Blog Archives - Open the Kpop

Dreamcatcher - What: music video review

9/20/2018

It feels like it’s been forever since Dreamcatcher released something but in actuality, it wasn’t all that long ago. Their last release “You and I” feels like an eternity ago. They are back today with their latest song “What” and hopefully a new mini album. Or better yet, a full length album. They deserve it!

From what I can tell, the girls are inside the snow globe that appears at the beginning of the music video. The only evidence I remember for this is the fact that the crystal inside the snow globe is the first and last thing seen in the video, giving me the idea that the entire music video took place inside the globe.

There are a ton of different scenes in this video that I’m sure have some reference back to previous videos of theirs but the one connection I really saw was the book that we saw in “Good Night”. A bed is heavily featured, suggesting it has some importance in the storyline. The police tape is also another piece I saw show up a bunch. One thing that stuck out that wasn’t shown over and over was the TV with the static on the screen. I wonder what that is referring to.

When Dreamcatcher first came out, I was super excited to have a girl rock group in Kpop but their first few releases were pretty much a rip off of Anime rock introduction songs. I loved them but that’s what they really were. This song feels like some of the rock I would listen to on my own time. This song feels almost to the level that is Babymetal.

If I were to change anything about this song - and there’s not much I would want to change - it would be taking out Dami’s rap and replacing it with some belting vocals into the final chorus. I’m not saying Dami’s rap was bad, but for a minute, I felt like this was a real rock song and not something Kpop had thought up. But the rap line brought it back to Kpop for me. Also, that final hit to end the song I wish could have been a reiteration of the piano intro part but maybe slower; something to draw the song out rather than just abruptly ending it.

Anyway, did you think this song was Dreamcatcher’s best song? If not, what song do you think beat this one out? Let me know in the comment section. Thank you for the support. I appreciate it and I’ll see you in the next review.

WJSN - Save Me, Save You: music video review

9/19/2018

Speaking of girl groups that have “SN” at the end of their name, WJSN is one of those many groups that I love and have followed since their debut. They are a powerful group with powerful concepts backing them. I will say that “Dreams Come True” was a weaker music video for them but it was a song that was very addictive and quite an earworm.

Today, they have made their comeback with “Save Me, Save You” and I’ll say that I’m stoked for this comeback. Not that I’ll necessarily understand all the hidden bits and pieces in the music video but I’ll still take a stab at it.

The Cosmos seemed to be the focus at the beginning of the video but it was clearly about witchcraft. They were toting large books with strange writing on them, mixing chemicals and producing light from their hands. However, it seemed darker than just witchcraft and wizardry. There was a scene where three of the members were pressing their thumbs together as blood brothers do.

In fact, the whole music video seemed to have a two-sided theme going on with the light outfits compared to the dark outfits. Even with Exy was rapping, the tone of the song and the video seemed to switch. But beyond the various theories that are being thought up as I write, a really cool part that stuck out to me was near the end of the bridge where the music paused and the camera zoomed in on an eye which shattered and burned up. I thought that was incredibly well done as far as visual effects go.

The introduction into this song had a very Classical style that was immediately disrupted by the heavy Electronic sounds. Honestly, I don’t have much to say about the song that I haven’t already mentioned. The song was very black and white, good and evil sounding with the light vocals of the group and the off putting rap style of Exy. It kind of reminded me of the way I felt the first time I listened to “Ah Yeah” by EXID.

What did you think of WJSN’s comeback? Was it as good or better than you thought it would be? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Thank you so much for your support. I appreciate it very much. Thank you and I’ll see you in the next review.

UNI.T - Begin with the End & I Mean: music video review

9/18/2018

After catching myself up to Kpop now, I’m ready to start fresh with Kpop music video reviews. Today I will be reviewing “Begin with the End” by UNI.T. If I remember correctly, the last UNI.T song I heard was the song that sounded like “Why So Lonely” by Wonder Girls. I don’t remember the name of the song but I do remember loving it even more than Wonder Girls’ song.

I honestly don’t know that much about UNI.T other than they are a girl group formed on some survival show probably through MNET. For those of you who know me, I’m not a fan of survival shows or MNET but if the group is its own standalone thing rather than what I.O.I or WannaOne became, I’m fine with it. As long as the members of this group weren’t pulled from various other labels and used to promote MNET rather than the individual labels, I’m fine.

What an emotional music video. The video for “Begin with the End” highlighted the girls’ experience on the survival show and especially the moments when they were selected as part of the group. The beginning and end of the video focuses on the girls sitting around each other in a circle, smiling and teary-eyed.

The song is definitely a Ballad that emphasizes their vocal talent while creating an emotional track for the complementing video. I think the song was played twice through on this video because they wanted to highlight each girl in the group and it took longer than expected, but it worked out alright.

The music video for “I Mean” wasn’t anything really special. It was essentially a dance performance video with some special effects. With that being said, I will say the song was bubbly and had a mix of retro and tropical sounds within it. They showed off their vocal ability again in this song. The beat was fast paced but for a short moment went from regular time to half time or double to regular or whatever you want to say. It slowed down the beat and created a great amount of space in the track.

Which video was your favorite? If you’re a fan of UNI.T then I’ll assume the first was your favorite due to the nostalgia. I would have to say “I Mean” is my favorite because I’m not as connected to these girls as I am with other groups. They are all talented, of course, but I just don’t connect as well. Thank you for the support and I’ll see you in the next review.

Got7 - Lullaby: music video review

9/17/2018

Got7 is back. In case you didn’t know, Got7 has officially made a comeback with their new track “Lullaby”. They have been amping up for a comeback for some time now but of course, I don’t watch teasers. I don’t watch teasers because they are deceptive and sometimes spoil the song, which I understand why they are sometimes called spoilers. I want to experience the song for the first time in its entirety.

That music video was a trip. I’m not entirely sure what was happening but it was entertaining. Each of the members were on their own trip and things were flying around them without any control. The video was extremely bright and colorful and definitely had a lot of effects used throughout. It created a fantastical world without the video for Got7.

The atmosphere of the song was unique, but also something I’ve heard several times before. It had a very classic Dance style while implementing the Funk sound within creating a very SHINee style song. I’m in no way comparing SHINee to Got7 or vice versa, I’m just stating the style it reminded me of. If anything Got7 added their personal touch to the song making it a Got7 song. However, I wouldn’t call “Lullaby” a lullaby at all. It was more of a party dance song.

So what did you think of Got7’s comeback? What were you expecting with Got7 and their latest comeback? Let me know your thoughts below. Thank you for the support. I’ll see you in the next review.

GWSN - Puzzle Moon: music video review

9/14/2018

How many girl groups have “So Nyeo” in their group name? I’m sure you could name a few, but regardless, there is a new girl group that debuted called GWSN. I forget what the “GW” stands for but I do know that the “SN” is “So Nyeo”, meaning “girls”.

GWSN is a new girl group and I know literally nothing about them. I didn’t even realize they had debuted until I saw a new video in my YouTube feed but not through my subscriptions but rather my Home page. I’m excited to see what they have to offer but hope they don’t disappoint.

I honestly didn’t have a lot to say about this debut especially as far as the music video goes. I will say though, why is the quote they have at the beginning incomplete. It’s not a complete sentence. “We may seem trivial and insignificant but each one of us possesses a unique…” A unique what? Unique isn’t an object, it’s an adjective.

Other than that, the music video was brightly lit and had some cool themes spread throughout. There was some spectacular effects used on the video. The overall story was about these girls trying to solve the puzzle or decode the system. I’m sure there was a deeper meaning but that’s all I noticed at this point and I’m not digging further than that.

As for the song, it started out fairly normal. I didn’t find anything super original about the introduction and the first verse, but man, was I blown away by that chorus. The instrumental and minimalist beat with their incredible voices caught my attention. Like I said, I don’t have much to talk about with this debut but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad debut. In fact, I love it and GWSN will be on my radar. Their song reminded me of 4 Walls era f(x), which I loved as well.

What are your thoughts on this new girl group GWSN? Will you follow them? I haven’t picked out a bias yet but please let me know who your bias is. It will definitely help me know who’s who. Thank you for the support. I always appreciate it. I’ll see you in the next review.

Day6 - Beautiful Feeling: song review

9/14/2018

I almost didn’t want to do this tonight but what else do I have going on? I skipped out on extra work hours to come home early and sit around, so I might as well do a review for some Kpop that has come out recently. However, while I was looking through my huge list of songs I still need to listen to on my own, I was trying to find a song that I felt was important enough and something that I love even more than the other various songs I have piled up.

That’s when I came across a random release Day6 made about last week called “Beautiful Feeling”. I love Day6 and I tried to review as many of their Every Day6 project releases as I could. I reviewed their latest release “Shoot Me” and loved that song. I haven’t found a Day6 song that I hate. In fact, I love almost every song they’ve ever put out. Therefore, reviewing a Day6 song seems to be painless and simple enough because of my love for them and dedication to their music. Not to say I don’t love other groups but Day6 has a special place in my heart.

The Rock Ballad style is something that Day6 does so well; better than any group anywhere. The combination of the members’ voices and their voices individually as well, brings such emotion to their songs that no other combination of members in a rock band could possibly bring. The energy throughout the song stays pretty level and the song almost sounds anthemic.

Honestly, I feel like rather than having a lyric video, JYP should have made a video looking back at their live performances and the successes they had and playing this song over those performances. I know it’s a little cliche to do that style of video for a powerful Ballad such as this, but I was a little disappointed with the style of video they chose for this release.

What did you think of Day6’s song “Beautiful Feeling”? This song took me by surprise not only from the emotion but also the release. Did you have similar feelings about the song? Let me know. Thank you for the support. I truly am grateful for such awesome fans and subscribers. Thank you and I’ll see you in the next review.

Oh My Girl - Remember Me: music video review

9/13/2018

Oh My Girl has been one of my favorite girl groups since near their debut. Not quite from their debut. It’s a long, complicated story about me not liking “Cupid” at first. I don’t want to go into it. But the long story, short is that I love Oh My Girl. I was sad to see JinE depart but the girls are strong and capable. They are very caring of JinE and seem to respect her decision and the company’s decision. In case you didn’t know, Jiho is my bias but Mimi is always on radar.

I honestly wasn’t expecting this comeback because of how busy I’ve been but I’m excited to review “Remember Me” which sounds to me like it will have a lot of JinE references in it. Possibly another song dedicated to her. I am really glad that they love her so much. I truly believe those girls became like sisters. What do you think? Do you enjoy the nostalgia or are you ready to move on? Let me know in the comment section.

I have to say I’m really taken aback by this release. Both in aspects of the music video and the song. They both surprised me and left me speechless for a good moment. First of all, I thought it would be more of a Ballad because of the title. While it was a very heartfelt song, it was no Ballad. It was very upbeat and aggressive, especially for an Oh My Girl song.

Mimi usually is the member who gets robbed the most and it has nothing to do with the amount of talent she has, but rather their style. Since they are typically a cutesy group with innocent features, rap usually doesn’t fit it very well. This song, however, was very aggressive and Girl Crush sounding. She is able to shine throughout the majority of the song. It had a tight flow that moved flawlessly. I almost didn’t notice the fact that instead of a first chorus, they just bridged into another verse.

The music video was a bit strange and seemed to be a video that was meant to be a flashback. The title “Remember Me” suggests that the listener remembers the person, but it could also be remembering a time period. Many aspects of the video were meant to be flashbacks such as the editing, the retro cars, fashion and game shows. It could also be the satellite taking all the information from Earth in, and processing it since the entire video took place inside a satellite.

I’m not sure what I think the meaning of the video is. What do you think? What are your theories about this space-driven, flashback, high energy, music video? Thank you for the support. I appreciate it. I’ll see you in the next review.

BerryGood - Green Apple & Mellow Mellow: music video review

9/9/2018

Welcome back to my page! If this is your first time scrolling through my boring thoughts, please be sure to comment below your favorite group and biases you have. For this particular group, I do not have a bias because I don’t know all the members very well. I do, however, know that I love BerryGood for a lot of the past material they have released.

Today will be a double feature with “Green Apple” being the first video I will review and “Mellow Mellow” as the second. I hope you enjoy this. If you don’t know who BerryGood is, go YouTube their video “Angel” and prepare to have your mind blown because of how good this underrated group is. The bad thing, however, is that they are a cute group with powerful vocals but the vocal side tends to get overlooked. Let’s pray that’s not the case here.

Before I get into this review, I will say that red apples are a ton better than green apples. Just my opinion. Maybe in this video, green apples is synonymous with female butts because there was a lot of those in this video as well. The whole premise of the video was this group of girls refusing to eat or have anything to do with red apples. In fact, at one point in the video, they mugged a guy, stole his car and left him with a box of red apples. All of this for the green apples he had in his car.

The song was good. It reminded me a lot of something Lovelyz would do with the heavy electronic and EDM style backing the cutesy vocal line. The start of the song and parts throughout had a music box clicking sound that felt inorganic much like something Lovelyz would do. I hate to compare it to Lovelyz but that’s the style I felt from this release. Even the cut scene at the end of the video where they were sitting on the beach holding sparklers took me back to “For You” by Lovelyz.

Most of the video for “Mellow Mellow” was actually choreography but there were snippets here and there of a story. It was basically a boy and a girl spending their day together. The dancing in this video was incredible. It’s the simple things like the way they moved their arms during the chorus or the shift in their legs during another part. Simple dance choreographies can go a long way.

This song proved to be more like “Angel” than “Green Apple”. It was still a heavy electronic EDM track but the progression and the execution was a lot smoother and gradual rather than in your face about it. This created a better song, in my opinion, that has more emotional power. Also the vocal lines were less cutesy and more vocal power just based on the way they sang. Even though it’s not as much power as “Angel”, it still has a great emotion to it that is enjoyable and can influence great sound.

What did you think of BerryGood’s latest releases? I’m sorry I was late on “Green Apple” but I’m glad I waited on it so I could review both of these songs at the same time. Which song was your favorite? Thank you for the support and I’ll see you in the next review.

Oh!GG - Lil' Touch: music video review

9/7/2018

I’ve been putting this review off not because I’m nervous or scared for the release. It’s Girls’ Generation. It’s going to blow my mind. I know that already. I didn’t even put it off to make you, my readers, wait for something great. I honestly put off reviewing this song because I’ve been so ridiculously busy lately. But I’m here now, so I’d like to review this video properly.

In case you didn’t know, this is the Girls’ Generation “sub-unit” that consists of Yuri, Taeyeon, Hyoyeon, Sunny, and Yoona. They are calling it a sub-unit because even though the other three members left SM Entertainment, they still consider themselves part of Girls’ Generation and will make efforts to work together when a comeback is in place for them as a full unit.

With that being said, Oh!GG is the sub-unit and they have made their debut as a sub-unit with the song “Lil’ Touch” and they will not be releasing a mini album with this. It is simply a Single release. I’m hoping to hear some new music from Taeyeon and the rest of the girls soon. But on to the review.

From what I gathered from one time viewing the video, it seems to be there are puzzles and figures they are trying to solve. Their time may be running short and something is threatening them or maybe they are threatening someone. These are a few of the things I gathered from my initial viewing. I won’t watch through it again for this review but if I come up with some new theory behind the video, I’ll be sure to post that.

They all look stunningly beautiful as expected, but even though Taeyeon is my bias, my eyes kept being drawn to Sunny and Yuri. I’ve always thought Yuri is gorgeous but maybe the less number of members on screen made her stand out even more than ever. I’m not sure what it is, but they all were staring into my soul, trying to steal my heart. Look no further, girls. You’ve had my heart all along.

The song was upbeat and energetic from the first beat. It had a vibe to it and I can’t put my finger on it, but maybe a Salsa or Tango influence was behind this song. The song moved in a quick way but felt like it was exactly the right amount of time. Some songs tend to draw out way too long or the opposite, where they feel short and lackluster. However, this song was perfect, in my opinion. It didn’t feel like it was overstaying its welcome.

I really enjoyed the way the lines were rotated out. For instance, in the first chorus, Taeyeon is the lead, but in the second chorus and I think final chorus, other members such as Sunny take lead during the chorus lines. All of their voices are incredible but Taeyeon and Sunny stood out to me to have some of the best vocal lines. Hyoyeon wasn’t pushed aside which was nice. Also, I’m glad she wasn’t just the rapping girl in this song. It made me feel like they appreciated her for more than just her unique and cute rapping style.

What did you think of Oh!GG’s debut/comeback? Was it overwhelming, underwhelming or just sort of something that happened? Thank you for the support. Please leave your comments in the comment section. I’ll see you in the next review.

Sunmi - Siren: music video review

9/6/2018

This is a little out of the blue but I am excited for it because Sunmi is so unique in her style and the way she just is. There’s no one quite like Sunmi and that’s all good for her because she can promote, dance, sing, and do anything in her own way without even trying.

Today I’m going to be reviewing her new song “Siren”. I’m super stoked for this song because of how good her past two releases were. She has made a name for herself as a solo artist without the title of Wonder Girls looming overhead.

Man, that was a trip in a good way. Sunmi always blows my mind with her unique behaviors and crazy music videos. In this one, it seemed like she was trying to escape herself but she couldn’t because everywhere she turned, there was another version of herself waiting. Anytime a new version of herself would appear on screen, a red light flashed like a siren.

I have nothing but good to say about this song. It was intriguing from the first hit. It had this sort of ethereal and hard-hitting, power tune to it. It was hypnotizing and energizing at the same time. Honestly, Sunmi can do no wrong at this point. Her music is always so interesting and addictive.

It does kind of seem like a trend lately in Kpop to have some random burst of a breakdown in the middle of the song that is completely off-putting and unnatural. I would say it was played out wrong in this song but that would be lying. I can’t like when I’m talking about Sunmi. She is incredible and like I said, has made a name for herself, by herself.

What did you think of Sunmi’s comeback song “Siren”? Did it meet your expectations? How do you think Sunmi has grown as an individual and as an artist since the disbandment of Wonder Girls? Thank you for the support and I’ll see you in the next review.