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Red Velvet - Really Bad Boy: music video review

12/1/2018

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Red Velvet is here to take the crown again because they just released another song for their comeback “Really Bad Boy”.  A lot of people were frustrated with the song title because it would just be a “Bad Boy” part two, but I guess I’ll find that out soon enough.  Honestly, “Bad Boy” is one of my favorite songs of the year, so I don’t mind a part two, if it lives up to the first one.
Red Velvet went head first back into the horror concept.  This time they did it with some obvious props. Music videos like “Peek-a-Boo” were props too but it was more the idea behind the video where as this one was straightforward.  It reminded me a little of “Married to the Music” by SHINee because the props were obviously for horror fun.

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Overall, it felt like the really bad boy was the werewolf.  They were focusing a lot on that character. I think there were some others but I believe the wolf was the main character of this music video.
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Of course, I expected the beat to come down hard.  It had a bit of a flair to it as well though. The music was very much Red Velvet as they’ve established themselves.  For me personally, this song was not my all-time favorite Red Velvet song, but it’s still a bop and a half. Red Velvet can honestly do no wrong.  I was a little surprised by the whistle screams that I believe Wendy was doing throughout the song. They were unexpected, but I guess it’s a nice touch since it’s a horror themed song.  Lastly, my favorite part was the bridge because most of the song is repetitive. The bridge is repetitive in its own realm, but it’s a different repetitive and it doesn’t last long. It changes things up a bit.

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Well, there’s my review of “Really Bad Boy” by Red Velvet.  I cannot wait to check out the rest of the album. What did you think of the song?  Did it live up to the hype that “Bad Boy” put in front of it? Let me know in the comment section.  Thank you so much for your support and I’ll see you in the next review.
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gugudan - Not That Type: music video review

11/13/2018

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My girls are back with another comeback and a new concept, I think.  Gugudan, the strange girl group that releases a new style with each comeback, has made their 5th comeback.  The song is “Not That Type” and I’m not sure at all what it’s going to sound like. But if it sounds anything like any of Gugudan’s prior comebacks, it will be fire.
Since this was more of a dance track, the video followed suit and kept the sets minimal and just changed sets once in a while, but didn’t follow a story.  They danced in various places such as in a parking garage, out on asphalt, next to a Hummer, and in front of what appeared to be a jewelry store. Nothing huge happened in the video, but their wardrobe was on point.  They all looked fantastic. ​
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“Not That Type” definitely had a different vibe and sound to it.  Honestly, it felt like a updated and Korean version of the Macarena from the 90s.  If you don’t know what that is, look it up. It had a steady beat that drove the song forward and didn’t change much from that point.  There was a moment in the song when the track dropped out to focus on the vocals, but then immediately returned to the same repetitive beat with some adlibs behind the same chorus line.

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I’m not saying I don’t like the song, but I could see myself getting really annoyed with this song really quickly.  Probably because my first impression of it was the Macarena. What did you think of “Not That Type”? Do you agree with me?  Let me know in the comment section. Thanks for supporting me and I’ll see you in the next review.
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Jennie - Solo: music video review

11/12/2018

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Jennie Kim of Blackpink has officially made her solo debut with “Solo”.  Unfortunately, the song time is rather short, so I’m hoping they just pumped out a freakin’ bop in under 3 minutes.  

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Also, this review will be in collaboration with a good friend of mine, Seaun Atchison.  He is from Arizona and helps with a bunch of the events happening around Arizona for the Kpop scene.  I know that he was stoked for this comeback, as am I. So let’s quit wasting time.
Before I even begin to say anything about the video, I’m going to start off by saying Jennie is killing the game.  She looked amazing and especially caught my attention in the rainbow dress. Jennie is a Queen! “I have to say this is absolutely my favorite song Jennie has ever sung. You actually get to hear her vocal range.” Seaun added to the ever present praising of Queen Jennie.

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Now onto the actual video.  I watched this video a couple of times, but still don’t remember anything from it.  I remember her with a car, she was at the laundromat, and then she was dancing in the street.  That’s pretty much all I remember. Now I know some of you are going to say that’s all that happened, but there had to be more than that in the video.  Either way, that’s all I got. I even write this shit down while I’m watching the video, but I don’t remember anything that happened.

Seaun had this to say about the video:  Also I love how in the beginning her outfits all coincided with the scenery. And on the topic of outfits, when she was in the laundromat she took off her white dress. Which was used to represent her "innocence" mentioned at the beginning of the song. And the progression shows how she's becoming her own badass female. When she opens the washer and it's a black jacket and she's in fishnets and all black. And to show she's over the breakup she tags her car with sayings like "Better off without you" and "Not even a distant memory."
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The interesting thing about this song was the change of pace.  First off, it started like it was going to be a love song (or at least what I would assume would be a love song sound).  Then very quickly it changed from that soft, classical sound to a dirty dropped break-up song. In fact, in the song, Jennie says something along the lines of “This is a love story that doesn’t touch me at all”.  I believe this line means that this bit of love won’t touch her, meaning that she is left alone.

When I mentioned the “love song sound”, what I was referring to was the plucked strings much like a Classical composition.  It had a very elegant sound to it, but was severely interrupted when the beat change up came in. The beat became dirty really quick and stayed dirty for most of the song proving that this song was about heartbreak and not love.

Her rap completely took me by surprise for the fact that it's all in English. And the fact that the beat drops out almost completely to let the rap shine was such a good decision.

I also have to give props for the fact that this is a break up song, but a female positive break up. She's done with whomever it is and she's going solo. If you're looking for an empowerment song, this is it.

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All in all it's a good short song, and honestly I can get with it. Can't wait to hear what the other girls drop.  And I agree with everything that Seaun has said in this collaborative review.  He obviously focused more on the video while I took on the musical aspect which worked out great.  Thank you Seaun for your help with this review. I appreciate everyone who follows me. I’ll try to keep content up-to-date.  I’ll see you in the next review.
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Twice - Yes or Yes: music video review

11/11/2018

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I know that our girls came back a little while ago, and I apologize for taking so long in reviewing this release, but I’ve been really busy because I’m moving in less than a week, so things have been hectic.  Either way, I’m here to review Twice’s latest music video comeback, “Yes or Yes”. I’m super stoked for this release because, I mean come on, it’s Twice.
I think the point of that video was to create the effect of decision making, but it felt like a carnival to me.  I’m sorry if that offends anyone. I know they were supposed to be using magic to convince a boy to choose yes, but it had a lot of the things a carnival would have.  

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Each member, of course, had their own thing.  I don’t remember every person’s thing, but I remember there was tarot card reading, magic crystal ball, fire spinning, and coin flipping included in some of those abilities.  Also Jeongyeon’s hair is getting long. I had to mention that. I wish Chae and Dahyun’s raps were longer, as always. Speaking of Dahyun, her pink/purple hair was incredible.
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The music was really catchy for the majority of the song, but I feel even though this song is super catchy, it is nowhere near the catchiness of “Likey” or “Heart Shaker”.  Maybe I need to listen to it a bit more to get the sugary goodness. It’s definitely not a bad song, but not Twice’s strongest. I really liked the stripped down chorus near the end of the song.  It felt really unique, but not too out of place.

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What did you think of Twice’s latest comeback “Yes or Yes”?  Was it a bop or a flop? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section.  Thank you so much for supporting me. I really do appreciate each and every one of you.  Tune in for some collaborations coming up soon. Thanks and I’ll see you in the next review.
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Exo - Tempo: music video review

11/7/2018

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Exo is back with another comeback entitled “Tempo”.  This video has already received over 30 million views on YouTube since its release less than a week ago.  Exo is a group that I love, but I haven’t really followed their group as much as, say BTS or Got7. Nonetheless, I do enjoy their music and love when they make a comeback.
I’m not quite sure any of the connections in the actual video but it was a pretty good video.  There was a lot of effects and there was a couple moments when the world they were in starting glitching.  I noticed red, drinks, pianos, glitching, and a lot of incredible dancing.
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The song almost didn’t sound like an Exo song, at least the Exo I’m used to.  It sounded more like something Exo-CBX would put out, in my opinion. It was heavier in the electronics department and had that strange “bed squeak” sound as part of the chorus beat.  I think the best part of the song that took me by surprise was the acapella section where all instruments dropped out and they just did their thing. That was incredible.

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What did you think of “Tempo” by Exo?  Did you love it? I loved it, but I do wish they would have changed up the “Don’t mess up my Tempo” part a little.  There was a part where I got really tired of hearing that over and over. Anyway, thank you for supporting me and I’ll see you in the next review.
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Iz*one - La Vie En Rose: music video review

11/4/2018

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I know it’s been a minute since I’ve done any reviews of any kind and I apologize for that.  I’m in the process of moving apartments as well as working 60 hours a week, and various other tasks that keep me busy.  But I’m here because a new girl group debuted recently that go by the name Iz*one. I don’t know anything about them. I know that the name of their debut track is an older song, not in the Kpop world.  Is this group good enough for me to keep on my radar? I guess I’ll find out.
There was a lot of red present in this music video but that’s makes sense, I guess.  Not a lot happened as far as the video goes. There was red. Red this. Red that. The girls danced, but nothing super memorable.
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As for the song though, the song had an attention-grabbing feature in it.  First of all, the song started off like a typical dance track with a flare in it.  Then when the pre-chorus or build up came in, the rhythm section focused solely on those hard hits.  The overall song had an epic vibe to it that remained throughout. It felt like a production rather than just a song.

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I’m not entirely sure if this group will become a group I follow, but they have sparked an interest.  I will keep an eye on them and listen to their album as well. What did you think of “La Vie En Rose”?  Thanks for supporting me. I’ll see you in the next review
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RM, Steve Aoki, & BTS: music video review

10/27/2018

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Today is a BTS day and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.  If you love BTS, keep reading. If you don’t love BTS, then change your ways, and if you don’t know who BTS is, it’s time you learn.  I will be reviewing the three RM songs that were released on BigHit’s YouTube channel as well as Steve Aoki’s song “Waste It on Me” featuring BTS.  Like I said, it’s a BTS day and that should make everything better.
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“Forever Rain” starts off with a piano.  Simple and clean, then building into some ethereal sounds.  The song begins to create an atmosphere around itself. Some clock ticks bring us into a haunting verse with RM rapping at a slow pace and with calmness in his voice.  As the chorus falls on us as the listeners, the beat becomes powerful and singing is introduced for the first time in this song. The chorus is so simple, but powerful with its use of guitar and reverberation.  If I were to choose music to fall asleep to, this would be one of them because of how peaceful this song is.

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At the second verse, RM builds his speed in his rap and puts more emotion behind his pronunciations.  When it begins to build towards the chorus again, most of the track is stripped away. Right when you think the chorus is going to blow up, it does the opposite and has an acoustic guitar strumming along with it like it’s a campfire song.  This song uses simplicity to create beauty, art, a masterpiece.
The mood for “Seoul” is different from that of “Forever Rain” but was still in the same realm of style.  I have a feeling this entire album is going to be ethereal bliss, but this song still has a bit of a hype to it.  It’s no “Joke” or “Do You”, but it just shows how much RM has grown as a person. He’s no longer angry through his music, but seems to be using his musical passion to heal others rather than expressing his upsets in life.  The entire song is minimalist and has more healing factors in it.
Even though “Moonchild” is so much more hyped than the other two songs, it still has a softness to it.  It remains calm throughout, even with the beat going up and the beats dropping. Out of the three songs I’ve listened to so far from this album, this is the most energetic and most like old RM.  The chorus took me a bit by surprise because of how melodic it was in comparison to the rest of the song. All three songs have been masterpieces.
I don’t have much to say about “Waste It on Me”, but I will say I’m glad BTS is getting more and more exposure and become more and more in the mainstream.  I think that’s the first time I’ve ever been happy about something I love becoming mainstream. Even if Nicki Minaj is collaborating with them, I’m happy for them.  I do love Steve Aoki though and the fact that he’s done three collaborations with them in the past year or so makes me so happy. It’s a typical EDM song and sounds like the Chainsmokers, but it’s an all English song that will get even more exposure for BTS on American radio.

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Who’s happy it’s a BTS day?  I am. I love BTS and I love its members.  They each play an important role in the success of BTS as well as the fans and ARMY of course.  RM has seen a huge amount of success as an individual since the explosion of popularity that BTS has seen.  What did you think of his songs? If you’ve listened to the mixtape already, what songs are your favorites? What did you think of Aoki’s collaboration with BTS?  Thank you for the support you give me and I’ll see you in the next review.
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BoA - Woman: music video review

10/24/2018

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The Official Queen of Kpop is back with a new music video for the release of her 9th full length Korean album.  If you don’t know who I’m talking about, or if you don’t know how to read a title, I’m talking about BoA! The One True Legend.  The one who brought me into Kpop in the first place.

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Her new music video and album are called “Woman” and I think I know what kind of song this is going to be.  It’s going to be an empowerment song because BoA is a strong woman who shaped the world of Kpop in such a huge way as a solo artist.  She is a woman, not a group of women.
The video was very BoA-esque.  I don’t know if that helps anyone visualize it.  Just watch the video. But BoA has had several music videos that are a bunch of visual effects.  “Hurricane Venus” was this style, “Camo” was this style, and now “Woman”. This video felt a little different though.  Probably because of all the smashing being done at the end of the video.
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At first, I thought the song was a remake of “Camo” because it had a similar low tone beat.  It is very reminiscent of the “Hurricane Venus” days in both visuals as well as style. It just had a very flared style about it.  BoA has always had a unique voice and I think they are making the right move by having her songs be low toned songs to contrast her high vocal range.  Also, “Girls on Top”.

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What did you think of “Woman” by BoA?  Is she still your Queen? She will forever be mine.  Even if someone else becomes my Ultimate Bias, she will forever be the Ultimate Ultimate Bias.  She ranks above anyone else. Even Taeyeon. Thank you for the support. If you have any requests for music video reviews, I’ll try to get to them.  Thank you again and I’ll see you in the next review.
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April - Oh! My Mistake: music video review

10/23/2018

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April made a comeback recently and while I feel like many of these cutesy girl groups blend in together, there are sometimes groups that stand out and April is one of them.  I can’t explain why they stand out to me, but they do and I love them for that.

​Today I’m reviewing their latest comeback song “Oh! My Mistake” from their 6th mini album, The Ruby.  The last thing I watched from them was “The Blue Bird” I believe. It sounds like they are on a color train because their last album had something to do with the color blue and now this one is ruby which is a color.  I guess we’ll see with this comeback and future comebacks.
It took me a second to realize the reason behind the warm toned colors in the music video.  The album is called The Ruby, therefore reds, oranges, and yellows play a big role in the color palette for the video.

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The video shows some inconsistencies, at least from my understanding.  Maybe they did this intentionally. The fashion and text on the VHS tape looked 70s to me, but one of the phones was a Razor by Motorola which was a cell phone in the early 2000s.  Then the musical style felt more 80s. They may have did this intentionally, but it feels disjointed to me.

They were essentially flaunting the oldies style music video that is taking over the industry at the moment.  It wasn’t nearly as clever a music video as “The Blue Bird”. Nonetheless, it was an interesting music video. I just wish there were more consistencies.
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I was taken aback at the first few seconds of the song.  The dissonance that was present in the way they say the title line through me for a loop.  I wasn’t okay with it, but part of me wanted to keep going and I’m glad I did. The song moves from a cringey chant to a beautiful and powerful track.  The chants become part of the ad libs later on in the song. It’s a unique and strange take on quirky song writing. I like it though. I need to listen to that chorus again.  It kind of reminds me of “Love Bomb” by fromis_9 in the way the chorus is a complete change up from the verses.

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Even though the title line is cringey, I still like the way they implemented it.  It worked out because at the beginning of the song, it felt like an annoyance more than a song line, but as the song progressed, it changes the way it sounds and the effect it has on the listeners’ ears.

What did you think of April’s latest release “Oh! My Mistake”?  Was it too much for you? Did you love it? What are your thoughts?  Let me know in the comment section. Thank you for supporting me and I’ll see you in the next review.
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Jeong Eun Ji - Being There: music video review

10/21/2018

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The Queen of gentle aesthetics is back with a new song entitled “Being There”.  In fact, I think it’s an entire album, so I’ll be jamming to that later tonight.  Jeong Eun Ji is one-sixth of Apink and is probably one of the most recognizable for her enormous smile that wraps around her face.  She is beautiful and has a unique voice which is well suited for the folk style she has taken on in past comebacks. Hopefully she sticks to that sound for this release.
The music video took the format of a story with a beginning, middle, and end.  The beginning, Eun Ji was about to board a train, but last minute decided to board a different train.  Throughout the video, we see Eun Ji interacting with her mother and reminiscing through old memories. She finally has to leave, and boards a bus back to the city.
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The video was very lovely because it showed the tediousness of going about daily life, but how making spontaneous changes can make yourself happy and sometimes those around you happy as well.  Don’t get too involved in following a routine. Learn to live a little. Don’t forget your roots. I think those are a couple of the messages in this video.
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Eun Ji has a way with folk music that always surprises me.  Her voice is so lovely, it complements the guitar sounds very well.  All of her sounds have a calming feeling about them. It doesn’t matter if her songs are upbeat dance tracks or solemn ballads, she always has a way to create peace and tranquility in her music.
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Do you agree that Eun Ji always creates peace with her music?  What did you think of this song? Did it bring back any memories for you?  Let me know in the comment section what different emotions came to you as you watched “Being There” by Jeong Eun Ji.  Thank you for the support. I’ll see you in the next review.
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