theboywithtangledearphones

[theboywithtangledearphones]

[Album Review] She Is (The 1st Album) - Jonghyun

Jonghyun made his solo debut last 2015. For those who don’t know or remember, he made his debut with Deja Boo and Crazy. Now, for his very first comeback, he released his first album which is "She Is - The 1st Album". The album has 9 tracks these are:

She Is

White T-shirt

Orbit

Moon

Aurora

Dress Up

Cocktail

Red

Suit Up

The said album has She Is as the title track for this promotional run. This song kind of reminds of his past releases. Not that they are the similar standard tracks, but the different and variety of sounds he has going on, in his songs. And this song is not standard. It's so much more vibrant and modern. His English may be a little troublesome. It sounds a lot like “Sh*ts” rather than “She Is”. His vocals this time around rolled off the tip of his tongue quite nicely. The vocals matched the instrumental quite well. The song flowed quite nicely, despite the use of the incoherent electronic/ synth dominated instrumental. The song does seem to limit his talent. I feel like a lot more could have been showcased in the song. His ad-libs are quite artistic and fitted the song quite well. Overall, I think it was a much better song than his debut songs, which I didn’t think they were good.

As for the side tracks, all where good and is worth listening to. It’s very coherent and free flowing. As the tracks continue to play the chill electronic synth vibe that the title track gave isn’t losing for the side tracks also gives off the same vibe. Different tunes but same vibe. His vocals didn’t shine that much for me in this album, probably as I have stated earlier, the electronic genre limits his vocal capabilities. Overall, the album is nice from the tracks up to the music video, I recommend it for everyone to listen to.

Overall album rating: 8/10

Go listen to Jonghyun’s She Is album:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5XXj3np5p7OfODgHcVhuPD

Watch She Is music video:

https://youtu.be/jmNhfjzmMrU

[theboywithtangledearphones]

[Album Review] Square One - Blackpink

One of the newest groups on the block. BLACKPINK is a four member girl group under YG Entertainment. The group debuted last year. The group consist of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa. Along with their debut they released "Square One". Square One consists of two tracks, Whistle and Boombayah.

1. Whistle

Whistle is a song that's addictive and is widely influenced with its hip hop influences. When I say it is addictive, it's the continuous whistles in the song. While they do seem quite annoying and repetitive, it made the song feel alive and more likeable. I really liked the completely slow verses and then the sudden buildup to the chorus. The chorus plus the bridge had a nice soulful and relaxing vibe to it, which showcased their vocal abilities (which are quite strong). I am hyped whenever the rap parts come through in the song. (8/10)

2. Boombayah

This track got me bopping all throughout the song. The song shows their rapping and powerful vocals off pretty well. It's quite heavy and still have that hip hop influence in it, though it also has a nice powerful vibe to it. To be honest, I like this song more (compared to Whistle) because there is more of a vibrant color to the song, plus a much better hook that reeled me into the song. The words “Boombayah” are the perfect way to start off the chorus. The insturmental is more likeable here. (9/10)

Overall album rating: 9.5/10

Go listen to Blackpink's Square One:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0AcFaK32ui9rF2ySEdXrv4

Watch Blackpink's music videos for both tracks:

(Boombayah) https://youtu.be/bwmSjveL3Lc

(Whistle) https://youtu.be/dISNgvVpWlo

[theboywithtangledearphones]

[Album Review] The War: The Power of Music (4th Repackaged Album) - EXO

The return of the superpowers that EXO debuted with is back! A few weeks after their 4th studio album got released, EXO has made their return with the repackaged album of The War, which has been renamed to The War: The Power of Music. This repackaged album features all the songs from The War and it also features 3 new songs, one of the three is Power.

1. Power

This is the most playful, hyper, and exciting song that EXO had. The group went with a totally new sound with Power. From their reggae inspired Ko Ko Bop, Power centers itself within the genre of Pop. I personally like this. Sure, it isn’t a brand new sound and sounds like a generic edm song. But sometimes, you just need to appreciate the said genre. What I initially thought was the song felt like your typical EXO side-track that you would find on the album, not a title track. This is one really good title track. The intensity from the instrumental was just right and paired well with the other elements of the song. I like the bright and hyper atmosphere that the song gives off. It's that type of song that you'd listen to when you want to get hyped, motivated and such. The “We Got The Power” line got stuck in my head even after the song ends, which indicates that it is one catchy song. Vocally, this is an amazing effort from the group. I felt everyone shined equally, had equal line distribution and it was definitely one of their best. In addition, the music video is great. Each member had their decent amount of screentime plus the colors, animation and everything in the video is great. I highly recommend everyone to watch the music video for this song. (10/10)

3. Sweet Lies

It's the odd one out for the entire album. A part of me finds the track very interesting. The RnB infused electronic style of sound isn’t something that you find often in Kpop. The vocals were great and the raps were on point. But even after a few listens, the track isn’t memorable. (7/10)

7. Boomerang

This track is my jam. The synth-heavy RnB centered instrumental was standard but pretty nice. The instrumental sounds like an 80s retro-ish cartoon background music which I love. The vocals were good, bringing a different side out of some of the vocalists in my opinion. I don’t think there were any rap parts to the song, as Chanyeol was singing in the second verse and Sehun only ended up with 6 words. In my opinion, if the song had a stronger hook, I would have enjoyed it a little more. Overall its a great song. (8/10)

Overall album rating: 9/10

Go listen to EXO's The Power of Music album:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5yUlewRtRySsb77hEoTTIu

Watch Power music video:

https://youtu.be/sGRv8ZBLuW0

[theboywithtangledearphones]

[Album Review] The War (4th Studio Album) – EXO

EXO has made their highly anticipated comeback with their brand new fourth studio album titled, The War. The main title track for the album is Ko Ko Bop. Unfortunately, out of nine members, they will be coming back as eight. Lay was unable to participate in the album due to his solo schedules overseas. This album alone has already broken records, prior to its release, proving to everyone the group’s booming popularity and fan's dedication.

1. The Eve (전야)

The album starts up with one killer track. As soon as the song plays, you are attacked with amazing vocals from the members. I can tell that the slowness of the track was highlight in this one. You could feel the build up through the instrumental, which creates a tense atmosphere and ended up bringing their vocals and raps into the spotlight. (9/10)

2. Ko Ko Bop

I'm gonna be honest on this one, the song was disappointing at first. After a number of listens later and the same thing still holds but it slowly grows on you the more you listen to it. I'm not exactly into the reggae style that EXO went with, but I am not turned off by it, as well. It gave the song its unique side. There were some catchy moments throughout the song which I find interesting (especially the part of the song which was used in the iconic Ko Ko Bop Challenge). Their vocals don’t seem that great particularly in this track, which was a disappointment, it's probably because EXO tend to release a more intense, strong, and upbeat songs previously. I was expecting some sort of intensity from the members, but the energy felt very lacking. I know it was more of a chilled song, but that doesn’t mean the energy has to be low. The only member I felt did a good job was Chanyeol, whose rap suited the song and D.O because of his soothing voice. (8/10)

3. What U Do

Like the first track, the vocals of the members are put into the spotlight. I love the tune of the track, which made me want to get up and dance. The chorus was super catchy and has the ‘What U Do‘ (which all the members participate in) ringing and stuck in my head after the song finishes up. (9/10)

4. Forever

I personally don't just like this track, I LOVE IT. Just like "The Eve", Forever is one heck of a killer track. From Baekhyun's intro to Chen's chorus and down to Chanyeol’s rap, it's all really good up to the point that you just wanna sing along. As usual, the vocals, rap and instrumental are on point. (10/10)

5. Diamond (다이아몬드)

A part of me wants to like the track. It has an interesting yet strong beat. The instrumental has a Middle Eastern-ish influence. However, I didn’t like how the rappers kept on adding small parts throughout the song. I don't have anything to say that much for this song. It a nice song but wasn’t a memorable one, compared to the other tracks in this album. (7/10)

6. Touch It (너의 손짓)

This track is groovy and funky in a good way. I got a good sense of its groovy and funk vibes on this one. The vocal work and rapping were pretty good. I love the ‘na na na‘ at the end of each chorus. It was the catchiest part of the entire track and the accompanying female background vocals suited the groovy vibe, so nicely. (8/10)

7. Chill (소름)

Chill is a messy track. To me, it felt like it's all that you asked to be put in an EXO track but did not work well together. The instrumental felt like some kind of a nintendo game, with all the different elements not coming together well. Furthermore, there was an odd mix of styles, which didn’t sound ear-catching to me. The same could be said about the raps and vocals. Overall, not a song that I would be listening frequently. (5/10)

8. Walk On Memories (기억을 ��는 밤)

This is one amazing song. The melodies in this song are definitely one to die for. The vocals in this song are just blissful, where all the members are singing. The harmonies are to live for. Even the instrumental was beautiful. The aesthetics of the song is on another level and it just leaves me breathless and speechless. (10/10)

9. Going Crazy (내가 미쳐)

The last track in the album is, Going Crazy. Two things caught me by surprise with this track. Firstly, the breakdown. It was unexpected but I felt it went with the rest of the song nicely (unlike in other tracks). The second thing was that sudden high note at the end of the song. And everything else in between sounded really good. It's safe to say that the album ends on a good song. (9/10)

Overall album rating: 8/10

Go listen and check out EXO's The War album:

https://open.spotify.com/album/53pJcIJBdlm5rhVhjSnvHn

KoKoBop music video:

https://youtu.be/IdssuxDdqKk

[theboywithtangledearphones]

[Album Review] Love Yourself: Her (5th Mini Album) – BTS

After taking over the charts, their world tour, and winning at BBMA, BTS returns to the stage with their latest mini-album release, titled, Love Yourself: Her. I can definitely see why fans are really into the music, despite it being a changeup. Scroll down for the entire and not-so-lengthy album review.

1. Serendipity (Intro Track)

I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH. The style, vocals, the singer, EVERYTHING. Jimin (who is the only singer in this track) opens the album with a breath-taking song. His vocals are amazing in this song, just hearing the first few seconds of it already leaves a deep impression into your mind. It is a song that can be very sensual, given the lyrics and overall sound of it. (10/10)

2. DNA

BTS has never failed us and it's fans, ARMY. This year they put out another great song. DNA is the lead title track for this mini album. In my opinion, this is their most upbeat and light song. You can tell from the song’s brighter start with the guitar and pop-based instrumental. The whistles at the very start capture your attention (It's Jungkook that's whistling. How can you not be snatched by the golden maknae?!?!???) and give a little mysterious vibe to the song. Interestingly, the song takes a turn and becomes EDM based, with a pretty good beat drop right after the chorus. The mix between the two was quite nice and refreshing even though it seems a little mainstream nowadays. As usual, the vocals and raps were quite good but they don’t seem as captivating as their previous songs. I am in love with the bridge where the members slide in one by one for their parts and that instrumental that followed for the final chorus was amazing. Overall, I liked the song, up until that certain part at the ending. The "La La La" that followed was fine but lowkey awkward and it feels like the song would still work great without the "La La La" part. But setting aside that part, the song was overall amazing. (9/10)

3. Best Of Me

Following DNA is the infamous Best of Me. Out of all the tracks on the album, my second favorite vote goes to this one. It has a very Western feel to it and I think that is mainly because this is a collaboration between BTS and The Chainsmokers, who happens to be one of my favorite Western artists at the moment. The beat drop is amazing and that “Haru Haru” part just before the drop just shook me. The only word that can describe the instrumental, vocals and raps: PERFECT. (10/10)

4. Dimple (보조개)

This song only features Jimin, Jungkook, Jin and V. And they did a great job with counterback for the lack of rappers in this song. It gave a chance for us listeners to hear something more light and wholesome from the vocal line. In addition, I really like the instrumental for this track. (9/10)

5. Pied Piper

This is one track to bop your head to. You can tell that there's a hip-hop influence, but there was also a little bit of funk mixed into it, which made it very interesting and a VERY LSS-worthy song. It was easy to get lost in this track due to its great melody and rhythm. Both the vocals and the raps for this song were on point, it both blends so well. It could have used some speed, but that may change up the song up. (8/10)

7. MIC Drop

This song got me a negative to positive reaction. I wasn’t much of a fan of the song at first but it grew on me, especially when the "Mic mic bungee" and "Did you see my bag" part got stuck inside my head making me listen to the song frequently. The track itself is a hip-hop influenced but with a twist to it, which makes it memorable. (8.5/10)

8. Go Go (고민보다 Go)

Just by reading and listening to the previous tracks you'd probably think the album is high on hip-hop unlike BTS' previous albums. Well Go Go continues on and it is another song that I don’t think of when it comes to the album but it wouldn’t mean I wouldn't listen this song. The chorus was probably my favourite bit of the entire song as it sounds weird (in a good way) but very cool at the same time. (8/10)

9. Her (Outro Track)

The rappers take the reins and end the album with another hip-hop based song. The rappers did an amazing job, but I personally think the highlight of this track is the instrumental. The song’s style is jazzy music and the raps that lay on top goes really well with it. It's something that I'd listen to in a long night drive or whilst reading. (8.5/10)

Overall album rating: 9/10

Go check out and listen to BTS' Love Yourself; Her:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2FTS6a6DLXMNp8flyA0HGO

Watch BTS' DNA & Serendipity mv here:

(DNA) https://youtu.be/MBdVXkSdhwU

(Serendipity) https://youtu.be/BEMaH9Sm3lQ

[theboywithtangledearphones]

[Album Review] Al1 (4th Mini Album) – Seventeen

This year, Seventeen came back with their fourth mini album with the title track, Don’t Wanna Cry. The mini-album consists of 8 tracks. These 8 tracks includes 2 tracks from the entire group, 3 tracks from each subunit (vocal team, hiphop team, performance team), 1 track from Jun and The8 and 2 tracks that will be available in the CD version only.

1. Don’t Wanna Cry

From the very first second, the song’s instrumental felt more western than the usual kpop tunes and it’s a complete change in the sound, compared to Seventeen’s past songs. The song itself sounds similar to a certain Chainsmoker’s song (emphasis on ‘similar’). But still quite different in its own way. I like the instrumental, it doesn’t have that usual overrated loud, hyper, and all-over-the-place instrumental that most songs have. What surprised me was that the rappers didn’t really rap, but they sang their lines instead, which caught me off guard the first time around. The buildup and rhythm in the song was amazing. The silence just before the beat drops is quite nice, though it did feel like a gaping hole in the song. Finally, what I loved the most about the song is the bridge. Wonwoo and Minggyu’s part in the bridge provided the punch that the song needed. THAT part is where the emotions relayed by the song to the listener gets intense, and I love it! Overall, I really like the song. It sounds cool and very modern. (9/10)

2. Habit (Vocal Team)

If you have been in track and updates with Seventeen’s past songs until now, you probably know what the Vocal Team of Seventeen is capable of. Their vocals are amazing in the song. The song itself is soothing to an extent and it makes you want to sing along. The song’s buildups quite suddenly, but it’s fine and still works throughout the whole song. (7/10)

3. If I (Hip-Hop Team)

For those who don’t know me, I don’t really listen that much to hip-hop songs. Not because I hate it, it’s just not my style or should I say type. But after hearing Seventeen’s Hip-Hop subunit, my view towards hip-hop songs, rap changed. They did an amazing job with this song, they gave the song a more deeper feel, which I actually enjoy. What made me fall in love with this song is that it gives that “heartbroken” feels just like the previous tracks. I thoroughly enjoyed the beat drop, which reminds me of the title track for this album. Their raps aren’t heavy sounding, which is probably why I enjoyed this song. (8/10)

4. Swimming Fool (Performance Team)

Just looking at the title, I could tell it was a weird track. I don’t even know if weird is the right word for it, since it’s energetic and vibrant compared to the other subunit songs. The song has a very catchy and funky beat, which I am loving. (7/10)

5. My I (Jun & The8)

Quick fact, Jun and The8 are members of the group from China. And so their Korean isn’t fluent unlike the rest of the members. Because of their fluency in Korean, they tend to get the least amount of lines in their songs. And while I was very happy they were getting a song for themselves, I just can’t really get myself to like the track. The song just didn’t have any appeal to me and my mind seems to blank out when this song comes on. This track kind of feels like something that you’d hear in a vlog or ad. Their vocals are finally showcased even more, where they sound pretty decent overall. (6/10)

6. Crazy In Love

This is my favorite track off the album. The song starts off in an unexpected way. There’s a very alluring and eargasmic sound with the pre-chorus. The chorus has this amazing funk sound, which seems to be the highlight of the entire album. It’s super catchy and an addictive song to listen to. (9/10)

Overall album rating: (9/10)

Go listen to Seventeen’s Al1 album here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2BNimvLLlD89e4Sb7ZVX6I

Watch Don’t Wanna Cry music video:

https://youtu.be/zEkg4GBQumc

[theboywithtangledearphones]

[Album Review] The Red Summer (Special Summer Album) – Red Velvet

The past months, Red Velvet came back with their special summer album, The Red Summer. The main title track is Red Flavor, which has topped charts since its release on July 8, 2017.

1. Red Flavor (Title Track)

From the very start of the song, it doesn’t hold back with its upbeat and vibrant sounds. The catchy and addictive chorus starts off the song. It definitely did the job it was set out for. It grabs your attention with its repetitive and consistent beat. The vocals are explosive throughout the song, both in the chorus and the verses. The weird deep voice in the back of the song that repeat the words “Red Flavor” were a very odd aspect of the song. But it gave a quirky factor to the song, and I liked that a lot.

The song’s very unique. Wendy’s vocals for the bridge and the ending of the song really gives it a polished finish, which makes the song sound so much better. I honestly cannot stop replaying this song after its release. The song really gives out that fun and cheerful mood whenever you listen to it. It’s a great summertime song to enjoy and listen to. (10/10)

2. You Better Know

I love this track. Besides the title track, I felt like this was also one of the the best tracks on the album. You Better Know is an EDM track that has a great instrumental. It kinda sounds like a generic EDM song but still, it never fails to give the listener that summer feeling. The chorus was catchy and the beat drop is somewhat bursting with powerful energy. When the girls sang together, they sounded spectacular and when they sang on their own, they sounded amazing. (9/10)

3. Zoo

After the second track next is, Zoo. Like what the name suggests, the song has sounds you would hear in zoos a.k.a animal sounds. The chorus is a little awkward at first especially that Tarzan scream which made me cringe a bit. I like the rest of their vocals throughout the song. The only flaw I found is the rap part, it kinda sounds out of place and the short lines. (7/10)

4. Mojito

Mojito is slower, compared to the previous songs. It felt refreshing and very calming. Their chorus is amazing and it becomes better when they sing together. It may not have that certain hype factor, which drove me to like their title track. But it definitely is enough for someone to listen to over and over again. (6/10)

5. Hear the Sea

This last track throws you off in this album. The song isn’t my type, or should I say not my cup of tea. It’s boring and slow at times. Their harmonies during the chorus are the only thing that I like. Hearing this track dismisses that hype that you got after hearing the first four songs which makes it disappointing. (4/10)

Overall album rating: 8/10

Go check out Red Velvet’s Red Summer Album here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/6OXg149IkmbgW7zfzbwgS2

Red Flavor music video:

https://youtu.be/WyiIGEHQP8o

[theboywithtangledearphones]

Greetings!

Hi guys! It's me Vincent. I'll be reviewing a bunch of albums, mainly kpop in this blog.. so yeah, hope y'all like it.