chorus that followed become more impactful. But what really sold me with this song is the energy that comes off it. I love the relentless energy that just doesn’t stop coming at you. And I also really liked how the energy just kept on piling up, especially towards the end. It was an exciting and stimulating opener to the round. It even got the crowd (i.e. other participants) hyped up. Definitely a style I would like ATEEZ to continue with in the future.
I feel the stage for this performance was a bit weak. While the choreography and energy was undeniable, I felt the performance could have had more of a wow factor to it. It might have been a stylistic choice to not include a wowing moment in the performance, but I felt that is where this performance fell short. I really like how the markings on the locker and the way the microphones were positioned to make the hangul of the song’s title appear at the right angles. That would have taken a while to set up and to ensure the camera work was on point (we all know how sometimes camera people like to not capture the right moments). I also feel the other stage props and setups had a fun vibe to them, which also matches the song (i.e. the puppet box and the chickens). As for the choreography, it definitely had that hype energy that felt on par with the song. I also felt their stage presence and personality made the choreography more energetic.
Final Rating – 7.9/10
WOLFGANG – Stray Kids
With WOLFGANG, Stray Kids relies heavily on momentum and intensity to get through their performance. There is also a showcase display of vocals and rapping from the members throughout the song. But I feel that comes second in WOLFGANG. I feels the members could have been a bit more angsty at certain parts (like in some of their other performances), which would have made for a more intense and thrilling performance. This would have made the dynamic performance even more dynamic and powerful, and give them more room to experiment with performance strategies on stage. I also find it interesting that none of the members really stood out to me in this WOLFGANG. Each member brought their individual style to the song, but the limelight was shared between members. Instrumentally, I liked the choir-like background to this song. It gives of a suspenseful atmosphere and does a good job of contrasting with the vocal/rapping delivery that we did get in the song. It also felt like something was simmering away in the background, concentrating as the song progressed along. Glad to hear in the end that energy was released in a relentless and concentrated manner that makes for a really thrilling ender to the performance. It started with the EDM instrumental break before leading into a dramatic increase in strings for the final sequence. It definitely showed Stray Kid’s powerful potential and it gave what I thought the performance definitely needed.
I really like the idea of the members turning into werewolves for this performance. The members started out as humans, before they start donning fur to show their transition from human to werewolf. But I think they are new to this transition, with some of dance moves starting off small (i.e. when they jump off the dancers back the first time). But as we get towards the end, the members become used to this change and exert more dominance, leading them to leaping off the dancers’ back the second time around. The choreography for the ending sequence also looked really powerful, matching the energy they exuded in the song. The show-stopping moment of the performance has to be Bangchan putting on the wolf attire showing some skin in the process, which I assume has thrown the STAY fandom into disarray.
Final Ranking –8.1/10
KINGDOM COME – THE BOYZ
The Boyz rounded out their Kingdom journey (Road To Kingdom & Kingdom: Legendary War) with KINGDOM COME. I liked that their song reminded me of their winning song from Road To Kingdom (CHECKMATE). This one sounds more intense, especially thanks to the powerful orchestral influence the producers of the song infused into the chorus. To compliment the chorus, KINGDOM COME teases us with less intense strings in the verses. Their vocals and rapping also fits in really neatly. The second half of the second verse brings in a really stylish and cool electronic-based instrumental break to facilitate a dance break on stage (more on that in a bit). It led to Juyeon’s dance break, which retained the dynamic thumping but opted for strings rather than EDM. The chorus returns, before transitioning with a really cool rough textured electronic sequence to the bridge song, which showcased nice vocals from New, a bit of deep rapping from Sunwoo and a spectacular elongated high note from Sangyeon. This marked an entrance to the final chorus, which I am sure had the same energy levels as the previous chorus. But until this point, KINGDOM COME has been snowballing all its energy to release it during the final chorus to give off an ‘edge of your seat’ vibe. I really like the autotuned ‘Until Kingdom Come‘ line that repeats. I didn’t notice it at first, but I think it added to the suspense that contributed to a really strong ender from The Boyz.
What I really liked about this stage is the pre-recorded footages featured in the performance. As mentioned at the start, this performance wraps up their time on the Kingdom series. In the first pre-recorded footage, we see each individual member wearing a different stage outfit from each of their RTK and Kingdom performances. The second pre-recorded footage we see features Younghoon, who couldn’t physically dance in this performance due to an injury. And the third pre-recorded footage features the members dance in white shirts and black pants while it is raining in the background. These pre-recorded footages were interlaced throughout the stage performance, allowing for different visuals to be in play, similar to how a music video switches between solo shots and choreography scenes. A unique concept and idea. On stage, The Boyz pulled off really both intense and graceful dance breaks (the latter being in a shallow pool of water) and powerful choreography that was captivating to watch. I liked fiery red colour of the stage at the end that showed us their passion.
Final Ranking – 8.7/10
Show And Prove (피날레) – BTOB
What I really like about Show and Prove is how uplifting it sounds. And because of this, it has a very different sound to all the songs by the other participants of Kingdom: Legendary War. I really like the dramatic rock-influence instrumental sequence that kicked off the song, which lead into Peniel’s opening narration to enjoy their stage, Changsub and Eunkwang’s vocal pairing and Minhyuk’s rap sequence. Up until this point, it appears that BTOB had opted for a rock styled instrumental for the song. But what keeps Show and Prove exciting is that they changed up the style for the chorus, opting for a much brighter and warmer melody. The rock influence remains, but it clear the vocals do most of the speaking during the song’s central parts. And while we are on the topic of vocals, the members’ smoothness really sell me this song. You can also feel the passion and energy through their vocals, which makes a really great song to finish their journey on Kingdom with. I particularly commend Changsub, who seems to employ a bit of a musical flair with his vocals in this song. The same structure of rock-dominance in the verses and the warm melodies for the chorus repeats again, repeating the same level of captivation from the first time they did it. The entire bridge and final chorus sequence, consisting of Minhyuk’s vocals, high notes from the members, harmonies between the members in a choir like manner and more of Peniel’s speech, gave me goosebumps and was a really polished finish Show and Prove.
For the final stage, the members of BTOB keep true to themselves and focus on what they know best. They don’t dance or participate in the accompanying choreography. Instead, they showcase their vocals. Despite opting this arrangement in terms of the stage performance, it doesn’t mean it is any less dynamic or impactful. I am sure I have mentioned this somewhere on my blog, but their vocals speak volumes. That being said, the dancers did a lot to give a bit of a wow factor to the stage and I liked how BTOB used the stage for this performance. If I were to nitpick at one aspect, it has to be how the stage was set up for the final sequence. I think some of the dancers should have been in front of the members (who were already on high blocks). I think the stage would have looked better and potentially warmer, as a result to fit the song’s vibes. But overall, a really strong performance by BTOB, who were clever and played with their strengths.
Final Ranking – 9.1/10
At Ease (열중쉬어) – iKON
There was no surprise when I heard At Ease for the first time. It taps into hip-hop, which is iKON’s preferred genre of music whenever they release something. Like most of their songs, the rap is dominant in At Ease, which definitely plays towards their strengths. But based on what I heard, the rapping in At Ease was pretty standard for iKON. Nothing special in that department. Similar comments can be said about the vocals that make up the pre-chorus, though I was glad for some melodic flair in the song. It the last few seconds of the chorus when the song gears up for the chorus drop that starts pulling my attention towards the song. The repetition of the ‘Play Play Play‘, paired with the drumming instrumentation, was a really cool and intense buildup. Then came the chorus, which brought all the energy down. While I do wonder where all that energy those last few seconds had brought to the song, the militaristic vibes and bombastic creates a very powerful atmosphere that I feel iKON could only create. I do think it pairs well with the rapping we get in the verses, even though I did mention they felt standard. Their anthem ending sequence was expected, as it tends to appear in all iKON songs (and have been appearing in their Kingdom stages). And while I do groan at the unoriginality of how they approached the ending, I do find the energy that comes off this sequence to be fitting for this song. It felt like a last hurrah, following all the seriousness that the chorus felt, infusing a bit of freestyle and fun into the song. Personally, At Ease isn’t my preferred song of the bunch. But they definitely infused their roots into the song.
As for the stage, I did like the way they used the fences. From the mini ‘rooms’ created by the fences (like how the cameraman was trapped in at the end of the performance), to how the cameraman shot through the fence to create an edgy effect. I did think they could have taken the stage a step further and made it more interesting. Aside from the fences, there wasn’t much to really talk about. As for the choreography, it was good. Though like the stage, I think more could have been done. I do find their outfits interesting. I would have thought they would have gone something to compliment the militaristic style of the song. But I guess that would have been cliché.
Final Rating – 7/10
Believer (숨) – SF9
SF9 finishes up the final round with Believer. The song comes off as smooth and showcases the charm that SF9 was most successful with during the earlier rounds of Kingdom: Legendary War (i.e. sensual). What I find interesting about Believer is that it is the least bold song out of the bunch. But that might be a good thing on one hand. All the other performances rely on dramatic flair and powerful instrumentation. Believer differentiated itself as a result from the pack, allowing it to become an ‘easy on the ears’ listen, which is definitely appreciable after so many powerful and intense sounds. But on the flip side, it might not be able to standout and become forgotten within the mix of powerful songs. For me, I feel the former (it being a good thing) to be the case here. Though, I do think there is room for the song to be bolder with its instrumentation. The synths in this song are quite stylish and sound like they have never been done before in KPOP. It is almost trippy and hypnotic in a way (combined with the percussion we get in the instrumentation). I find the vocal work to be quite sleek, while the rapping infuse a bit of edge to the song. As for the chorus, the melodies were memorable and catchy. The ‘Tuk Tuk Tuk‘ at the end of each line in the chorus was very addictive.
Of all the six stages, I think SF9’s was the stylish. And that is thanks to that hexagonal mirror structure present, which reflects the stage’s lighting and imagery from the screen. As a result it gives off a really cool effect that takes me back to a few music videos from KPOP’s past. I also like how it wasn’t just a tube, but rather segments that SF9 used really well to reveal members and have them quickly disappear. As for the choreography, SF9’s stage was also pretty cool. I really like the idea of mirroring that was employed in the routine (seen during the start with Hwiyoung and Yoo Taeyang and then again between Chani and Youngbin after first chorus). I am not entirely sure what the story behind the choreography, but it seems like there is a struggle between light and darkness based on the imagery we see on stage. I did wish they brought more of a sensual vibe to the choreography, though. The best part of the stage has be Zuho’s stage presence during his rap sequence, where we saw the light and dark come together in a moment of peace. His outfit was split between the two sides and the contacts he was wearing was quite scary, but at the same time, very memorable.
Final Rating – 8.6/10
And the winner of this round is…
Formal results for the final performances were not provided, with the crowning of the king taking precedence once the performances wrapped up. We did get to see digital results for the final round, but these are based on their rankings on music charts since the release of the songs a week prior to the final episode. The ranking for the digital music points were The Boyz (1st), Stray Kids (2nd), BTOB (3rd), ATEEZ (4th), iKON (5th) and SF9 (6th).
As a result, I have decided to ranking the final performances amongst each other. The table below shows the ranking for the final round only. Keep on scrolling down if you want to find out how I ranked each group’s performance throughout the entire Kingdom: Legendary War series.
Do you agree with my ranking of this round? Comment below if you agree/disagree. Plus include what you think the ranking would have been like!
Rank
KPOPREVIEWED’s Final Round Ranking
1st
BTOB
2nd
The Boyz
3rd
SF9
4th
Stray Kids
5th
ATEEZ
6th
iKON
And the winner of Kingdom: Legendary War is…
And it is the moment you have been waiting for! I will be sure not to going into dramatic pauses, like what Changmin did on Thursday. I did laugh at how quick MNET decided to flash the final results on our screen on Thursday at the very end.
For the most part, I agree with the crowned winner, which was ultimately Stray Kids! But it the rest of the rankings which I for the most part did not agree with, considering how I ranked the performances and stages from all the rounds. You can see the results below!
Do you agree with the shows’ ranking? Or do you agree with mine? Or do you disagree with both and have a different ranking in mind? Let me know in the comments section below!
Ranking
Final Kingdom: Legendary War Results
Final KPOPREVIEWED Ranking
1st
Stray Kids
Stray Kids
2nd
The Boyz
BTOB
3rd
ATEEZ
ATEEZ
4th
BTOB
The Boyz
5th
iKON
SF9
6th
SF9
iKON
And that’s it! Thank you once again for sticking around for my review and thoughts for Kingdom: Legendary War! While I do have negative thoughts on how MNET operates, I do hope that we get to see more Queendom and Kingdom seasons in the future. Congratulations to all the groups for their amazing performances. Mad respect to all of them and I can’t wait to see all of their future comebacks and works! (Now to get back on track with the reviews…)
Apologies regarding how long this post has taken. The finale rundown should be published by Sunday!
Earlier this month, Kingdom: Legendary War began its run, pitting six well known and high performing male groups against one another for the throne. The Boyz, winner of the prequel season Road To Kingdom last year, is featured as one of these male groups. During the 2020 MAMA Awards, it was confirmed that Stray Kids and ATEEZ will be participating. And in January 2021, it was also confirmed that iKON, BTOB and SF9 will be joining the lineup. It was also confirmed that TVXQ (a name in the industry worthy of the Kingdom title without a doubt) will be hosting, but this was later reduced to just Max Changmin, as Yunho was involved in a scandal and was edited out as much as possible (and will not make an appearance in future rounds).
As I have reviewed part of Queendom and all of Road To Kingdom, I will also be reviewing the stages of Kingdom: Legendary War, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Round 3B – NO LIMIT
Round 3 was broadcast over three episodes (Episodes 7, 8 and 9). It was also spilt into two sections. For this post, I will be focusing on the NO LIMIT segment of Round 3. You can see the performance rundown, comparison and results for Round 3A ‘Collaboration’ here.
In this part of the round, each individual group was given the freedom to cover any song they wish. As we are back with six individual performances for each group, I will revert back to the original format of this Special segment.
For this rundown/review of each stage, I will be looking at their song arrangement, concept and overall performance.
Classy Savage – iKON Original Song/Artist: Pretty Savage – BLACKPINK
There were some slight modifications to the start of iKON’s version of Pretty Savage. You will notice that the instrumentation in iKON’s version has a deeper tone. And some of the lyrics and delivery of lines were changed to fit in with each member’s abilities. I really liked it how they sneakily slipped a swear word into the pre-chorus (in case you didn’t noticed). Expect iKON to do that! The chorus is where the song changes up. I really like the robustness and dynamic percussion alongside the ‘BUM BUM BUM‘ and the new-found intensity the members brought to the ‘You better run run run‘ line in the chorus. The jungle sound inserts (at the start of the song), tribal drumming and cult-like choir we get leading up to the epic featuring of Lisa herself actually worked well with the concept and stage design. I also liked it for the fact it gave a bit of an interesting colour to their version. They maintained their version’s deeper tone when Lisa started her rap sequence, and it made me think that this should have been the tone of BLACKPINK’s version of Pretty Savage to begin with. I think I would have enjoyed the original song more if they had this deep tone to the instrumentation. Following Lisa’s featuring, everything becomes very lively and energetic. I really like the hype feel from the final bit of their stage, which really exuded a lot of energy and made the entire stage more appealing in a last minute pitch.
For the concept, I am not exactly sure how to describe it in one word, so I will split it up. The performance starts with the members watching previous YG performances. (In addition to Winner, BLACKPINK and iKON themselves, we also get some Big Bang – just another hint that these KPOP Kings are working in the background for an upcoming and long awaited comeback). A portal opens up, leading them to this foreign jungle land, before being captured by the people who live there. During the performance, we see the people call upon their Goddess (i.e. Lisa) and the members convert to following this Goddess (hence why their outfits change from casual to golden). I liked the concept and thought it was fun. It is nice to have a less serious concept once in a while.
For the choreography, I didn’t really see anything that new or unfamiliar. They took a number of moves from BLACKPINK’s version and made it look more intense, which fits in with the music. To me, the best bit of the performance has to be Ju-ne’s kick at the end. Other than that, the members relied heavily on stage design and Lisa’s featuring.
God’s DDU-DU DDU-DU – Stray Kids Original Song/Artist: DDU-DU DDU-DU – BLACKPINK / God’s Menu – Stray Kids
Another BLACKPINK cover, this time Stray Kids is covering BLACKPINK’s debut single, DDU-DU DDU-DU with a surprise. More on that in a bit. Following Felix’s narration and BLACKPINK’s song’s chorus, Changbin comes swinging with his lines. It was an impressive display of his rapping skillset that really sets the bar high for the rest of the performance. The rest of the performance falls into line and continues the momentum that Changbin and the first chorus had set up. I really like the edgy rock feel of the instrumentation that fits so well with BLACKPINK, Stray Kids and the song(s). The next chorus comes along, with a bit of God’s Menu infused into the chorus. How did this occur? Well, God’s Menu has ‘DU DU DU‘ in its chorus, so it was an easy fit. I am glad they didn’t overuse this technique, obviously to preserve BLACKPINK’s song. In addition to the just mentioned, we also get really powerful and dramatic drums, which makes it the cover’s most iconic sequence. I shamelessly rewatch the performance to hear this exact chorus again as it had it all. Felix also brings in some more God’s Menu in his rap sequence, however indirectly, as he threatens mentions Gordan Ramsay who happens to be a Michelin Star Chef (and this latter term is referred to God’s Menu). For the cover’s final sequence, Stray Kids take it to the next level, coming at you with all of this intense and powerful energy that we have yet to see in the competition. They also managed to integrate their tag line ‘Stray Kids all around the world‘, ending a performance that cleverly reminds you of the group and BLACKPINK as well.
For Stray Kids’ stage, I really like the idea of Deadpool and breaking the fourth wall, which Deadpool is notorious for doing in his movies. Felix starts off the performance by narrating the introduction, while Bangchan introduces the final segment of the performance (really like the humour in Bangchan’s segment, pushing down the JYP speech bubble). Not entirely sure of the massive rice cooker that Felix sits on at the start, but I guess that is reference to God’s Menu. I also really like the use of the camera angles to unveil the van, which Felix had stole the smaller version of earlier in the performance.
Breaking the fourth wall also made it into the performance, with Lee Know smiling in a cute fashion whilst all the guns were pointed at him. As for the rest of the performance, it was a powerful routine combining the likes of DDU-DU DDU-DU and God’s Menu. There were also a bunch of other cool moments, such as Felix’s navigating his way through the red laser lines and the ending sequence which saw the members stomping their way to leave a lasting impression.
Blue Moon (Cinema Ver.) – BTOB Original Song/Artist: Blue Moon – BTOB
Based on commentary from the MC, BTOB would be competing in this round with their own song and it would be a song that has never been performed on stage before. The song in question is Blue Moon, a single written by Minhyuk from their 11th mini-album, This Is Us. When I compare the two versions, it doesn’t seem like much as changed. The jazzy instrumental was retained. If anything, it does sound like it was amplified for the stage. But I think there was a bit a vocal rearrangement to accommodate for the stage performance and the fact that BTOB has been reduced to four members for the competition. I know for a fact that the raps have been changed, while some of the vocal bits have been altered to allow for harmonies and high notes to come through. To me, standout members for this performance was Minhyuk and Eunkwang. Minhyuk’s rapping in this version has a lot of emotional heft, which reflect well with the story they are telling on stage. His singing was so good, as well. As for Eunkwang, his high notes in the final chorus and ending made me go wow and I shared similar reaction to the other participants of the show. It was a solid performance from the group, with a strong showing of skills from each of the members.
For the concept of the performance, it appears BTOB’s stage is influenced by La La Land. Minhyuk, who is only a staff member on the production, is in love with Miyeon (from (G)I-DLE), who has been enlisted to play the actress in this stage. While the feeling is mutual, I think Minhyuk believes that Miyeon has moved on from him and no longer wants to be with him. Changsub plays the actor in this performance and I loved how his character added a bit of comedic relief to the stage based on the way he looks. Peniel is the director, who is extremely passionate, while Eunkwang is a singer in the production. Fast-forwarding through the stage, Minhyuk makes his thoughts apparent, while Miyeon assures him that she still loves him. They make up and hug (for a moment there, they looked like they were going to kiss) to end the performance. A happy ending for the main characters.
As for the performance aspect, I thought the performance was quite pleasant. Nothing that amazing in terms of choreography, but it was still worth watching. BTOB allowed their vocals and rapping to be the main star, once again emphasising that different dynamic the group was bringing along to the competition from the very start. I liked how the ending came together to be a big song and dance. It is a bit cliché, but it was a nice way to end the performance and bring everything together.
Answer: Ode To Joy – ATEEZ Original Song/Artist: Answer – ATEEZ
Out of all the stages we saw in this episode, I have to admit that ATEEZ was the most epic and powerful. The energy they brought to the stage in just the music alone for this version of Answer blew me away. They also really knew how to amplify Answer and upgrade it a whole new level. The logical answer to this was a rock instrumentation, given that we all had the feeling that Answer was the perfect vessel for this sound. The post-chorus hook was definitely the original’s best bit and I was grateful that while also intensifying it, they retained the appeal of this section. What was really interesting about this version of Answer was despite the thrilling momentum of the rock sound, they cut it completely to make way for a bit of classical opera. La Poem was featured to deliver this opera. It was a brief interlude before an intense drumming to bring back and rock influences with the opera together. It was the best bit of the performance. Like all the performances of ATEEZ we have seen thus far, Jongho brings in a really cool high note. Not to put pressure on him, however, but I felt it should have been followed up with another high note as the music felt somewhat empty afterwards. I think that would have been this performance’s ‘icing on the cake’ if it had happened. Hongjoong’s rap sequence while blindfolded was the next iconic part of this performance. This performance of Answer hit the mark and showed us that there was no limits in creating this version of this song.
I think the concept was the weakest point of the performance. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. My best guess, based from the start, is that the white-masked dancers captured one of the members, so ATEEZ and the hat-wearing counterparts went to rescue him from these white-masked bandits. Fighting ensues, but the rescue was successful and the enemies were defeated. I really like how the opera singers were unveiled on stage.
The epicness carried over into their performance. It was super intense, especially in the rock instrumented sequences. I also like the choreographed fight scene in the final moments. I did think it could have been a bit more convincing. I also wished the performance did end on bland feel. We had all this amazing energy preceding it, just to see the member walk up the steps and stare back all serious into the camera.
Move – SF9 Original Song/Artist: Move – Taemin (SHINee)
The most surprising stage of the round was SF9’s take on Move. It is sexy sounding song and I feel that SF9 really encapsulated this, whilst also creating a sound of their own in this performance. Chani’s deep voice begins the performance with a brief yet sharp instrumental piece. Dawon and Jaeyoon then brings sultry vocals to the mix, before we are taken to the chorus which is lead by Yoo Taeyang and Inseong. The slow but sensual pace of Taemin’s original version of Move features here. The rappers (Hwiyoung, Youngbin and Zuho) of the group start bringing more upbeat and metrosexual vibes in their sections through the instrumentation and delivery, whilst also maintaining the sensual atmosphere that the other members had created. After Zuho’s part (which was also my favourite), an electronic based instrumental interlude gave the performance/version some intensity that can only be passed through a dance break, before we are provided an upbeat version of the Move‘s chorus that fits into what SF9’s version has built towards. I really enjoyed SF9’s take on such an iconic KPOP song, so much that I have returned to listen and rewatch the stage so many times after the show’s broadcast.
For the concept of this performance, I believe the setting is a factory that produced robots that wore white and very generic. But the SF9 members were incorrectly made, wearing black and were completely different to the robots the factory originally manufacturing. I also like how the settings were bland and monotone. But with SF9 present, colour started to come through. It was gradual, but made for a really great stage. I really like the rain of coloured confetti during the final dance sequence, and the rain room they had created off the stage to further highlight the group’s sexiness. This was a really unique performance and one that shows off a different charm of the members.
We all know Move for its sexy moves, but I feel that SF9 took it further with their outfits and sensual moves on those steps. It was definitely a breathtaking performance to watch. Chani’s entrance was so smooth. I would have liked to see more references to Taemin’s original choreography, but I think they did fantastic with creating their own, especially to match the upbeat moments of the final chorus. And when they are not dancing, the members are strutting their stuff on the stage as you could see during Hwiyoung and Zuho’s parts.
Monster (Stormborn) – The Boyz Original Song/Artist: Monster – EXO
The final performance was The Boyz’s take on EXO’s Monster. While the melodies for the vocals parts remained the same between version, the instrumentals for The Boyz’s version was remixed to enable the 11-member male group to perform the song to the calibre of the Kingdom’s stage. And while I do like the performance, I am not a major fan of the shrilly-like synth they had in the chorus. It wasn’t off-putting, but it just didn’t sit right for me. But everything else in their version was good. I really like the rapping, which gave the song a more edgy and powerful touch (which I felt was needed – more on this in a bit). The EDM used for the dance break really showed performance flair and their ability to intensify an pre-existing intense track. I really like the guitar and the melodic drumming (at the end of the instrumental piece) they used in the dance break, which gave the instrumental break an interesting centre-piece. I think if I were to nitpick at one thing, it would be the intensification. I felt the producers of this version could have taken it a step further and made the music bolder and more defined. This would have brought it up to the same energy levels as other performances in this round and would have made The Boyz sound and look more powerful on stage.
Once again, the performance references an episode from Games Of Throne. Once again, I am not entirely sure what Game of Thrones reference I am seeing in the performance (as I have yet to see it). It is probably an obvious reference, like the massive serpent that they brought to life. But even not knowing the Games of Throne reference, I have to commend The Boyz for another performance that can still be appreciated by itself. Like how amazing was the second dance break of the performance, with the members dancing in front of that projected imagery, which is followed by the massive serpent on stage. Definitely a memorable performance.
The choreography also had a memorable feel. Even while I think the performance could have been intensified on the music front, you could tell the members put their all into the choreography to ensure that they make up for that additional intensity. Each dance break we saw in this performance saw the members go above and beyond, showcasing their performance abilities (without the dearly missed stunts) that stole our attention back during the Road To Kingdom days.
And the winner for this round is…
This was a really hard episode to rank because each stage was amazing in their own right. If I had the ability to, I would have given each stage the top rank. But as there are six groups, I had to rank them from 1st to 6th (hey, I don’t make the rules :P), based on what I saw. This is shown on the right hand side of the table below.
As the show have yet to finalise the official rankings of the round (as global voting and YouTube views were still being determined), the show has only released the rankings per the expert (left hand side of the table) and the self-evaluation (middle columns).
Do you agree with my ranking, the participants’ ranking of the performances or the expert panel’s ranking of the performances? Let me know in the comments below.
Ranking
Kingdom: Legendary War Ranking from Expert Panel
Ranking
Kingdom: Legendary War Ranking from Self-Evaluation
Apologies regarding how long this post has taken. The second part of the next round’s rundown should be out tomorrow!
Earlier this month, Kingdom: Legendary War began its run, pitting six well known and high performing male groups against one another for the throne. The Boyz, winner of the prequel season Road To Kingdom last year, is featured as one of these male groups. During the 2020 MAMA Awards, it was confirmed that Stray Kids and ATEEZ will be participating. And in January 2021, it was also confirmed that iKON, BTOB and SF9 will be joining the lineup. It was also confirmed that TVXQ (a name in the industry worthy of the Kingdom title without a doubt) will be hosting, but this was later reduced to just Max Changmin, as Yunho was involved in a scandal and was edited out as much as possible (and will not make an appearance in future rounds).
As I have reviewed part of Queendom and all of Road To Kingdom, I will also be reviewing the stages of Kingdom: Legendary War, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Round 3A – Collaboration
Round 3 was broadcast over three episodes (Episodes 7, 8 and 9). It was also spilt into two sections. For this post, I will be focusing on Collaboration segment of Round 3.
In Round 3A, three groups were pitted against the other three groups in various battles such as rap, dance and vocals. The teams of groups as follows:
Stray Kids, BTOB, ATEEZ (named themselves Mayfly)
The Boyz, iKON, SF9 (named themselves It’s One)
For this particular post, things will be a little different. I won’t focusing on the six performance individually. Instead, I will be comparing each performance in their respective battles, as there are only two performances (i.e. Mayflys vs. Its One). As a result, this post will be shorter than usual.
I will also summarise the final rankings for each battle decided by the experts who watch the performances, whilst also give out my own personal ranking to who should have won each battle in my opinion.
Members: Sunwoo (The Boyz), Bobby (iKON), Hwiyoung (SF9)
Going into this round, I had a hard time predict who would succeed. On one hand, you had Bobby. For those who don’t know Bobby, he is probably the most well known rapper out of the bunch. Then, we have 3RACHA from Stray Kids, who have put out really strong and powerful rap songs as a unit before. And then, we have Minhyuk, who is an all-rounder but started off as a powerful rapper in BTOB. For Sunwoo, Hwiyoung and Hongjoong, I am not familar with their solo work to really influence my prediciton.
For the performances, both was quite lively. Colours was vibrant and colourful, while Full DaSH was edgy and stylish. Colours felt like a performance, based on their ending pose, stage set ups and the presence of choreography. I like the inclusion of the traditional instrumentation in the background. There was a bit of a free spirit to the performance, but it wasn’t as prevalent as Full DaSH. On the other hand, Full DaSH was relied on a heap of freestyling. There was some choreography and stage set up, but all was minimal in comparison to the other performance. I really like the paint gun sequence at the end of the Full DaSH performance. It was an element of fun and really showed how unconstrained the performance was. In terms of execution, I feel both are on par with each other. The five members in Colours helped give the track a catchy ring. I also find Minhyuk’s exclamation “We all bleed the same colour” to be very deep. For Full DaSH, I felt the energy behind the trio’s delivery to be very powerful and memorable.
In the end, I lean towards Colours as my favourite performance out of the two. It is more aligned to what I like and enjoy in general. That being said, Full DaSH was terrific in its own way.
Rank
Kingdom Ranking
KPOPREVIEWED’s Ranking
1st
Colours – Mayfly
Colours – Mayfly
2nd
Full DaSH – It’s One
Full DaSH – It’s One
Dance Battle
Wolf – Mayfly
Members: Lee Know, I.N, Felix (Stray Kids), Peniel (BTOB), San, Seonghwa, Yeosang, Wooyoung, Yunho (ATEEZ)
King and Queen – It’s One
Members: Juyeon (The Boyz), Donghyuk (iKON), Yoo Taeyang (SF9)
Wolf was an unexpected surprise. I thought that the members of ATEEZ, BTOB and Stray Kids would come together to form their own routine to a unique song for themselves. I would have appreciated the innovation and creativity a lot more, but Wolf was still an amazing performance. I really like how they took to EXO’s version of Wolf and made it even more animinalistic and wilder. It show cases the edgy and dangerous side of the members. It was also great to see stunts reappear in the competition. There hasn’t been many so far. When Felix did the run up and jumped onto San, I was floored by how he kept his exposure despite the landing being slightly rocky and committed to the part. I also really like Peniel’s solo part, showcasing some of his dance skills – something we don’t see too much of.
King and Queen was an instrumental piece, and as far as I am concerned, it was made for this performance. I liked the innovation and creativity of this performance. It starts off as the three members on their chairs, before jumping off and giving us a solo performance each over some electrifying guitar instrumentals. We then see a really graceful performance from the trio together, before we see in the distance the queen is assasinated. Throughout the performance, you could see the emotions in their moves or on their faces. If you know me, emotions make up a very large part of the stage presence. And while each of the three members had a different way of showcasing emotions, they all made sure it was there. Yoo Taeyang had a really cool sword fight solo scene, but I personally could not get over how we caught the sword without any dramas. Juyeon’s table flip was very impressive as well. Donghyuk also had an awesome solo scene, though nothing memorable pinged from it. I also liked how they used stage tricks to reintroduce the other two members to end the performance.
I liked both performances. But I felt that It’s One had the edge in this battle. They showed many sides of themselves and a wider range of moves, such as from powerful to graceful. Wolf was great in itself, but I felt like more could have been done to captivate us, as did King and Queen.
Spark (by It’s One) was a good cover of Taeyeon’s song. Personally, I feel like Spark was an unexpected choice for a cover, especially for this battle. I can’t really pinpoint an exact reason to why I feel this way. It just felt odd. Song choice aside, I really like it when the members came together to sing together for its climax. It made the cover more captivating. Per usual, I wanted more of that. And harmonies, as well. If the harmonies were more prevalent and present, then I feel like Its One cover of Spark would have been more memorable. There was also a good amount of huskiness and raspiness behind some of their vocals. While we got to hear their voices very clearly (especially since none of the members have really had a solo platform yet) and they all sounded great as a team, no one really stood out for me. That might be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Good in the sense that no one member took over the song and outshone in the rest. Bad in the sense that it felt too neutral. In this case, I feel like the latter seems to be the case. It is a pity that Inseong couldn’t pull off his high note. I feel like it would have lifted the performance to a whole new level if it was successful.
The Love Poem cover was stunning and grand, featuring the balance of the three groups that make up of Mayfly (with the exception of Changsub, who sat out due to being unwell). I don’t have much to say about this cover, aside from expressing how good it was. While I can’t really comment on show-stopping melodies of IU’s Love Poem (as the original had already them), what made this cover so great is that it had the harmonies that I wanted to hear. Those harmonies and high notes just made the entire performance captivating and blissful to listen to. I felt as if I was floating while listening to the song, which is an impressive feat to achieve, especially since I really enjoys my ballads. If I were to be critical, I would have liked to see Jongho shine a bit more. We know he has an impressive set of lungs based on the performances on the show thus far. I just felt he didn’t really have his moment to really shine in this cover, compared to Seungmin and Eunkwang.
Based on the language I had used to describe each of the performances, I think it is clear that I lean towards Mayfly’s cover of Love Poem.
Apologies regarding how long this post has taken. The first part of the next round’s rundown should be out shortly!
Earlier this month, Kingdom: Legendary War began its run, pitting six well known and high performing male groups against one another for the throne. The Boyz, winner of the prequel season Road To Kingdom last year, is featured as one of these male groups. During the 2020 MAMA Awards, it was confirmed that Stray Kids and ATEEZ will be participating. And in January 2021, it was also confirmed that iKON, BTOB and SF9 will be joining the lineup. It was also confirmed that TVXQ (a name in the industry worthy of the Kingdom title without a doubt) will be hosting, but this was later reduced to just Max Changmin, as Yunho was involved in a scandal and was edited out as much as possible (and will not make an appearance in future rounds).
As I have reviewed part of Queendom and all of Road To Kingdom, I will also be reviewing the stages of Kingdom: Legendary War, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Round 2 – RE-BORN
Round 2 was broadcast over episode 4 and 5 of the new season, occuring on the 22nd and 29th of April. The brief of Round 2 was titled ‘RE-BORN’, which each group got the opportunity to cover a song released by a fellow participant. Each group had the opportunity to not only recreate a fellow group’s song as their own, but also perform it on stage.
Per usual, live voting opened after the 5th episode to allows for fans to vote for their favourite stages. YouTube views, epert ranking and self-evaluation were taken into account for this round.
I will be reviewing the performances based on who went first, and will be looking at song arrangement, concept and choreography for this round.
The Stealer (The Scene) – SF9 Original artist: The Boyz
I really like how SF9 transformed The Stealer. The new instrumental is made of distinct sounding pieces that all piece together to bring you a suspenseful performance. The performance may be influencing my perception of this, however I think it was well executed. The new instrumentation starts off with Rowoon (welcome back to Rowoon, who has been absent from the performances due to an injury) and Dawon with a really slow and sensual introduction, brought to life with their smooth vocals. Jaeyoon, Youngbin, Yoo Taeyang and Inseong follows up with the first verse of the original song, over an instrumentation that feels like like subtly suspense moments before an unexpected action season in movies. The chorus comes into play and we get an R&B influenced dance instrumentation here. Zuho starts off the second verse, rapping in an angsty way to match his fight scene on stage. The instrumentation kicks up a notch here, becoming more upbeat. Chani follows up briefly, before an instrumental break comes into play featuring funky guitars. Inseong and Hwiyoung’s solo parts brings some stillness to the song and unnerving energy, which is ultimately followed up with an electrifying dance sequence and a final chorus sequence that brings everything together into one. All the vocal work and the rapping reflected well with the different sequences. And while SF9’s style was definitely featured throughout this performance, the original essence of The Stealer was not lost.
Concept-wise, SF9’s visual take on The Stealer was one of the best of the round. The members are all working together as part of a gang to steal the crown that was locked away at the start. And as part of the storyline of stealing that crown, fighting is invovled to get that crown in their hands. Regarding staging, you can tell that FNC Entertainment and SF9 are no longer bound by any financial constraints. You can tell that they really went all out with this performance. I really like the shipping container set-up they had in the background, giving the stage that edgy persona. Their outfits (and in the case of Daewon and Jaeyoon – lack thereof), the props and some of the special effects (tourching someone on fire and shooting at one of the stage structures to make it fall down) all created a really cool and intense atmosphere.
And you cannot talk about this stage without talking about the choreography. I really liked how they creatively choreographed the fight scenes into the routine, especially when it came to Zuho’s solo. That was an amazing sequence. So was the dance break, which saw flips from Chani, Youngbin and Yoo Taeyang. We also saw more cool fight scenes invovling Jaeyoon and Zuho afterwards, topping everything we saw previously in this performance.
O Sole Mio (The Red Wedding) – The Boyz Original Artist: SF9
We all probably know O Sole Mio for being a Latin influenced song in SF9’s discography. So it was interesting to see how The Boyz would transform it. What I really liked about this version is that it didn’t stray away from its original style. Instead, it seems to concentrate it, tapping into the world of tango. This was a fresh take on the song without it going into any foreign territory or lose the aesthetic of the original version. While the first verse and chorus felt the same as the original, Sunwoo’s rapping is where this version started to have it own appeal. His rap sequence was so clean and well-executed, giving The Boyz’s version an edgy vibe. From then on, the song became The Boyz’s. I really like how they substituted the second chorus for an instrumental piece to fit in a dance break. This is followed by another dance break featuring Juyeon and the female dancer that brings together some tango and the theme of Games of Thrones. The final chorus comes soon after, bringing everything to a climatic ending. Personally, I wished each member got more lines. I noticed a lot of members had a one-liner in this performance. But obviously to fit everything in, some lines probably had to be sacrificed. But aside from that, it was a solid cover.
For the concept, obviously The Red Wedding was the main attraction. I don’t know if there were any Game of Throne references on stage, as I haven’t watched the series at all yet (and probably will never watch it, given my track record of starting TV shows that are big in mainstream pop culture). The emphasis on the colour red and the sun/fire made this a really cool stage to watch. I also really like the idea of the cage, which was a stunning setting for the many dance sequences we saw in this performance.
Performance wise, this is The Boyz’s best one so far on the Kingdom: Legendary War. There were so many cool moments. Firstly, Juyeon and the female dancer’s tango moments I found it so epic when he started to climb the cage. Secondly, the passing of the rod during what was supposed to be the second chorus. Thirdly, the final chorus, with all the members. I really liked how the closeness of the setssurrounding them, lighting and confetti all made the stage look and feel climatic, like the song. Hyunjae’s bow catching at the very end was very sleek as well.
Inception (iKON ver.) – iKON Original artist: ATEEZ
It isn’t iKON if there wasn’t hip-hop infused into a song, regardless of it being their own or a cover. For iKON’s version of Inception, they really took the round’s rules and transformed Inception into something they would have released. I liked how they kept the first verse as the constant between the original and their version, along with the bridge of the song. Usually, it is the chorus or hook that you would keep intact if you were to make the song your own, as that is what fans and listeners would recongise. But based on how perform this version, you can tell they are confident that fans and listeners (especially ATINYs) would recognise it. For me, I am actually glad that they kept the bridge of the song intact, as it a memorable part of the original that I now recongise and it also builds really well towards the final chorus. Moving along, it is the final seconds of the pre-chorus that iKON’s style peeks through, hyping us towards a hypnotic and different style chorus that is fitting with their stage concept. It also twists the song into something that you would not expect. It doesn’t really capitalise on any of the iconic nature of the original’s chorus, but you must admit that it has its charm. As expected, the song ends with a hype style outro, which is very YG and iKON. It definitely ends the song on an upbeat note. I also like how the final chorus slows down completely at first, emphasising that hypnotic factor that they began with. My only peeve with the performance came during Bobby’s rap sequence. He was out of time and ended up skipping a few lines. I know he was very into the performance and looked like he was enjoying his time. But it is things like this that really stick out and could potentially make or break a performance.
iKON took the opportunity and went with it. Their stage was based on the movie Inception. Go figure! Wow was the reaction I gave when I watched this performance for the first time, especially as the buildings all moved and the road was raised, like in the movie. But if that wasn’t obvious, then spinning top at the end should have been the last clue to give it away. Aside from really cool stage design and technology, I really liked the trippy camera effect that appeared during Bobby’s verse.
Obviously with a new chorus and unique stage design, the original choreography just couldn’t seem to be brought over. It is slightly disappointing. But as soon as iKON inserted their influence into the song, it seemed right that they departed from the original choreography. What iKON ended up doing looked really cool, especially when it came to that complete slow down at the start of the final chorus.
Rhythm Ta (The Awakening of Summer) – ATEEZ Original artist: iKON
Kicking off ATEEZ’s Rhythm Ta performance is Seonghwa and Wooyoung’s whispering. It was barely audible, but it got me interested in the performance. When it came to the verses, I really liked the exciting energy that you could feel was building up in the background. This is all thanks to ATEEZ’s version having this upbeat and energerised kick to it which I find really appealing. Yeosang’s ‘We’re gon get it, pop it‘ just before the chorus was quite addicting, especially when it layered over dramatic and suspenseful violins. For the chorus, I am not a major fan of the metallic/shrilling synth they used. Though, I acknowledge that it gave a platform for them to show a great performance. I liked how they maintained Rhythm Ta‘s one-liner hook for the chorus, which also allowed to showcase an even more impressive set of moves. The chorus if then followed up with a bit of an instrumental interlude, featuring latin styled brass. This was carried through to Hongjoong’s rap sequence, before rock influences peeked through the vocals parts of the second verse. To me, the odd ball in the performance is the presence of the brass. While I thought it add a nice touch, I think it could have been swapped out for something more electrifying to fit in with the rest of the performance and instrumentation. Both the violins and rock influences returned a little later to followup Hongjoong’s speech (which gave me goosebumps) and complimented the energy and power Jongho was inserting into the song through his vocals and dramatic first high note. For the final chorus, ATEEZ really amped up the instrumentation giving us a chance to witness a really thrilling sequence and Jongho’s second high note. We all know that I am a sucker for high notes, and Jongho’s always are top notch!
For me, I didn’t pick up that this was based on or influenced by Money Heist. Mainly because I haven’t watched the series. But even without knowing it was based on Money Heist, you can tell that ATEEZ clearly portrayed the idea of a heist at the start, stealing back all the art and instruments that were taken away from them. By the end of the video, the group was starting a revolution, opening the eyes of the dancers who were once against the group to be with the group in the final moments, creating a really cool ending for the performance with everyone on board.
Performance wise, charisma from the members came through. Notable mention has to go to San, for his part at the start of the performance and the centre during the final chorus. I also really liked the twists and turns they managed to pull off in the choruses, and how they quickly moved between cameras (evident in the first chorus sequence). The ending, while it was chaotic, was also quite organised, but yet it still actually complimented the intense energy we got. It was a great performance.
Back Door – BTOB Original artist: Stray Kids
In BTOB’s version of Back Door, I really liked how they mixed four different styles into their version. The song starts off with Changsub, whose sequence brought a bit of rock to the mix. This is followed up by Minhyuk’s sequence which featured a very sensual R&B sequence. Peniel brings in a bit of upbeat and energetic hip-hop flair, before Eunkwang brings in his power vocals during his more pop-ballad like approach to the song. While I like that each member got to show off their own indivdual colours, the performance is at its best when it all four members of BTOB join forces with one another. This occurs when the bridge of Back Door comes into play, combining the pop and rock sequences above to finish the song in a thrilling and exciting manner that iterates to me why Back Door is such a good song. Eunkwang and Changsub’s high notes and harmonies really gave the performance the peak it needed, while I was glad to hear Peniel got more lines than usual!
BTOB’s stage was quite clever. The main concept of the performance is that the four are stars (as they are) getting ready for a great performance. The first half of the stage is a ‘back stage’ setting, as we visit each member preparing for their upcoming stage. I really like how they kept the Back Door knocks in this part, which really keeps that nostalgic factor of Stray Kids song within BTOB’s version. The second half of the stage is when the members are finished getting ready and make their way onto the stage, where a big crowd is awaiting their performance. They proceed to perform like the superstars they are.
The first half of the peroformance didn’t have much choreography. They were committed to the concept of being back stage, and any choreography would have been a little too ‘staged’. The second half was were BTOB showed off their performance skills, bringing some of Stray Kid’s iconic moments within their Back Door routine to their stage (i.e. Minhyuk knocking on the door while Peniel stands in front him, the arches formed by the dancers for BTOB to knock and walk through). And at the very end, we see Minhyuk rip off his singlet, giving the stage its iconic moment in itself. Everything from stage, concept and performance was amazing to watch and it is the main reason why I continually return to this performance each week.
Pray (I’ll Be Your Man) – Stray Kids Original artist: BTOB
Pray was one track I was hoping would be performed on the show, by BTOB or any of the other participants. It is such a great song, showing off vocals, rapping and performance skills in one succinct 3 minute hit. Stray Kids brings a mashed up dance and orchestral touch to their version, more so than the original version by BTOB. It isn’t a mind-blowing or innovative combination, but managed to hit the brief with the song. The song starts off with Seungmin’s vocals, who successfully pulls off the first impressive set of vocals. Han Jisung follows up with more vocals, surprising everyone with his vocal ability despite being a rapper of the group. A geniune surprise for those who may not be all too familiar with the rest of the group. Changbin follows with a very emotionally charged rap sequence that really steals your attention. The chorus comes into play and is brought to life by Han Jisung and Lee Know. For the second verse, the rappers (Jisung and Changbin) return and they captialise on Felix’s deep voice for this performance, who happens to also voice the Devil in this performance (I believe). A literal smashing instrumental break came upon us before we return to the actual song. Pray’s highlight is the rapping and vocal layering peak, and I am so glad that Stray Kids kept that in its original form. Like how BTOB slayed us back then, Stray Kids does the exact same. It is a pity that I.N voice broke, otherwise I am sure it would have been an amazing high note to end the performance on. I feel that the weakest point of the song arrangement had to be the second verse. I didn’t know what was really happening when Felix voiced the Devil and it felt detached from the rest of the performance. Likewise, I would have liked to see something with a little more energy and intensity for the dance break. Aside from the actual smashing we got, it felt somewhat plain.
For the stage, we are given a story about a young boy. I would have liked a bit more context, as I felt there are gaps in the story. Why was Felix getting dragged my angels? Were they trying to show him becoming possessed by the Devil? But anyway, Felix retrieves a heart and they place it into the young boy’s statue hand to bring the young boy back to life, after he saved Changbin from dying in the past. For what reason they plan on bringing him back for is unclear and hence a bit more context would have been nice.
The choreography was quite good. I liked how they included more to the original choreography. The first half of the performance was more so about the story, while the second half was the actual choreography. I liked the set up of the first chorus. And I like how the members who were not singing and rapping during the bridge were dancing with the dancers, unlike in the original where the BTOB members who were not part of that sequence were just kneeling and praying. The dance break was nice and I really like how they broke the set in their choreography.
And the winner was….
Because I waited around for so long, all the points (mentioned above) were calculated and tallied to give definite rankings for the second round. Below is a table with two columns. The left hand side of the table shows the ranking from the show once it was finalised, while the right hand side of the table shows the my personal ranking of teams.
Do you agree with my rankings, or the shows rankings? Comment below and let me know! If you disagree, comment your ranking below as well!
Apologies regarding how long this post has taken. The next round’s rundown should be out this week!
Earlier this month, Kingdom: Legendary War began its run, pitting six well known and high performing male groups against one another for the throne. The Boyz, winner of the prequel season Road To Kingdom last year, is featured as one of these male groups. During the 2020 MAMA Awards, it was confirmed that Stray Kids and ATEEZ will be participating. And in January 2021, it was also confirmed that iKON, BTOB and SF9 will be joining the lineup. It was also confirmed that TVXQ (a name in the industry worthy of the Kingdom title without a doubt) will be hosting, but this was later reduced to just Max Changmin, as Yunho was involved in a scandal and was edited out as much as possible (and will not make an appearance in future rounds).
As I have reviewed part of Queendom and all of Road To Kingdom, I will also be reviewing the stages of Kingdom: Legendary War, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Round 1 – To The World
Round 1 was broadcast over episode 2 and 3 of the new season, occuring on the 8th and 15th April. Round 1 is titled ‘To The World‘. In this round, the groups are able to performed a revamped version of one or two of their past hits. Included alongside the revamped version, the groups also had the opportunity to bring them to life with never seen before stages.
After the broadcast of episode 3, live voting opened allowing fans to vote for their favourite performance. The official results of that will be shown at the end of this post, along with my personal ranking from this round.
Round 1 was unfortuate quite problematic thanks to a communication error between MNET and the indivdual companies. Only three of the six companies were notified that the budget for the round was increased. Watching the performances below, you can see three of the performances utilising the extra cash, while the other three performances did not (as they were not aware). Obviously, this raised concerned regarding bias behind the scenes, which MNET has denied and apologised for. Rules were altered for subsequent rounds. While I will try to consider this issue in my ranking, I will admit it will be hard given how bold and high calibre the advantaged performances were. But I will try my best.
I will be reviewing the performances based on who went first, and will be looking at song arrangement, concept and choreography for this round.
No Air (A Song of Fire and Ice) – The Boyz
First up, I am so happy that The Boyz (or someone in the competition) chose to perform No Air. It is one of my favourites. I really enjoyed the dramatic and theatric side of the arrangement, thanks to the use of the classical instrumentation. It is very different from their electronic synths they used in the original version. I also like how different the song sounded on the vocal front, with the changes also affecting the member’s delivery of their vocal and rapping line. For the most part, I really liked the softer moments of the arrangement and few growls. But I am disappointed by the lack of the impactful ‘No Air‘ hook. It was altered to fit in with the song, but briefly. But it just doesn’t have the same effect. I wished that was retained that resembles the highlight version, keeping to this more dramatic flair the arrangement had opted for.
As for the concept, I am not exactly sure what they are going with. My best guess, and this comes after their Round 2 performance, is that they are going with a Games of Throne concept. I never watched the series (I know, feel free to gasp), so I can’t really make much of an association between show and stage. I really enjoyed the ice and snow side of the performance, represented by the snow and the blue on the screen behind them, while fire was represented by the flaming props and orange red colour we see on screen. I also really enjoyed how the members interacted with said props.
As for the choreography, I thought it was good but not best of the bunch. There really wasn’t much in the performance that stood out for me, when I compare this performance to the other performances. But there were some memorable moments including the gracefulness and elegance of the first chorus, the lineup of members that appeared in the second verse with the female jewelled hand, and Juyeon’s performance with the white sheet. Noticeably absent were the stunts that The Boyz commonly does.
Love Scenario & Killing Me (Kingdom Version) – iKON
IKON is one of the two groups in the competition to blend two of their own songs for this round. The first half was Love Scenario, which started off as a passionate performance. But when the iconic chorus comes into play, iKON takes an unexpected turn towards a really happy and upbeat version of their infamous song. I am very used to seeing iKON in hip-hop mode and not musical mode. The second half of the performance, after some thunder and sirens, takes a turn. Gone are the happy tunes and hello serious and moody tunes. iKON brings in Killing Me, which already has me excited as that is my favourite title track from them. While the second half had dynamism, I wished they did more on the music front. Like their remix of the song and the parts picked from the original were all great. I just wished they had upgraded Killing Me‘s killing parts and also find a way to tie the elements of this part together in a neater fashion.
Their concept is pretty straight forward. Musical influenced at the start and grungy boy band in the second half. While iKON was on the performances that got the short end of the stick, they made good use of the props to really showcase those two profiles.
Another great performance. We got to see really upbeat moves that fit that musical profile that Love Scenario opted for. We got to see really dynamic moves for the second half, fitting for Killing Meand its remix. I did wish they didn’t opt for the anthem style approach for the latter part of Killing Me. I know they did it in the original, but I think it could have been upgraded, as well.
Missing You (Threatre Version) – BTOB
Expectations were high for BTOB’s performance. And I think they really hit those expectations. BTOB also went for a theatrical version of Missing You, but also maintains the balladry side of the song. Interestingly, they didn’t do a whole lot to the song to give it a new face lift. There were still some new and different aspects to this version, compared to the original. But what I loved about this performance was how it still gave off that same warm and soothing impression, just like the original did. I liked how they incorporated various additional instruments into the song’s instrumental (I think there was a mix of contemporary and folksy instrumentation add to the song). I also liked how they gave each a member a distinct part. Eunkwang and Changsub showing off their vocals. Minhyuk and Peniel adding their passionate rapping to the mix. The harmonies between the members helped make this stunning performance.
Concept wise, I think the group brought in a mix of traditional Korean imagery and added that theatrical aspect to the performance. It really isn’t anything special, but the stage still looks quite aesthetic. From the trees to the screens, BTOB made good use of what they had to make it look beautiful. I also really like their traditional styled outfits.
There wasn’t much choreography for this performance. BTOB opted to focus on vocals, which was the main point of the original song though. However, Missing You‘s sign language choreography made it into this performance and Minhyuk had a really strong showing of his performance skills when it came to that sword-fighting scene.
Jasin (Oneself ‘Ja’, Ghost ‘Sin’) – Stray Kids Songs: Side Effects & God’s Menu
Stray Kids was the second and final group to combine two songs into the one performance. The first half of the performance was dedicated to Side Effects, which was a rearranged into a really eerie and haunting sequence. I wished it was longer as this was a whole different energy to the original version of Side Effects. The whipsery vocals and rapping of the original version were brought into this version untouched, showing how fitting their delivery is for this new side. In particular, Felix’s deep voice was made for this! Side Effects was brief, however. The main spectacle of this performance wasGod’s Menu, which they really intensifed in this arrangement, especially when we were first thrown into it. I liked how the rest of the performance, the amplified instrumentation kept us on the edge of our seat (or on out toes), adding a thrilling element to what already was a striking song to begin with. Side Effects returned briefly before the performance wrapped up, bringing in its killing part alongside God’s Menu, which makes this powerful and energetic performance to watch.
I really like the controlling concept. The first half of the performance, we see the dancers controlling the members. We see the dancers control Lee Know’s moves, hypnotize Jisung and act as puppet masters. However, Felix fiinds a bell that breaks whatever spell they are under. The playing field switches with the members controlling the dancers in the second half. I also like how they designed the sets to really keep us captivated.
The dancers played a very big part in this choreography. Not only do they have a role in the concept, they also make the performance whole. Without them, the members would not have been able to pull off that epic entrance for God’s Menu, which the dancers popping up under that massive white sheet. Bangchan’s solo part was also very iconic, with that dancer upside down and mimicking Bangchan’s moves as if there were two seperate parallel worlds.
Symphony No.9 (From the Wonderland) – ATEEZ Song: Wonderland
When it came to ATEEZ’s stage, I really liked the theatrical aspect of their arrangement. It just felt so fitting for Wonderland and made the stage quite memorable just from the song itself. It also gave the performance a more impactful level of nostalgia. I also liked that they didn’t change too much with the performance. It didn’t feel over-engineered or over-produced, which could be the case when you try to recreate another version of the song. They maintained the various effects and vibes that came off the 2019 version, but they did add some new parts and pauses to enable a story to be told on stage. I also liked the party remix towards the end. But what made this stage of Wonderland explosive were the vocals and raps from each member. The rapping start of the song courtesy of Hongjoong was so powerful and energetic. The rest of the members were extremely clear and crisp in this live performance. But the standout member has to be Jongho, who blew us all away with a surprising high note that even shocked the other contestants of the show.
ATEEZ’s concept for this stage was definitely the pirates and the Seven Seas. Defintive clues of this was the pirate ship they used as the main backdrop to their stage, the treasure map at the start of the performance and the massive octupus tentacle that surprised and wowed everyone. I also find the start of the performance quite mysterious, and liked how they used one of their previous concepts from their TREASURE era. It seems like these pirates are trying to find something that they have been contracted to do.
As mentioned earlier, I really liked how they weaved the story in the choreography as well. It definitely made for an interesting stage. The first verse and chorus was mainly to set the scene and also incorporated the original choreography, before the second verse and onwards changed things up a bit to make the story progress and provide that ‘new’ element to the performance (i.e. an alternate choreography for the remixed sequence at the end). I iwshed they changed it up sooner, as the start was kind of meh for me. The most impressive part of the routine was Jongho and Yunho’s spin.
Jealous – SF9
The final performance of the night was SF9’sJealous (otherwise known as Now or Never). I am so glad they picked this song to be their stage, as it is too my favourite release from the group. Unfortuately, I think this version of Now or Never was the weakest arrangement of the bunch, and it doesn’t do the original version justice. It attempted to be thrilling and alluring with its subtle instrumentation mix at the start, the use of violins in the second verse and then its intense electronic sequence at the end. But the resulting product felt pretty bland. I didn’t get the same captivating or ‘edge of my seat’ experience as I did with the other performances. The vocal work was good, and the rapping had a promising factor to it. But I think the arrangement could have been better executed. Something electrifying would have been nice especially towards the end could have reinvented the energy, done justice to the original and given the arrangement that zing it needed.
Concept wise, this performance was also the weakest of the bunch. I wasn’t sure what the concept was, aside from the fact that mirrors played a massive part. It is quite unfortuate that SF9 got the shortest end of the short stick, given how shockingly poor the entire performance looked (and it is not SF9’s fault). From their lack of props to cheap looking outfits to the poor camera work, the performance did not hit the aesthetic standard. I did like the use of the two-way mirrors, which gave the performance that element of wow.
The choreography was good. Not the best, but it was the best element of their stage performance. Chani’s solo part with the female dancer gave the routine a sensual touch. I also liked that they brought over some of the original choreography, which made the routine feel familiar.
And the winner is…
We don’t know who the real winners of this round are. We are still awaiting official final rankings, though I suspect MNET might hold off on that. MNET has, however, released the results of each category that would make up the final ranking. Below are these results that have been officially announced, and the fifith column is what I think the final ranking should be like based on my own thoughts.
Ranking
Expert Evalution
Self Evaulation
Video Views
Global Voting
KPOPREVIEWED’s FINAL Ranking
1
ATEEZ
ATEEZ
Stray Kids
Stray Kids
Stray Kids
2
Stray Kids
BTOB
iKON
SF9
ATEEZ
3
The Boyz
Stray Kids
ATEEZ
iKON
BTOB
4
SF9
The Boyz
BTOB
BTOB
iKON
5
BTOB
iKON
The Boyz
ATEEZ
The Boyz
6
iKON
SF9
SF9
The Boyz
SF9
Do you agree with me? Or do you agree with the show’s interim category ranking? Or do you have a different order in mind? Let me know in the comments!
Earlier this month, Kingdom: Legendary War began its run, pitting six well known and high performing male groups against one another for the throne. The Boyz, winner of the prequel season Road To Kingdom last year, is featured as one of these male groups. During the 2020 MAMA Awards, it was confirmed that Stray Kids and ATEEZ will be participating. And in January 2021, it was also confirmed that iKON, BTOB and SF9 will be joining the lineup. It was also confirmed that TVXQ (a name in the industry worthy of the Kingdom title without a doubt) will be hosting, but this was later reduced to just Max Changmin, as Yunho was involved in a scandal and was edited out as much as possible (and will not make an appearance in future rounds).
As I have reviewed part of Queendom and all of Road To Kingdom, I will also be reviewing the stages of Kingdom: Legendary War, recapping the high caliber performances from each round and also putting forward my thoughts on what the ranking should have been for that round.
Preliminary Round – 100 Seconds Performances
The preliminary round was performed way back in February by each of the groups and was live streamed to the global audience in preparation for the actual season. The reason for this was to allows fans to live vote and pick their favourite stage, which would subsequently give the winning group an advantage in the first official round.
The preliminary round had a number of rules. Firstly, the performance could only last 100 seconds (hence the name of the round). Secondly, the song chosen for the preliminary round had to be a song that received first place before. Thirdly, the performance order was chosen based on who the participants perceived to win this preliminary round. Who was expected to win performed last. They then chose the group who would perform first. The group who was selected to perform first chose who went second, and so forth until the performance order was decided.
I will be reviewing the performances based on who went first, and will be looking at song arrangement and choreography for this preliminary round.
Wave: Overture – ATEEZ
My guess regarding ATEEZ’s concept was that they just washed ashore. The start of the performance saw the members struggling, as if they were injured. The screens showed their ship being capsized (for whatever reason), which explained their “injuries”. ATEEZ then officially began their performance with dramatic flair thanks to the violins and Hongjoong spewing fake blood on the stage, surprising all viewers (including fellow participants). Wooyoung, Jongho and San literally comes at the camera with their aggressive choreography, before the camera switching to Yunho (and Yeonsang and Seonghwa as well) starting us with the pre-chorus of Wave. When we get to the ‘chorus’ of the song, Wave opts for the return of the dramatic flair with synthesized violins employed to intensify the performance, allowing ATEEZ to show off a more powerful routine fitting for Kingdom. I liked that choice. Aside from the fake blood, San delivers the performances most impressive move of all (i.e. the backflip). Unfortunately, it isn’t much compared to the other performances on this list. ATEEZ finishes their 100 seconds with San running up and climbing on top of the rest of the group, whilst carrying a flaming torch and officially signifying the start of the performance. ATEEZ’s performance was great and provided us with a taster to their performance skills. But I don’t think they lived up to the expectation that I had for them personally going into the competition.
Beautiful Pain (Choir version) – BTOB
Out of all the male groups participating on the show, BTOB is the outlier. While they started off as a dance group, the group has found success with their more vocal-centric songs, such as ballads like Beautiful Pain. So it will be interesting to see what BTOB brings to the competition. But if their 100 seconds stage is anything to go by, BTOB will be bringing a lot of competitive heat by sweeping their competitors off their feet with amazing and jawdropping vocals (as they did with this stage). Obviously, BTOB cannot continually play this card for all stages, so it will be what BTOB will do next. The stage starts off with Eunkwang, Changsub and Minhyuk harmonising (beautifully, I should add) with one another, bringing the choir component to the song. It then cuts to Peniel rapping his part of the song, before he joins the other three members at the microphone stands to bring out Beautiful Pain‘s signature melodies and harmonise with one another to bring their stage to a close. The best part has to be the flawless high notes that they incorporated into the stage. It is a beautiful stage and showed off BTOB’s strongest asset, similar to how the other groups do so with choreography. If BTOB can implement powerful choreography to their stages (which they will have to, given the repertoire of songs from the fellow competitors), they will become a force to watch out for.
Good Guy (The Glory) – SF9
Given the criteria set for the preliminary round, SF9 was limited to only one song – Good Guy, which clinched their first win on music shows in early 2020. Notably absent is Rowoon, who was watching from the sidelines due to an injury. The group kicks off their 100 seconds performance with a model walk, intimidating us (and the competitors) with their serious looks and the echoing of the Good Guy hook from the song. After their walk, the camera focuses on Chani and Youngbin (I think) who starts aggressively dancing to the EDM dance break, before the other members joining in. The performance then ends with SF9 going into the final chorus of Good Guy, but with a modified routine to match the altered instrumental that also has been intensified. Unfortunately, nothing stood out for me. I think it was a solid routine and stage to watch, but I wanted more. I do like this side of the group as their more electrifying songs and performances are what I stray towards, but I wished they retained more of the sensual moves from the original choreography, which would have made this performance more memorable. There was some grinding, but what is the harm of asking for more?
Miroh – Stray Kids
Stray Kids is the only group who did not specify that this stage involves an alternate version of their original song in the title. But this 100 seconds version of Miroh is very different to standard Miroh we heard back in 2019. The animalistic and aggressive vibes of this performance shows whoever is watching who is boss. The stage opens up with Hyunjin alone. But with some easy camera distraction, the entire group appears in front of you in a second. In the background, you hear Felix’s iconic deep tone repeating the anthem that dominates Miroh. A few spins and jumps later, the group then performs with knives over some intense electronic music. This adds a thrilling and cool element to the performance. While I am sure they are not the real deal, the knives held in their mouths and their glares really intimidates, engages, captivates and take this performance to the next level. Felix and Han then brings us back to back Miroh, which is then followed up by Changbin who raps his part of the song whilst holding a stick that sends sparks flying out. This was the performance’s highlight. The choreography for Miroh‘s chorus’s beat drop is replicated (with Chan throwing in a backflip), before the group’s vocalists brings back dramatic and animalistic (respectively) vibes. This is all done whilst the other members are craving their symbol onto the stage, which is the final image we see before the performance comes to a close. Overall, the performance makes a statement from the very first second.
The Stealer (Epic Version) – The Boyz
The Boyz have the advantage that they are familiar with what is expected of them. However, they only had one song to choose from for this opening performance. Dubbing their performance the ‘epic version’ of The Stealer, The Boyz really does live up to that name. The performance starts off with Juyeon and Hakyeon, in what seems to be the competition’s creepiest start yet. The opening line ‘Is it an addiction‘ is probably going to stay in my mind for some time. The rest of the members come running in, before the song is warped and we are lead into the second part of the performance. This section is more electrifying, opting for electronic dance elements in the background. It is also this part where Sunwoo delivers some lines and shows an upgraded version of himself as we have never heard him like this before. We also see some cool camera work whilst Sunwoo raps away, with two of the members lending their arms for some arm choreography. The Boyz then all return to the stage, with some of the members sliding effortlessly back into the performance. This is also the only part of the performance that resembles the original song (i.e. the utterance of ‘I’m The Stealer‘). Interestingly, The Boyz changes up the performance with a third part, changing to a classical arrangement, showing off graceful ballet moves before capping the performance with flying Juyeon. With an final stunt like that, it is clear that The Boyz are willing to do whatever stunt it takes to win the competition, raising the expectation for future stages.
Rhythm Ta (Kingdom Version) – iKON
To me, iKON’s presence on this show is a bit of a wild card. But it seems like everyone is expecting greatness from them, given that they selected iKON the group likely to win this preliminary round. I am not too sure what to expect, given that their performances are not really as iconic as the actual songs themselves. But that being said, I am looking forward to what they are bringing to Kingdom. They kick off their 100 seconds of Rhythm Tawith the line ‘iKON is back‘, before progressing to some bold choreography that exudes confidence to me. I really like how iKON stayed true to their roots with their elements. Sure, they brought in EDM like the other groups. But they infused it with hip-hop influences and energy, which pretty much sums up iKON’s music in a nutshell. They kick the energy to a higher notch with DK and Jihwan’s duo moment, before the rest of the members come together to continue the same momentum. All the while, the addictive repetition of Rhythm Ta plays in the background. The performance then incorporates some of Bobby’s rapping who enters the centre of the performance with a really high jump. This is then followed up with iKON’s favourite vocal sequence – anthem. I really like how comfortable and fun Bobby looks like he is having throughout the performance, which really reflects on the audience, as we see some of the reactions of the other competitors. It was a fun performance that shows of iKON’s skillset.
And the ranking is…
At the end of each round, the show will rank the groups according to a set criteria. For this round, the criteria was simply global fan voting.
On the left hand side of the table below, you will find the show’s announced ranking, which was announced over the the first two episodes. On the right hand side, you will find my personal ranking of each of the performances. As you can see, I agree with the first two rankings but have a slightly different opinion regarding the 3rd to 6th ranks.
Do you agree with me? Or do you agree with the show’s ranking? Or do you have a different order in mind? Let me know in the comments!
Rank
Kingdom: Legendary War Official Ranking
KPOPREVIEWED’s Personal Ranking
1
Stray Kids
Stray Kids
2
The Boyz
The Boyz
3
BTOB
ATEEZ
4
SF9
BTOB
5
ATEEZ
iKON
6
iKON
SF9
Next up: Kingdom: Legendary War Review – Round 1 – To The World
Welcome to the announcement post of the winners for the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. During the month of December in 2020, I opened up a survey for the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Over 1800 of you voted during the month of December, a number that I did not expect to see! I am sure that you all are excited and are awaiting to see which artist has clinched victory in each category. I have definitely made you wait long enough 🙂
Like the previous years, I will announce the winners using GIFs and images. I have also announced the runners up for each category as Honourable Mentions below the GIFs. In addition to that, I have included the KPOPREVIEWED Choice, which is my personal pick for each category.
Unlike previous years, however, all of the winners of the 2020 KPOPREVIEWED Awards (including the End of Year Charts and Best Song of 2020 Award) is included in this very one post! Towards the bottom of each post, you will see some page numbers. You can click on these page numbers to navigate to different award categories and the End of Year Charts. Here is a quick guide to the page numbers:
Page 1 – Artist Categories Page 2 – Visual Categories, Performance Categories, Weekly KPOP Charts related Categories Page 3 – Blog related Categories, Song Categories (excluding Best Song) Page 4 – End of Year Charts & Best Song of 2020 Award
Artist Caregories
The following categories are all fan-voted categories for the artists that were active during the eligible period of December 2019 to November 2020.
Select the page numbers below (just above the comments section) to go to the award categories you want to see the most! Page 1 – Artist Categories Page 2 – Visual Categories, Performance Categories, Weekly KPOP Charts related Categories Page 3 – Blog related Categories, Song Categories (excluding Best Song) Page 4 – End of Year Charts & Best Song of 2020 Award
It has been a long time coming, but I have finally decided to make a start on reviewing a certain type of song that I barely looked at in the past but have wanted to write about for a while now – OST songs. OST (otherwise known as Official Sound Tracks) have been a big part of KPOP. Many of the idols we know and love have gone onto being big name actors, whiles others have had to the privilege to sing some of the most famous tracks to some of the greatest drama scenes of all time.
I personally feel that there is a misconception that OSTs are usually just ballads, but I want to prove that wrong. Furthermore, there will be a Best OST category in this year’s KPOPREVIEVED Awards (hint hint). So I have picked five OSTs throughout 2020 to review and introduce to you here (and over a number of posts). Note that I have not watched all of the dramas, so I will be reviewing the song itself – like how I write my song reviews.
Give You My Heart – IU Drama: Crash Landing On You Release: 15 Feb 2020
I kick off this segment with the unstoppable IU. Every song she releases, regardless of whether it is her actual songs off her latest album, a digital single or an OST, it rises to the top of the charts. This was also the case for Can’t Give You My Heart. It is a ballad and one that you can’t really do anything whilst listening to it. Or else you will ‘miss it’. The background is made simply of classical strings, piano and acoustic guitars. The main highlight within the background is this really nice whistling that gives it an almost folksy profile and helps separates it from the other ballads that dominates the OST category. The other half of the song is IU’s beautiful voice, that without doubt captivates the listener with her soft voice. The melodies that she brings to the song helps make this ballad ‘swayable’, which is my self-made indicator of a good ballad (since I don’t have much music expertise myself). I really liked that acapella moment we get during the bridge, which essentially floored me. And how they brought the instrumentals back for the final sequence was really stunning. Overall, captivating and riveting to listen to. (10/10)
Hello Stranger – Stray Kids Drama: Pop Out Boy! Release: 16 Jul 2020
Stray Kids changes up the OST playlist (literally) with a more intense and energetic style of music that stands out for being different from the rest of the OST realm. Hello Stranger brings forth the group’s usual style of dance music, with rock and hip-hop influences that gives additional dimension to the song. And this is simply because the song was composed by the group’s main composing team. That being said, the song does also draw some similarities to other OSTs. Most relevantly, the song is much more melodic than what Stray Kids have put out this year promotionally. This makes complete sense, as rapping could be a bit much in a drama scene where you want the writing of the drama or the acting to be the main star (and not the background music). I did like this shift in focus for the group though. It allows the group to show off more of their vocal chops in a different manner from a ballad or R&B song, but rather something of their upbeat style. I find that Hello Stranger could have easily been released as part of their latest albums. While it is executed differently by the members, the song would blend in well with the rest of the albums. I only have two complaints. The first (which isn’t really a complaint, because the song does go for a substantial amount of time in reality) is that it felt like a blur. The second would be it sudden ending, something that I still haven’t gotten used to. (9.5/10)
Sweet Night – V (BTS) Drama: Itaewon Class Release: 13 Mar 2020
After that little detour, V (from the widely popular BTS) bring us back to the ballad front with his OST addition to Itaewon Class (probably one of the biggest dramas of the year). This is his second OST song. His first was a duet with fellow member Jin for Hwarang (which he was also part of the cast for). V impresses with Sweet Night on a number of fronts. Firstly, the song is a track written completely in English by the artist himself. That is definitely a feat in itself for anyone who’s first language isn’t English. Secondly, his husky vocals were so good to listen to. We need more of this husky voice – something that I have mentioned on my blog before when reviewing his solo tracks on BTS’ albums. However, listening to his voice is one thing. Unfortunately, I found it slightly difficult to make out some words given that the huskiness was so strong. I was only comfortable in acknowledging that it was a English track once I saw that people were praising him for his efforts and on media sites (gotta fact check everything in this day and age!). That is my only complaint with the this particular song. Thirdly, while V does get all the attention – the female vocals that harmonised with him and complimented his voice added more layers to the song, making Sweet Night more than just husky vocals and acoustic guitars. But nonetheless, it was a soothing and swayable track to listen to. (9/10)
Not A Sad Song (이별 노래가 아니야) – ONF Drama: Love Revolution Release: 22 Oct 2020
ONF’s first OST as a group is a pop track, brought to life by drums and electric guitars. The opening eight seconds make it seem otherwise. But after that piano centric introduction, we are blasted with that mentioned pop instrumentation, which I enjoyed. I feel that the song almost had this musical approach to it, which would have been fantastic to see be brought to life conceptually in the drama. I haven’t checked out the drama, so I have no idea. But the music video suggests that my wishes didn’t come true. Like what the song’s title suggest, this is Not A Sad Song. It is quite upbeat, full of energy and sunshine. It feels perfect for a teenage romance drama (which Love Revolution would be categorized as). I liked that the members sing the chorus together, which instantly boosts up the song’s appeal. I feared that the pop instrumentation that they had going on would be a bit cliche for my liking. But them singing together to really bolster the melodies and match the song’s blast of energy (courtesy of the instrumentals) when we get to the chorus worked really well. During the verses, their solo parts were quite good in itself. I liked how they still managed to fit in a part for Wyatt. As mentioned before under Hello Stranger, an intense rap sequence would not have been a perfect fit for a drama, especially a teenage romance drama which should be light. His style is usually more intense, but it was tweaked well enough to allow him to fit in a softer manner. Overall, a pleasantly upbeat track to listen to. (8/10)
Something – Kang Daniel Drama: Backstreet Rookie Release: 19 Jun 2020
I hope that I have showed you all that there is more to OSTs than just ballads. That being said, ballads still do make up an overwhelming portion of the OST market, so I will save some other non-ballad OSTs for next weeks post. I end today’s segment with Kang Daniel’s first OST. It is also a ballad and it taps into the more typical nature of the genre (i.e. classical and acoustic instrumentation). I did like the melody that Kang Daniel brings to the song, which gives the song an even smoother appeal. His voice is a lot softer and raspier than usual, which instantly gives Something a delicate profile. I do find this song is quite consistent and I wished there was more to the song to give it some depth and exciting energy. While this is fine for a romance drama and it doesn’t make the song boring as much as it would to other songs, this is seems like the style of OST that everyone is familiar with and would generalise the entire market as. Not that this was a bad move on Kang Daniel’s part, as the song manages to showcase the singer in a new light for me. Overall, Something was dreamy, soothing and calming to listen to. (8/10)
A week ago, I wrote a review for five international songs by Korean artists. In that post, I revealed that had another five reviews coming your way. And as promised, here is the next edition of the International Song Review. TTo be honest, the last post is probably more fitting for the term ‘international’, as this post focuses more the Japanese music industry as that is where KPOP has an obvious stronghold and market power. And this is something expected as many more artists have made their debut in the Japanese music industry compared to the Chinese or Western music industry. Moving away from that little ‘analysis’, this post contains brief reviews for five Japanese tracks from Stray Kids, IZ*ONE, FT Island, N.Flying (though this is more of a cover) and Super Junior KRY.
All In – Stray Kids
2020 has been one busy year for Stray Kids. Their 2020 resume consist of a mixtape release, one Japanese single, a Korean OST and back-to-back Korean comebacks. And if you deemed any of the releases for the group as ‘the best’ according to your personal taste, then you probably have not heard All In yet. It builds itself around an epic brass piece that reminds me of primetime sporting events and prestigious award shows. In this song, it makes the atmosphere feel adventurous, theatrical and playful at the same time. Per Stray Kids’ forte, the song is very rap centric, adding to the powerful nature of the song. There are small vocal moments throughout the song, but it is the rappers (and rap sequences) that really steal my attention in this song. Adding more to that playful vibe I mentioned earlier, All In features a hilarious ‘WHAT?‘ from Jisung just before each chorus, which are preceded with the female spoken line ‘There is no search results for STOP‘, which I thought makes perfect sense with the continuous energy that comes from the song.
All In‘s music video takes a page out of their God’s Menu and Back Door music videos by incorporating a similar concept. I wouldn’t be surprised if the music videos are linked. There are background figures standing around the members doing nothing, whilst the same suited older men appear at the table. If you watch the music video carefully, you will see the members interact with the background figures, which I think is a first for the members and this concept. The video also matches the epic vibes of the song with that very bold burning billboard. For the choreography, the dance is equally as powerful, energy driven and epic as the song. For my favourite bit, it has to be the chorus routine, which I am digging very much.
Overall Rating – 10/10
Beware – IZ*ONE
IZ*ONE’s schedule in both Korea and Japan were put on hold due to the controversy that embroiled the Produce series and left an equivalent group disbanded well ahead of their contract ending. But IZ*ONE has managed to bounce back, with all members returning for two Korean comebacks so far this year. And now, IZ*ONE makes their long awaited comeback in Japan with Beware. Aside from their debut single in Japan, all of their Japanese singles have been terrible (harsh, but the honest truth) or forgettable (which is mildly better). Beware doesn’t have the ability to overtake their I Want To Say I Love You debut single. And if I was being honest, I foresee the song falling into the ‘forgotten’ category over time. Beware is delivered to us in a high pitch cutesy manner. Personally, I wished they grounded their vocals in some form and hadn’t gone head first into the cutesy sound. Their melody did help make the song appealing to a degree. It was flat for the most part, though it had its moments and had a nice ring to it. The strongest aspect has to be the song’s electronic synth-based instrumental. It did overpower some parts and did feel somewhat typical, but overall it brought great energy to the song.
With a cutesy sound comes a colourful music video. It is what makes the most sense. For Beware, the colourful video is saturated with pink and some yellow. I like the concept, where IZ*ONE is in in their own world in that suitcase. It isn’t new, but IZ*ONE’s take on it is pretty refreshing. For the performance, I like the energy that comes from the dance. It is fitting for the song and their youthful charms. I really like Chaewon and Minju’s little part during the bridge.
Overall Rating – 6.7/10
Sunrise Yellow – FT Island
It has been a while since we have heard from FT Island, who have reached that point of their careers where they are currently enlisting in the military. But that doesn’t stop them from releasing a single. FT Island current lineup only consist of 3 members (Hongki, Jaejin and Minhwan), with Jonghoon leaving the group/retiring from the industry when he was implicated in a scandal, while Seunghyun left the group to continue his acting career. Sunrise Yellow is the most recent FT Island and it features Seunghyun as his final FT Island release. It is a feel good song dedicated to their fans, with the Sunrise Yellow title referring to their Sunshine Yellow fanclub colour. When it comes to my reviews, I tend to say I love the energy that comes from a particular song. And it is true. But it feels completely different when real instruments are at play and it releases that energetic charge. Sunrise Yellow, hence, blows me away when we enter the chorus territory, with the fast paced energy and unrelenting momentum coming at you. Hongki’s vocals are quite nice, but I love the unique texture that Jaejin gives the verses in this parts. There is a punch to it, which I enjoyed. I wished Seunghyun and Minhwan had a part in this song, which would have increased the impact factor for fans and made Sunrise Yellow extra special.
The song is released as part of their 10 year anniversary for Japanese promotions and there is no other way to make the video special by including their fans in it. The music video simply consists of a mixture of close ups that I assume they shot prior to their concert (so that they don’t ruin the live performance with a cameraperson walking in front of them to film the closeups) and live footage of them performing on stage in front of their fans. Seunghyun is also featured alongside the other three members, making the whole video a little more special for fans. Overall, a fitting video for the group and their fans.
Overall Rating – 9/10
Amnesia – N.Flying
Released back in July of this year. N.Flying made their Japanese comeback with Amnesia. It is also the first Japanese comeback to feature Seo Dongsung, who was officially inducted as a member of the group ahead of their Oh Really Korean comeback. I loved that the group returned to something within the rock genre. It is something that I am yearning for in the KPOP industry and I am hoping that N.Flying returns in the future with something similar to this song in Korea, as Amnesia tells me that they can handle the intensity of the rock genre. In the meanwhile, Amnesia fulfils my rock craving. Once again, Amnesia has really epic energy coming from it. The appeal of Amnesia is slightly different to FT Island’s release (reviewed above) because the energy take shape as more of a head-banging form than ‘feel good’. It was intense and it definitely ‘hits hard’ as some might say nowadays (look at me using young people speak). Vocally, both Seunghyub and Hwesung are powerful vocalists and Amnesia proves that they can handle the genre flawlessly. The slowdown in the bridge comes in at the right time, providing a moment of relief if you think the song is overwhelming. I didn’t, but I still found it fitting for the song.
The music video is made of black and white closeups of the members being emotional. But the good stuff is when the group are performing their instruments in front of that very large screen/projection. The visuals we see are amazing, due to their large size and how they come into play at the right moments. The explosions of coloured dusts and flowers were all timed really well to match the explosion of energy we get in the song. It was something simple, yet they magnified it in a way that made the video so much more monumental.
Overall Rating – 9.6/10
Traveler – Super Junior KRY
It is time this review post goes on a slightly different path. So far, we have two dance tracks and two band tracks. It is time to step into the ballad domain, with Super Junior’s experts – Super Junior KRY. This follows their Korean comeback earlier this year and is their first Japanese release in over five years. However, don’t mistaken the term ballad in this review for something emotional or a track to ball your eyes out. Traveler is a more of a pop-ballad with an upbeat instrumental background. I was caught off guard with this direction, as I had expected something of that emotional route from the trio. I am not complaining, as it does mean that I am not ending this review post on a sad note! I really liked that acoustic guitar solo during the bridge of the song, though it could have easily been missed. It was a subtle change and wasn’t something in the foreground. Aside from the change in sound, Traveler captivates the audience with the trio’s vocals. Their singing is super powerful over the pop instrumentation and their harmonies during the chorus really make the song so much better. Their ad-libs towards the end was extra icing on top. Definitely a vocally charged song in its own right.
Traveler‘s music video was quite simple. The members sat in a chair on a platform singing their lines into a microphone. The camera panned around them. In the surrounding vicinity, we saw coloured balls, three floating light rings and a few pillars to add some colour, lighting and something to fill up the space around them, otherwise the video would have been too plain. Smart move there.
Stray Kids kicked off their domestic promotions this year with the release of God’s Menu and GO生 (Go Live) in June. After three months, the group returned with the repackaged version of GO生, now titled IN生(In Life) and headlining the new album is Back Door. The group has since spent the last month promoting Back Door on the weekly music shows, earning two trophies along the way. On top of that, the group also managed to top my personal Weekly KPOP Charts three weeks in a row. Big feats, if you ask me. And per my usual horrible timing, as Stray Kids is about to wrap up their Back Door promotions, I slide in with an album review for IN生. I have a lot to say about each song, so without any further delays, here are my thoughts on IN生.
IN生 (In Life) Album Cover
1. The Tortoise and The Hare (토끼와 거북이) – The repackaged album starts with an extended version (or full-length version) of the Go Live intro track from the original album. In that version, however, there was no references to The Tortoise and The Hare fable. In this version, the entire song is extended to feature that fable and this makes the track so much more fun. Following the lyrics and having that context really made the song a lot more captivating. I am unsure if that was the intention of the inclusion of the well-known story, but that is what I got from it. This bumps up the song’s appeal slightly, so I am willing to increase the song’s rating. However, majority of my comments from the Go Live review still stands. Click here to have a read of that review.(8/10)
2. Back Door (Title Track) – Given how much the song has grown on me throughout the one and half months since its release, I do feel that the 8/10 rating that I gave Back Door originally is not representative of my current thoughts about the song. I will bump it up to a 9.5/10 and update the review in an upcoming segment (sometime next year). Click here to read the full review for Back Door.(9.5/10)
3. B Me – The group tones down the energy with B Me. However, the group maintains the heaviness of the song preceding it so far thanks to the electronic instrumental. While that might be a good thing (as Stray Kids has definitely shown us that they can be versatile with heavy sounds), the instrumental for B Me lacks excitement for the majority of the song and this unfortunately drags down the song for me. It is without a doubt that the song’s instrumental was toned down to low excitement levels for the sake of the vocals and raps, which were posed with this emotive hip-hop style. Personally, I don’t mind the vocals and raps. The issue remains with the instrumental. For some odd reason, the song picks up suddenly infusing the ending with all this energy that could have been distributed throughout the earlier sections of the song. The energy and excitement rises exponentially out of nowhere and it is wasted as it has nowhere to go to. (6/10)
4. Any(아니) – As a person who doesn’t like autotune as much as others, you might expect me to dislike Any. But I don’t. The autotune in Any is quite appealing and one of the song’s strongest selling points. Take Bangchan and Felix’s ‘Blurred lines yeah yeah yeah, So many so many any anything ani aniyaya’ for example. It is the one line that is really keyed into my memory (and I am sure it is also keyed into your memories as well). Without the autotune, that one line (and the song in general) would be completely different and potentially not as dynamic or memorable as it was with the autotune. Similarly, the same can be said about the chorus. Unfortunately, the other parts of the song (verses and bridge) aren’t as memorable and were largely forgettable. (8/10)
5. Ex(미친 놈) – From the top of my head, Ex is probably their most emotional pop ballad release so far. The lyrics and the impression that Ex leaves on the listener definitely feels that way. I will say that this was probably my favourite side track on the repackaged album as the instrumentals feels quite soothing and calming. That is an odd description for a song about remembering one’s Ex and the slight angst that you do hear in some parts of the song (i.e. Changbin’s ‘yok yok yokhae’ post chorus). But that was what the instrumental felt like to me. The song also puts forward the group’s vocals, with all members singing or rap-singing. It definitely highlights the fact that Stray Kids is also a group full of vocalists which they have shown previously in the last. Sure, they are strongest with their heavy and more loaded dance tracks. But Stray Kids do have potential in the ballad realm of music. (10/10)
6. We Go (Bangchan, Changbin, Han) – I am sure that many fans are excited for a 3RACHA song. And boy, do they go in a very different direction to what they produce for Stray Kids themselves. We Go goes for a hip-hop vibe. It feels dark and very intense from the get-go. Jisung and Changbin’s rapping during the verses were both breathtaking (and I am sure it also took their breath away as well!). Chan brings some vocals to the mix, going with the more classical autotuned effect to fit in with the song. And his parts provide us with some opportunities for relief, so that we can recover from the slayage the other two members’ rap sequences dealt to us. (9/10)
7. Wow (Lee Know, Hyunjin, Felix) – To me, Lee Know, Hyunjin and Felix were the subunit that I had no expectations for. Mainly because I don’t know what to expect from these three members. This track had no input from the 3RACHA members, which left me more in the dark about what to expect. What Wow ended up being was another intense dance track that feels like it could easily been passed off as a Stray Kids track. There is nothing wrong about this, as the trio do end up infusing some of their own personality into the song that is all about developing feelings for someone they have known for a while. Felix’s ultra-deep and rough voice adds an additional depth layer to the song that really grabs your attention. The contrast between the impact that Hyunjin’s raps and the smoothness of his vocals was very cool. Lee Know’s promotion to main vocalist for this track is also a blessing! My favourite bit has to be when the three members sing the line ‘Just wanna be with you’ just prior to the final chorus. (9/10)
8. My Universe (Seungmin & I.N ft. Changbin) – It was expected that Seungmin and I.N’s unit track would be something vocally centric. It would have been quite a surprise if they went for something else. The vocals were quite vibrant and taps into their youthfulness. It radiates positivity energy, even though I couldn’t understand the lyrics upon first listen. The pop ballad and synth mixed instrumental isn’t anything that special. But I am glad that there is still room for relief from the harshness and intensity that the previous two songs brought to the album. My Universe also features Changbin, who brings some rapping to the song. It was a nice touch and adds something extra to an admittedly one-dimensional track. But it is still a great listen. (8/10)
At the very end of the music video for their previous comeback (God’s Menu), the members of Stray Kids were seen walking through the Back Door, which is also the title for the comeback title track they just dropped a few hours back. This means that Stray Kids and their management had planned this comeback and teased it since the beginning of their God’s Menu era. It astounds me how much planning goes into these comebacks, especially when they are all interlinked like this. Back Door is featured the repackaged version of their first studio album, GO生, which has been renamed to IN生.
Opening up Back Door is a very groovy background instrumental piece. It isn’t profound or something that the members pushes to the forefront of the song. Instead it remains in the background and feels subtle, which to me makes it more powerful. They keep the groovy background for the majority of the first verse. Why is this of significance? Well, it is a change up to the usual intense synth-heavy sound that Stray Kids has been going with through their title tracks and it is definitely intrigued me with the direction in which Back Door was going in. When we enter the pre-chorus, the funkiness dissipates and we are slowly brought back into Stray Kid’s usual intense style in time for the chorus. The main centrepiece of the song is made up of thumping synths and percussion, which works hand in hand with the idea of the door knocking we get at the start of the chorus and is quite catchy. I also really like the shouty vocals part of the chorus, which brings a more dynamic feel and additional depth to the song. While I am on the topic of the vocals, I feel like the chorus was the best showcase of the vocals in the song. Unfortunately, I did not care for Seungmin, Bangchan and I.N’s parts (i.e. pre-choruses and bridge), mainly because their parts of the song were incredibly plain. Back Door felt more like it was well set-up for the rappers, who were able to show more of their intense delivery style without the need for the intense instrumentation. Overall, I am liking the grooviness in the verses and the catchy nature of the chorus. I just wished there was a better bridge between the two parts to make this a more dynamic song.
Back Door is a song that invites you through the back door for a party. And they essentially do that with the actors from their previous music video. We have the scientists, the masked people doing measurements (not exactly sure what profession they are meant to be representing) and the school girls from God’s Menu. They are among the suited people in the art gallery, who do not like the idea of the part and continually switch off the lights preventing the members from partying. But that doesn’t stop the members as they turn on the lights and continue on with their dancing. In the end, the members get their epic party going with everyone in the background dressed in white hoodies. I wasn’t a fan of a number of things in this music video though. Firstly, the tan coloured tops they wore underneath their outfits looks pretty cheap. And secondly, the overuse of the shaky camera effect. It just makes those scenes look exaggerated.
The choreography was awesome. I really like the whole chorus routine, especially the second half of the routine (i.e. some of the members intensely knocking on the door, whilst the rest paired off and acted like arches/doors that spun around the knocking members – that sounds complicated just in words). The first half was equally as cool. The door knocking and that whole final sequence when the funky backdrop comes back was memorable.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.2/10
Stray Kids made their comeback a few weeks back with their very first studio album, GO生 (or Go Live). The main title track was God’s Menu, which has proven to be a great song in my books. It has gone on to top the Weekly KPOP Charts thanks to its powerful energy, catchy hooks and dynamism. So it was natural for me to investigate the album which it is featured on. Alongside God’s Menu, you will find familiar tracks such as Top and Slump (which were both previously released Japanese tracks), along with Gone Days and On Track (which were earlier mixtape releases that were released after their Levanter promotions). Links to the reviews for these tracks, along with my thoughts on the other sidetracks can be found below.
Go Live Album Cover
1. Go Live (GO生) – Stray Kids is known for their powerful tracks, as their entire career so far has been predominately made up of powerful sounds. Go Live, as an introductory track, aligns the album with that association and really kicks off the album in a very suspenseful fashion. A lot of hip-hop influences in this short track. It kicks off with strong rapping from the rappers and the vocalists come in with their vocals autotuned to fit the atmosphere. I.N’s deep voice is probably the most shocking of all (did not know we had another Felix in the group) and Lee Know’s ‘I Know, You Know, We Know, Lee Know’ line has to be the most memorable of all. (7/10)
3. Easy – Easy, without doubt, continue the momentum that God’s Menu ends off with. The rapping in this song is also rapid and powerful. The vocals are autotuned. I am a little torn about this, as I am not a fan of overly autotuned vocals usually. However, as mentioned in the introductory track’s paragraph, this was the obvious direction for the vocals to fit the powerful and fast tempo nature of the song. Regarding the instrumental, it feels fairly plain in comparison to the title track, though I did like the start which added dramatic suspense to the song. I also enjoyed the dance break, which added some energy to the song. The one thing that weighs down the song is the lack of dynamic hooks, which is why I give it a slightly lower rating to their title track. (8/10)
4. Pacemaker – The fast pace instrumental of Pacemaker blasts you at the very start of the song before the members assault you (in a good sense) with their rapping and vocals. It might be overwhelming for some, but that is one of the aspects of the song that I thoroughly enjoyed. The instrumental itself takes a half step back for some of the verses, before returning to that blast of energy for the chorus. I liked how the lyrics liken their lover to a pacemaker by saying things like ‘your end is my end’. It is a captivating track full of energy and one that I recommend if you don’t mind the members and music coming at you. (9/10)
5. Airplane (비행기) – We take a step back from the intensity for something with a pop sound. There does seem to be some hip-hop influences mixed into the song, but I would categorize it more as a pop track by the song stops playing. Airplane is fun-sounding but it is nothing more than a pleasant track. There is an enjoyable level of brightness and energy in this song. And even though it may not conform to Stray Kid’s powerful sound, Airplane has a decent beat and the vocal melodies shine. I am kind of glad that the vocalists (namely Seungmin and I.N) get an opportunity to shine somewhere on this album. Their voices may have had to compete with instrumental, though they did well with what they had to work with. (8/10)
6. Another Day (일상) – Another Day is another chance for the Stray Kid’s vocalists to shine. Wait, let me backtrack that statement. All members actually shine throughout this song. Joining Seungmin and I.N as vocalists in this song is Lee Know, Bang Chan and Han. And if this song needs to prove anything, those members can definitely sing. Felix, Changbin and Hyunjin took on their usual roles as rappers. Even though their parts were very constricted, their deep and raspy rap-singing lines were very pleasant and extremely fitting alongside the vocals. This is all over an instrumental predominately consisting of a mellow sounding acoustic guitar. Fitting the atmosphere of the song are the members reflecting on ‘Another Day’ in the lyrics. (8/10)
7. Phobia– Overtaking the other songs that have been branded with a 9/10 rating, in terms of quality, is Phobia. I really like how this track sound. This is a synth pop-dance track. I really like soothing the energy is for this song. While it is upbeat (which might not be a term you would associate with ‘soothing’), I find the melodies and vocals to be glide effortlessly over the instrumental and everything just balances out nicely. Their vocals and rapping in this sound, alongside with the melodies are very dynamic and catchy, which are undoubtedly strong appealing points. The song’s hooks were quite addictive and I really liked how cool the English sound in this song. Jisung handling the high note was a pleasant surprise and another drawing point to the song. (10/10)
8. Blueprint (청사진) – Blueprint is the type of song that you want to have playing a theme song as you stroll down a busy suburban street on a sunny day and you interact with the other pedestrians in perfect looking montage. It is also fitting for the current Summery season. Great upbeat energy coming from this song. I like how the synth heavy the song is, but I also enjoy all the actual instrumentations poking through along the way. The members add a dynamic atmosphere to the song, which I find to be very appealing. The melody that their voices carry, especially when it came to the chorus was quite memorable. Seungmin is my pick for standout member in this song. I also like how all the members sing parts of each line at the end of the song, which adds a very happy and joyful tinge of colour to the song. I found it very hard to fault this song, hence a perfect rating. (10/10)
9. Ta (타) – Two 10/10 tracks in a row? Well, I might as well spoil it now and say that this is another 10/10 track. Ta is probably the most straightforward song on this album. The start of the song reminds me of how Miroh started with jungle sounds. But what sets Ta apart from their previous dynamic sounding title track is that it just continually builds on top of those jungle sounds, creating a party-like sound that I can’t stop gravitating to. I would gladly put this one at a party to just get it started. The melodies are addictive. Their voices are amazing. The hooks are catchy. And the atmosphere is exciting and fun. What more can you ask for? (10/10)
10. Haven – Like the previous song, Haven has this addictive and memorable party-like vibe that I am digging. It is great that the two tracks are paired next to one another, as I can play both songs without needing to skip anything in between. Haven has more of a club beat during its more upbeat moments, whilst having more of a pop sound when we are in the verses. The chorus also has this nostalgic sound it, reminding me of a few party-like sounds we have heard in KPOP. I have to admit that the rap/trap sequence in the second verse cut the flow is a slightly undesirable manner and hence I can’t give it that 10/10 rating. But everything else is worthy of a listen. (9/10)
12. Slump (Korean Version) – The Japanese version of Slump was also released alongside Top to be part of the official soundtrack of the anime, Tower of God. I really like the pop-rock path they took with this song, which is unique and different for Stray Kids. I don’t like how the vocals were autotuned during the chorus to match the autotune that the rappers had. I felt that was unnecessary and robbed the members of a chance to show off their vocals during a powerful chorus. But it is still a good song. (8/10)
It has been a while since I stuck my head into the world of Japanese releases made by Korean artists. So today, I will be reviewing Japanese releases from BTS, Stray Kids, TWICE, Dream Catcher and Lee Jun Young (from UKISS). Some of these are recent and some of these dates back to the start of the year. Early this year, I reverted to a bulk review post for International releases by Korean artists as they go global. If you would like to see the two bulk review posts that I have released so far, you can do so by clicking here and here. If you know of any other international releases (that have a music video), please comment them below so that I am aware of them!
Stay Gold – BTS
Out of all the releases on this list that I have chosen to review today, Stay Gold has to be the most generic. While the song does shine a golden light onto their vocals and rapping, the pop ballad just doesn’t have much to hold my attention. The lyrics of Stay Gold directs the song down the inspirational path, but the overall atmosphere of the pop ballad did not have that same feeling. And no amount of good vocals can compensate for that. The instrumental felt very mostly linear and the titular hook was just repeated too much throughout the chorus. Obviously, this is intentional to get the hook stuck in your mind. But by the time we get to the pre-chorus, it just feels too overdone and dried out. Lights (last year’s Japanese release) is quite similar in terms of its ballad direction, but there was a soothing feeling and attractive instrumental. The music video seems to show that no matter what dark place you in, there will always be light somewhere in it. At the end of the video when V touches the tree trunk, the golden lights that come from the tree and into the dark hallways may symbolises that is BTS is the guiding light for their fans (which I am sure is the truth for most fans). It was a nice video, with a good meaning. (7.2/10)
Top – Stray Kids
Top is Stray Kid’s first original Japanese single and since its release, we have seen a Korean and English version. It is also used as a theme song for the Japanese anime, Tower of God. When I listen to Top, I get this really cool epic vibe to the song which leaves a very strong impression on me. It starts off with some dramatic violins before adopting a rough and heavy synth base for the chorus. And it is this combination that really helps makes Top become one of their most powerful releases to date. The rappers benefit with this rough style of music, with both their rough textured delivery and angst shining throughout the song. The vocal moments were meh, in my opinion. But the slowdown we get to give way to the vocalists do help make the drop more epic. For the music video, I really like their spaceship premise. It is fitting with the epic vibes of the song. Standlone, it is still pretty cool setting. It is a song all about gettng to the top, no matter what. We see the members struggle as the road to get to the top becomes difficult, but they always perservere. I do wonder what Seungmin and I.N were meant to represent as they walk into the light. Are they the ones that gave up? Not too sure. As for the choreography, powerful and epic, just like the song. (9/10)
Fanfare – Twice
TWICE’s recent Japanese release is Fanfare. The song’s instrumental just keeps coming for you and it might be overwhelming for some. Even I had to debate whether I should say the instrumental assaulted us with its noise or was just very overpowering but bearable. For the time being, I am leaning towards the latter, as it doesn’t seem to much as everyone else is saying. But if you caught me on a bad day, I might be going with the first option as my description of Fanfare. I really like its energy and powerful upbeat nature, which is all highly suitable for the Summer season. The marching band adds a fun and robust feel to the song. It might be overpowering, but the members bring a bright tone to the song to help level it out. The song’s hooks were catchy and I would gladly add this to my playlist if I wanted to infuse some energy into my day. For the music video, it looks like a bunch of ill-fitting closeup shots and a stage-like set up for their choreography scenes, where the members are dressed in marching band gear. I assume those closeup shots are meant to give off a happy and joyful impression to match the lyrics of the song. Though, I do question Jihyo’s scene, which is a world full of laundry. No one ever enjoys laundry, it is such a chore. For the choreography, I thought it was pretty good. Not their most impressive routine, but still fun and bubbly. (7.4/10)
Endless Night – Dream Catcher
Endless Night is one of the older releases in this post, dating back to March of this year. While Dream Catcher has been long associated with bringing the J-POP rock sound to K-POP, Endless Night feels like it brings a Western rock influence to the Japanese industry, which was rather unexpected. It is also a lot moodier than any of their other title tracks. But while these are different directions, Dream Catcher makes it work. I do just wish their vocals and rapping had a little more oomph to them, which would help make the song more appealing. Aside from the chorus, everything else was rather forgettable and dry. For the music video, I really liked the use of colours. It just makes this otherwise boring music video pop, which definitely helps with the video’s appeal. Wait, but why do I find the video boring? Well, the video takes on that typical closeup and choreography formula that I have grown to dislike. I do admit the closeups seem to try to be aesthetic, but they don’t just hit the mark like other music videos. The choreography looks pretty good and works pretty well with the song. The chorus has to be the best part of the routine for me. (7.4/10)
Come Alive – Lee Jun Young (U-KISS)
Lee Jun Young is probably more known as an actor, rather than UKISS member. At the end of 2019, he reminded fans that he is a singer with the release of his first single album and Curious About U. Right after his domestic promotions, Lee Jun Young also released his first mini-album in Japan, featuring a number of solo singles from the second half of 2019. It also featured Come Alive, which was formally released at the start of 2020. It is a fun hip-hop dance track, that is both bass and brass-heavy. It is quite addictive that I am always nodding or tapping along to the beat when it appears on my playlist. The song is pretty dynamic when it comes to the verses. His rapping is quite captivating and alluring. I really like how the song punctuates some of the lines with the added emphasis of the ‘You‘ and ‘Do‘ (and associated Japanese words). His vocals are also quite good. There is a good beat to this section to help give it a club feel. At first, I didn’t like how dragged out the ‘Come Alive‘ felt. But after multiple listens, it has definitely grown on me significantly. The music video has this urban feel to it, which was nice. It just didn’t have anything more to it worth talking about, unfortunately. For the choreography, it fits in with the urban hip-hop feel that both the song and music video had. I do like how clean and smooth it felt during some parts of the choreography. Other than that, it is just another case of not his best, but still good. (7.5/10)
Stray Kids also make their grand comeback today with their new single, Gods Menu and their first studio album, Go Live. I am definitely excited for this comeback and cannot wait to review both the song (in this post) and their new album (hint hint). Prior to this comeback and since their last comeback Levanter, the group released two mixtape tracks, Gone Days and On Track. The group also released English versions of their song and made their official Japanese debut with Japanese versions of their Korean tracks. In addition to that, Stray Kids also released their first original Japanese single album (which I have yet to review) which will serve as opening tracks for an upcoming anime. Definitely a busy first half of the year for Stray Kids.
One of God’s Menu flaws is that it is rather short. I wanted more of it, so naturally I am reaching for the replay button. God’s Menu is a hip-hop based dance track. I felt the instrumentation was quite generic for this style, as we have heard many hip-hop centric songs with similar instrumentation in the past. But what we are shown from the start of the song is that the song is very rap intensive. And Stray Kids is one of those groups with a very strong rap line and this helps open the song in a captivating the song instantly lifts up once we get to the chorus. The song slows down but maintains the suspense for the vocalists to show some of their skills (Bangchan and Jisung also join the vocal line in this song, which I really like). But the rapping takes the win in this song. Remember how I mentioned that I found the instrumentation generic? Another skill that Stray Kids has is that they really know how to hold their ground and blasts us with this powerful and bold chorus. The ‘DU DU DU‘ and the ‘TANG TANG TANG‘ just gives the song so much life and energy. Another observation I have made is that the chorus was quite lengthy and this seems to quicken the song. I also like how the second chorus differed from the first and I also note that Felix is getting the lines that he finally deserve! A lot of positive aspects to outweigh its few negatives. And we can agree that Stray Kids can definitely serve it up.
We all know that Stray Kids music videos are interlinked in one way or another. They released a prequel prior to this comeback confirming just that, so it makes you wonder how this video connects with the rest. And while I can spend so much discussing possible theories, I want to step away and think about this music video as a stand alone music video. One day I will return to discuss possible connections between all their music videos. God’s Menu seems to be a song about making an impression. There is a lot of food references in the song to fit in with the concept and they sing about making flavours stand out. And in the music video, they stood out in one way or another. At the start when everything was in slow motion and Changbin was rapping away at normal speed. The odd placement of people in various scenes (i.e. school girls at the race track, scientists at a construction site, marching band in the kitchen) and the member’s non-matching outfits with the scenery (i.e. they wore chefs outfits at the construction site) all seem to make an impression. And that impression was definitely left on me.
From what I can see in the music video, the choreography looks awesome. Definitely dynamic and powerful to fit the energy of the music. The pre-chorus (i.e. the smoother sections of the song) looked very interesting due to its more subdued vibes. The chorus looked very intense and I wonder what the verses look. Though my favourite section has to be the start of the second verse, which looked awesome in the music video with the camerawork.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
The next comeback to be reviewed is by Stray Kids, who just dropped their second installment in the Mixtape Project as a present for their second anniversary. The title of the new track is Mixtape:On Track and this follows their 2019 mixtape track, Gone Days. 2019 was also another big year for the group, with the release of Miroh, Side Effects, Double Knot, Astronaut and Levanter. This magnitude and high standard of comebacks in 2019 by Stray Kids lead to me picking them for Best Male Group in the KPOPREVIEWED Awards for 2019. Let’s see if Stray Kids can replicate the success of 2019 and possibly go further in 2020.
Gone Days is right up the alley of a mixtape, aligning itself with the genre in which a mixtape is usually strongly associated with. On Track is completely different path, opting to be more a traditional pop track and missing a heavy hip-hop influence. The instrumental that acts as the backdrop for this song is relatively plain and it does bore me. But thankfully, the vocals and limited rapping did help drive the song into a more appealing light. On Track is more vocally driven, as a result for its pop alignment. And I don’t mind this. Since Stray Kids commonly goes for a rough exterior with its sound, I wouldn’t mind any easygoing or melodic tracks from the group. When I am listening to the song, I find myself feeling a little heartbroken with the tone, for some odd reason. The song’s lyrics are a lot more brighter, mustering up courage to chase one’s dream (Source: Soompi). Not sure why I feel that way, but that was the initial impression I got from the song before looking up a translation or the source article.
For the music video, the group are film and acting students and are currently in production for some sort of love story short film (I assume short film). The main characters are Hyunjin (the cameraman), Lee Know (the main actor) and the female actress. Essentially, Hyunjin has this massive crush on the female actress but has never acted upon his feelings. While filming the various acting scenes, he becomes extremely jealous over the scenes that the female actress and Lee Know share. In the end, he makes his move on the female actress while filming. Poor timing, but it matches up with the meaning behind the lyrics of the song (i.e. gaining courage). It is a good plot line and was enjoyable to watch.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 9/10 Overall Rating – 8.4/10
KPOPREVIEWED 