K-Bops in K-Pop

I wanted to try something a little different for this week because there are so, so many comebacks that I haven’t gotten to. Partly it’s time related (I do have a real job) but part of it is that I’m not always certain I’m ready to invest in listening to a whole album. For this I’d like to introduce new type of review: would I listen to the album or nah? Basically, what I will do is watch the MV for the group’s new comeback and then decide based on what I see and hear if it’s worth a full album listen. I hope this benefits you all as you decide which comebacks to pay attention to!

Wanna One – Beautiful

This track was not only a masterfully done ballad that actually–shocker!–got me to like a ballad, but the music video will have you clutching at your heart with nostalgia. Yes, the 8 minute long length did scare me away at first, but I’m glad I ignored it and watched it anyway because it was so worth the listen. I am so so proud of how they continue to grow as artists and as a group.

Would I listen to the album? Oh, absolutely. Granted, most of the tracks on there are familiar ones, but still. Definitely worth a listen.

EXID – DDD

This track was very much a return to the old Hot Pink, Up and Down, Ah Yeah EXID but I actually really enjoyed it. Though I thought I would find it a little repetitive I was surprised to find I like LE’s “deol deol deol deol” throughout the song. My only complaint would be that the chorus was a little disconnected from the rest of the song, but it was still a solid track from EXID.

Would I listen to the album? I’ll admit I was not nearly as excited about this track as I was about Night Rather Than Day, but I’d still give the album a shot.

Monsta X – Dramarama

Can I just say–in the nicest way possible–how shocked I am that this is so so good? Honestly, as much as I adore Monsta X as people, I’m always holding my breath with their comebacks. They hadn’t really impressed me much since Hero (though I have a soft spot for Beautiful) and I wasn’t expecting much from this comeback. I’m so thankful I changed my mind and listened to this song because this was proof of the talent I know Monsta X holds.

Would I listen to the album? I’m still a little wary because they’ve disappointed me in the past, but I’d be willing to at least listen to a couple tracks and give it a chance.

Block B – Shall We Dance

Let me just start off by saying that the music video was a visual mess. It is, by far, the ugliest comeback I’ve ever seen on them. Not even the cute kid was enough to save me from having to deal with all the cultural appropriation mess. But even setting all that aside, the song wasn’t really doing anything exciting for me. It was disjointed, uninteresting, and I was just waiting for the whole thing to be over 30 seconds in. I know what Block B is capable and this isn’t it.

Would I listen to the album? Nah, I’m good.

Gugudan – Chococo

I had zero intention of ever listening to Gugudan. Not out of malice, but because I’d never really been interested. However, I read Kaybop’s review of Chococo and I thought “Weird? AND a girl group? Sounds like my kind of comeback” so I gave it a shot and I loved it. It’s exactly as weird as you want it to be. It sounds vaguely like video game music in the best way and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Would I listen to the album? In a heartbeat, yes.

Suran – Love Story

There is not a universe where I do not love this song. From the second I heard “groovy everywhere” I knew I was gonna be a fan. Suran has such a unique and syrupy voice and it pairs really nicely with Crush’s amazing vocals. The music video also makes me wish it was already spring time so I could go out and fall in love.

Would I listen to the album? I mean there isn’t really an album for this one but let’s just say I already have this song downloaded and the video favorited.

So tell me, what comebacks are you excited about?