No songs stood out in May. The songs released before ŌĆō songs by (G)I-DLE, Red Velvet, BIGBANG, IVE, and Psy ŌĆō are still occupying the top spots on the charts. Excluding the popular group LE SSERAFIM and NCT DREAM that released the repackaged album, most new songs are either at the bottom of the charts or have already left the charts. ┬Ā
LE SSERAFIM is the new girl group introduced by Source Music after GFRIENDŌĆÖs disbandment. From the groupŌĆÖs branding to the naming, you can tell a lot of effort has gone into this act. Even the details such as the artistsŌĆÖ names, the album cover, and the music video all share a uniform tone. The album also carries one concept ŌĆō ŌĆ£quiet but strong and solid.ŌĆØ Not only the title song but also the non-title tracks showcase impressive quality, satisfying the publicŌĆÖs expectations. Although member Kim GaramŌĆÖs school bullying scandal became a hot potato, we are certainly looking forward to their next album. (ŌśģŌśģŌśģ) ┬Ā
TXTŌĆÖs 4th mini-album contains the various emotions drawn out by the first heartbreak. It seems like this album was designed to exude the dark side of the members. Since their goal was to try a new concept, the title song is a bit dull. The overall flow of the entire smash is solid, but itŌĆÖs a pity that we canŌĆÖt find the charms of each track. You can see HYBEŌĆÖs obsession with including a grand worldview and messages in the album. It might have been perfect had they added a spoon of ŌĆ£naturalness.ŌĆØ (ŌśģŌśģŌśģŌśå) ┬Ā
ASTROŌĆÖs 3rd full album contains the joys and sorrows of youth and anticipation for the future. While most of the groups that debuted around the same time as ASTRO are showing a uniform concept, ASTRO is constantly sticking to the relaxed and refreshing concept. Since their debut, the boys have been expressing the refreshness within the sound, but the charms of the vocals are also impressive. Through this album, theyŌĆÖre clearly showing how the youthful and bright feeling should change over the years. (ŌśģŌśģŌśģ) ┬Ā
You can see the efforts she had put into balancing out the EDM and pop. This is true not only for the title song ŌĆ£DEEPŌĆØ but also for the newly added non-title track ŌĆ£Stupid.ŌĆØ Unfortunately, this new song does not exceed the previously released songs. Her old songs had mighty impressed me, so the disappointment was bigger. The song isnŌĆÖt powerful enough to show HyoyeonŌĆÖs strength in ŌĆ£dance,ŌĆØ and although Holybang created the choreography, IŌĆÖm not sure it blends in well with the song. I thought it would be at least as good as ŌĆ£DESSERT,ŌĆØ but itŌĆÖs actually less fun than ŌĆ£Second.ŌĆØ It seems like now is the time for Hyoyeon, who has steadily been promoting as a solo artist, to decide on which direction she wants to push ahead. Wasting HyoyeonŌĆÖs dancing skills somewhere between ambiguous genre and ambiguous popular appeal is not a good choice. (ŌśģŌśģ) ┬Ā
As soon as I hear DAVICHIŌĆÖs new song ŌĆ£Fanfare,ŌĆØ DAVICHIŌĆÖs cover of ŌĆ£Traffic Light (Lee Mujin)ŌĆØ that recently became a hot topic comes to mind. From the music video to their vocals and lyrics, everything about the song replicates the ŌĆ£Traffic LightŌĆØ mood. Because of that, even though the songŌĆÖs melodies and ranges sound solid, hearing the recorded version of the song isnŌĆÖt as much as hearing it live. The arrangement and the ad-libs are also too simple. I can see the attempt to escape the typical genre of the ballad, but the disappointment is greater because the title tracks (ŌĆ£Beside meŌĆØ and ŌĆ£Days Without YouŌĆØ) from the previous albums were splendid. This was their first comeback in five years: they shouldŌĆÖve chosen a more impactful title song. (ŌśģŌśģŌśå) ┬Ā
Following Yuju, Yerin became the second member of GFRIEND to make her solo debut. Her title song ŌĆ£ARIAŌĆØ isnŌĆÖt new, but itŌĆÖs a decent song that goes well with her solo debut. But the problem is YerinŌĆÖs vocals. She has always done her part as a sub-vocalist of GFRIEND, but it sounds like singing an entire song solo is a little too much for her. Her vocals canŌĆÖt lead the song smoothly, and the ŌĆ£ari ariaŌĆØ part in the chorus sounds so random that the song progression becomes awkward.. (ŌśģŌśģ) ┬Ā
The actŌĆÖs 4th full album honestly expresses SEVENTEENŌĆÖs ambition to become someone like the ŌĆ£sun.ŌĆØ Like the intense album title, the tracks also feature strong themes. The title song ŌĆ£HOTŌĆØ sings about the courage to face the sun head-on, while the rest of the songs include the topics ŌĆ£Don QuixoteŌĆØ and ŌĆ£March.ŌĆØ SEVENTEEN has been pursuing a department store-style composition, but this album carries the title trackŌĆÖs message and mood until the end. ItŌĆÖs definitely more stable and more relaxed than previous albums. Since the group shows strength in performance, most of the tracks are fancy and make us think of a large-scale performance. Once again, theyŌĆÖve shown how theyŌĆÖre different from other groups. (ŌśģŌśģŌśģŌśå) ┬Ā Editor Yoon: I love music, especially K-POP, and I dream of becoming an A&R person, lyricist, artist, etc. I will cover various articles, including song reviews, artist reviews, and K-pop market analysis.
