A few of the things that happened this week in K-entertainment. Featuring: Chungha, HA:TFELT, Chen, NCT Dream, TXT, Oh My Girl, and Road to Kingdom
Chung Ha Releases “Stay Tonight”
Chung Ha brings out the glam and shows off her voguing skills in pre-release single “Stay Tonight”.
Review: While not as immediately addictive as her previous hits “Snapping” and “Gotta Go”, “Stay Tonight” has a lot to offer and is visually stunning in the official music video and performance versions. It still stays true to Chung Ha’s style of dance pop, while adding a vaguely retro vibe with a techno background. I like the urgent build-up to the high note in the pre-chorus, but think its replay value depends on whether you like a ‘chanting’ chorus rather than a melodic vocal line. Overall: I think it’s catchy and I’m looking forward to what styles she will feature on her next album.
HA:TFELT Releases Music Videos For New Album
HA:TFELT (Park Ye-eun of Wonder Girls fame) released music videos for “Life Sucks”, “Solitude”, “Satellite”, “Cigar”, and “Sweet Sensation” from her new album 1719, her first full album since leaving JYP Entertainment in 2017.
Review: I have to confess, this is the first release I’ve listened to by HA:TFELT, even though her songs have been in my peripheral for a while. One listen, and I instantly fell in love. The album is a great mix of different vibes and concepts. From the haunting fully-in-English “Life Sucks”, to the upbeat and slightly more mainstream “Sweet Sensation”, 1719 is half- autobiography and half tribute to the good times, bad times, and everything in between that led to the person she is now. While my favorite music video is the jazzy and mellow “Solitude”, my favorite lyrics are in the cautiously optimist “Bluebird”. Overall: HA:FELT makes good use of featured artists, experiments with different sounds, and shows off her vocal skills in this heartfelt (pun intended) first solo album.
“Now, my only desire is to tell my story as an artist and find my identity.”
– HA: TFELT (Source: Soompi.com)
NCT Dream Releases “Ridin’” MV for New Album “Reload”
https://youtu.be/vofjeJvRT9c
The album has topped charts around the world and the group has also released stage MVs (& because SM is just the right amount of extra, there’s a “Ridin’” version and a “Rollin’” version.)
Review: Disclosure, I am not a hardcore NCTzen. I’m more of a casual fan. But, I always look forward to what the group and sub-units put out because I know it’s going to be a solid release. NCT Dream doesn’t disappoint in this bombastic anthem about breaking boundaries. The high notes of the pre-chorus and bridge show off the unit’s vocals and the rap fits in nicely with the song. The tight choreography secures this as a good lead single. Yet, this is not my favorite or most replay-able song on the album for me. The B-tracks on “Reload” are not to be missed. “Love Again” offers a fresh throwback to the 90s with its keyboard synth background and call-and-response verses. “Puzzle Piece” is a departure from the rest of the album, utilizing a simple acoustic guitar and honest lyrics. Overall: This is a solid release that will satisfy fans and highlights the unit’s strengths.
EXO’s Chen and His Wife Welcome Baby Daughter!
On April 29, a source confirmed that Chen and his wife’s first child was born. This update comes after Chen’s announcing his marriage and his then fiancé’s pregnancy in January. (Source) Although there was protest from some fans earlier this year, there has been an abundant outpouring of love and support on social media. Fans have made trending tags such as #CongratsChen and dubbed the baby girl #EXOprincess. Although I’m happy for the couple, I feel bittersweet in celebrating because it seems that the information about the birth was leaked to the public. Not only did that deprive the couple from formulating their own announcement and privately celebrating with family, that’s a huge invasion of privacy which underscores how hard it is to keep your family life out of the public’s critical eye when you’re a celebrity. That being said, I’m glad to see so much love from the community and wish the best for their growing family!
Other Updates:
- Oh My Girl Releases “Nonstop”- I’m not usually into the high-pitched bubblegum pop genre (nothing against it, it’s just not what I tend to listen to more than once). But the chorus is unbelievably catchy, it has a rap that actually flows with the rest of the song, and the choreography is cute. The teddy bear is a bit disconcerting…
- TXT releases concept trailer for upcoming album “The Dream Chapter: ETERNITY”. It’s beautiful, and that’s all I can say because I’m waiting for a more intelligent MOA to fill me in on their theory.
- Road To Kingdom premiered April 30, and explained how the eliminations will work. Honestly, I’m still on the fence about the whole elimination thing because it would be fun to have these groups experiment without worrying about elimination; especially for groups that have been in the industry longer. You can watch the opening performances here.
- CIX announces June comeback with the third part of their “Hello” series. Though I wonder if the visible part of their album cover was intentional…
- Netflix’s “Busted” announces appearances by EXO’s Suho, SF9’s Rowoon; Kim Hye Yoon (Extraordinary You); Pyo Ye Jin (What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?, Fight My Way); and Kim Bo Ra (SKY Castle, Her Private Life). The third season will be released in November.
- Suran and Super Junior’s Yesung collaborate in the mellow SM STATION song “Still Standing”. You can watch the video here.
What was your favorite headline this week? Let us know below in the comments! (And view our Commenting Policy here.)