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@thekpopgossip
Roundup: Freshest Releases
Yeonjun "Ice Cream"
TXT's Yeonjun is a pretty boring soloist, he can dance, but his singing is mid at best and the songs he picks are terrible. First GGUM and now this Robin Thicke "Blurred Lines" wannabe track.
UAU "Tuesday"
Sultry r'n'b suits the girls better than whatever they were trying to do on "Gene". I just don't like that the whole song is in English. Not sure what this WABiSABi performance is all about, but it might lead me down to the rabbit hole.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
TRENDZ "On My Knees"
This was actually good - the melodies, the energy, and the chorus worked well together. The raps were unnecessary, but it's a k-pop boy group, they can't seem to make songs without it.
AHOF "Run To You"
Not as good as their other tracks, but I did like the beat/instrumental. I just wish the chorus was more than just the hook being on repeat. And MEOVV's b-side "In My Hands" is Instagram influencer core, I guess.
RESCENE '"Pretty Girl"
Who decided to remake the worst KARA song out there? Oh well, I'm just happy the group is doing so well. I never thought my favorite rookie of 2024 would become a breakout star two years later! Their debut track is still my favorite of theirs though...
Roundup: Freshest Releases
i-dle "Gimme Dat Love"
Well, it's better than the pre-release, which sounded like a Soyeon solo. Here we have stark Tyla influences, but super bland, where's the charm in that?
UAU "Gene"
These three Dreamcatcher members are making music that's so far removed from DC's sound, it's almost funny. I liked the verses but the chorus was too repetitive.
BABYMONSTER "I like it"
Another k-pop summer song (July just started after all). Funny enough, this sounds nothing like a BM or BP song, so I like it, too. Meanwhile, Niel has sultry r'n'b song out called "California".
Roundup: Freshest Releases
Seventeen V8 "singasong"
HYBE gentrifying the underground nightcore/edm genre is funny. You can see it with Cortis' whole concept too, acting like they're indie-rock artists, while a billion-dollar company is curating and managing every single thing in their lives/careers. Anyway, the song was ok for what it is, but not my cup of tea.
OMEGA X "Life Detox"
The group has been through the ringer, so I always cheer for them, but their music is just too basic to make a splash, and Junghoon already left earlier this month, so who knows how much longer they can last.
M.O.N.T "Run"
M.O.N.T have been releasing pop-rock songs since their debut in 2019, but it feels super generic and kinda boring. A three member group is rare for bands, they should do something more interesting to highlight each member.
Keyveatz "OXY"
The autotune and beat switches are a weird choice. The pre-chorus and chorus work since they're hype, but then the song slows down unnecessary again and again. Meanwhile, Choi Yoojung is trying to pull a Choi Yena, but without her charisma.
Indie K of the Day
Silica Gel "Molecular Gastronomy"
A Korean band singing in English with a Japanese office worker going crazy and turning into a fish? If you don't know what is happening the music video, you're not alone. But man, the song is fun and catchy. The band has been around for a long time, but hasn't released much music, but every time they do, it's pretty good stuff, check them out if you like indie k-rock.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
AtHeart "Say It"
A fun summer song, but the "Lovefool" sample is a cheat code. One of the best pop songs ever written, now I want to go listen to that instead.
NEXZ "Hellmate"
I want to like NEXZ but the music has been miss after miss since their amazing debut. At least Haru and Yu look hot as usual.
ATEEZ "Bad"
With a Latin beat like that, I was expecting a dance anthem, but this felt really subdued, and the raps were awful. Chase Infiniti in the music video was funny though.
HITGS "Little by Little"
The 80's synth instrumental sounds good but the voices were off, like they sound muffled and autotuned to the max. Meanwhile, Marquise is channeling her inner Cassie and from20 understood how to deliver a fuckboi anthem.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
dodree "Hawwah"
JYPE's creative team has done such a great job at creating this modern/classic Korean folklore fusion for dodree. I wish the song was longer and had more time to develop nuances, though.
Stray Kids "Run It"
SKZ has had some great success with their Korean folklore fusions as well, but this one is a miss. I don't even know what story they were trying to tell, but the song and mv were underwhelming, which is funny since they were going for an anthem vibe.
Primrose "Cosmic"
I like the slow tempo r'n'b sound here, the girls also sound nice, but with more capable singers the track would have been even better. Where are the vocal runs and high notes? Heart of Women has strange hip-hop song out too.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
CLASSy "Tear Drop"
A very simple pop-rock song, the chorus could have been a bit more than just repeating the hook "tear drop, dududu". Meanwhile, NCT Wish did a whole cover of 90's j-pop song. And Secret is back as a three member group.
HYUNHAYO "NALLY-NA"
I can't really get into TREASURE, this song might as well be a leftover track from Block B (not necessarily a bad thing). I just don't think any of the guys can rap well enough to pull it off.
Hearts2Hearts "Lemon Tang"
SM really doesn't know what to do with their 5th gen groups, their sound/concept is all over the place - from "The Chase" to "Rude" to this... I'm not a big fan of disjointed songs either, so this was a dud for me.
Evan "Ride or Die"
Well, the man left a popular group for his solo career - my expectations were high for his debut, so this was a major let down. The autotune is unbearable and he looks kinda silly in the music video.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
ONF "Open The Door"
Here the music video and the song don't match at all, it's almost strange how uplifting the song is, and how dark the visuals are.
USPEER "Wicked Game"
This was rather generic and inoffensive, but also lacks anything that makes the song stand out. Koreans do love to use AI though. Meanwhile, I enjoyed Fifty Fifty's b-side "Starstruck".
Yves feat. Lexie Liu "Break It"
I like her sound and the visuals, Yves has really established herself as a formidable soloist. She always seems to want to tell a story, whether it's based on her real life experiences or a fantasy.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
STAYC "2 Love"
I like the upbeat retro beat, the chorus was also catchy. Overall a cute summer song, but not STAYC's strongest comeback.
RIIZE "Do your dance"
RIIZE fit edm music, although here the chorus is a bit repetitive, I preferred "Impossible's" house beat. Maybe this is what happens when you let 15 year olds write your songs.
i-dle "Crow"
I had to double-check whether this was an i-dle song or a Soyeon solo. I liked the bridge around 2:00, the rest of the song is a bit too one-note, and rap is not the group's strength, so maybe this would have worked better as Soyeon's solo track.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
BabyMonster "Sugar Honey Ice Tea"
If you want to make kitch edm music, you should at least be at the level of T-ARA. These recent k-pop dance tracks just don't hit the same. BM's lyrics are always terrible too, somebody give these talented girls a good song.
BoyNextDoor "Viral"
Finally, a HYBE song that isn't just trying to be a TikTok hit, how ironic that it's called "Viral". I liked all the non-rap parts and that they let go of their cringe comedy concept.
izna "Metronom"
I really liked the verses, it's too bad the chorus is a mixed bag. I mean the melodic part is great, the drop part sucks. Meanwhile, EPEX is doing some hip-hop mixed with smooth Y2K r'n'b.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
Xia Junsu "Gravity"
I wasn't expecting industrial house music from Junsu, but the beat and his vocals work really well together. I was kinda hoping for a big highlight towards the end though.
MAMAMOO "4 Flowers"
The group is back after four years, so the title makes sense in more than one way. I liked that they didn't go with a boring ballad but instead an upbeat pop track full of melancholia.
XODIAC "Phantom Fire"
This was a rather weak comeback, especially the chorus needed something more exciting, instead of repeating the same word over and over again. The rap verses were pretty bad too.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
SHINEE "Atmos"
Oh, this is giving "View" vibes and I love it. The edm beat is so rich and full of different textures. The guys sound good too.
MEOVV "DDI RO RI"
The Dracula themed concept would've worked better around Halloween, but even then, the music is lacking originality. It's just another copy of BP's sound and style.
TREASURE "If"
The English lyrics are cringe, the swag is cringe, the music video is cringe. YG's biggest flop, no wonder they want to debut a new boy group this year, I just hope they can be less outdated.
FIFTY FIFTY "Like a Bubble"
I like the push and pull effect throughout the song, the harmonies are beautiful, and the dreamy, soft vibes work well for summer. tripleS is also back with an energetic summer lalala song.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
XLOV "Serve"
Well, it sure is a serve to have Han So Hee in your music video. I liked the song and the different sections, switching from a dreamy melody to a pulsating dance beat. Another surprising collab was NMIXX and Anderson .Paak.
aespa "Lemonade"
I must be one of the few people who hate "Whiplash" because of the monotone chorus, the boring beat, and the rap talking. Well, I didn't like this release for the same reasons. Meanwhile, Heart of Woman's new song sounds like Boa's "Valenti", which means it's pretty good!
IDID "Fly!"
Starship is going all in with their new groups KiiiKiii and IDID. The concepts and visuals are top-notch, only the music hasn't really captured me yet. "Fly!" needed a more memorable or catchy chorus.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
IVE "Lucid Dream"
A dreamy pop song for their Japanese fans. The chorus is too simple and repetitive, and the rap parts were not needed at all, almost ruined the song, but I did like the piano/synth chords.
AND2BLE "Curious"
Glad to see that a few ZB1 members still release music together, the vocals are great, even if this song doesn't really flow as easily, especially the chorus feels weirdly low energy.
ALD1 "Omg!"
ZB1's replacement is not really taking off as much as Wake One was hoping, but that's just how it goes with survival show groups. The song is pretty average boy group fanfare.
Roundup: Freshest Releases
LE SSERAFIM "Boompala"
The Macarena sample just made me want to listen to the original instead of this messy, repetitive copycat. Why is a dance track so low energy? HYBE is getting lazy with their music, the mv's are creative though.
GPP "Ate!"
This is SM's Japanese girl group, and unlike their debut, this comeback has a decent budget, unfortunately the song sucks. Was there really no unreleased SNSD b-side from 2011 they could have used instead?
Taeyang "Live Fast Die Slow"
BigBang's Taeyang is back with a really upbeat 80's inspired track. I liked the synths and his voice seemed less nasal than usual. The choreo straight up looks like something JYP would create. Meanwhile, I was surprised by Gabee's groovy "Bromm, Taki".
Roundup: Freshest Releases
I.O.I "Suddenly"
The original produce group is back after 10 years with a very 80's retro sound. I liked the chorus, but the verses were lacking melody and rhythm, it's all a little too one-note and slow paced.
xikers "OKay"
This was almost a throwback to what Seo Taiji was releasing decades ago. I liked the instrumental a lot and the chorus was full of high energy. I think this might be the group's best track yet.
NAZE "Pretty Pink Socks"
Very 3rd gen coded, the melodies are there, the beat changes are there, the bridge is there, the final climatic chorus is there. I was curious what their name means, and it's an abbreviation for “New Adventure’s Zestyfull Echo”. Oh, well. TWS meanwhile delivered a house dance track from their No Tragedy EP, which was way better than their title track.