#newjeans review

[loonarii]

newjeans - "ditto" review

I fell in love with newjeans the instant I heard 'attention'. Everything about them was utterly captivating - their fresh concept that embraces the members' youth instead of plastering it in glitz and black leather, their clean nostalgic production merged with soft, delicate vocals, and of course, the undeniable and astounding talent of the members.

 As I said in the round up of my top songs of the year, all of their songs were hits for me, which is incredible especially in a year such as 2022, which has been an excellent year for kpop, especially for girl groups. 

Their success was instantaneous too - they ruled the charts for weeks, no one could stop doing their dances on TikTok, and even idols were singing their hearts out to their songs. And so, to the joy of the entire K-Pop community, they announced their first ever comeback for December 19, a pre-release called ‘Ditto’. And I, for once, was not even slightly nervous that it would be anything less than perfect.

‘Ditto’ is a Baltimore club inspired pop song that is as understated as it is addictive. Sonically it explores themes of bittersweet nostalgia, and lyrically it references shy smiles, nervous butterflies, stolen glances across the classroom, and your first ever love at 16. To me ‘Ditto’ reads as a memory, a discovered VHS tape, or a polaroid at the bottom of a box in your attic. The song introduces itself within the first twenty seconds, and keeps a delicate pace throughout, pulling the listener through every inch of the melodies and harmonies the members and instrumentation create. It's a beautiful blur from start to finish, and when you do reach the end you can’t help but wind it back to the start for just one more listen.

The music videos were amazing too, some of the best conceptually that I have seen in K-Pop. The visuals of the girls flicking in and out of reality perfectly matches the song’s energy, and the decision to have the members themselves not be the main characters of the story is an inspired choice that pays off 100%.

As a person on TikTok who I have unfortunately lost put it, ‘newjeans feels like rediscovering kpop again’, which in my opinion sums it up perfectly. They have that spark I’ve been looking for in the fourth generation, they have that Red Velvet, SNSD, Twice aura that draws you in, and I can see them going so far in this industry. They sound like no-one else in the industry, and that’s what makes them so alluring. ‘Ditto’, like every single other one of their songs, was a hit, and is probably my favourite from them so far. I have no doubts that ‘OMG’ is going to be a stellar album, and I know that in ten years I will be proud to say I was a newjeans fan from debut. This comeback was, in a word, flawless.

[thesinglesjukebox]

NEWJEANS - "HOW SWEET"

Breaking up: it's like sugar sometimes...

[6.69]

Rachel Saywitz: NewJeans has found a comfortable home in the production of DJ and electro-trot producer 250, whose musical style has become so singular that I'd start putting him up there with some of the other K-pop producing greats like Brave Brothers, the late Shinsadong Tiger, or Sweetune. His method continues to work well on "How Sweet": adding a little shimmering twist to American club genres (Miami bass in this case), seamless transitions from section to section, and the light vocal touch of every girl's vocals. But, as with the greats, I sense a slight loss of luster with the constant repetition. How many underground genres is 250 going to fish out of the Western world's murky waters to can up and ship out with a shiny new label? The catches are going to dry up eventually. [7]

Kayla Beardslee: NewJeans’ early singles smashed, bringing them ridiculous and unprecedented success for a first-year K-pop rookie group, because they delivered masterfully crafted pop songs in deceptively simple packaging. "Hype Boy" plows through enough memorable hooks for an entire album in a minute and a half, yet sounds so breezy and youthfully optimistic that the music doesn’t feel like work at all. Beneath the soft swells and whispers of "Ditto" is an instrumental that has a beautifully subtle touch with intimacy and a topline that stays in constant motion even as it tantalizingly holds itself back. In comparison, “How Sweet” is more of an underachieving graduate of the Tortured Poets school of songwriting. In each section of the song, they pick one melody with a limited dynamic range, hammer it into the ground, then tick the box and move on. For a Coca-Cola ad, it’s pretty flat.  [5]

Mark Sinker: Chirpy song about how breaking up with u is great and also v easy bcz u suck and I never liked u! Happily the real-world backdrop (MASSIVE INDUSTRY DRAMA pitting label against manager) cannot possibly ground this as a metaphor. The delivery turns the tale of the change from oops non-allegory into smilingly blank-faced stonewall. [7]

Iain Mew: They stretch simplicity as a virtue further than ever, relying almost entirely on immaculate floaty vibes. The almost is crucial, though; the "...now that I'm without you" kicker adds just enough bitterness to keep this from  feeling completely blank. [8]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: "How Sweet" is one of the most powerful kiss-offs we've had in years because it treats the end of a relationship as something so effortless, so natural, "like biting an apple." Even when lines are acerbic ("toxic lover, you're no better"), they are delivered with the exact amount of lift needed to signal both disgust and nonchalance. NewJeans do not care about this ex anymore, and they wield their restraint with grace; this is living well as the best revenge, and the song is potent because it feels like mist on a hot summer day. Producer 250 has always known how to excavate the potential of a minimalist pop song, and he's found an especially strong avenue here with the skeleton of an Atlanta bass track. The regional style (and specifically the Ghost Town DJ's track "My Boo") has had a large impact on K-pop since "Body Party" got big, but 250 makes it a more congenial affair: the hi-hats are low in the mix, the handclaps have more pop than the kick, and it all feels muted so the bubbly synth melodies and percussion—the latter approximating the "Triggerman" sample used in bounce classics—can flutter about. "How Sweet" is the most everyday that NewJeans has sounded, and it's all the more biting for it. [7]

Ian Mathers: It's devastating enough to get a "I'm doing better without you" message delivered with such nonchalant cool, but to make it a bop too? Really drives the implied "I probably didn't care that much in the first place" home, ouch. [8]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: A very NewJeansian take on the break up-come down song; it's a harder feeling to make sound giddy, but they pull it off here. The fragments jutting out from the sing-talk ("like biting an apple"; "no drama, it's good karma"; "little demon in my storyline" most of all) are thrilling and deranged, the kind of phrases that become involuntary mantras and mutterings when you make your way out of something all-consuming and are faced with the shock of the new. Most of the writing about NewJeans centers on their musical trappings, but the Miami bass riffs here are more perfunctory than their prior dalliances with drum-n-bass and Jersey club. That's not to say that it's a bad song — that bassline itself, rubbery and grooving, is gorgeous — but that it shares less with the perfect grooves that "OMG" and "Ditto" than first appears. [9]

Oliver Maier: Unusual for NewJeans both in that it is kind of a retread (think "OMG" 2: Not As Good) and that the performances are really quite listless. The thing about girl groups from anywhere in the world is that their songs tend to implode the moment it sounds like they aren't having fun. [5]

Jonathan Bradley: There's not the great shock of the new provided by genre experiments like "Super Shy" or "Ditto," but the R&B-lite of "How Sweet" gets some extra mileage from burbling percussion runs and photon-light electro textures. Switching between English and Korean lines in the hook is smart songwriting as well as smart globalization; it adds variation to a melody that threatens to run out of ideas after a mere three-and-a-half minutes.  [6]

Michael Hong: Initially put off by how weary the vocals sound -- NewJeans have always been low-key, but they've never sounded so spent. But it starts making sense when you consider that NewJeans are just as much about the experience of sharing these milestones as they are living them. Backed by a laser show of synths, "How Sweet" is about convincing yourself that you're okay after a heartbreak and proving it to your friends. This exhaustion makes the sharper moments more effective: the wistfulness of "it's like biting an apple" longs harder, and the snarky "I'll see you out" that closes the track is a truly satisfying line read. With every chorus, the bitter tartness lessens and the the sweetness pops brighter. [7]

Alfred Soto: The relaxed sensuality is what I wanted from this week's Tinashe track. The melodies are sticky and sweet. [7]

Nortey Dowuona: The drum programming is a bouncy, yet flimsy kick snare pattern full of glittery lasers and clinking closed hi-hats. At first, it overwhelms you, with the rising hit arriving every four bars and doubling during the post chorus, but once you pay attention to the looping, ghostly synth melody, you feel toward a handhold in the wind. [6]

Isabel Cole: I get so excited by the aliens-attacking space-laser sounds at the beginning, and then it all mellows out to make room for an uninspiring vocal line delivered uninspiringly. Things perk up a little in the chorus (I remain a sucker for handclaps!), but unfortunately the actual melody continues to be the worst part of the song, to the extent that I think I'd prefer an instrumental version. [5]

Katherine St. Asaph: The melody on the verses sounds like something off PinkPantheress's Heaven Knows, which is some real influencer-becomes-influenced ouroboros shit. But "How Sweet" settles into a chorus that's undeniably itself, frenetic but small: kind of like "Let the Music Play" recreated by one of those miniscule Helmacron ships from Animorphs in tiny zaps and little plinks. And I do mean "settles": there's less fizz in the pop than there could have been, and NewJeans' vocals range from effortless to affectless, unbothered to unengaging. [6]

TA Inskeep: I'm absolutely here for NewJeans giving us a little bit of ecstasy. If this kicks off a revival of second-wave freestyle, I'll be very happy. (Someone call Sabrina Carpenter to the white courtesy phone, stat!) [8]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: “How Sweet” is the most subdued and pedestrian newjeans have sounded. The beeps and blorps and percussion taste sweet, but the vocals are bitter and dull. But when the production has so many dynamic flourishes, and the meta-narrative around the group is so interesting, the score floor is high.  [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[dinkleyreads]

hot girls only have two obsessions: kpop and classic books

📖: jane eyre, the picture of dorian gray, persuasion

fav or reblog if you like it ty 🫶🏻

[princesssjellyfish334]

Hello to anyone who sees this. I post kbeauty and abeauty reviews. I post about what I know and have tried. I also do kdrama reviews was well, dramas I recommend or just have watched. I also post about actors as well. ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

*lmk if anyone wants kpop recommendations as well because I could make those too*

[theorysvault]

[ ₊ TOP 10 . ﾟ ── ﹟ ✶ ◌ best kpop songs ever . ]

₊ ﹟ . ﾟ while this is a list of the best kpop songs ever realsed, ill warn you that this list has more female artists than male. as this is my opinion so dont take this list to heart if you’re offended or hurt! additionally, im compiling the best kpop songs not throughout all of kpop history, but in the past 10 years!!

₊ ﹟ . ﾟ honorary mentions: 4 walls by f(x), bad boy by red velvet, one shot two shot by boa, rum pum pum pum by f(x), spring day by bts, i feel you by wonder girls, puzzle moon gwsn, hype boy by newjeans, catallena by orange caramel, un village by baekhyun, tt by twice, whistle by blackpink, energetic by wanna one, better by boa.

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 10 ! Ditto by NewJeans 𓄹

You might argue that other Newjeans songs should’ve taken this place but I’d say this was the turning point for the group. Never before had they leaned so heavily into the UK garage sound and this song was a massive hit. Of course it was slightly overshadowed by their follow-up single, “OMG,” but this song is captivating and makes you feel nostalgic with its production.

The of synths, snare drums, catchy hooks, and retro vocal melodies of ‘Ditto’ is something to admire. This combination easily qualifies this song as one of best sounding Kpop songs of this decade.

Additionally, ‘Ditto’ catapulted a phenomenon throughout Kpop that just started. Now their sound is not original, UK garage originated in the late 80’s and newer artists like Pinkpantheress had gained notoriety for it before Newjeans, but they came in guns blazing to the Kpop music scene. Imitations and inspirations are everywhere concerning Newjeans’ aesthetic, sound, artistic identity. Regardless of the issues about plagiarism and the integrity of Ador, this song and Newjeans will go down in Kpop history as a time people wished they witnessed in real time.

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 9 ! View by Shinee 𓄹

While this may seem like a boring Euro-dance and pop song, it stays as one of the best 2010’s songs and especially by a boy group in my opinion. It is an impeccable summer anthem that manages to serve as both a time capsule for 2015 and a track that remains replayable to this day.

It blends deep house and techno to an extent as well, that is catchy and danceable. Providing a refreshing alternative when it was released, emphasizing melody and rhythm over sheer intensity. And in the history of Kpop, it introduced these sounds to the mainstream and helped broaden the musical landscape of releases to come.

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 8 ! The 7th Sense by NCT U 𓄹

‘The 7th Sense’ is stylish, moody, sexy, and dreamy all at once. Its energy is something hard to describe other than sticky. Your ears are glued to every part of the song as if it’s about to sip at any moment. It relaxes and softens, then becomes more aggressive with its tone, keeping you on your toes.

While maybe to some ears this song sounds like a product of its time, and something that won’t hold much longevity, I very much disagree. It’s a confusing and delicious track that probably can’t ever be recaptured. This was fresh and additive when it came out and hasn’t lost those qualities since.

And it didn’t change the game like the previous songs, it highlighted the enginuity that could only come from the Kpop industry (even while its inspirations from the West are so prominent). It’s unfortunate and fortunate that we didn’t get a hundred ‘The 7th Sense’ copycats after NCT U’s debut.

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 7 ! Girl Front by Odd Eye Circle 𓄹

‘Girl Front’ is probably one of the best pop bangers ever! While Odd Eye Circle were not revolutionary with their sound and vibe when releasing this track, it is definitely one the best-executed pop tracks I’ve ever heard. With their electronic influences, energetic and upbeat vocals, and stuttering keyboard sounds make this seem like a punch in your face with sugar.

Moreover, this song captures what makes Kpop so enthralling in the first place with its soundscape so rich and dynamic, it remains fresh with every listen. Even though this is not officially a LOONA release, it raised the group’s popularity and set the precedent regarding the memorable artistic vision for the group.

And while LOONA and were not the trendsetters that they could have been, their near-perfect discography and style will stand as one of the pinnacles of Kpop, along with this wonderful song. Even if I wasn’t a LOONA fan, I wish for nothing but the best for the girls as they so desperatly deserve it!

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 6 ! Red Light by f(x) 𓄹

This stands out in F(x)’s discography for its bold, slightly abrasive, complex production. Mushing together EDM, trap, pop, and house with its pounding beats and synths definitely makes it a song you won’t forget whether you like the song or not.

F(x) were not pioneers of experimental music in Kpop when looking at their contemporaries like Girls Generation with “I Got A Boy,” they seemed to continually perfect the concept since their debut. And this track stands as one of their best among their very critically acclaimed and highly praised catalog.

With “Red Light” specifically being a standout from their usual pop formula regarding the structure and vibe, F(x) currently stands as one of the most under-appreciated, talented, and innovative artists to ever be seen.

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 5 ! MOVE by Taemin 𓄹

TALK ABOUT THE KING OF GROOVE HIMSELF MR. LEE TAE-MIN! This song oozes sexiness and refinement. It’s classy, sensual, groovy, and funky. These mixtures of sounds and concept that can only be pulled off to perfection by Taemin.

“MOVE” has this addictive bass, hard-hitting synths, and R&B melodies that blend perfectly, and never does one element overpower the other. When groups and soloists aim to do a sexy or mature concept, this is one of the benchmarks.

It’s unapologetic and not shy about its androgyny. And Taemin’s ability to embody the feminine and masculine sides of this song makes this song not just a hit, but a cultural statement. While this exploration of sexuality is only a fraction of what Taemin would later release, it remains an inspiration to the different ways of expressing sexuality, gender, and the ways in which boundaries can be pushed in Kpop.

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 4 ! The Rain by Ladies Code 𓄹

This song is unjustly underrated and unappreciated. It shines with its R&B, Jazz, and piano sounds combined with haunting and beautiful vocals. Despite its mellow tempo and vibe, it captures the listener with its funky chorus and rise in tension throughout the song.

Most send-off albums and songs are poorly executed and half-assed, however ‘STRANGER’ is anything but. It’s deep, dreamlike, and moody. This song especially conveys a vibe unique and ethereal and stays a hidden, but very well made gem in Kpop.

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 3 ! Supernova by aespa 𓄹

Aespa continued to be a symbol of different and boundary-pushing music with their title tracks since “Next Level,” often polarizing people with their sudden beat switches and intricate production. However, with “Supernova” they really mastered their craft as it sums up what makes Aespa so compelling.

It sounds pleasant, punchy, and grand with its perfect sound design, laced perfectly with “Planet Rocks” by Dem Jointz & KENZIE (also heard in “Twerkulator” by City Girls) which is something only Aespa could make work with this song. And it’s not too obscure that it’s all that daring, but it executes every tone, vibe, and sound so well that it easily deserves to be this high on this list.

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 2 ! Automatic by Red Velvet 𓄹

The most underrated song off Red Velvet’s discography simply because this is one of the best song this decade and no one is talking about it. “Automatic” is painted with a compelling baseline, R&B and pop sound, relaxing but seductive tone, and a catchy chorus that holds even after ten years since its release.

Everything about this track if overflowing with perfection and elegance. It was a refreshing change of pace from their debut “Happiness,” instead delivering a sophisticated, stylish, and timeless classic. Red Velvet, before “Bad Boy” or “Kingdom Come,” truly cemented themselves as the queens of R&B and with making some of the best quality music in Kpop history with this song.

# ✶ ✺ . 𓂅 NUMBER 1 ! Free Somebody by LUNA 𓄹

WHEN I THINK ABOUT POP I THINK ABOUT THIS SONG!!! It is so infectious and bright and encapsulates everything addictive about pop music: catchy hooks, powerful but not overbearing vocals, instant danceability, and LSD-infused tempo.

It sort of reminds of me “Rush” by Troye Sivan because that is another song that makes me feel like I’m on some type of high. And in that way, it is a classic and could be realsed right now, or even five years from now it’d still hit! “Free Somebody” explores electro-house and it SLAPSSS!!!

Even when there might moments where the tempo slows down, you’re just on a sugar high roller coaster till the 3 minutes are finished. So much charisma, quality, and power in is packed into this three minute and twenty second song that this can never be forgotten or truly replicated in Kpop.

[rabbitechoes]

may was a decent, but not extremely exciting month for new singles. some of the songs here are among the worst i've heard this decade, some are just alright, and a select few are absolutely incredible! the biggest singles released this month were apart of the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. i covered those songs in a separate post which can be found HERE! to check out my thoughts on some of the albums, EPs, and mixtapes that came out this month click here!!! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3

"Risk" - Gracie Abrams

◇ released: May 1, 2024 ◇ featured on The Secret of Us - Gracie Abrams (not yet released) ◇ genres: folk pop, indie pop

I don't think I've heard a single Gracie Abrams song before, but unfortunately "Risk" doesn't make me want to hear more. The folk pop stylings here are so generic and Abrams presence isn't felt at all. One of those songs that just goes in one ear and out the other. A song built out of cliches. Not sure if I'll give The Secret of Us a chance after this, we'll see. What a way to start the month!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Buried Alive" | "Together" - Chance the Rapper

◇ released: May 2, 2024 | May 17, 2024 ◇ featured on Star Line Gallery? - Chance the Rapper (not yet released) ◇ genres: conscious hip hop, jazz rap, pop rap

Chance the Rapper has released two new singles this month seemingly in preparation for his new album Star Line Gallery. It's been like 10 years (wow) since Chance's heyday with mixtapes like 10 Day and Acid Rap. Since then, he's been on a bit of a downtrend culminating in his catastrophic debut album The Big Day in 2019. These new songs set him back on the right track a bit. You can tell they mean a lot to Chance, but they can sound a little dull at times. I do really love the beat on "Together," but I enjoy his verses more on "Buried Alive." So, yeah these songs aren't super fulfilling, but maybe he can recover nicely into a decent album.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Starburned and Unkissed" - Caroline Polachek

◇ released: May 2, 2024 ◇ featured on I Saw the TV Glow (Official Soundtrack) ◇ genres: indietronica, indie rock

Caroline Polachek's dreamy contribution to the I Saw the TV Glow soundtrack is really good. This sounds unlike what Polachek has become known for. These long, spacey verses are a surprise, but a welcome one. As is the atmospheric production. The chorus amps up the energy nicely, it's really beautiful. I haven't gotten a chance to see the film, although I've heard it's really good, but this song rocks.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Tennessee" - Kevin Abstract

◇ released: May 2, 2024 ◇ featured on (maybe) Glue - Kevin Abstract (not yet released) ◇ genres: trap, pop rap, cloud rap

I used to be a massive BROCKHAMPTON fan back when I was in high school and I've tried to stay up to date on what the former members have been up to in the wake of the boyband's dissolution. I feel like I've done a decent job until now. It's like two days before this post goes out and I'm just now learning of this new Kevin Abstract single featuring Lil Nas X. I mean, it's fun. There's some funny bars, but it does feel far too loose and clunky. Kevin was the driving force behind BROCKHAMPTON in the group's later days, but I fear the bloom might have fallen off of the rose just a bit. Maybe I'm overreacting because of this silly single, but he just hasn't made anything interesting in years. He also released that god-awful "Once in a Lifetime" cover this month. I truly hope he can recover and make something cool again.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Whiskey" - Arooj Aftab

◇ released: May 7, 2024 ◇ featured on Night Reign - Arooj Aftab ◇ genres: chamber folk, chamber jazz

Covering this song here in case I don't get the chance to cover the full album this month (it comes out the final day of the month). This song rules so hard. This is my first time hearing Arooj Aftab's stuff and this beautiful blend of chamber folk and jazz tickles my brain in the right way. Her vocals are so gorgeous too. "Whiskey" is the kind of song that sounds like ocean waves gently brushing up on the shore. The lyricism cuts deep too, both in the words themselves and how they're delivered. Great song.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Ronald" - Falling in Reverse, Tech N9ne & Alex Terrible

◇ released: May 7, 2024 ◇ featured on Popular Monster - Falling in Reverse (not yet released) ◇ genres: metalcore, nu metal

The first time I pressed play on "Ronald" I paused it barely 3 seconds in. I've had a profound dislike for Falling in Reverse and Ronnie Radke in particular, not just because I think their music sucks extremely hard, but because he's a terrible person to boot. He likes to claim he's being "cancelled" or whatever, but if you keep getting allegations thrown your way ... y'know where there's smoke there's fire. Anyway, I'll be honest the farthest I can get into this song is the 1 minute mark. I don't dislike metalcore (see my glowing review of the new Knocked Loose album), but this is BAD metalcore. One of the worst things I've heard all year. Deeply unpleasant song whose target audience is men who go out of their way to make women uncomfortable and also punch holes in their drywall.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Take a Bite" - beabadoobee

◇ released: May 9, 2024 ◇ featured on This Is How Tomorrow Moves - beabadoobee (not yet released) ◇ genres: alternative rock, pop rock, indie pop

beabadoobee's last full-length album was an enjoyable listen. Not something incredible, but just some really solid indie pop. "Take a Bite" is a bit more of the same, except everything feels a bit punchier. Her vocals have more bite to them and the instrumentation feels weightier. Pretty impressed by this one, decently high hopes for the upcoming album.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"360" - Charli XCX

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ featured on BRAT - Charli XCX (not yet released) ◇ genres: bubblegum bass, electropop

Alongside a star-studded music video, Charli XCX has dropped another single from her upcoming new album. This could be my favorite single so far. It's just a fun listen with some incredible production. It's so bold, especially in Charli's delivery. There's not really a big chorus or anything here, it just sort of strings you along in an entrancing way. Seeing this opens the record has me excited. I'm loving each new single for BRAT more than the last, my hopes are getting higher!!!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Gold River" - Parannoul

🥇 BEST SONG OF THE MONTH

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: noise rock, shoegaze

Holy shit. "Gold River" has Korean shoegaze sensation Parannoul cranking up the noise and sharpening his songwriting chops which yields absolutely stunning results. This track wastes no time at all, it just fires on all cylinders all the way through. That chorus is just noise rock bliss. Also, the drums on this track are fucking killer. It's just so well-crafted while also maintaining the scrappy energy that's present throughout his previous work. If this leads to a whole album of material like this, we could be in for Parannoul's strongest work to date. Regardless, I still see very big things ahead for him.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"HIND'S HALL" - Macklemore

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: political hip hop, conscious hip hop, hardcore hip hop

We've all given Macklemore a hard time over the years, but I do have to commend him for dropping this track. In the midst of the beef between megastars that's defining the hip hop landscape currently, Macklemore, of all people, drops this scathing protest anthem. Here he raises support for the ongoing student protests against their universities investing in Israel and companies with ties to them as they commit this ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. I agree with Macklemore's sentiments here more than I enjoy the track, admittedly, but it's bold of him to do this. More artists with much larger platforms than Macklemore should be speaking out on this. Here is the link to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

Free Palestine 🇵🇸 !!!!!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"I Had Some Help" - Post Malone & Morgan Wallen

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: country pop, pop rock

I mean, it isn't good. Shouldn't be a shocker to like anyone at all. Post Malone has been in his feature bag over the last few months after middling appearances on both Taylor Swift's bloated new album and Beyoncé's new record, but this is definitely the least enjoyable of them all. I simultaneously see the appeal of Morgan Wallen and I don't. It's like he was made in a lab to be the next big country star. To make sure the genre never evolves in the public eye and keeps clinging to its worst aspects. Just a piss-poor attempt at a country song of the summer and with our luck it will probably be just that.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"BOA" - Megan thee Stallion

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: trap, hardcore hip hop, southern hip hop

Despite the harassment lawsuit leveled against Megan thee Stallion last month by a former cameraman, she seems to just continue on business as usual. Who knows if that lawsuit will hold any weight, but I will say that "BOA" is an excellent single. Like she just kills it. The beat rocks and her presence is so distinct. No one sounds as confident and brash as Megan thee Stallion. It's not unfounded confidence either, her talent speaks for itself. Loved this, I just hope one day she can channel all of this energy into a consistently great project.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"HE KNOWS" - Camila Cabello & Lil Nas X

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ featured on C,XOXO - Camila Cabello (not yet released) ◇ genres: alté, dance-pop, alternative r&b

Y'know what? I know "I LUV IT" was universally clowned, and rightfully so, but "HE KNOWS" is surprisingly pretty decent. It's nothing remarkable, but it's got some nice production and it's the least grating that Cabello has potentially ever sounded. Lil Nas X offers some sultry verses that are also a pretty nice touch. I wanted to be a hater, but I can't be with this one!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Gimmie A Light" - Ice Spice

◇ released: May 10, 2024 ◇ genres: hardcore hip hop, sample drill, uk drill

More standard fair from Ice Spice on "Gimmie A Light." If you like her stuff, and I enjoy a good bit of it, you'll probably put this one in your playlist too. Besides that, not much to comment on. I will say though, can she stop with the poop bars? It's becoming a trademark for her and she needs to break away from it before it's too late.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Delphinium Blue" - Cassandra Jenkins

◇ released: May 14, 2024 ◇ featured on My Light, My Destroyer - Cassandra Jenkins (not yet released) ◇ genres: art pop, downtempo

I enjoyed Cassandra Jenkin's last single and this one is pretty great too. Very atmospheric art pop that just draws you in so nicely. The minimal instrumentation makes you just sink into it all. Like you're diving gently into a pool that is just the right temperature. Beautiful track. Looking forward to the new album even more now!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"FromHere" - NxWorries ft. Snoop Dogg & October London

◇ released: May 14, 2024 ◇ featured on Why Lawd? - NxWorries (not yet released) ◇ genres: neo-soul, west coast hip hop

NxWorries, Anderson Paak and Knxwledge, have released another - far more substantial single this month. Featuring some jangly guitars and Paak's smooth vocals. It also features incredible vocals from October London and a lowkey verse from Snoop Dogg. Dogg's verse sounds like it was recorded on an iPhone, but it's masked pretty well by the gorgeous beat underneath.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Samurai" - Lupe Fiasco

◇ released: May 17, 2024 ◇ featured on Samurai - Lupe Fiasco (not yet released) ◇ genres: jazz rap

Lupe Fiasco has unveiled the opening track to his upcoming album Samurai and it's really good. Every time I hear something from Lupe, I'm like "holy shit, this is incredible. I need to dive into his discography soon!" but I never do. Getting the same feeling here. He's a very distinct rapper and lyricist. He also has an incredible ear for beats. I love the jazzy production on this cut. Really looking forward to this new album! Maybe I'll finally dive into his albums soon.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Sexy to Someone" - Clairo

◇ released: May 23, 2024 ◇ featured on Charm - Clairo (not yet released) ◇ genres: sophisti-pop, soft rock

This new single from Clairo sounds like it's trying to capture the feeling of a soft rock hit from the 70s. She does it pretty well, this is a fun listen, but I just wish it was more exciting. I think Clairo is a really good songwriter and I've enjoyed a lot of her past material, I just think she's gotta do something with some more bite sooner or later. Anyway, I don't want it to seem like I dislike this track. I don't, it's a very pleasant listen and I'm excited to hear what the rest of the album will sound like!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"How Sweet" | "Bubble Gum" - NewJeans

◇ released: May 24, 2024 ◇ genres: k-pop, contemporary r&b

The only K-Pop group I have the energy to keep up with, NewJeans, have dropped two new tracks this month and they're a lot of fun. They have made some of the most enjoyable pop bangers of the last two years. These two tracks are no different. I absolutely adore the production on "Bubble Gum" especially. Those funk guitars and cloudy synths just sound so amazing together. Just so much fun. I'm always gonna lock in whenever NewJeans drop some new stuff.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Turn it up" - PinkPantheress

◇ released: May 24, 2024 ◇ genres: contemporary r&b, alt-pop

PinkPantheress dropped a new single which means I had to clear out like a minute from my schedule to give it a shot. I kid, this is one of her more substantial cuts at 2 minutes 30 seconds. The short song formula really works for her, so I understand why she doesn't buck the trend too much. This track is no different. Love the hazy melodies here. Sounds like a club banger for people who don't go to clubs, i.e. me. I'm not sure if a new album is on the way given it wasn't too long ago that she gave us her debut album, but we shall see.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Grippy" - Cash Cobain & J. Cole

◇ released: May 24, 2024 ◇ genres: drill, east coast hip hop

A song so bad that I don't believe it's real. In the midst of the Kendrick/Drake beef that Cole tapped out of before things got too messy, he drops this collab with Cash Cobain entitled "Grippy." Ok look, I get being horny, but this song is like disgustingly horny. Filled with some of the worst bars all year courtesy of both perpetrators. One line of Cole's in particular, "She said she was gay until I slayed, now she strictly dickly," was so disgusting I physically cringed. The whole "fuck you straight" thing was gross when The Weeknd did it years ago and it still rings horrible here. Alongside "Ronald" from earlier, this is a contender for worst song of the year. I'm sorry, but if you even dare consider J. Cole to be in the "big 3" of anything other than corny weirdos after these last two months in particular, you're delusional. "Don't mess with Cole when he's in album mode" my ass.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Death & Romance" - Magdalena Bay

◇ released: May 28, 2024 ◇ genres: baggy, pop rock, neo-psychedelia

Magdalena Bay have been teasing stuff for the last few weeks now with very cryptic videos on social media, but there wasn't an announcement of new music until this past week. The duo's last album, Mercurial World, is one of the finest pop records of the decade so I'm always hyped to see what they have in store next. "Death & Romance" is one of their best, bar none. A psychedelic, piano-driven banger with one of the best pop songwriting I've heard all year. Despite the aesthetic surrounding the song and the lyrics about death, this song is such a fun listen. The instrumental bridge in the middle is so exhilarating. God, this song just rules. I have incredibly high hopes for the next full-length project from them, this is fucking awesome.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Frogs" - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

◇ released: May 29, 2024 ◇ featured on Wild God - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (not yet released) ◇ genres: art rock, neo-psychedelia

Nick Cave and his pals in The Bad Seeds have released another single in anticipation for their first new album in 5 years. I might like this more than the last song they dropped. I love the sounds they play around with here. It's incredibly lush, almost triumphant sounding. Cave's vocals sound a bit strained as he belts out almost exclusively in a higher register. The choral backing vocals and the occasional horn flourishes are a nice touch too. It sounds so much more hopeful than The Bad Seeds' last few records, but Cave's lyrics still have that edge to them. I'm very much looking forward to this record!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Houdini" - Eminem

◇ released: May 31, 2024 ◇ featured on The Death of Slim Shady - Eminem (not yet released) ◇ genres: pop rap, comedy rap

Unfortunately Eminem released a new song right as the month was drawing to a close. This is the lead single to his new album, The Death of Slim Shady, which sounds like one desperate plea to people outside of his audience that he's not completely washed yet. Remember Slim Shady? Yeah, now come listen to my new album! This song's music video proves that too as Eminem faces off with his older self and even brings back the Rap Boy persona from years gone by. "Houdini" itself isn't very good at all, but what did you really expect? Eminem has been doing old man raps for years now and he's desperately trying to still come off as edgy and whip-smart, but he fumbles at every point. The core of the song is a shitty sample flip of "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller Band and the bars just sound like a bratty child trying to be provocative. This sucks!!! Can't wait to be terrorized by new singles from him leading up to this album!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

psssst. i made a discord server ... if u wanna join here's the invite https://discord.gg/rsHMenTU see u there and thank u for reading :3

[cataldodarker]

NewJeans

New Jeans

Data di rilascio: 01-08-2022

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by cataldo reviews music (@cataldodarker)

Get Up

Data di rilascio: 21-07-2023

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by cataldo reviews music (@cataldodarker)

[reckonslepoisson]

New Jeans (2022) Get Up (2023) NewJeans

The cynic in me dismisses NewJeans’ coolness, the group’s tasteful and thumping nods to UK garage and bass, as no more than corporate ploy – but if corporate ploys can manage this, mark me a mindless chump. This is really rather excellent, only a fool would dismiss something so undeniably chic. 

Pick(s): ‘Cookie’, ‘Super Shy’

[stuff-diary]

Top 20 K-pop songs in 2023 (Part 2, 10-1)

As promised, here comes the top 10:

10. Snooze by Agust D (BTS) feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto & Kim Woosung (The Rose)

There's something very special about this song. It really is a perfect combination of amazing talents.

9. Blessing In Disguise by Huh Yunjin (Le Sserafim)

She's such a superstar. Like, listen to this. And she hasn't even officially debuted as a solo artist yet!

8. Dear My Light by Dawn

For me, this is the best, most gut-wrenching ballad we've gotten this year in K-pop. It breaks my heart every single time I listen to it.

7. Firework by &Team

One of the best songs to come out of the retro trend in K-pop. The lyrics are gorgeous, the vocals are emotional and the darkly melancholic instrumental gives me goosebumps in the best of ways.

6. ETA by NewJeans

I had a really hard time picking one single song from them, but I went with this one because it's the most original song they've released this year. Also, it generated one of the most ridiculous controversies I've ever seen, which is always fun.

5. Bon Voyage by Dreamcatcher

I guess You & I has finally been dethroned as the best Dreamcatcher song, cause this one is absolutely incredible in every way. I really don't see how they could possibly top this, but I'm excited to see them try.

4. Sugar Rush Ride by TXT

I adore the contrast between the funky verses and the sensuality of the chorus and the drop. Also, that final chorus is probably one of the best things I've ever heard.

3. Smoke Sprite by So!YoON! (SE SO NEON) feat. RM (BTS)

The first time I heard this song, I felt like I was ascending into a whole new dimension, and it has made me feel like that every single time. It's enthralling.

2. Standing Next To You by Jungkook (BTS)

This is Jungkook's world and we're just living in it. He's the best pop-star in the world right now, and this showstopping song is proof of that. Everything about it is mesmerizing.

1. Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard's Wife by Le Sserafim

This song hasn't left my brain for a single second since I first heard it. It's the perfect example of Le Sserafim's biggest strengths, and no other group could even try to pull it off.

And that's all, folks! Let's hope 2024 brings us another wave of brilliant K-pop.

[yukitozinho]

get up - the 2nd mini album, by newjeans.

🐰 data de lançamento: 21 de junho de 2023. 🐰 produzido por: 250, Park Jin-su, Frankie Scoca... 🐰 faixas:

1. New Jeans 2. Super Shy 3. ETA 4. Cool with You 5. Get Up 6. ASAP.

O tão aguardado retorno da sensação sul-coreana New Jeans surpreende pela versatilidade, enquanto peca pela simplicidade, por ser tão curto e com uma certa preguiça diante da falta de inovação dos produtores, e mesmo assim, as garotas brilham com os vocais nessas novas faixas.

Eu estava levemente ansioso por esse retorno. Desde que o New Jeans lançou uma das minhas faixas favoritas, Ditto, no final de dezembro do ano passado, eu fiquei empolgado por mais músicas das garotas gerenciadas por Min Hee-jin, que encabeçou um dos meus grupos favoritos, o f(x), enquanto estava na SM Entertainment. Após Zero — uma música comercial para a Coca-Cola — e o single OMG, muito se especulava e esperava sobre o comeback das cinco garotas.

Pois aqui estamos, com Get Up, que teve um grande planejamento, digno de um álbum de estúdio, e que me decepcionou levemente por não cumprir minhas expectativas que foram geradas por esse planejamento estrondoso. Com inúmeros clipes, spoilers nas redes sociais, o New Jeans entrega o mesmo de sempre, porém de uma forma reduzida, levando em conta que o álbum tem doze minutos — duração menor que o meu banho.

O álbum abre com a faixa que dá nome ao grupo, New Jeans, lançada como pre-release com a próxima faixa, Super Shy, duas semanas antes do lançamento do álbum. Em um synthpop simplista e que já se tornou uma marca registrada do grupo, essa introdução funciona perfeitamente para criar o clima que vai percorrer o álbum. Em uma espécie de metalinguagem, NewJeans se reapresenta após o primeiro mini-álbum dizendo “Olha, é um novo eu / Mudamos, quem são essas? / Olhe para nós, New Jeans / Tão fresco, tão limpo.”, deixando uma grande expectativa do que está por vir. Porém, a música cai na mesmice de forma que não altera nada no instrumental, como inserções mais sintéticas ou o modo de cantar das meninas, que fazem um bom trabalho em manter o tom em quase dois minutos.

Um dos maiores investimentos desse álbum foi sem dúvida no marketing. New Jeans tem um clipe onde as garotas se transformam nas Meninas Superpoderosas, desenho clássico e que marcou uma geração e que explicita essa mudança entre o primeiro álbum e esse, porém sem perder a essência e estética característica do grupo. O clipe é gracioso e vale muito a pena conferir.

🐰 + clipe de New Jeans.

Apesar de New Jeans não ser nada de novo na discografia das meninas ou até mesmo no álbum, é uma música muito deliciosa e que vale a pena ser escutada. Com certeza, essa introdução não foi colocada aqui à toa, o que nós podemos ver bem a partir da próxima faixa.

Super Shy foi o primeiro pre-release oficial do álbum, e acompanhado da b-side do single — e intro do álbum —, volta às tão marcantes origens que conquistaram o coração do mundo. O instrumental etéreo é um grande destaque, Super Shy se encontra entre a melancolia de Ditto e a felicidade das primeiras faixas das meninas. O rap melódico de Hyein é incrível e dá um tom charmoso e diferente à canção. O refrão mantém a tradição simplista na questão de produção do grupo. A transição da intro para Super Shy é uma coisa a se destacar, pois, elas casam perfeitamente bem e foi um grande acerto em manter o clima que a intro constrói.

Diferente do resto do álbum, Super Shy é a única música a qual eu não sinto tanto problema na faixa ser curta, talvez por ela ter mais camadas do que as outras e ser mais bem construída que as outras. Como o último refrão que utiliza de uma robotizada divertidíssima que diferencia dos primeiros, reforçando o quão viciante esse refrão é. O clipe, assim como a faixa, é divertido e jovem. Gravado em Portugal, com cenários em cores vívidas e com flash mobs dignos de fazer um vídeo dançando no TikTok, mantém a essência das garotas anteriormente vista em Attention e Hype Boy, por exemplo.

🐰 + clipe de Super Shy.

Em um bubblegum synth-pop que poderia ser feito pelo Girls’ Generation nos anos 2000, caso tivesse uma produção mais exagerada, New Jeans acerta no alvo ao lançar essa faixa que fala sobre ser tímida demais para confessar seu amor e para o seu crush notar. Gee mandou abraços!

ETA é o maior destaque do álbum justamente por se afastar de tudo que o NewJeans fez antes. Em um dance-pop divertido, meio funky, meio quirky — incomum em uma forma interessante —, com buzinas de ar no instrumental e efeitos de voz que parecem ter saído de qualquer música pop da década passada que usou e abusou desses efeitos e que conquistam demais. Mesmo assim, não fica repetitivo demais — como Super Shy e New Jeans —por ter uma quebra no pré-refrão, cantado em coreano e sem todos esses efeitos divertidos, dando um tom mais sério. Não é à toa que essa faixa é a faixa-título do álbum, pois de fato, é a melhor e mais experimental que o NewJeans até agora.

O clipe, gravado totalmente no iPhone 14 Pro, conta a história da letra. Uma amiga das garotas — Eva, como revelado no clipe — está sendo corna e as garotas resolvem avisá-la e fazer uma música INTEIRA sobre isso. Não poderia ser melhor, não é? Eu adoro como os clipes do NewJeans mantém essa estética delas serem garotas quaisquer, se divertindo, sendo jovens e bonitas. É um clipe belíssimo e uma grande publicidade para a Apple, outro grande acerto desse álbum.

🐰 + clipe de ETA.

Mesmo assim, em um defeito que percorre o álbum inteiro, ETA é curta demais e me deixou com um enorme gostinho de quero mais. Uma ponte, talvez? Não sei. Algo aqui faltou e me incomodou, mas tenho certeza de que vou alcançar muitos scrobbles em meu Last.fm rapidamente, não só pela música ser muito divertida, mas pela sua duração que chega a ser ridícula.

Cool with You foi uma faixa que me decepcionei um pouquinho, justamente por não ter sido tão explorada sonoramente. O instrumental é simples demais e chega a me incomodar, tal qual as duas primeiras faixas do álbum. É uma música delicada e merecia mais apreço do que realmente teve. É o mais próximo de ballad, mesmo ela sendo uma música de influência do UK garage, que temos nesse álbum, e poderia justamente ser MAIOR! Nenhuma música nesse álbum é grande, mas eu não consigo aceitar. O pré-refrão é magnífico e de novo, Hyein dá o seu toque especial e que me faz sorrir. As harmonias e vocais estão no ponto nessa faixa.Porém, a música não se sustenta no refrão que repete o título da música inúmeras vezes. De novo, o último refrão adiciona mais coisas, construindo um clímax que deixa aquele gosto de quero mais, que não é tão bom quanto deveria. COMO ESSA FAIXA SÓ TEM 2:30 DE DURAÇÃO?

Os clipes — porque são duas partes, assim como o de Ditto — são incríveis e contam a história entre o amor proibido de Eros e Psiquê com participação de Jung Hoyeon, de Squid Game, e Tony Leung, de Chungking Express. Jung Hoyeon estrela como Eros, Micol Vela como Psiquê, Tony Leung como o vilão Afrodite. Os clipes são uma incrível releitura do mito, e finaliza de forma majestosa, com Eros assistindo o NewJeans dançando o interlúdio que dá nome ao álbum, Get Up, que tem 30 segundos (ou crime cometido nessa faixa, por isso, vou nem avaliar).

🐰 + clipe de Cool with You (side A)

🐰 + clipe de Cool with You & Get Up (side B)

Cool with You e Get Up encontram o grupo replicando a melancolia de Ditto e Hurt de uma forma ainda mais sensível e linda, com certeza, um dos meus clipes favoritos lançados esse ano e um dos destaques do álbum vai para Cool with You.

O álbum se encerra com a — pasmem — curta ASAP, a qual eu estava profundamente ansioso desde que a prévia foi lançada. Com um instrumental delicioso e bastante aproveitado, com direito a sintetizadores sincopados, barulhos de relógio e de jogos, ASAP poderia e tinha potencial para ser a minha preferida e melhor música do álbum. Porém, a música me incomoda porque algumas partes são desconexas, como o último refrão que não combina nada com o último pré-refrão, sem realizar uma transição bem-feita e bonitinha, soando como se tivesse sido feita por um fã que apenas copiou as partes previamente lançadas. A música não ter mais de um verso diferente também me incomoda, pois, a música é quase tudo aquilo que eu já vira no teaser lançado.

Peca pela simplicidade, pela rapidez, mas é um perfeito encerramento para o álbum. Eu gostaria muito de ouvir mais dessa música e com certeza, ela seria minha favorita caso fosse maior. Apesar das ressalvas, ASAP é uma ótima faixa e eu continuarei a amar assim como eu a amei desde que ouvi na prévia, mas eu esperava muito mais. Os vocais fofos e harmoniosos das garotas se casam perfeitamente com o barulho de relógio do refrão, junto ao instrumental etéreo assim como o de Super Shy e Cool with You. É uma ode a tudo que foi feito na carreira das garotas, ao mesmo tempo que encontra uma fronteira a qual deve ser cruzada nos próximos lançamentos.

🐰 Nota para a capa o álbum: 5/5

A capa de Get Up é incrível e finalmente o New Jeans largou aquele coelho que é fofo, mas eu já estava saturado. Get Up não perdeu a estética Y2K que as garotas tentam replicar em todo lançamento, mas realçou isso com nada mais que suas versões como Meninas Superpoderosas, em cores vibrantes e extremamente divertida, assim como o álbum. E não pensem que o coelho foi esquecido, pois, o querido está no canto superior esquerdo.

No Apple Music — plataforma que eu uso —, a capa fica ainda mais dinâmica e fofa, com uma capa animada onde as garotas se movem assim como as heroínas.

🐰 Nota geral para o álbum: 4,1/5

Get Up é um ótimo sucessor de New Jeans (o álbum), pois mostra a versatilidade que as garotas podem fazer e destacar suas diferentes habilidades. New Jeans e Super Shy encontram-se no mesmo local dos lançamentos anteriores, queridos pelo público, e dá para entender o porquê dessas faixas estarem aqui, afinal, não se mexe em time que está ganhando. Todavia, os destaques desse álbum são justamente as novas facetas que foram desbloqueadas com outras canções. ETA, a canção funky que soa mais como um lançamento da segunda geração do K-pop se tivesse uma produção mais “poluída”, poderia ser irmã de Bang! do Afterschool; Cool with You, que facilmente seria uma b-side do lado Velvet do Red Velvet, e ASAP que exala o frescor e jovialidade que o New Jeans tanto se preocupa em reproduzir, levemente mais experimental e divertida.

Talvez, tudo isso seria mais bem aproveitado se as músicas não fossem curtas demais e chegam até ser esquecíveis por não serem de uma duração relevante. Odiei algumas na primeira vez que ouvi, mas aos poucos, algumas foram conquistando meu coração e realçando esse sentimento amargo de querer mandar um e-mail para os produtores e perguntar se eles estavam com preguiça quando estavam trabalhando. É um ótimo álbum sem dúvidas, mas isso é ridículo. O álbum tem uma intro, um interlúdio e quatro faixas onde nenhuma passa de míseros três minutos. Entendo que a tendência são músicas mais curtas, mas nesse caso, não dá, tinham que ter sido mais bem aproveitadas, ainda mais na indústria do K-pop onde tudo é pouco.

Embora esse seja o defeito primordial, é incrível ver que o New Jeans está conquistando seu espaço de forma respeitosa e com uma base tão solidificada. A sua identidade já é fixa na mente de diversos ouvintes, sejam eles casuais ou fãs, e isso é perfeito para um grupo que não tem nem um ano de estreia. Porém, os fãs que vão chorar pagando caríssimo em um show que dificilmente chegará a mais de uma hora, pois somando todas as músicas do grupo, não dá nem isso. Recomendo muito as faixas que têm estrelinha, mas vale a pena escutar o álbum inteiro pelo menos, uma vez. Lembrando que isso aqui não passa da minha opinião :P

🐰 Ranking individual das músicas:                          

⭐ ETA  (4,3/5) ⭐ Cool with You (4,2/5) ⭐ ASAP (4,2/5) Super Shy (4/5) NewJeans (3,8/5) Get Up (não avaliado porque é um interlúdio de 30seg).

🐰apple music 🐰spotify

[gabriel-ismo]

Min Heejin manda três jovens adultas e duas pirralhas botarem o pau na mesa com Get Up

É impressionante o quão o NewJeans consegue surpreender a cada retorno delas, apesar da Min Heejin ser uma das pessoas mais desprezíveis que eu já vi dentro da indústria do K-Pop é inegável que ela sempre entrega trabalhos magníficos, não só com as calças novas, mas quando trabalhava na SM também.

Até o momento, acredito que esse seja o trabalho mais diferente do NewJeans até agora mas não porque ele tem um som diferente ou uma estética que elas criaram pra si, mas na própria estrutura desse álbum. Ele é uma bagunça esteticamente, cada música tem um clipe que é muito diferente um do outro, algo que a gente não viu nos dois primeiros lançamentos do grupo que me chamaram a atenção justamente por essa coesão gigante das músicas, musicalmente nenhuma música se completa como no seu primeiro Mini Álbum o que torna difícil se acostumar com um NewJeans tão caótico, as promoções dessa era também foram extremamente bagunçadas. Mas o que surpreende aqui além desse caos, é o fato dele ser proposital, é justamente o que os produtores querem entregar, essa sensação de liberdade, de se livrar de amarras e inovar.

As músicas não fogem de algo que se espera do grupo, mas essa confusão entre as faixas faz você estranhar quando escuta pela primeira vez mas é tão lindo e tão atraente o som que essas meninas fazem que é muito difícil não gostar disso. O NewJeans conseguiu muito rápido se consagrar como uma das melhores discografias da indústria tendo apenas doze músicas e ver um grupo entregando trabalhos tão bons e crocantes a cada lançamento não é algo que se vê todo dia. ETA concerteza é a música mais surpreendente do Mini Álbum, pois se tem uma coisa que eu não esperava era o grupo fazer um fucking funk furacão 2000, principalmente num álbum com tanta influência do garage house. E olha que na época tinha gente falando que nao ia apoiar esse comeback porque o nome era parecido com o de um "grupo terrorista" (como se lutar contra o imperialismo fosse terrorismo, tinha que ser estadunidense pra criticar e fazer alarde encima disso) e no fim não tinha nada haver com isso e a música é um bop. Pra finalizar: NewJeans concerteza é um dos melhores projetos que o K-Pop já teve desde o finado LOONA e seu projeto pré debut, ser divas sendo pessoas que acabaram de sair do ensino médio e ter uma integrante que ainda nem terminou o fundamental não é pra qualquer um.

TRACKLIST

1 — New Jeans (4.5/5)

2 — Super Shy (4/5)

3 — ETA (4.5/5)

4 — Cool With You (5/5)

5 — Get Up (5/5)

6 — ASAP (2/5)

NOTA: 8.5/10

[adotrevsleft]

INTRO:

I decided for after my huge hiatus from this account to post about ditto. Ditto is a beautiful song which is supposed to hit you straight from first listen. I did feel upset and hurt after watching both of the music videos. However, many people have been going on about theories about the music video of Ditto. Because it may seem sad but there seems to be dark aspects behind it. In which I will talk about later.

CONTEXT:

I want to clarify that there is a Korean (I think) movie (or series) that is called Ditto. The plot is that this boy from the year 2000 is able to communicate by an amateur radio with a girl that was in the school in 1979. A hand cast is mentioned in the movie in which the girl in 1979 signs on one of her boyfriends that are in hospital. After the girl realises that the boy's parents are her friends, a bit too close, and she's in love with the "Dong-hee" the boy's father. She realises that she felt bad and broke up with him, as they were in a relationship beforehand. Then the boy decides to find this girl but he doesn't recognise him. In the end, the radio stops working and all communication is lost between them and they continue on their lives.

Obviously, with this context in mind the music video makes a lot more sense. However, there are still many raised questions even knowing this. The most obvious, why two different music videos? One in which she decides to stay with them (being NEWJEANS) and the other being to go away from them and moving on?

MEANING BEHIND:

I personally don't think this has anything to do with the fandom. Many people say different things about what the meaning behind the music and music video. It's about loneliness in youth, it's about youth, it's about romance, it's about moving on from traumatic events, or traumatic events will still haunt you, some even say that this putting attention to bullying when not knowing what is going on in someone's head. These all are very valid. But really, what is the meaning or should I say purpose of this? Is there something we should be aware of.

HANNI:

My main question is that of the character of Hanni in the music video. Why is it that (majority of the time) whenever the camera goes towards her or focuses on her the camera glitches? An examples below:

Hanni is the only one that is glitching out in the group.

Another scene I have a lot of questions about... (This is after the camera is thrown in Side B mv)

She is the first to be shown after it is broken...

And the last to be shown staring at the camera...

Is she a significant character in the plot, she is wearing the same uniform as the girl in the video, yet the other members are wearing grey uniforms. Is this of any significance?

Also this...

THE FEMALE DEER:

What is the female deer supposed to symbolise, coming in the end of both music videos... In the end? At the same time? Why? Is there a reason?

CONCLUSION:

There are so many questions to be raised by this music video and majority are unanswered.

This may just be me because I'm a reveluv and the lore in Red Velvet is huge and very interesting and I find these difficult to understand. I feel like there is something much darker in this music video. I think the innocence that plays in this music video, in which played with our emotions is supposed to throw us off the scent of the danger in the music video that is presented. Something far more sinister...

What do you think about Ditto?

[icravemusicx0x0]

track thursdays #5 | how sweet/bubble gum

Toxic lover You’re no better, geogi sumji malgo eolleun nawa (quit hiding just step out) You little demon in my storyline Don’t knock on my door, I’ll see you out ~ how sweet, newjeans

newjeans makes a comeback with their new double single album 'how sweet'. let's talk about both tracks.

'how sweet' is the self-titled track of the album. this miami bass song is simple, sweet and groovy. what i like about this album is the nostalgic and gentle feeling that really stands out and fit in the special miami bass beat. in my opinion, miami bass production should be layered with chill harmony and soft vocals. this song is for the people out there who loves coca-cola and hyper fixating on a millenial aesthetic during the time when they were born.

'bubble gum' in great as well. serving as a b-side for the single, we get a more slower and funkier play here. it gives me the feeling of frutiger aero, an aesthetic created by the minds of post-y2k people of what they imagine the future as. when you're talking about newjeans, y2k somtimes pops out, as this is the girl group's focus of theme. this sounds like a youth nostalgia soundtrack, a background track of a futuristic hotel modeled in the 00's, or even a shampoo advertisement soundtrack (which it is)!

that single cover is giving retro playstation game cover

[thesinglesjukebox]

NEWJEANS - SUPER SHY

[7.60]

We're a bit excited to be back, if you couldn't tell...

Crystal Leww: NewJeans is a culmination of Min Hee Jin's career-long exploration of the many versions of girlhood and what it means. "Super Shy" is girlhood in 2023, which is to say, it's mostly just vibes -- uwu charm lyrics, wispy singing, and a dance made for Tiktok dancing with your homies. It is one of my least favorite NewJeans songs because it's so non-specific and made for viral meme repeatability than the embarrassingly sincere, sometimes wistful, heart-swooping songs about crushes that I love more from NewJeans but still, non-specific NewJeans still goes off in the club and that's good enough for me.  [7]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Every NewJeans song (except for the League of Legends one) is an expertly constructed rush of joy, but "Super Shy" is perhaps the most complete demonstration of why their formula works. The production and songwriting -- here handled by Frankie Scoca and Erica De Casier, two key figures in the "dancing alone in your room" space -- are great, obviously. But they're great in a very precise, measured way -- every aspect of "Super Shy" plays to the particular strengths of its performers. The skittering drums and dreamy synths come in and out of focus but the vocals are always given center stage, the simplicity of the melody and the unfussiness of the vocal performances making the crush pop lyrics seem at once artificial and deeply real. The appeal of NewJeans -- for me at least -- is in that strange crux: the fun that they're having is found exactly in the effort they're putting in. [9]

Anna Katrina Lockwood: Probably the slightest of NewJeans' singles thus far, "Super Shy" is nonetheless a delight. A fizzing little bundle of feelings, this may also be the most distinctively teenage song in NewJeans' catalog, which is appropriate -- they are indeed still teenagers, a truth I feel is still relevant to acknowledge. The push-and-pull of the drum'n'bass underpinnings balance a batch of diaphanous vocals, even more subtle than the vocal performances customary for NewJeans to date. The melodies are simple and relatively consistent, in contrast to the beat, which never settles -- it skitters, then thuds, bounces, disappears, phases back in, pulses -- always in motion. This is a very brief song, aside from just being a minimalist composition, and its pace goes some way to disguising its length, but not all the way. Given the teenage crush subject matter of "Super Shy", not to mention NewJeans' oeuvre as a whole, it feels almost poetically unsatisfying -- much like the vast majority of my teenage crushes, there's a lot of excitement without a complete payoff. Still, a very charming song.  [7]

Michael Hong: NewJeans watch their crush from afar. And yet it feels close. The group might have positioned themselves at the forefront of K-pop's current infatuation with club beats, but it's the low-key nature of their music, the minimalistic simplicity, that's so captivating. They're easy: "find a lil' spot, just sit and talk," the idea enough to render them giddy. "I'm all nervous cause you're on my mind all the time," they hum in a low buzz on the chorus, close to the rapid flutter of the drum 'n' bass production -- something so thrilling about divulging a crush that it makes you wish you had the courage to voice it to the object of your affection. [8]

Leah Isobel: On "Super Shy," NewJeans approach courtship as if it's a game of hopscotch. There's no fear of failure as there might be on songwriter Erika de Casier's version of this concept. Instead there's just bouncy, breezy momentum, sourced from their confidence and collective joy. As the girls trade off lines it becomes less about the one-to-one specificity of an individual relationship and more about the sweetness of connection itself, how the dances and rituals and games are evidence of the vast history and scope of human love, how each relationship is really the individual, internal universe reminding us of its congruity with the universe outside. We are all both the lover and the loved, all special, all super shy. [9]

Nortey Dowuona: Erika De Casier gave this team a very well crafted pop record that could never get the push or interest that it could done by a girl group of five. They're all good singers, but mostly indistinguishable from each other, blurring into a bright lilt that just fades behind the club kicks and only sparks to life on the line, "you don't even know my name, do ya?" It's the only stand out lyric, a deeply felt one at least due to the emphasis put on it, and the low bass synths just pops up and down, leaving the drums to move the song forward. They can only get so far, even chopping the vocals behind the only distinct lyric but leaving off with very little impression that the only one to have is that Erika de Casier gave this team a very well crafted pop record that could... [5]

Oliver Maier: The deft, reserved feel of NewJeans' second EP has been largely - probably correctly - attributed to Erika de Casier, who maybe relished the opportunity to condense her introverted RnB into sugary pop morsels. "Super Shy" has emerged as the consensus favourite and it's not hard to see why, between its zeitgesty DnB beat and nuclear earworm hook. It's not perfect: the verses are a bit incidental and it's just too short. But the way each member's voice cartwheels over another's with every successive chorus loop is magic. [9]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: This is all about the bubbling, butterflies-in-your-stomach space between "I'm super shy" and "Wait a minute while I make you mine." NewJeans punctuates it with the energy of five Powerpuff Girls on a mission to make their crush notice them. Super shy as in very shy, yes--but more so super shy, as in superheroes of shyness.  [9]

Andrew Karpan: Cool and iconically bouncy, it's a song about the ethereal placelessness of a crush, articulating a kind of online-era yearning that places the NewJeans crew in the present as much as any other literally bubbling club-lite touch. [9]

Kat Stevens: Hits the same buttons (Sweetness and Slaps) as T2's "Heartbroken".  [8]

Ian Mathers: I don't know what it says, about current trends in pop or about the amount of attention I've been paying, that this is a lot closer to the first PinkPantheress album than I would have guessed. Crossing my fingers that I'm not pulling a guy who has only seen Boss Baby about this. [7]

Alex Ostroff: If you had said even yesterday that I would be rating "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2" higher than "Super Shy" [spoilers!] I would have told you that you were crazy. But, weirdly, PinkPantheress' chorus has the ebullient bubbling fizzy burst of joy in the vocals that a song about a brand-new crush demands. "Super Shy" is an earworm, and the melody is everything I could possibly want, but NewJeans' delivery remains at the same level of enthusiasm throughout. I've had it on loop for the past 15 minutes and I could absolutely listen to it forever but every time we come back around to the chorus, I can't help but want the song to EXPLODE into emotions that match the subject. The closest it ever gets is circa "You don't even know my name, do you?" -- the group taking pleasure not in the feeling itself but in the safety of anonymity, the simple pleasure of a crush that makes you feel warm and makes you smile for a passing moment but which you know will never go anywhere, because you won't even say hi to them. Maybe that was inevitable for a song about being Super Shy, but I want them (and the song) to make that leap. [7]

Rachel Saywitz: I learned the entirety of the "Super Shy" dance a few months ago at an NYC studio I've been frequenting for the past year and a half. For weeks, I practiced waacking on the 7 train and went over complex step sequences in my apartment hallway in the dead of night. I'm not a great dancer, and K-pop choreography is often too advanced for my wobbly body to handle. But I saw something I could maybe replicate with "Super Shy": in the intricate poise of NewJeans' movements, the communal joy of their performances, that deceptively simple cheeriness. NewJeans reminds me of the times I used to practice T-ara's "Roly Poly" shuffle, The Wonder Girls' "Nobody" sway, Sana of Twice's "shy shy shy" part from "Cheer Up," almost every 2NE1 single. I think that's what makes the song sound so fresh, despite its obvious Jersey Club influences, its soft, plain vocal tones and innocent melodies, a trademark of co-writer Erika de Casier. There's no larger story that "Super Shy" ties into, no mind bending concept other than the pure thought of crushing on someone. I can embody that.  [9]

Alfred Soto: You could dance to "Super Shy" -- I could dance to "Super Shy" -- but the drums 'n' bass loop reflects the hum of a person struggling to get outside herself (think Everything But the Girl's run of mid '90s albums). The track is almost strong enough to support a conversation about the differences between shyness and introversion.  [6]

Katherine St Asaph: The drum-and-bass loop is super au courant but also super polite, meant less for the dance floor than one's interior headspace. And the headspace this song has in mind is curated and chill: no build, no tension, no dramatics, no end to repetition, just safe unchanging reverie. Which is pretty and all, but "Super Shy" is supposed to be a song about a crush, and this is not what a crush feels like. (For me, at least. Must be nice.) [6]

Jonathan Bradley: A drum-and-bass beat shrunk down small enough to fit inside a locket, a shimmery little keepsake to be tucked away close to your chest and swooned over in lost private moments. Even in the song's its final moments, when the rhythm picks up with an insistent pulse, the synths retain their smeared pastel sheen. It's shyness not as coquetry but seclusion: a pretty little song to keep on your nightstand next to a scrapbook and a compact mirror. [8]

Brad Shoup: I love drum'n'bass because it's as versatile as potatoes, able to soundtrack both speed-fueled mania and chaste lil crushes. Here, the drums are like home fries: tiny and crisp. "Super Shy" has the kind of massive hook that extends grace to everything around it: the perfunctory, rattled-off rap feels like the rehearsal for a heist. In fact, all the parts where NewJeans seem to be talking to someone else, rather than plotting around them, are less interesting to me. Dozens of listens on, the crush stuff seems like a fig leaf for the joy of devising the perfect scheme. [8]

Aaron Bergstrom: A song that peeks its head out from around a corner and then disappears down the street before you know what's happening, chasing a skittering beat that dissolves into finger snaps when the mood strikes. By the time you get to the corner there's nothing but a shimmer in the air. [6]

Joshua Lu: NewJeans's brand of easy listening music remains refreshing, but "Super Shy" feels like they're establishing a formula for the first time. The staccato percussion and the frantic vocals sound like they were imported from "Ditto" and then just laid over a different instrumental, this time some glacial muzak like you're on hold for the chicest insurance agency of all time. These sounds do combine nicely, but it can't help but feel undercooked, especially with the short runtime that stops the song from going anywhere truly interesting. [6]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: The genius of NewJeans began with "Ditto," when they flattened a Baltimore club beat into a wistful portrait of holiday gratitude: less a grandiose fireworks show than sparklers in a backyard. It transcended its modish, bedroom-pop approach to dance music because it wasn't strictly referential -- it toyed with musical conventions to capture the complex emotions of anyone too in their head. "Super Shy" is similar, adopting glossy drum 'n' bass as a conduit for crushing hard, fast, and with no plans for action. The secret is in the beat switch to Jersey club-isms, arriving right as "You don't even know my name, do ya?" provides the most sublime hook of the year. It's both a question and a proclamation, a sign of yearning and relief: if this crush remains a crush, then I can't get hurt, right? I heard "Super Shy" in the club the night it came out, but it's a song ultimately befitting daydreams -- the stuttering beat provides all the pleasure you need, no movement needed. Its antiseptic sheen isn't some utopian future, but the blissfully static present. [9]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

[animusiem]

Billboard USA Exclusion Zone Episode 19 (08/05/2023)

After three weeks hiatus, I am finally back from the break and a lot has happened recently. We got Jungkook and Latto's first #1 hit, this week we have NewJeans album bomb along with Barbie rising up more, and Speak Now Taylor's Version is out as well. That's all that really happened really, I don't know what anything that happened beside that hahaha....anyways here's the best chart on earth's debut review.

-------------------------------------------

4. "ETA" by NewJeans

I think 2023 has been a great year for Kpop, but if you tell this to like a Kpophead they'll tell you it's kinda tumultuous. Using NewJeans as an example, they have been kinda screwed by their label manager in the lead up to Get Up. This song is the prime example which some people on Twitter are calling this song a support for a far-left Basque separatist group...okay then twitter. Bottom line is that despite the success and this being a great song (even if it sounded like That That by Psy), It has been a chaotic year for Kpop

6. "K-pop" by Travis Scott ft. Bad Bunny & The Weeknd

I will get into the album review next week, but it's kinda interesting how because of Goosebumps and Sicko Mode, he's now is big enough globally that this song can chart on Global Excluding US chart. And also I couldn't forget that while he's indeed a piece of shit and has blood on his hand, at the end of the day the music has to prove itself to be good (unless if you are a Nazi or a rapist and make a song about it). With that in mind, this song is not good. Who thought that mixing funk carioca drum with eerie synth was a good idea is beyond me.

19. "Cool With You" by NewJeans

My favorite part of Kpop this year is how they're embracing the 2000's dance sound along with the club sound. That's why this song is my favorite one from the album. I just love the UK Garage sound and this one is no exceptions.

26. "ASAP" by NewJeans

I've never seen any Kpop bands ever experimented as much as this one. This is legit felt like early Bjork sound modernized and I don't take that lightly.

44. "Get Up" by NewJeans

Cool intro sis!

82. "Barbie Girl" by Aqua

You know my ass was very egg back then when I didn't have negative reaction listening to this song for the first time during elementary. And also me opening up repressive memories of me wanting to play Barbie but couldn't...anyways Barbie movie is great.

110. "Speed Drive" by Charli XCX

The fact that this song sounds like her hyperpop days with the ringtone like synth and the distorted bass charted high in here and also the US showed that we are so back baby!

128. "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor

The saddest part of her death is that I just found out that she converted to Islam. She fought a good fight and this cover of The Family song is still a classic. Innalillahi Wa Inalillahi Roji'un Shuhada' Sadaqat I hope you're finally find peace in akhirat.

129. "Love Like This" by Zayn

Anyways here's Zayn trend chasing the 2000's dance throwback and make it sound like the most uninspired thing ever, even if I do love the anti-drop.

149. "I'm Just Ken" by Ryan Gosling

My favorite part of the movie is the music choices. The fact that they changed the music on the radio from Indigo Girls to Matchbox Twenty to signified the takeover of Kens is inspired, as well as making Ryan Gosling singing what I would describe as an homage to the late Jim Steinmen, this movie is just great.

187. "Montagem - PR Funk" by S3BZS

All I can say is that if you showed this to your grandparents, they would perish.

198. "Rosa Patel" by Belanova

So if I get this correctly, this song is a pop rock song made by a Mexican band that was released in 2006 and during that time they're making Spanish version of High School Musical song...God I love this chart so much.

199. "Dial Drunk" by Noah Kahan

I kinda missed the indie folk sound of 2011-2014 as vapid and meaningless as they sound. And I'm glad he bring this back with some great guitar solo.

I highly recommend everyone to listen to these songs.

[best-review-provider]

GOOGLE PLAY-STORE REVIEW PROVIDER

Our Service is Always Trusted Customers Sufficient Guarantee.

If you want to more information just contact now. 24/7 Hours Reply

WhatsApp: +8801705394690

WhatsApp Busi: +8801705394690

Skype: live:.cid.c65f1a83357c01f7

Telegram: @bestreviewstore

E-mail: bestreviewstoreusa@gmail.com