Lovelyz Comeback With The New Song Lovelinus

LOVELYZ ~ LOVELINUS

After their initial success with both 'Girls' Invasion' and 'Lovelyz8,' Lovelyz are back with a new single album, 'Lovelinus.' The title is pronounced Luv-Lee-Nuss ('Loveliness') although I keep thinking of this guy when I read it:

They kick off the album with "For You" that starts and ends the same way, "Doo doo doo doo, Oh my love," which makes a killer hook, and also has nothing to do with the rest of the song. Synth washes, a danceable beat, and sweet voices complete the picture. It's an ode to guy, and they're saying that they can get through the tough times as long as they have his hand to hold. 

"Circle" slows it down, a mid-tempo ballad that's sweetly sung and still keeps good time. Part of what makes this song special is the harmonies, particularly JIN, Jiae, and Jisoo's parts. JIN is a dynamic singer and has some great belts here. It's a pretty song, having to do with never being quite able to connect with a guy.

"BeBe" starts out contemplatively, and then revs it into high gear, a high-energy, frenetic tune. The title is pronounced  "Baby," in case you couldn't guess. You still have their trademark coos, but also some pretty sweet straight croons. It's nice to hear, and they don't bury anything. It's an interesting cross between pop and dance, becoming solid dance when it hits the chorus. It's about a girl getting the courage to admit that she'll always be his "Bebe."

I've always liked the Lovelyz' output, and while the high voices grate on some, they're fairly soothing to me. I think if the voices were more shrill or they tried to be bolder (which is not their image), it would fail. I like their concept, and I like albums like this. It's never jarring, short but sweet, and they still manage to surprise me in some parts, in defiance of the formula. This is another successful single from some talented girls.  

Yes, here we have scenes of the girls waiting for rides and hitching rides to get to Kin Town, Japan (we don't see how they actually got to the island). Here the girls run through grassy fields, frolic on the beach, and blow bubbles in a laundromat, among other things. On the whole, it looks like they're having fun.

While there's no dancing, there are scenes of them running around together, laughing, blowing bubbles, splashing in the water, and all the cute things you might expect while they're on vacation. I'm under no illusions that the shooting schedule was likely grueling, but the editing leaves with the impression that they were just enjoying themselves, and you can't help but smile watching them.

The costumes were the requisite shorts, sundresses, and short skirts that are part and parcel of MVs like this. Thankfully, it didn't try to squeeze them into something that looked awkward just to draw viewers, instead presenting them in a more naturalistic way. 

This is an entertaining video to watch, not just because of the aegyo type things, but also because some of the shots were framed with the sun in mind, creating scenes that could be the graphics for a beach commercial or a CF for suntan lotion. While things are a little too perfect to believe there are any candid shots, it still doesn't blunt the impact. There's nothing wrong with this MV technically or aesthetically. It's always fun to see places that you've never been (or may never get to). While Japan's not the place I'd think of as a vacation spot, this MV makes it look enjoyable enough to make me rethink that. Thumbs up on this one. 

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2015/12/song-mv-review-lovelyz-lovelinus

Laboum Comeback With The New Song Aalow Aalow

LABOUM ~ AALOW AALOW

LABOUM has dropped their new single for the holidays! After training for four years, the band LABOUM was formed in 2014 under the NH Media-Nega Network venture GLOBAL H. The name "LABOUM" means "the party" in French. This is their third single album. 

"Intro"  The intro is the main tune for their title track, buried and much less busy. The lyrics are a couple lines straight from the "Aalow Aalow" single: "Love also happens" and "you're like me." It's effective, if a bit meh. 

"Aalow Aalow" is a light, poppy confection about a girl who's excited and shy at the same time over a boy she likes. The song itself is drenched in synth, which works well for the main verses, but in the chorus there's too much going on. It's like they were trying to mask the singers, and that's no good. It also lacks a hook, which is unfortunate. So not only is it too busy but also it's not catchy enough to really hold interest. The title, as near as I can tell, is sort of how you'd say "Hello, Hello" with an Aussie accent.

The track "Tasty" is more to my liking. You can hear the vocals much more clearly on this track, despite it being synth-driven. It's frenetic in parts and much more danceable than "Aalow Aalow," with even has some idol rapping. You can also hear them cut loose with the vocals, which is nice. Yulhee capably handles the rapping here, like usual, but it's Soyeonand ZN who shine during the chorus. The song is an ode to a boy who's "Tasty." 

This single is a mixed bag. The title track is okay, but it's certainly not what I would have led with. "Tasty" really takes home that prize with good hooks, fun rapping, and just an overall more interesting tune. I've enjoyed their previous singles, but frankly, I hoped for more. 

That's pretty much the whole video. They're inside a room with some vague, large patterns on the pastel walls. There's very little going on here, other than the girls acting somewhat bored and dancing. There appears to be about one prop per girl. 

There's probably about 3 outfits total. One almost looks like skirts made out of shower curtain material, another is the cute outfits they wear while being shown on TV, still another is the white shirt/green skirt combo, and finally there are their outfits for the individual shots, which are ordinary street clothes.

I was hoping they'd do something with the dancing, but they don't show it very much. It seems like it might be halfway challenging, but there's no drops or any grandiose gestures, just footwork. I'm hoping it's more complicated than it looks.

If they wanted to do an MV on a budget, this would be it. It looked cheap, sadly. The sets were pretty sad, and while I'm sure Laboum did what they could with what they were given, they weren't given much. I don't know what happened here. The teasers looked like tons of fun. The girls all looked lovely here, but really, that's not enough. 

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2015/12/song-mv-review-laboum-aalow-aalow

Anda Comeback With The Song Taxi

ANDA ~ TAXI

Anda, formerly known as Andamiro, is back with another single! Ever since leaving her previous label, her style has changed quite dramatically as the agency has let her creative side run free alongside the musical concepts they push. The change has lead to smooth tracks like "Mastering" and now the whispery toned "Taxi."

Something about "Taxi" is mesmerizing. I'll admit, upon first listen I wasn't interested since it made me miss Anda's retro-funk. Her powerhouse vocals and raspy voice can't be appreciated over her sensual, almost talking, lines in "Taxi," yet you can't stop singing alongside her! Just admit it, "Taxi" is the jam that brings everyone onto the dance floor at the clubs (much more than "Touch"). She has the elements of today's hip hop scene incorporated well into her song, such as the finger snapping, consistent clapping and "heys" shouted in the background, which make it a perfect dance track, and carry her rhythm so it is on point. I like how she can showcase her funky R&B interests in this sense because even though it isn't as over the top as her previous songs, it still incorporates her branded style. Not that America created this sound, but you can easily see how this single was following America's favorites from tracks like "Fancy" by Iggy to Trey Songz' "Oh Nana."

Lyrically, the song is easy to follow and is something you don't have to think about. She expresses how she misses her previous lover and needs a taxi to simply take her anywhere from Hongdae to Itaewon. It paints the idea that this taxi is her escape from harsh realities- just like her music is intended to be. Despite not having much depth, it is still well done for this type of song. The easy-to-follow beat makes this song a great playlist addition because of the familiar instrumentals and irresistible urge to move wildly to her hypnotizing voice. If you haven't seen a live performance yet, Anda and her dancers go ham in the choreography so it makes anyone wonder how listeners can resist dancing to this upbeat track. The switch from the chorus to her bridge raps are comfortably done, and she holds her own with each verse. If it weren't for her low promotional budget, I am confident her charismatic charms would bring her to the top. It could be quite possible she is doing well on the Korean scene, but she still has a long road ahead of her as a solo artist. This just means she will push out even better tracks as she has the potential to do great things as an artist.

Unfortunately, the MV proved differently. It is just not captivating or interesting enough that if it weren't for watching her live performances, I doubt this song would have grown on me. Although, she is simply doing what every other male rap artist in America does. Dress fleek, rap in a boss car - boom, music video done. So I can't give her a low score for attempting an angle most female artists in Korea don't. Other than that, I keep to my previous comments that "Taxi" is a mood changer and the reason I leave the bar to dance my butt off

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2016/01/mv-song-review-anda-taxi

Six Bomb Comeback With The Song Wait 10 Years Baby

SIX BOMB  ~ WAIT 10 YEARS BABY

Six Bomb is a group that probably needs an introduction. Six Bomb debuted way back in 2012 under Jang Entertainment as a sextet. It wasn't long before they were considered broken up. In 2015, Pace Maker Entertainment rebooted the band with an all-new lineup and a remake of "Step To Me," a song from their first mini-album. Now they're back with an original single, "Wait 10 Years Baby." 

The song is okay, but nothing to write home about. It's kinda catchy, but there's not a lot to it. It feels stripped down and spare, with just a lonely synth beeping to keep the time. It's hard to tell about the vocals, nothing to distinguish any of the girls from one another, and there's no amazing bridge or anything similar. The only thing I liked was the rap, and that's because it broke up the monotony somewhat. I was hoping for more to it, maybe a more fleshed-out melody. 

Not as strong as their previous releases, like "Chiki Chiki Bomb" and "Step To Me," so I was disappointed with this track. Well, we've waited 3 years, and then another year after that, so... yeah. I could have cheerfully waited longer for something of higher quality. Maybe even 10 years -- baby. 

Some things can't be unseen. I'm not sure what this is. It defies description, simply because there's not a whole lot to describe. Semi-cute girls, revealing outfits, and then...pink bodysuits? Oh, and there's apparently a party going on. With balloons. And candy.

The wardrobe was okay, the leather goddess schtick is a little cliche, and the pink bodysuits were the wtf moment here. I'm not sure what they were going for, but I think I missed a concept somewhere. That being said, the outfits in the party scene were cute, but that was unfortunately a very small part of it.  

The dancing was rather lackluster. It seemed like they were just going through the motions, though everyone was in sync. It just seemed like something they were doing to muddle through, and not like they spent money on a choreographer. I was hoping that at least the dance sequences would excite.

*Sigh.*  

In the music world, you need to make a video. Sometimes, it leads to an amazing visual feast that you want to replay again and again. This is not one of those times. It's like they didn't know what they wanted to do with it, so they filmed three different versions and took the best scenes (highly debatable) from each and cobbled them together. Or worse, they started filming and ran out of money three times. This MV was done on the cheap and looks it. I know they don't have the best quality MVs out there, but I think they could have done a bit better. 

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2016/02/song-mv-review-six-bomb-wait-10-years-baby

AOA CREAM Debut With The New Song I'M Jelly Baby

AOA CREAM ~ I’M JELLY BABy

FNC has unveiled their new sub-unit, AOA Cream. Consisting of Hyejeong, Chanmi, andYuna, these three girls are serving up a sweet helping of pop, as only members of AOA can. "I'm Jelly Baby" is their first single.

This song reminds me strongly of a retro tune, the kinds of songs coming out of girl bands back in the 50s and 60s. It's updated for the modern era, with a cool Chanmi rap, but has some of the backing horns and guitars and general peppiness of a previous generation. The chorus is classic AOA, and definitely hook-filled: "I'm jelly baby / I'm your baby baby baby baby / I'm jelly baby baby baby baby."

The message of the song? Pay attention to me. 

I've rarely been disappointed by an AOA release (or even their subunits), and this AOA Cream track is no exception. It's the perfect remedy for a rainy winter, in casePunxsutawney Phil's predictions have you feeling a bit down. It's light, poppy, upbeat, and a great song to lift your mood just a bit. 

Hyejeong gets a text and hugs her phone to herself in blissful puppy love, but her mood darkens quickly when she and the other girls see the boyfriend walk by with another girl. They transform into magical girls (ala 'Sailor Moon') and prank him to teach him a lesson; they freeze time and kick him, spook him by appearing and then suddenly vanishing, magically mess with his espresso, and more. Not content to wait for karma to do its job, these girls mete out hilarious punishment themselves. 

The special effects are actually pretty amusing, if not amazing. I like the way their accessories magically pop into being, and the sparkly effects around their eyes are a nice touch too. 

The wardrobe had me laughing, because their magical girl uniforms look like ballet outfits, complete with cute, fluffy tutus. That is par for the course in that genre, though, where the garb is more adorable than cool. The other costumes were definitely made for the male gaze, replete with bare midriffs and legs, but the great thing about AOA Cream is that they wear those so well. 

The dancing consists of a lot of shoulder and hip action, but I didn't see anything terribly challenging. They were fairly typical, garden-variety moves, with some aegyo gestures to top it off. The choreo was a bit simplistic for my taste.

Ultimately, this video tickled my funny bone. I've come to expect humorous videos from AOA, and AOA Cream delivered. It's too often that we see a decent song marred by a bad video, so this MV had me snickering at points. While not a fan of the magical girl genre, in small doses this kind of thing can fun. I viewed it more than once, and I'd happily do it again. Good song, good MV, good job girls.

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2016/02/mv-and-song-review-aoa-cream-im-jelly-baby

Jaejoong Comeback With The New Song No.X

Jaejoong ~ No.x

Jaejoong salutes his fans with his second full-length album, 'NO.X.' He's currently serving in the military, but he still takes the time to serve up 12 tracks for your listening pleasure.Jaejoong collaborates on his title track "Love You More" with composer Tae Wan, who worked on JYJ's "Back Seat" and Junsu's "Flower."

The album kicks off with "Good Morning Night," a rocker starting off with a jangly beat, but soon ends up with Jaejoong's vocals over a crunchy guitar. It's a great contrast, a hard rock guitar softened by Jaejoong's tenor. It's quite a way to start an LP! It's got playful lyrics too,Jaejoong saying good morning to the evening, and telling you to enjoy the night.

He slows it way down for "Drawer," with piano and guitar again, but very tender. His voice is wistful and pleading, and rises when the music does. The whole arrangement is quite soothing, and the nice thing is even though there's some production thrown at it, he's not screaming to be heard over it all. On this track, he likens his heart to nearly-empty drawer.

"Love You More," the title track, is a smooth, hard rock gem, polished to near-perfection by veteran producer Tae Wan. Jaejoong croons over an electrifying guitar. The JYJ member is in fine form here as he goes from smooth to scratchy, giving the vocals some serious punch. The song is about how he's overflowing with love, and he wants to love her more.

The ominously titled "Love You To Death" is characterized by needy vocals and the mood is somber. It's a mid-tempo piece with pounding drums which add to the overall effect. It's a piece to get lost in, as Jaejoong gives his voice a rougher quality. There's very dark language here -- it's obvious he's in pain over a breakup. 

"Good Luck" is another rocker, starting out with a bluesy hard-rock beat and guitars to match. The bass in here makes it obvious that it's playful, and it nearly has a danceable beat. It's a nice switch from "Love You To Death." There's a frenetic energy to it, and the chorus has pretty much the same melody as the verses, so there's no build, just a bridge. I love how his tenor hits some high notes and also gives us some sweet vocal snaps. On this track, he's tired of her insistence that she's right.

"Blame" takes us on a trip to the '70s with a  Santana-like soft rocker with organs and electric guitars. It's noticeably slower, and showcases s Jaejoong's vocals nicely, with wistful croons and some explosive moments. The message is pretty simple, despite some nice imagery: he blames himself for a breakup. 

"Welcome To My Wild World" opens to blazing guitars and an easily chanted hook. The English is awkward --the chorus is an approximation of the title -- but it still doesn't stop it from being a great pop-punk tune. There's a time change about 2:19 that's awesome and likely gives you the reason for this pandemonium. The song is playful and accessible, and here he sings about a wild time, probably being drunk and belligerent.

The next tune, "Breathing," is a slower soft rock number. It starts out acoustic, but gets some flowing electric guitars in there to guide the tune. It's sweet and smooth, withJaejoong's vocals ebb and flow gently but urgently. It's a song about the ecstatic feeling he gets just by being with his girl. 

"All That Glitters" is a little faster than "Breathing," but not by much. It's a mature tune; already epic-sounding, Jaejoong's voice propels this song to ethereal heights, switching from slightly hoarse to high tenor, with some snaps in the bridge. This tune screams regret, as Jaejoong beats himself up mentally, and can't stop dwelling on his pain. 

We move on to "Meeting Again, We Will Meet Again, But…Despite the awkward-sounding title, it's not a mistake. It's a heartfelt ballad, with piano and faux-orchestra. At the end they dial it back to just a piano and Jaejoong's angsty vocals. Breaking up, he knows he'll see her again, and here's the "but": he's sad because he knows how painful it will be. 

"Run Away" is another ballad, but it's different than the others. He doesn't do much with his voice here, his even tenor beckoning and lulling us as it echoes around the tune, and it sounds a bit lonely. He's asking why, whenever he tries to love her, she runs away.

"You Know What?" is a mid-tempo, folksy tune, done to an acoustic guitar. Commanding drum beats help tell the tale. Jaejoong handles the vocal duties well. The melody is not bad, and certainly listenable, just not amazing. The lyrics, however, are clever and playful, explaining how he's blamed for everything while she gets off scot-free -- until his humorous reveal at the end. 

This is a lively, cross-genre work of art. There are elements here of Britpop, blues, ballads, grunge, hard rock, and pop punk. There are definite callouts to earlier genres and eras, but without being obvious or slavish. One thing's for certain: Jaejoong puts together a very slick package, and is far from being boring or predictable, re-inventing himself with every comeback. I'm giving this an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Dancer, martial artist, painter, composer, each of these have their dreams, and each of them chase their dreams, moving in time to the music. The MV is interspersed with scenes of these characters pursuing their craft, along with performances from Jaejoong. 

Jaejoong does his best. He's not really a dancer as much as a performer, and here he grabs the mike and sings his heart out. Other scenes are largely fan service and don't do much for me (being a straight male).

The wardrobe is okay. There's not much call for crazy costuming here, so the whole thing is more realistic. The apparel is appropriate for the vignettes in the MV. Jaejoong himself is in knee-high boots and various button-downs. I like the shirts they put him in, I might as well keep this for style suggestions. 

It could all be a big mess, but it works. Each vignette has its own lighting and sets are realistic, if a bit spare. The camera work has that cinema verite feel to it, without being cheap or amateurish. All of it skillfully contributes to the message "follow your dreams." It's good without being grandiose, outstanding without being overwrought. Thumbs up. 

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2016/02/album-mv-review-jaejoong-nox

MAMAMOO Comeback With The New Song 1 CM

MAMAMOO ~ I CM

MAMAMOO is back again with their 2nd pre-release single "1cm Pride" in anticipation of their first full-length album "Melting." The song has a different sound that strays from their familiar style. It is a shot at a hip-hop track that gives s Moon Byul's talents a moment to let loose! 

"1cm Pride" puts a smile across one's face as it pokes fingers at the ladies height difference being only 1cm off, unlike the many idols who lie about their weight these days! The song's sound takes on a different direction with an almost Eminem-like approach molded together by an early 2000's sound that has been left in the dust for a while. However, the song comes off as a complete push in the wrong direction. It is as if MAMAMOO were leading in 1st in a race but right before reaching the finish line, they decided to just sit. 

Their earlier release, "I Miss You," catapulted them into a top spot and really highlighted their harmony and more-than-powerful vocals. That song made fans wonder "What can't MAMAMOO do?" Now this song is somewhat underwhelming and lowers the anticipation for their full-length album if it will continue featuring tracks similar to this. The track does give the group a chance to showcase something different rather than being a beautifully harmonized ballad for every track. The new style also puts a halt on the limits Moon Byul's voice might face in comparison to the other members' powerful vocals. Yet at the same time, if they wanted to really spark something fresh and new, the song could have been produced better. Check out the MV to get a grasp of what I'm talking about! 

You would think the somewhat quirky but whiney "MAMAMOO" lines would be catchy, but it kind of just comes off as annoying. MAMAMOO usually push a style between classy and original but fun, but sadly, this song seems too childish. The MV scenes and style are enjoyable, but the sound itself is not for them. Hwa Sa's jazzy voice helps complement the song at least, especially with her smooth-talker style, but even then, it seems Moon Byul's rapping isn't as prominent on this 'hip-hop rap' track. That shift in music with a random break down towards the end was not doing it for me either. 

The song is funny and the MV is even more humorous. It is delightful to see the members parading around with their individual profiles and testing their height in hilariously clever ways on the scale, under the limbo bar, etc. It gets even funnier as Solar pulls off her 'Unpretty Rapstar's' Jessi impersonation! Still, it isn't that the style was a complete disaster and horribly done, it just seems like a stretch for them to pull off this rap concept when they so easily mastered a beautiful concept prior to this song. This is a evident case where MAMAMOO was born with an easily adaptable identity and have no need to soul search through various concepts like other idol groups often do. It is a song you either like or don't-- end of story.

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2016/02/mv-song-review-mamamoo-1cm-pride