Tag: TOPSECRET

[Review] Count down – TST

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And the ball starts rolling with the first release of 2020. TST is one of the first artists to make their comeback in 2020. They returned today with Count down and a four member lineup (K is absent from this comeback for unknown reasons, while it is assumed that Wooyoung is still absent due to health reasons). This is also the group’s first comeback in almost a year, since Wake Up, which was released last February.

Both Wake Up and Paradise (the two songs by the group that I have reviewed) have been acknowledged with high ratings (both tracks earned 9/10 in the song department). Within a few listens, I could tell that Count down will be the third song from the group to earn that high 9/10. Count down has this smooth exterior, which makes the song exceptionally appealing. There is almost a jazzy vibe to the song, which I really like as well. Within the instrumental, the guitar seems to be versatile, used in the foreground in different manners. This made the song standout for me. Their vocal work this time around is so-so. There were some good moments, but I feel like the song could have benefited from some more interesting hooks. The rapping was limited and I wanted to hear a bit more from this department. Overall, another well deserving 9/10 song.

It seems like TST and their company have taken note from their Wake Up music video, where it was shot in a contemporary art gallery setting. For Count down, they went with a more aesthetically pleasing museum which projected art on the walls. This made the video look very elegant and really helped the song become appealing in a visual manner. I also liked how they used coloured lighting to blend the car park into the music video, matching the projections that appeared in the background during their solo and group parts.

There is a mature aura that comes from this comeback that I haven’t mentioned yet. And I feel like this particular aura was well portrayed in the performance. There is also an edgier vibe to the performance that we have yet to see from the group, which was very good. The moves, on the other hand, just felt standard and didn’t really standout.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

[Review] Wake Up – TST

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There are many groups from smaller companies that just don’t the attention they deserve. Many of which releases amazing songs that deserve a place on charts but never get the chance. One of these many groups is TST (formerly known as TopSecret). TST has returned to the stage with Wake Up. This is the group’s first comeback since their amazing Paradise comeback last year. Once again, they have returned short with one member, as Wooyoung has taken some time off to focus on health recovery.

Wake Up is a very bright and youthful song. It is the type of song that makes you want to smile within the first few seconds of the song and the energy is quite appealing. It does fall under the category of a typical pop song but it is done in a way that leaves me wanting more. I really liked the instrumental of the song. It was slightly funky and had retro elements that remind me of what KPOP actually used to be.  Actually, the song reminded me of Infinite’s Man In Love and I think this song could have been part of Infinite discography. The vocal work for this track was pretty good. But it was the rapping was the highlight for me. The rapping here is definitely my preferred style and boosted the song’s appeal to a whole new level for me. Overall, Wake Up is a very energetic track that I will be continually returning to in the future.

The music video doesn’t have the same budget as some of the other music videos we have seen where the budget is obviously much higher. But they seemed to do a good job with handling that aspect. I am not sure if they actually built sets for this music video. In fact, the setting felt pretty much a contemporary art gallery. And I think is even more impressive than a high budget video if it is done right (and guess what, I think it is). I would have liked something more to really drive up the appeal of the video. But for something to fit an all smiling and positive energy song, this is already quite nice.

One could say their performance is fitting for the song. Youthful and fun. And I pretty much agree with that. But I can see the side of how it is quite cheesy and cliche. As a standard pop song, you would be constricted in terms of style and I guess this is what happened here. Maybe they could have gone for a more chill and laid-back approach.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Paradise – TST

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You may think this is a new group but TST isn’t new. They actually made their debut last year with She and returned later in the year with Mind Control, all under the name Top Secret. Earlier this year, the group returned with Love Story and the new name TST. However, promotions were cut short due to Kyeongha’s misconduct controversy. It was later announced that Kyeongha had left the group. Now, TST is back again as a 6-member group with a brand new single, Paradise.

Paradise started off with some guitar and a small piece of the instrumental used later in the song. What I noticed here and throughout the song was they added a very soft yet striking piano note that replayed in groups of threes. I thought that was really nice, as it added a nice contrast with the rest of the song and made it feel quite artistic. The chorus lost this element and instead opted for a busier chorus made up of mainly synths. I felt like they could have lost some elements in the chorus and it would have been fine as I had a hard time trying to describe the chorus as it was quite swamped. As you went along with the rest of the song, there were a lot of different components featuring at various moments, which kept the song rather interesting. Moving along, I quite liked the chorus due to the melodies and the vocals, especially the ‘Like A Paradise‘ line. I also liked the rapping in the song as it came in at a needed time (despite it being withheld to the end). Overall, an excellent song.

I thought the music video was quite bland.  I find the members just sitting around on top of buildings, amusement park rides and other things not that powerful. They did throw in some tears but they weren’t enough. I felt the song could have had a nice nature backdrop, which seems to be an on-trend and relatively cheap alternative to a full-fledged music video. But I am not a producer, so I am sure this was all chosen for a reason. I did like their choreography shots though, which were nice yet pretty standard.

I personally liked this performance. Their choreography was quite graceful and while there were sharp movements, there was its fair share of very delicate moves. I thought the chorus was really nice, especially with the ‘Paradise’ lines and they are running from one side of the stage to the other.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

 

[Review] Mind Control – TOPSECRET

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TOPSECRET is officially back with their latest song, which was released on Monday (5th of May). The 7-member boy group previously made their debut with She (which I did not end up reviewing) back in January and are under JSL Company. 

The song is your generic upbeat Summer track from a boy group. But there is a slight twist that makes the song a little more compelling to listen to. It fits in with the rest of the Summer tracks for the Summer season. But that just means it doesn’t stand out that much in the crowd. There wasn’t anything special about worth talking about. Their vocals and rapping abilities are pretty good, but there isn’t anything amazing about them. But that small part right after the chorus really lifts the song up and gives it an intense sound. It also makes the song brighter and vibrant. It changes up the song quite a bit, but it works well. At first, I thought it sounded weird and odd. But after a few more listens, it ended up sounding quite normal. The rest of the song was forgettable but because of that different post-chorus section, the song will probably get more attention in the future from me.

The music video is set at a school. The guys are in science class and learning about hormones. I don’t blame them for falling asleep. Just reading the subtitles had me falling asleep. But the guys somehow create a formula which gets everyone dancing. They were very wasteful on their part, by over spraying everyone and then wondering why they ran out. And then they somehow make another massive batch and proceed to gather everyone in a hall and make them dance. While I do question the plot (yeah… I do this to a few videos), I think it was a great way to incorporate “Mind Control” into the video. For once I don’t really enjoy the choreography shots, but overall, I don’t mind watching the video over and over again.

These guys will be shuffling their way through the next few months. I remember when shuffling was a trend at school. Minus the shuffling though, I thought the dance was rather weak. It was fun to watch though.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10