Taeyeon - I

Taeyeon has finally made her debut as a solo artist with her album "I". The title track goes by the same name and is a mid-tempo pop track featuring Verbal Jint. The music video was filmed in New Zealand and features beautiful beaches and rolling hills.  It's no secret that Taeyeon has some of the best vocals in the K-Pop industry, so her vocal performance on "I" is unsurprising; she's great as always. I was surprised to see that...

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iKON - "AIRPLANE" and "RHYTHM TA"

iKON is YG Entertainment's newest boy group and their debut has been long-awaited. Although their album Welcome Back won't be released until November, they've debuted two of the tracks from the album. These two tracks, "AIRPLANE" and "RHYTHM TA," are of two completely different genres  and showcase the group's versatility. "AIRPLANE" is a chill track featuring staccato synths and a smooth bass line, but minor chords are scattered...

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24K - "Super Fly (날라리)"

24K is a group that debuted in 2012 under Choeun Entertainment. They haven't released an album since late 2013, so their comeback was much anticipated. There also seems to have been a member change, as they debuted with six members and now there are seven. Their fourth album shares the same name as the title song, "Super Fly (날리리)," and includes 5 tracks. "Super Fly" is capitalizing on the growing popularity of the EDM hip hop genre...

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GOT7 - "If You Do"

GOT7 has made a quick comeback with "If You Do" from their new mini-album "Mad." Their single "Just Right" made Billboard's summer list of 20 most popular K-Pop songs in America, and their new single will hopefully live up to those same expectations. "If You Do" starts off with 80s-style synths and a plucked guitar line, but quickly transitions into a melody featuring acoustic guitar chords and more subdued synths. Everything except for the...

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Jonghyun - "하루의 끝 (End of a day)"

Jonghyun has released his second solo album titled "The Collection ‘Story Op.1’." The album has 9 tracks, all produced by him, and showcases his personal style outside of SHINee's work. The title track is named "하루의 끝 (End of a day)" and is fitting for a preview into his album. The track is a simple ballad with Jonghyun's vocals overlaying a flowing piano line. The lack of other instrumentation throughout the song conveys a bare feeling,...

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Luhan - "That Good Good"

Although Luhan is no longer part of EXO and therefore has nothing to do with K-pop anymore, most of his fans stem from his days in Korea so I will still review his tracks in this blog. He just released his Chinese solo album soon, Reloaded, and the title track is called "That Good Good." Contrary to the image portrayed under SM Entertainment, he aims to give off a more manly image this time around and it works for him. The track is...

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Super Junior - "Magic"

Super Junior already released the first part of their 10th anniversary album, Devil. Now they're back with Magic featuring four new tracks, including a title track of the same name. According to the boys' previous statements, this may be the last group album for a while until Eunhyuk, Donghae, and Siwon return from their respective enlistment assignments, so these albums were prepared specially for ELF. "Magic" is a vintage-style...

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Junho - "SO GOOD"

Junho, a member of 2PM under JYP Entertainment, has released a "best of" album of his self-composed Japanese tracks translated into Korean. The album, titled One, has 11 tracks with the title tracks being "Fire" and "SO GOOD." I will be reviewing "SO GOOD," as there isn't a full music video available for "Fire." The track is a mix between EDM and funk, reminiscent of recent French House music. Although the track seems more like...

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DAY6 - "Congratulations"

DAY6, formerly known as 5live, has finally made their debut under JYP Entertainment. Although under one of the big three labels, they are a rock group. It's refreshing to see other genres besides pop music being represented in the mainstream market. The title track from their mini-album, "The Day," is titled "Congratulations". DAY6 is just a rookie group but they have the sound of veteran artists. It's apparent from the start of the video...

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UP10TION - "Dangerous"

TOP Media's new group UP10TION is a 10-member boy group focused on having members that can participate in all areas of the entertainment business. They are described as "having all talents for idol groups including singing ability, performance, visual, acting, and entertaining sense" (source). They have finally released their long-anticipated mini album titled "Top Secret" with "So Dangeous" being the title track. The track starts...

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Red Velvet - "Dumb Dumb"

Red Velvet has released their first full-length album titled "The Red." Although they've release tracks and a mini-album before, listeners are finally able to clearly see the group's versatility. The album consists of 10 tracks with genres ranging from dance to rock. The title track, "Dumb Dumb" was produced by London Noise and is about a girl who acts "dumb" and awkward in front of her crush.The track starts off with a funky vibe, featuring a big...

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