TUNEXX is one of the groups I remember debuting, but I can’t remember their debut song. Glad rookie week is here to remind me of I’m Alive (or 내가 살아있다는 증거 in Korean). TUNEXX is the new male group under IST Entertainment (the former home of APINK, VICTON, THE BOYZ and WEEEKLY), consisting of 7 members: Donggyu, Inhu, Taira, Sungjun, Zeon, Sihwan, and Arctic. Since their debut,
As I can’t remember their debut track, I also can’t remember my first impression of I’m Alive. And I am guessing it wasn’t great if I never got around to reviewing them before today. But upon relistening to I’m Alive, I actually enjoy TUNEXX’s debut track. It is an electronic hip-hop track that combines punchy rapping with smooth vocals/melodies. It is an intriguing listen. At one point, you get some really rooted, hip-hop-style rapping and instrumental sequence, before the song shifts to velvety vocals and melodic material. While they do sound like polar opposites in words (and in the song), the resulting contrast works surprisingly well. That said, because it goes back and forth between the two so often, I’m Alive doesn’t get a chance to land a memorable hook, which is probably why I never really remembered the song before writing this post.
The music video for I’m Alive serves as a good introduction to the members. It’s a lot of fun and packed with close-ups and group shots, centred on the members playfully running a Korean food business. Beyond that, I don’t think there is a common storyline that joins everything together, but that isn’t necessary for a good music video. The hip-hop flair was the most obvious element in the video, and it looked cool.
I liked the bubbly energy that comes off the performance. Nothing too cheesy, but enough to keep the performance moving along. During the dance break, the member did a good job capturing the hip-hop flair.
Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8/10
