Tag: THE NEW SIX (formerly TNX)

[Review] FUEGO – THE NEW SIX (TNX)

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THE NEW SIX smashed it with their last comeback (Kick It 4 Now), so I am excited to see what they are offering in their latest comeback that occurred on 20 March 2024. The new song is titled FUEGO and is the first comeback where THE NEW SIX has a full line-up in over a year, with Junhyeok returning from his hiatus.

THE NEW SIX trades out the retro that made Kick It 4 Now shine and opted for a more bombastic sound in FUEGO. While the former comeback was a hit out of the park, this new release isn’t. FUEGO falls into the more generic side of male group music nowadays. But it is not bad. The instrumental features a bass house sound that feels angsty and intense. The anti-drop actually hits hard in the chorus and makes for a bold central piece. Pity it is something else that weakens the chorus for me – more on that in a moment. The vocals in the verses were good. The melodic charm of the former comeback is definitely gone, but the vocals still manage to hold themselves well in FUEGO. I must give a commendation to Junhyeok and his vocals in the pre-choruses. His vocals delivery adds charisma and power of FUEGO. The rapping also feels brings an edgy dynamic to the song. I found the rappers’ delivery to be very clean and polished in FUEGO. There was a bit of shouty motif at times in FUEGO, but I felt they came in at the right times to drive up the song. Now, I did mention something earlier that weakens the chorus for me, and it is the one element that I haven’t mentioned yet – the hooks. While the instrumental in the chorus had club-banger potential, the hooks cancelled that out that potential. They felt boring, uneventful and dragged the energy that the instrumental was trying to get across to the audience. If I had one wish for FUEGO, it would be the members’ parts in the chorus were expanded (and not limited to 3 lines) and they are given some lively and exciting material to heighten the energy of the chorus and thus FUEGO.

Watching it a few times for the purposes of this review, I can see why I never really returned to the video following its release. There just wasn’t anything in the video that is memorable. Primarily set in a tunnel and on a wooden stage surrounded by doors, nothing really sparks in this video. We do get some additional backgrounds for the members’ closeups in the video. But nothing spectacular. For a song with the Spanish word for ‘fire’, there is also a lack of fires in this video. I am not expecting the place to be burning down (though there is a lot of precedent to that in KPOP music videos). But I expected a bit more flames than the few isolated CGI flames throughout the video.

The routine for FUEGO is one where the members kept on moving with little to no breaks in between each move. This drives up the intensity of the routine and kept the dynamism up high in the choreography. The dance routine also made sure the hooks didn’t get in the way of a good performance. There wasn’t a key moment to remember in this routine, but I liked the members’ style and charisma. Parts looked very sleek, especially the side way movements in the second verse and the forward movement that kicked off the second chorus.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.3/10

[Weekly KPOP Chart] 3rd Week of June 2023

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I am back from my break! Now back to the drafting and writing of new posts for the blog! But first, as mentioned previously during the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 2nd Week of June 2023, the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd and 4th Weeks of June 2023.

Unfortunately, I have misjudged the time it takes me to make prepare and draft up one of these posts. As such, I will only be posting the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd Week of June 2023. Instead, you will see the 4th Week of June 2023 post tomorrow before I proceed back to standard transmission of reviews (which I may get to tomorrow or Wednesday). But without any more delay, here is the Weekly KPOP Chart for the 3rd Week of June 2023.

The Charts

Congratulations to The New Six (TNX) for rising to the top spot on KPOPREVIEWED’s Weekly KPOP Chart for the very first time with their latest single Kick It 4 Now. For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down.

3rd Week of June 202318th Jun – 23rd Jun 2023
Pos.SongArtistStatus
1Kick It 4 Now The New Six (TNX)(▲ 24)
2LUCKY!KIM JAE HWAN ft. BOBBY (iKON)(NEW)
3S-ClassStray Kids(▼ 2)
4Broken MelodiesNCT DREAM(NEW)
5#menowfromis_9(▲ 15)
6BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)ATEEZ(▼ 3)
7SOSKANG DANIEL(NEW)
8One & OnlyBOYNEXTDOOR(▲ 13)
9WastelandKANG DANIEL(▲ 18)
10WATERFALLYOUNITE(▲ 36)
11MACERENABLITZERS(▲ 7)
12Freakin’ BadXdinary Heroes(▲83)
13CharismaticDROP THE Beat & PICK on the top(▲ 15)
14Hold TightFlash (from FANTASY BOYS)(▲81)
15SerenadeBOYNEXTDOOR(▲ 66)
16ISLANDThe Wind(▲ 29)
17Slam DunkMighty Mouth ft. EUNHA (VIVIZ)(▲ 78)
18BITE MEENHYPEN(▲ 6)
19Spicyaespa(▲ 76)
20FREEDOMJOOHONEY (MONSTA X)(▼ 18)
21DesignerVAV(▲ 47)
22ICKYKARD(▲ 29)
23BONVOYAGEDreamcatcher(▲ 7)
24But I Like YouBOYNEXTDOOR(▼ 11)
25Movie StarMIJOO(▼ 16)
26UiKON(▲ 52)
27Wind & WishBTOB(▼ 20)
28ERASE MEONEUS(▼ 16)
29Cherry GeneACID EYES (tripleS)(▲ 66)
30GET LITStray Kids(NEW)

Songs leaving the charts

The following songs have wrapped up their nine week run in the charts system, and will no longer be on the charts from next week:

  • Sunny Road – NCT 127
  • Macarena – BLITZERS
  • Harmony – DKZ
  • Cheetah – Jackson Wang
  • Sunday Night Driver – Jay Park
  • Dream – OMEGA X
  • F*CK MY LIFE – SEVENTEEN
  • Super – SEVENTEEN
  • Tantara – iKON
  • Seed – Taeyang (BIGBANG)
  • SHOONG! – Taeyang (BIGBANG) ft. LISA (BLACKPINK)
  • I Miss You – VROMANCE
  • THROW A DICE – XODIAC
  • SUNSHOWER – EPEX
  • Rule Breaker – GRAY ft. Coogie
  • everland – Issac Hong & Chin Sooyoung
  • her – Issac Hong & Chin Sooyoung
  • Journey – WOODZ
  • Freakin’ Bad – Xdinary Heroes
  • Easy Breezy – Jueun ft. Seo In Guk
  • UP – LUO
  • our first love – Kwon Jieun
  • AMYGDALA – Agust D
  • Unforgettable – ONEUS
  • Sirius – The Wind

[Review] Kick It 4 Now – The New Six (TNX)

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It is now time to turn our attention to The New Six’s latest comeback. Wait, don’t recognise the group name? Well, that was because TNX underwent an unexpected change to the way they style their group name overnight. For some reason, The New Six adopted their full name that has been with them since their debut and dropped the acronym TNX (though I think said acronym is still. While no statement was made for this change, it is speculated that this change would help avoid confusion with other group names. Anyhow, that is the big piece of news involving the group out the way. Now, here is my review for Kick it 4 Now, the lead single off their 3rd mini-album BOYHOOD.

Kick It 4 Now swings back to the 80s/90s with The New Six’s take on the new jack swing genre. Even their promotional material and concept was inspired from that era! There is no meddling or alteration to the idea of the new jack swing genre, as Kick It 4 Now is very much a straight forward copy of songs from the genre from that era. You can hear the sound the most during the main chorus, which serves as a great uptick in energy, in comparison to the verses (more on this in a second). I also liked the part that follows the choruses (i.e., the “Nostalgia, Déjà vu, I am coming back to you”). There is something about stripping that part back to not have a new jack swing influence that feels aesthetic and subtly groovy. Altogether, the whole chorus package of Kick It 4 Now was super catchy and addictive, drawing me back into the song each time it wraps up its 3 minutes run is up. On the other end of the spectrum are the verses, which are the lacking element in Kick It 4 Now. This is mainly because the verses feel empty and lack drive. They do make the choruses more impactful and defined, which I appreciate. But I wished there was more to the verses. But that is honestly the only major problem I see in Kick It 4 Now. The vocal work was super nice, and did a good job of giving a modern side to the retro genre. The rapping was also successful, though I felt like it could have used some oomph so it doesn’t appear to be an underplayed section of the song. Altogether, Kick It 4 Now is a great comeback and, hopefully, a strong attraction for new listeners and fans of the group.

While the promotional material does have a clear 90s influence, I would have liked to see more of this in the music video. I can see a sense of it in the group’s outfits, that white spaceship-like set and the way the music video opens up with the analogue TVs. But I think it would have fitting for their concept for that older style to come through in a more profound manner. That being said, the music video that we do get does feel fresh and crisp. It also does a great job of showing their youthful side as well.

The New Six definitely show energy and liveliness with their performance, which is fitting for the new jack swing genre. A lot of the moves in the choreography feels reminiscent of the 90s era as well. I particularly like the chorus move, where one of their arms is behind their heads and they end with a few shoulder bops. It is such a smooth and suave move to have in the performance.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Love or Die – TNX

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As mentioned constantly throughout this blog, I have many artists and releases that I have yet to review. One of those releases come from TNX. For those who don’t know TNX, they are a relatively new group in KPOP who debuted as a six male group, formed through the survival audition program Loud in 2022, with Move. This week, the male group returns for the first time with their second single, Love or Die and second mini-album Love Never Dies. The group also pre-released the single I Need U ahead of the release of both Love or Die and the mini-album, which I promise I will review one day.

Love or Die is a definite improvement from their debut track. The group moves away from the standard and typical sound that male groups put out constantly that TNX (and their producers) fell in the trap of releasing as their debut single. Instead, TNX went with a different sound in Love or Die, opting for a punkish rock influence sound. Love or Die is by no means a new or innovative sound, but at least it comes off as refreshing and different from the rest of the competition. The autotuned beginning was quite striking, while that punkish rock influence gave a boldness to the song. The energy that is exuded from the verses is very neat and just gives a fresh breath of life that allows the members to really pop out from within the song. I also felt like their vocals and rapping were super clear throughout the song, and I really appreciated that. The choruses goes a slightly different direction to what I had expected. There was a clear incline in momentum and forwardness in the verses and pre-choruses. Naturally, I felt the choruses were going to add more to the song and at least progress that energy and momentum. But instead, Love or Die‘s main centrepiece switches it up with taking it all down a notch. I felt this cuts the flow and dampens the potential to the song, to a degree. Something harder, stronger and more intense felt like it was more ideal. But to be honest, this isn’t much of a deal breaker for me, as I still thought TNX did a really good job with what they presented to us in the choruses of Love or Die. And likewise, the same can be said with the rest of Love or Die.

Based on what I saw and my interpretation of the lyrics of the song, it looks like the members are coming to terms of a rejection from someone who they thought loved them. Hence, there was dejected emotions and facial expressions on the members’ faces. And given their young ages, it was fitting they did this in the more typical school age concept that we see in KPOP often for groups starting out. But even with that, there is a slightly edgy visual tone through some of the other scenes in the video, such as the abandoned plane scenery and some of the warehouse. All of these complimented each other quite well, and created a cohesive video.

I really liked the forcefulness and aggression the routine had during the verses, which channels the emotions expressed in the song quite well. Particular mention needs to be made to the start of the final chorus, which is where the aggression was the strongest. It makes for a riveting performance on stage and highlights the group’s potential. My only qualm about the performance is how the latter parts of the chorus didn’t feel fitting alongside the rest of the song.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

[Review] MOVE – TNX

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Something I have been doing unintentionally this year is pushing song reviews for rookies aside to cover the bigger releases. So, as we are gearing towards award season (nudge nudge, hint hint), I thought I take some time to cover some more rookies. I kick things off with TNX (stands for The New Six), a six member male group under P Nation. The group was formed through the TV show LOUD and features Taehun, Kyungjun, Hyunsoo, Junhyeok, Hwi and Sungjun as part of its lineup. They debuted back in May of this year with the single MOVE and the mini-album WAY UP.

MOVE doesn’t offer anything new or make much of an impression on me – probably why it was bumped so often. And this is the biggest downfall of MOVE for me. It just felt like a standard electronic dance release from a multitude of male groups currently active in KPOP. If you were expecting something fresh, different or intriguing, than I would not recommend TNX’s debut. But if you are after a release that is mainstream, then MOVE is the release for you. Per usual, there were aspects of the MOVE that I did enjoy. But if you read through my blog, the things I am about to point out are pretty much common in other releases as well. I did like the thumping aspect of the instrumental, which gave off a dramatic flair. For this song, it was much needed to give the song some definition, which I thought was lacking in MOVE. The group shows off solid rapping and vocals through the verses and pre-choruses, respectively. There is some potential, but I just wished we got to hear them in a less polluted atmosphere (i.e. the instrumentation). Some definition (again) would have helped the members in MOVE, just so they sound and appear bolstered alongside that thumping and synths used. Talking about synths, the producers of MOVE used pretty ordinary ones throughout the song. I wished they went with more abstract or unique synths than the usual siren-like synth in the verses/choruses or the crunchy one in the choruses. The strings in the bridge were a nice addition, and I liked the way the instrumental concentrates in the final chorus. Moving onto MOVE‘s choruses, I felt the instrumentation overpowered the members, and again I wished there more definition. The hooks weren’t as memorable here, as opposed to the pre-chorus, which was disappointing. Overall, MOVE is a fair release. But I hope we get something better for their first comeback.

Again, the concept for this music video was pretty ordinary. It features a rebellion, lead by the members. The main reason to why I am describing the concept as ordinary, however, is due to the fact that we don’t get much of a backstory. Based on the ending, it appears the rebellion is successful, with the members leaving the lab without anyone hindering them. What I did like about the video was the striking nature of the colours in this video. Probably the most noticeable is the red coloured straps and jumpsuits donned by the members and the background people on the sterile white/light silver clothing and settings. The green (see the feature image) was also striking by dominating much of the set, and I liked the subtleness of the navy in some other scenes (though still striking enough).

Choreography wise, I think this is the strongest aspect of the debut. I really liked the aggression and energy behind the different moves throughout the performance. Their stage presence was definitely strongly felt. I also enjoyed the final sequence, where the song concentrates itself. We also see a similar effect in the performance.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 8.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.2/10