The next album to be reviewed on the blog is TXT’s 3rd studio album, The Name Chapter: Freefall, which dropped on 13 October 2023. Featured on the album is the title track Chasing That Feeling, the TXT version of Back For More and TXT’s Summer collaboration with the Jonas Brothers, Do it Like That (all links to their respective reviews can be found below within the album review). Those three tracks are alongside 6 additional new tracks. As a whole, The Name Chapter: Freefall is another strong album from the group. There are some really good and strong songs on the album, so definitely check out this album. It might be one TXT’s most sold albums to date, but I think it deserves a bit more attention than what I think it got (which wasn’t much).
The Name Chapter: Freefall Album Cover
1. Growing Pain – The album kicks off strong with a rock track. Growing Pain is a metal-based hard rock track that has an energetic and intense vibe. The guitar work is definitely amazing, particularly during the bridge. The members do a decent job with their vocals in Growing Pain. They do suit the style, but I am describing their vocals as decent as I felt some parts were underbaked. The chorus also felt repetitive. I wished there were ad-libs or something to really give (at the very least) the final chorus that ‘last hurrah’ vibe. It could have really helped close Growing Pain out strong. (8/10)
3. Back For More (TXT Version) – I have previously reviewed Back For More (featuring Anitta). Most of my thoughts will carry over to the TXT version. Click here for the review of Back For More. (9/10)
4. Dreamer – TXT takes it down a notched with Dreamer, a paced R&B track. Everything in this track felt very standard R&B. But it is done so well that I find myself drifting away with everything in it. I did like the vocals in this track, with the members going with a higher and/or airer tone. In its own way and in the context of Dreamer, the vocals did feel rather bold. (7/10)
5. Deep Down (머리에솟아난뿔은나의왕관이었다) – Out of all the side tracks on this album. Deep Down is my favourite. It starts off quite atmospheric and maintains that aesthetic throughout the track. The chorus brings in a Jersey Club beat, but keeps it lowkey to match up with the atmospheric aesthetic I just spoke about. The members also match their tone and delivery to be at a similar level to create a cohesive and riveting club track. (10/10)
6. Happily Ever After – Happily Ever After is probably the most recognisable side track, given how much TXT and HYBE pushed it on their social media. It is undoubtedly a fun single, with the chorus and its lead-in being the most memorable aspect of the song (which you can thank TXT’s social media for). Happily Ever After also features a Jersey Club beat, but uses it in a way that feels bright and vibrant. Their vocals are also super sweet sounding and I liked how they maintained it at a light level. (8/10)
7. Skipping Stones (물수제비) – When I first heard the song, Skipping Stones took me back to DAY6 vibes. It might be the indie-rock approach that is taken in Skipping Stones, which in itself is an amazing backing piece. Even some of TXT’s vocals remind me of DAY6 (though the more you listen to the song, you find TXT’s colours coming through). I also like how it is super easy to listen to and enjoy, making it feel like a song you can easily put on repeat and listen to time and time again. (9/10)
8. Blue Spring – Blue Spring is another indie rock track. This time around, no one other than TXT comes to mind when I listen to this song. And it makes sense, given that this is a fan song for their fans (MOAs). I am loving the raspy vocals and the oomph the instrumentation carries. You can feel the heartfelt emotions behind their vocals, which I am 100% sure makes for greater emotional impact for both TXT and fans alike. (9/10)
Also making their comeback this week/yesterday was TXT, who returns with their 3rd studio album The Name Chapter: FREEFALL. Leading the charge on their latest album is the single Chasing That Feeling. We last heard TXT on the Korean stage through their promotions of Sugar Rush Ride and The Name Chapter: Temptation, and more recently through their international collaborations with the Jonas Brother (Do It Like That) and Anitta (Back For More) – both of which are featured on The Name Chapter: FREEFALL, sans Anitta (the TXT version of Back For More is featured instead).
Chasing That Feeling is a pretty decent synth-pop track. It is rather straight forward and doesn’t miss a beat from the very moment it begins. It isn’t the perfect track, however, as Chasing That Feeling is missing one vital element – the climax. Every time I put the song on, I am hoping that there is a peak to the song, but it just never gets there. Instead, we get a pretty neutral and generic vibe in Chasing That Feeling as a result. And this is quite disappointing. Apart from that, Chasing That Feeling features a decent set of vocals from the members, with some clean melodies. Though some more powerful vocals could have taken Chasing That Feeling to the next level. The ad-libs at the end were pretty good, however. I like the splash of extra instrumentation for the chorus, which helps makes the central piece stand out more in this neutral piece. While the melodies are good, the song also lacks a hook to really get our minds to grab onto. In addition to the inclusion of a proper climax, more powerful vocals and meatier hooks, I would have liked to hear more interesting 80s synth pop tropes in the instrumental to give it some flair. While Chasing That Feeling definitely has the set up to be a strong song, more is definitely needed to get it there.
The music video see the members crashing into Earth (more specifically, a sewer) and chasing after these orbs of light separately. And while the members try very hard to chasing these orbs of light, the orbs ends up bringing the members together again (and whilst not shone, fuses into one). My guess that it shows the members are strongest when they are together and not alone, no matter where they are. Apart from the storyline, the music video also features some really cool post-production effects. The best of it is shown at the end where the buildings and roads undergo some alternative dimensional changes despite everything around the members also going on as normal. It gives off Dr. Strange vibes, which I personally think is one of the cooler Marvel movies out there.
The choreography, to me, is quite good. Sure, it probably isn’t their most memorable piece ever, but I like the fluidity of the movements and the smoothness of the overall routine. It is still a performance to watch, as it still shows off TXT’s performance skills. I like how effortlessly the routine goes with the music, which very much carries a similar vibe, as well.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.8/10
Another International Song Reviews post. This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I was feeling very tired for some reason (like to the point where I could barely open my eyes at the grocery store, where there is a lot of stimuli that should have kept me awake). Decided to have a nap for an hour to write this post, but ended up over-napping to dinner. But I am feeling awake right now and ready to tackle the post, which will cover releases from JUN (from SEVENTEEN), TFN, Mark Tuan (from GOT7) and TXT and Jonas Brothers collaboration single! This post follows on from my review of Stray Kids’ Social Path (ft. LiSA), TXT’s pre-release single Back For More (with Anitta), Jung Kook’s newest release 3D (with Jack Harlow) and aespa’s Better Things.
PSYCHO – JUN (SEVENTEEN)
Language: Chinese Release Date: 4 July 2023 Release Type: PSYCHO (4th Digital Single)
JUN’s PSYCHO is an instant like for me and I found myself playing the song constantly to relive the amazing instrumentation, vocals and atmosphere within PSYCHO. The entirety of PSYCHO is very well executed by JUN and the producers, but the best part has to be the chorus. Firstly, the transition from pre-chorus to chorus is flawless. With the chorus, the rhythmic bass beats and the twinkling instrumental elements creates such an alluring and hypnotic effect that pulled me in for more. The combination also creates this haunting feeling which goes so well with the PSYCHO theme that JUN features as the concept for this comeback. The instrumental bridge serves as an extension of what we hear in the background of the chorus, with further work to it to make it edgier and more suspenseful. This leads into the outro where JUN uses his raspy tone in a shouty manner that sounds so good. PSYCHO is definitely one of the best songs of the year, in my books.
Whatever you think of JUN as part of SEVENTEEN, on-camera or behind the scenes, put that to one side. His acting in this video is so good, playing a psycho so well. The editing definitely helps, but props to JUN, who is also an actor (in case you didn’t know). In addition to his acting, JUN has his body on display throughout the video and looks amazing in all the outfits we see him in. The video ends on a very interesting note, with the car looking like it is going to run into him. Amazing editing here, as I don’t think JUN was actually going to be hit in the car. As for the choreography, I really like how that hypnotic vibe was carried through with the twirling finger in arm move. I also really like the idea of the exaggerated smile within the choreography and basically the rest of the routine. There might be enough for a dance performance nomination at the end of the year (hint hint).
After last year’s onslaught of multiple singles and releases, TFN has been very quiet in 2023. Prior to ICE CREAM‘s release, the group only released one single and one mini-album (both of in Japan) this year. Anyhow, what makes ICE CREAM super interesting is that it is a Spanish release, which to me felt like the next logical market for KPOP to expand into, simply because of the massive Latin influence KPOP had a few years back. Aside from the different language (which isn’t a first for KPOP believe it or not), I really like the pompous energy and beats in ICE CREAM. It makes for a super fun and dynamic listen. The brass elements adds to all of this, as well. The vocal and rapping work was equally as bombastic as the instrumentation, which isn’t a bad take on the song. They actually work well with the instrumentation. My only problem with ICE CREAM is that because it starts off and maintains the same energy throughout, the song does get repetitive towards the end. The instrumental break, which goes for a more dance approach to its instrumental – different yet fitting, does help cut the repetition. Altogether, ICE CREAM sounds like a song you would hear at a party. And given all within it, I wouldn’t mind celebrating to it.
As just mentioned, the music video is set at a poolside party, which is a fair call. That is where ice cream would taste best on a summery afternoon. It also looks like the pool is attached to a nice set of villas. The only time the setting changes is for the dance break/end of the song, where the daytime becomes night time and the villa becomes to the setting (not the poolside). Aside from that, the video features some fun closeups of the members. However, I wished there was more to the video. For the most part, the choreography could have been more dynamic and fun. Instead, we got pretty weak delivery from the members (I don’t know if they were tired or being cautious of something, but it looked like minimal effort was being put into the performance) and the moves that look like the choreographer had put together moments before the music video shoot. The most dynamic bit of the choreography was during the dance break, which looked cool. I wished the rest of the routine was just as dynamic and upbeat as the dance break.
Overall Rating – 7.4/10
Everyone Else Fades – Mark Tuan (GOT7)
Language: English Release Date: 1 September 2023 Release Type: Everyone Else Fades (Digital Single)
The newest release on this post is Mark Tuan’s Everyone Else Fades. As soon as I listened to this song, I knew I had to cover it on the blog in the near future! Well, I have elected that day in the near future to be today. For the most part, Everyone Else Fades fits within the R&B pop genre. But it is the presence of rock in the chorus, that I like the most in the track. It gives the preceding line to the chorus “Everyone else fades into the background” so much more impact and delivers some oomph to the track, which in turn helps the track resonates with the listener. Mark Tuan’s vocals throughout Everyone Else Fades felt very raw yet soothing, delivering a heartfelt message of being around a person they love and having the focus be on them. with everyone else fading into the background. The harmonies stay in my mind after the song finishes and the impact of the central line keeps on replaying in my head. It is definitely a relatable and meaningful song, and also an effective one, as well.
The music video features Mark Tuan and actress/model Davika Hoorne at the beach. Despite the video featuring both of them, I like how it was edited to ensure that Davika Hoorne was the focus, which helps emphasise the lyrics and its message. The lack of other people in the video also helps. Even Mark Tuan, who should have been the focus of the video given that it is his song, felt delegated to the background during those shared shots. Don’t come at me though, as the video does offset this with solo shots of Mark Tuan elsewhere in the video, and I would like to know the meaning off the floating papers, as I felt that was pretty intriguing elements during his shots. But overall, it is a music video that picks up the message and gives effect to it quite well.
Overall Rating – 9/10
Do It Like That – TXT & Jonas Brothers
Language: English Release Date: 7 July 2023 Release Type: Do It Like That (Digital Single)
Due to my massive backlog of songs to review, I hadn’t had a chance to review Do It Like That yet. This collaboration single between TXT and the Jonas Brothers (which I found to be quite unexpected pairing) is such a fun, light and fluffy listen, making it appropriate for the summery season where you don’t want something too heavy. Instead, Do It Like That is a very easygoing number that remains upbeat all throughout. I like the use of falsettos and bright tone to the instrumentation to maintain the song’s lightness. It actually took me a while to figure out that the different between the band and the group, they just sound so alike to me in Do It Like That. Not entirely sure if that is a good thing, but I wasn’t bothered by that. Overall, a neat collaboration between TXT and Jonas Brother.
The music video is fairly simple, with the Jonas Brothers playing their instrumentation whilst singing and TXT was dancing whilst singing, over white background. This to me matches the simplicity and lightness of the song. Anything more would have felt a bit too much for the song. The outfits worn by the two artists popped out over the white background, which was a nice effect to have in the video. It would have nicer to see TXT and Jonas Brothers interact with one another, but that would have only been possible had they come together to shoot the video (which was not the case). As for the choreography, the parts we did see in the music video (i.e. the chorus sequence designated for becoming a TikTok trend) is not complex by today’s standard. But it wasn’t until we saw the entire routine on their Lollapolooza stage did I fully realize how fun and lighthearted the choreography was. I quite liked it and how fitting it felt for Do It Like That.
Songs in Japanese, Chinese, English or (more recently!) Spanish by our favourite KPOP artists are continually being pumped out this year, especially since the appeal of these artists internationally are growing exponentially. So much so that I am still behind. I am taking a break from covering some slightly older releases from earlier on this year, and look forward to cover some more recent non-Korean language releases – Stray Kids’ SOCIAL PATH, TXT’s Back For More, Jung Kook’s 3D and aespa’s Better Things. Last weekend, I looked at songs from SEVENTEEN’s VERNON, ATEEZ, TWICE and IVE.
Social Path – Stray Kids ft. LiSA
Language: Japanese Release Date: 6 September 2023 Release Type: Social Path / Super Bowl (1st Japanese Mini Album)
Social Path is one of two songs in this post that has reached the top of my personal Weekly KPOP Charts, which is uncommon for non-Korean tracks given I do dedicate most of my music-listening time towards KPOP releases. Social Path is actually more English, with the rapping only featuring Japanese. Social Path features rock influences on top of the usual presence of synths in Stray Kids, and does so in such a straightforwardly manner. With the chorus being the most recognisable, the rock influences comes off very cleanly. Talking about the chorus, I had the vocal melodies of the central piece stuck in my brain, leading me to humming and revisiting Social Path quite often. Similarly, I found the vocals and rapping from all members of Stray Kids to be very clean and straightforward, as well. LiSA’s featuring in the track really helps adds more vibrancy and to the song, and she balances out the song quite well with her sharp vocals. But ultimately, the best part of Social Path is when both Stray Kids and LiSA joins forces to lead into the final chorus. It is a such a simple yet effective highlight of the song, worthwhile after such a strong buildup.
Despite it being an intense and energetic track, Social Path speaks to what they had to sacrifice in order to be where they are now (i.e. their younger years, freedom, privacy etc.). To me, the lyrics hits hard, especially when you consider the recent stories of privacy invasion and their companies basically owning their lives. Throughout the video, we see the members struggle with being followed, chased and surrounded by people who has their face covered in paper bags with question marks on them, which most likely represents the negative comments and haters on the internet. LiSA is trapped in a cage for most of her parts. But Stray Kids come together to fight this nightmare and join LiSA to rise to the top and conquer the fiery world. The choreography was pretty good. The chorus routine is memorable and I really like the huddle just before the final chorus.
Overall Rating – 8.8/10
Back For More – TXT ft. Anitta
Language: English Release Date: 15 September 2023 Release Type: The Name Chapter: FREEFALL (3rd Korean Studio Album)
Back For More is the second song that has risen to the top of my Weekly KPOP Charts. It was also first performed at the MTV Video Music Awards that occurred mid-September and serves as a pre-release single for their upcoming third Korean studio album, The Name Chapter: FREEFALL (which will be released later this month). Back For More is a solid pop track, featuring a funky underlay throughout the track and some really cool cymbal flourishes as we head into the main parts of the song. The melodies and hooks are also quite straightforward, but catchy and addictive. Just like the song, their vocals are very solid throughout Back For More, coming off as alluring the more you listen to Back For More. I also really like their vocal homage to Michael Jackson towards the end of Back For More via the ad-libs. As for Anitta, I do like how her part attempts to change up the momentum slightly and create a different atmosphere. It is what I thought Back For More needed to avoid the overly consistent issue (that is until I heard the TXT version, which my preferred version now). But Anitta herself just seems to be plugged in and doesn’t really meld with the rest of song. I also really dislike the soft taps in the background of her part, distracting me away from the song.
I thought the music video for Back For More was simple, with the members performing the track on stage and ‘behind the scenes’ in the music video in navy suits. I guess I would wish for a bit more variety, maybe different coloured suits, just to give the music video a bit more depth. The choreography for the comeback was super cool, with the members showcasing a bit more of a mature and sleek energy in the routine. The best bit is the Michael Jackson sequence in the choreography, which they all pull off effortlessly.
Overall Rating – 8.7/10
3D – Jung Kook (BTS) ft. Jack Harlow
Language: English Release Date: 29 September 2023 Release Type: 3D (2nd Solo Digital Single)
Jung Kook’s solo release, once again, is the most recent release in this post. I really like the early 2000s influence that is going on in 3D, throwing us back to when Justin Timberlake was starting out as a solo artist. It is the era that I grew up in, and so 3D plays towards the nostalgia I have for that era. The percussion and soft beats make it an easy listen. Jung Kook himself sounds very charismatic throughout 3D and pulls you into the track further. The whispery pre-choruses were an excellent shift in vocals, adding to the momentum of the track in a subtle and soft manner that fits the rest of the song. We also see the return of rapper Jung Kook in 3D, which is exactly what I had hoped for when I passed the first verse and entered the chorus for the first time. I did think he could have incorporated something with a little more definition as the song tracks along, just to give 3D some more oomph and flair. Jack Harlow features in the song and also brings adds more rapping to 3D. While I do like the flow and added rapping, I did think Jack Harlow’s section was quite cringy. But for the most part, I really liked 3D and that Jung Kook is definitely psyching us up for his solo album (which he has said is coming out later this year).
As for the music video, I found it a bit boring. Jung Kook obviously looks fantastic in the video and I am sure fans are swooning over his visuals and style in the video. And the early 2000s style is pretty strong in this video. But I do like my music videos with a bit more to them than just visuals, and I don’t see anything more but visuals in this video. Also, someone pointed out that Jack Harlow mentions ABG in his rap, but there were no ABG in the shot at that particular moment. As for the choreography, it is another great routine from Jung Kook. This one has an edge over Seven, with both Jung Kook and the dancers doing a lot more interesting moves for 3D.
Overall Rating – 8/1`0
Better Things – aespa
Language: English Release Date: 18 August 2023 Release Type: Better Things (1st English Digital Single)
Better Things isn’t aespa’s first full English track, but it is their first original English single for the Western market. I do like how refreshing the instrumentation feels, which makes it a good release for the Summer season that it was released in. It is quite a rhythmic background piece, but I did think it needed some flourishes or a bold element to it. It just chugs along in the background and doesn’t really go or do anything further than that. As such, Better Things does become dull and dry towards the end. The melodies and hooks share a similar issue, but I don’t think it was as bad as the instrumentation. At first, they are catchy and simple, making Better Things another easy listen. But as the song goes on, it just feels like a repeat of what we had heard earlier from the girl group. But the addition of the sleek rap-speak in the bridge and the added vibrancy to the vocals throughout does add more to the track, and this helps makes it less repetitive. Overall, Better Things is a fair track from the group. Not as striking as I wished it could be, but pleasant enough.
The music video follows on from the Better Things sitcom that was released in the lead to the release of this track. I somehow missed this, so I am going off what I understand. The fish that appears from in the video comes from a device that appears in the sitcom. From there, the members follow the fish and discover brand new worlds in a rainforest, under the sea and on an island. I do like the summery colours that featured in the video and the striking blue of the choreography set that offsets these warmer colours. Complementing the more mellow sounds of Better Things, the choreography features softer moves. While it isn’t as bold or sharp as compared to their other works, the routine is just as captivating and pairs well with the song.
Welcome back to the Weekly KPOP Charts for the 3rd Week of September 2023. Again, I have some work to knock out for the blog for the week ahead, plus the usual Sunday chores I need to get through. So I am going to get right to it with the Weekly KPOP Chart post for the 3rd Week of September 2023.
Joining all those new releasesabove this week are the following songs:
123 go! – Park Hyunho
TROUBLE – EVNNE
Heaven On Earth – HELLO GLOOM
Fearless – Rolling Quartz
SKIP OUT – Roa (Rocking Doll)
DALALA – Yuju
NEW TOMORROW – FANTASY BOYS
Win For You – Im Siwan (ZE:A) & Winter (aespa)
Wonder – The Rose
The Charts
TXT’s collaboration with Anitta, Back For More, is the top song (making both TXT and Anitta the top artist!) for this week’s Weekly KPOP Charts. As Back For More is an English track, it is also this week’s Non-Korean Song of the week! For more of the charts, keep on scrolling down below.
