It's no secret that I'm slow at updating this blog - life gets in the way and all that. But every now and again, I do like to look back at what I've missed, or what's just come out, and talk about the stuff that stands out to me - either for good reasons or not so good reasons. And hey, I figured it was about time for another one of those! Let's see what I've missed, what I like, and what I don't - and for once, I feel like there's a good amount of both, so prepare yourself for that if you must. 😬
It should also be noted that I'm purposely leaving some comebacks out of this review so I can review them in full later; comebacks like KARD and Dreamcatcher will be getting their own, separate reviews, so keep your eye out for those!
PENTAGON (펜타곤) - DR. BEBE (DR. 베베)
After the success of "Shine", I think we an all agree that Pentagon have never really received the success they deserve. Sure, "Shine" was huge, but after how awfully CUBE handled the situation with E-Dawn, my hopes for Pentagon's success were pretty much non-existent. And seeing what they released in the aftermath... it didn't really give me much to bolster my confidence. "Naughty Boy" was... a thing, I struggle to remember "Sha La La" even exists sometimes, and I have a very strong dislike towards "Humph". Not to mention the entire situation around Yanan. It just seemed that Pentagon were being sorely mishandled and mistreated by CUBE, and seeing as I hadn't legitimately loved one of their title tracks since "Critical Beauty", I drifted, and admittedly stopped paying attention to them.
But then, by some kind of miracle, Pentagon got the chance to really step up to the mark and take a VIXX-like approach to a comeback - dark, freaky, and absolutely demented. To think we went from "Humph" to this kinda blows my mind, but holy shit, "Dr. BeBe" is all the better for it!
Now, I will admit, I am a sucker for this kind of dark concept, through and through. Concepts can often make or break a song for me in K-Pop, since so much focus is often placed on them, and I mean it when I say it's the star of the show here. This is one of the best MVs this year so far, easily. And the song has its merits as well - it's got this staggering, unsteady rhythm in the background that really gives off an eerie vibe, the drums are pounding and anthemic, and the vocals are god-tier, as they tend to be when Pentagon are at their best (especially Hui, holy shit). It develops well, has an insanely catchy chorus I had trouble getting out of my head, and builds up to a satisfying conclusion that makes it easily repeatable. That final bridge with Wooseok & Yuto's rapping & the extra vocals from Kino, Jinho and Hui... God damn. 🔥🔥🔥
I'm honestly delighted to see Pentagon get a comeback like this. Sure, the concept is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but they also got a full album here, too. I'll admit that I'm not planning to review "Universe: The Black Hall" (even though those photobooks were fucking gorgeous), but "Dr. BeBe" was absolutely the Pentagon title track I was looking for all this time. It's a pity they didn't get their first win, but this was really damn great regardless!
EVERGLOW (에버글로우) - DUN DUN
...how do I even start to talk about this comeback?
Well, for starters, I don't think anyone expected this much backlash about the line distribution. Sure, it's annoying when one member gets all the lines, but this was... a bit much. It's not something Mia can control, y'all. Blame Yuehua, not Mia.
Aside from all that, I was admittedly excited for this after how good "Adios" was - hell, "Hush" was one of my favourite B-sides last year! So would "DUN DUN" live up to the hype?
No. Not even close to it. Not for me, anyway - because everyone else seemed to love it.
Now, I'll admit, the song has its merits and good parts - that entire second verse is gold, and I'm so glad E:U and Aisha got their time to shine here. Aisha especially - visually, vocally, rap-wise, this was her fucking ERA. The introduction is great too, with how Sihyeon's vocals gradually fade in.
But everything else here is just... so goddamn disappointing to me. After how hard "Adios" went, I was hoping "DUN DUN" would be more of the same, but jeez, it's not even close. You've got this childish shouting in the chorus that I think they wanted to sound fierce and powerful, but it just comes off as if they're throwing a tantrum; that wailing flute, synth, instrument... thing in the dance break is annoying as hell to me; and to top it all off, the song goes nowhere. It doesn't develop, or do anything new, or shake things up with the formula it establishes. It's just one big shouty mess that ends up falling flat. Sure, you might love it, and I'm happy you do - but for me, this is a far cry from EVERGLOW's best. I figured it would grow on me, but it's actually done the opposite. The more I listen to it, the less I like it.
Don't even get me started on the album... I don't use the word 'hate' a lot, but I absolutely hate "reminiscence" as an album. I'm not going to review it on this blog, because I'm pretty sure I'd be skinned alive, but it was not good. At all.
This entire comeback was just... what? Why? Yuehua, you added one more song and decided that qualified as a mini-album, and yet the songs here aren't even quality. There are glimmers of excellence in the title track, sure, but EVERGLOW deserve a hell of a lot more than this.
Consider me unimpressed and extremely disappointed.
CHERRY BULLET (체리블렛) - HANDS UP (무릎을 탁 치고)
Continuing the trend of comebacks that weren't what I expected them to be, FNC remembered that Cherry Bullet exists! Hooray! Can't say the same for Kokoro, Mirae and Linlin though - those poor girls got the short end of the stick in just about every possible. But for CheBul's first comeback as seven members, that wasn't the only thing making me nervous; a lot of people seemed to either dislike "Really Really" or completely forget about it. I liked it, sure, but it wasn't the most memorable song in the world. It was still a far cry from the absolute beauty and quality of "Q&A". So, would their new comeback deliver, or would it be more of the same?
Well, I was disappointed upon finding out it was just a digital single, and that disappointment sort of carried through to the song itself. It's not necessarily disappointing in the same way as EVERGLOW were, but it's more so the fact that this song just kinda... exists. After listening to it for the first time, I just kinda sat and thought, "That's it? That's their comeback?"
Alright, the Beethoven sample is cool - I've always been more of a Tchaikovsky person if we're going to get nitpicky, but it's a fun sample that certainly took me by surprise. But yet again, nothing is done with it. The song doesn't use it to foster any meaningful development. "Hands Up" in general just feels like a lacklustre, scattered and all-over-the-place party song. Even the lyrics are flat-out boring. It tries to have fun, but just comes off as overly noisy, but all too quiet at the same time. It's conflicted with what it wants to be.
There's just not that much to say about "Hands Up". I love the concept, sure, but the song just... doesn't match it at all. It's not as if CheBul don't have the talent; they sure as hell do, we saw it with their debut! But if FNC keeps giving them songs like this, it's going to hamper their success and potential as rookies. Sorry, but this just wasn't what I was expecting. I hope CheBul can bounce back from this, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
NCT 127 - KICK IT
Now, this is the last song I have any kind of negative things to say about in this review, so bear with me.
If you've listened to any SM artist's songs in the past few years, you've probably heard that distorted, echoey "Incoming" at the beginning of a few songs. That's the producer tag of Dem Jointz, who's produced quite a few great songs in his time working with SM. Some of these include Red Velvet's "Don't U Wait No More", Taeyeon's "Something New" and EXO'S "OBSESSION".
If you know me, or you read my 2019 year-end lists, you should know why that last one gets me excited.
But he's also produced for NCT before - he's the producer behind "Cherry Bomb". Now, I've never talked about "Cherry Bomb" on this blog, but... yeah, I despise it with a burning passion. I know it's already a pretty divisive song, but jeez, I cannot stand it. It's never once sat right or sounded good to me.
And yet, this was 127's first comeback since last summer with "Superhuman" - and now, they also have Jungwoo back from his hiatus, which I'm delighted to see! Now, "Superhuman" is a song I REALLY wish I listened to sooner, because it's fucking fantastic and really should've been in my top 10 songs list for 2019. So after that, and hearing that Dem Jointz was producing their comeback, I was cautiously excited and optimistic.
"Kick It" delivered on very little to none of my expectations and hype.
There's been a growing trend in sections of the K-Pop community to refer to certain songs as "noise". It's because more and more artists and producers have leaned into a more busy type of production, which is just how the current trends are. K-Pop has always been a genre about following trends, so of course it'll follow that one too. And most of the time, it works! There are very few K-Pop songs I'd honestly consider to be "noisy".
But... "Kick It" is one of them. That distorted guitar sample is admittedly dope, but for the third time in this review, NOTHING IS DONE WITH IT. It doesn't allow the song to grow or change; hell, I'd argue it holds it back as a whole. It makes the smooth, R&B-influenced sections sound even more jarring and out of place. The main source of this noisy production, though, is the choruses; the shout rapping is another trend that's becoming increasingly common, and while it can be done well (as we'll see later), this is a bad example of it in my opinion. It's honestly a bit garish and annoying after a while. It violently tries to capture your attention, and just comes off as incredibly grating by the song's end. By the end of the song, I just feel like I'm listening to a mess. And considering how polished and excellent "Superhuman" was - its ending was fucking masterful - this just feels like a huge letdown.
Yyyyyyyeah, this was far from a good comeback in my eyes. I'll happily be part of the "127 Squad" again when they start releasing better music, cause this is not it. At least for me.
ONEUS (원어스) - LIT (가자)
OKAY, NO MORE NEGATIVITY, I PROMISE. At least for a bit.
Hell, how could I be negative when I've got "Lit (가자)" to talk about?! I already have a few regrets about my year-end lists last year - as is always the case when you make something that can become outdated to easily, personal tastes and opinions change a lot - but not listening to this sooner is one of them.
Sure, "Valkyrie (발키리)" was a great debut, and I admittedly found "Twilight (태양이 떨어진다)" a bit disappointing in comparison, but "LIT (가자)" DOES NOT FUCK AROUND. I admittedly had never really paid attention to ONEUS until recently, even though they're literally under the same label as my ult girl group. However, I found myself with the chorus of this stuck in my head, and decided to sit down and listen to it properly.
But that's for a multitude of reasons; "Lit (가자)" isn't just a party song, it's a fucking celebration. This is a celebration of Korean culture and everything surrounding it, and it just so happens the song is pretty great to boot. The traditional elements are an essential part of the instrumental, and even the lyrics have some great references to folklore and older traditions - hell, even some of the language is quite old-school!
But the song here is just as phenomenal. It's the definition of explosive, and really had my jaw on the floor - it, unlike a lot of other songs I've talked about today, actually develops! And let me tell you, it develops like a firework. It's constantly changing its direction and tone, and it's so unpredictable and enjoyable that you've got no choice but to tag along for the ride. It's refreshing in the same way as something like "Zimzalabim" was, and I am SO HAPPY ABOUT IT.
If you haven't heard this by now, do yourself a favour and bless your ears. And your brain, too, if you're up to watch an explanation of it all. (DKDKTV did a great one a while back that covers just about everything.) There's so much to unpack here, but every single bit of it is masterfully executed and so much fucking fun. I'm typing this on the day of their comeback, and I'm admittedly nervous that they won't live up to this, but who cares? "Lit (가자)" deserves to be remembered for the great song it is, and I sure as hell hope that it has some kind of legacy. It deserves it.
LOONA (이달의소녀) - SO WHAT
As of yet, I don't think I've talked about LOONA on this blog. And not gonna lie, I was fully prepared to skip over this as well. Now, I had a big preamble prepared for this song, but I'm not even going to do one. All I'll say is this:
Now, I'm aware that that was something I said about Chungha's "Gotta Go" last year as well, but EXO's "Obsession" ultimately beat out Chungha for me - but hear me out here. I really do feel that strongly about "So What".
For the record, I really didn't like "Hi High" - I personally just find it incredibly annoying, sorry - and thought "Butterfly" was pretty good. But "So What"? "So What" is on another fucking level. Girl crush has always been my favourite concept in K-Pop next to horror/creepy concepts, mainly because it's what really piqued my interest in the genre; I don't think I'll ever forget seeing Girls' Generation's "Run Devil Run" and 2NE1's "I Am The Best" for the first time. It's what shaped my taste in K-Pop to what it is now.
THIS is the definition of what I look for in a girl crush - no, a K-Pop comeback in general.
"So What" never. Gets. Old. Every single time I listen to it, I'm just as raucously hyped as the first time. I have pushed myself through essays and assignments with this thing blaring in the background, and EVERY SINGLE SECOND was worth it. It's got this indescribable primal energy to it that's conveyed through the more EDM-influenced elements like the synths and strong drum beats, but the girls themselves are just as powerful and influential here. I feel like most of the group gets to rap at least a little here, and this is what I mentioned earlier in terms of "shout rapping" being done well. Even though some members unfortunately don't get the time they deserve in the spotlight, all 11 girls (and Haseul, in spirit!) come together to really knock this thing out of the park. And into the sun. And into the next fucking galaxy. That final bridge, in particular, with Chuu leading into the final drop and Jinsoul's high note... I repeatedly had to stop and question if this was a LOONA song I was listening to, because I was bawling my goddamn eyes out from disbelief and sheer joy. No joke.
I will never stop being hyped over this song. It still hasn't grown stale even though I've listened to it pretty much every day since release. There aren't a lot of songs out there that do that to me, K-Pop or otherwise. LOONA, if y'all do this again, I'll have no goddamn choice but to become an Orbit. Shit, I was close enough after "So What" came out anyway! I am so, SO glad I didn't skip this release like I was initially going to, because this is a sheer fucking force of nature in musical form. To say it's deserving of being the era where LOONA got their first win doesn't even begin to sum it up.
Stan LOONA indeed.
SIYEON (시연) (DREAMCATCHER (드림캐쳐)) - PARADISE
My bias from one of my top groups getting a solo release? Uh, yes please.
Siyeon is talented. Let's be honest, we all know that. So when DC Company announced she was getting a solo, I was excited - and I won't beat around the bush, "Paradise" absolutely lived up to my hype, although not in the ways I was probably expecting!
To be fair, I do say that pretty loosely; I wasn't entirely sure of what Siyeon was going to do with a potential solo release. Would she go for a more in-your-face, bold and brash concept, similar to what Dreamcatcher normally do? Or would she go for something more mellow? I think she perfectly meets those two concepts in the middle, actually. Because yes, "Paradise" is definitely more of a ballad, but it's definitely a very pop-fuelled one that's sweeping and grandiose in a way not many performers can pull off.
But come on, it's Siyeon, she's more than able for that. She's so goddamn talented vocally that she makes this sound like an absolute breeze. She puts so much effortless emotion into everything she sings, which makes the heartfelt nature of "Paradise" all the more hard-hitting. This is a legitimately heartfelt song from start to end, and I feel that's conveyed especially well in the instrumental itself. It's mostly in a minor key, which definitely gives it a very wistful and melancholy vibe, but the melody itself almost sounds... pleading, in a way? It sounds desperate, or hopeful yet with a tinge of sadness. Maybe it's the piano. It's honestly really beautiful in a way I can't describe, and I'd be lying if I said the powerful synths and stunning melody don't add to that. And yet, it never feels overcomplicated or too much; it's a pretty simple song, but it does what it sets out to do excellently.
In the end, this was definitely a lovely surprise from Siyeon. I'd absolutely love for her to see more solo success in the future, maybe with a full-on, promoted release or something like that. She's got the potential for it, anyway - and hey, if it's as good as "Paradise", I'll be there day one! Consider this a little teaser for an upcoming review of Dreamcatcher's most recent album, at least for now. If you missed out on "Paradise", definitely go out of your way to give it a listen - it may not be for everyone, but if it is, it's absolutely worth your time. 😊
HINAPIA (히나피아) - DRIP
Alright, time to give this song the review it deserves.
If you read my top 10 songs of 2019 list back in December, you may remember this was on that list. I mentioned that I arrived very late to the party and only really heard the song for the first time in early December; however, it ended up being so good that it found its way onto my list.
That may sound like a decision I regret, but holy shit that couldn't be further from the truth.
I wanted to go out of my way to talk about this song again, because WOW is it incredible. A lot of people talk about what the strongest rookie debuts of the past few years are, and I think we can confidently put HINAPIA among them - I would, anyway! Sure, 4 out of the 5 members have past experience from PRISTIN, and while that may give them a bit of an edge professionally, that doesn't impact on the music.
It just so happens that the music is fucking amazing.
"Drip" is anthemic, in a way; it's got this cadence in the choruses that's just so... intense, and grand in a way that you just have to hear to understand. It's very sexy, for sure, but it's also empowering in a strange way. It's got this beautiful mix of glittery and glitzy synths and audio effects, with the girls providing some amazing vocals that let this song absolutely soar. And yet, the verses are dark and grungy as hell; those deep, glitchy, distorted vocals mixed in with the gunshot noises over the main melody never fails to hype me the fuck up. It's the perfect kind of audio harmony that's just incredibly satisfying and energizing. It honestly still gives me chills. Listen to if it you haven't already - my descriptions will never do it justice.
HINAPIA have been heavily rumoured for a comeback at the time of writing this review, and I for one cannot fucking wait. This was the debut these girls absolutely deserved, and it's the kind of song I still blast regularly with no shame. If you need a badass mood lifter, listen to this. It'll do the job and then some.
(G)I-DLE ((여자)아이들) - LION
You know 2019 was a good year for K-Pop when a song like this doesn't make it onto my year-end list.
Queendom was certainly an interesting experiment. Sure, it couldn't have come at a worse time for Mnet, what with the whole PD101 bullshit going on, but it actually ended up going a lot better than most people seemed to expect. Going into it, we all expected to have the girls villainized and subjected to the typical evil editing, but they all walked out the other side good friends and supportive of one another! It was honestly a lot nicer than I thought it would be. And yes, I actually ended up following it - sure, MAMAMOO were on the show, and they're one of my ults (and yes I'm happy they won it), but I was super interested to see how the other groups got on as well.
Especially (G)I-DLE. Let's just say that "Uh Oh" didn't go down as I think they envisioned it would, and from what I could tell, people were kinda starting to lose faith in (G)I-DLE a bit. Then, the finale for Queendom came around, each participating act released a brand new song for the occasion, and "Lion" was one of them. And from what I can tell, it's considered to be far and away one of the best of the bunch - and I absolutely agree.
It's honestly sickening to me that "Lion" wasn't a full-on comeback for (G)I-DLE, because THIS is the direction they should be taking with their sound, if you ask me. "Lion" is uproarious, it's fierce, it's powerful, and it's definitely a showstopper. The stage for it was fantastic, too, but the song itself can stand on its own and then some. It's got this tribal drum beat behind it that serves as a great foundation, and when you couple that with the girls' phenomenal delivery, it's a home run in every way - Minnie and Soojin are the particular standouts for me, as well as Shuhua finally getting her much deserved time in the spotlight. Even if the real-life lion snarls and growls were left out of the instrumental, the girls have that much energy and unbelievable force in their delivery that I don't think the song would be any worse off.
When a standalone song produced for the K-Pop equivalent of the X Factor Celebrity gets a full-on music video, THAT'S when you know it's something special. And "Lion" certainly fits that bill. It's got me praying that it's not only included in (G)I-DLE's upcoming mini album, but that it influences their concept going forward. It's a brilliant showcase of why these girls are monster rookies, and why they shouldn't be underestimated.
IZ*ONE (아이즈원) - FIESTA
The collective sigh of relief the K-Pop world seemed to let out when IZ*ONE came back was not something I'd ever really witnessed before. The day it was announced these girls would get to release BLOOM*IZ, the album that was postponed due to Mnet's bullshit, all I remember is seeing everyone - WIZ*ONEs or otherwise - celebrating and rejoicing. Yes, I imagine it was rough for Oneits considering X1's fate, but at least we had something to look forward to and to get excited over.
So naturally, the expectations for IZ*ONE seemed pretty high going into "Fiesta" and BLOOM*IZ as a whole. As for me personally, I didn't have that many expectations for this comeback, which I think was a good thing in the long run! In the end, I definitely like "Fiesta", but I still don't think it's my favourite IZ*ONE title track.
That doesn't mean I dislike it; not at all! If anything, it's got a shitton of potential and really good instrumental choices. For example, those little chiptune triplets in the choruses complimenting the girls' vocals are absolutely STUNNING. They really create such a specific energy throughout this song, and while I do find that whining instrument used in the drop to be a bit annoying, "Fiesta" is undeniably an explosion of colour that's hard to look away from. It's beautiful in every aspect, both visually and sonically.
The girls themselves give some great performances here, too - and that doesn't just go for Yuri and Eunbi belting their little hearts out towards the end. The slower sections are just as impactful, with the likes of Minju, Nako, Hyewon and Chaeyoung really standing out to me. Now, of course, that doesn't mean the rest of the group doesn't stand out - it's more so that there are individual sections that I like quite a lot. If anything, IZ*ONE have always had a really nice sense of cohesiveness in their delivery that gives them quite a consistent tone, and that's a really hard thing to find in a group.
Ultimately, I liked "Fiesta" a fair deal - I definitely feel like IZ*ONE have a sound that they're sticking to, but they're developing that formula and image a bit more with each comeback. And that's a great thing to see! They have a concept, but they're not driving it into the ground or making it overly repetitive, and they should be praised for that. Sure, I don't like it as much as something like "La Vie en Rose", but it's a fun little song regardless. I'm just glad it got to be released, in the end. 😊
MOONBYUL (문별) (MAMAMOO (마마무)) - ECLIPSE (달이 태양을 가릴 때)
It's me, of course I'm reviewing this. I'm MooMoo trash. We been knew.
One of the things I predicted going into this year were more solo releases for MAMAMOO - Wheein and Hwasa had already released solo projects, but that left Moonbyul and Solar with very little to nothing. Sure, they had solo releases - Moonbyul's "Selfish" and Solar's cover album, Solar Gamsung - but I meant full-on, promoted releases or mini albums. And thankfully, we got just that only a month into the year! I feel like Byulie always gets looked over in MAMAMOO, unfortunately, since a lot of people only really see her as the rapper instead of a cohesive member of the group. I'd argue MAMAMOO's recent comeback fought to change that a bit, since she did get to show off more of her vocals on "Ten Nights".
But in "Eclipse (달이 태양을 가릴 때)", she gets to show off pretty much everything she can do. I decided to review this song last, since I really do consider it a sister song to Pentagon's "Dr. BeBe" - both songs are very similar in tone and execution, but hey, when the concept and music are this good, the more the merrier! Now, don't take that as an insult towards Moonbyul, because it's definitely not meant as one. There are times when I'm listening to this and I forget who's even singing it; Byulie has this insanely powerful presence that translates into every aspect of this comeback.
The instrumental is dark, mysterious and gripping, mostly thanks to those gritty, dark EDM synths and that wailing sample that's reminiscent of a siren or alarm. There's even touches of electric guitar here and there to really amp things up, and those pre-choruses are godly with the chanting vocals and building intensity. Admittedly, when I first listened to it, I worried it may be a bit too sporadic and noisy, but then I realised the song was going exactly where I wanted it to. Every idea that popped up in my head in terms of how the song could progress was realised in real-time, and it really took me by surprise in the best way possible. To me, this is an experiment and successful attempt at building tension; there's this lingering sense of the unknown and a sense of fear that's masterfully carried out here. It's almost unnerving, slightly unhinged - and the MV is indicative of that, as well. I love it.
I think the biggest thing about this song, though, is that it's very gender-neutral. Byulie has always had more of a gender-neutral approach in terms of her styling, but this is definitely a far cry from what most other female acts are really releasing in K-Pop. This doesn't feel distinctly masculine or feminine; it just feels foreboding and atmospheric. It's about the concept and the performer's ability to pull that concept off, not about who they are. You could argue that makes things a bit detached, but I don't mean it in that way here - I feel like it actually makes this song stronger overall. Byulie has a deeper voice than most, and she makes that a feature of her performance here. It ends up making "Eclipse (달이 태양을 가릴 때)" a powerhouse of a song that will stick in your head for a LONG time after first listening to it. It's addictive in a dark, enchanting way, and I'm delighted she got her chance to really shine here!
•••••
Well, that's that on that... Hopefully I'll be able to get some more reviews out during this quarantine. There have been some great comebacks recently that I want to talk about, so fingers crossed I'll be able to post more soon. 😊
But for the time being, I'll be playing Animal Crossing. This desert island won't look after itself.
COVER IMAGE CREDITS:
Blue glitter background by Barbara's HD Wallpapers
Brush stroke decal by rawpixel.com on Freepik
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