k-pop
Album or Nah: Fall 2019 Pre-BTS Comeback Edition
I’ve been less than thrilled with the comebacks lately. It almost feels like some groups are trying to cram in a comeback before BTS comes back and snatches up everyone’s […]
I’ve been less than thrilled with the comebacks lately. It almost feels like some groups are trying to cram in a comeback before BTS comes back and snatches up everyone’s attention…but anywho, I thought I would get some rapid-fire opinions out as more and more groups are coming back for fall.
SuperM – Jopping
Oh boy. I had such hopes for these boys. I really did. This was…a song. But was it good? Well. While I don’t want to speak poorly of Taemin or Taeyong or Mark or any of the boys in SuperM, this was just not their song. It didn’t showcase their talents in the best light and it was okay at best. The most exciting part about it was Mark’s verse. Everything else felt generic and forgettable.
Would I listen to the album? Only in the hopes that I’d find something better in one of the other tracks.
TWICE – Feel Special
I can always count on TWICE to deliver the best title tracks and this was no exception. Feel Special built upon the foundation that FANCY created but took TWICE’s “luxury jets and champagne showers” vibes to the next level. It was gorgeous and sparkly and glamorous. It made me want to rent a limo and go to a restaurant at the top of a skyscraper. I loved every second of it.
Would I listen to the album? I should have already, but I’m a terrible ONCE But yes, absolutely.
ONEUS – Lit
This was a good song. Like, I have no active complaints against it: they have excellent vocals, great choreography, the music video was entertaining and unlike anything I’d ever seen. That said, this song fell a little flat for me. I don’t know if it’s just because it didn’t feel different enough or what, but I just wasn’t really feeling this song.
Would I listen to the album? I don’t know. Maybe? I’d have to be in the right mood.
KARD – Dumb Litty
If I could take back the time that I spent listening to this, I would. It was so…loud. And it just did not feel like the best that KARD could deliver. It felt like an attempt to be 2NE1 and I was not about it. I think KARD is trying to be innovative in their sound, but they should steer more towards the island beats that they’ve been using in the past and less of this Bang Bang Bang on steroids stuff.
Would I listen to the album? Hard pass.
AB6IX – Blind for Love
This reminded me a lot of their first song, Breathe, but I think this one is a little brighter where Breathe is a little sexier. That said, I really liked it. Honestly, though AB6IX is just one of those groups that always delivers and I think that this comeback is just a perfect example of that. If we could get more range in the style of title tracks, I think they would have big things in their future.
Would I listen to the album? Yes, in a heartbeat.
K-Bops in K-Pop 
Oh no! You and I had different reactions to Jopping! LOL! That’s okay – I admit I’m really not as knowledgeable as you when it comes to SM idols. And the song is anything but deep. It’s just the energy that I love. I’m always looking for that next track for my workout playlist! My daughter didn’t love it so much when she first heard it – she said she bought into the hype and it didn’t live up to her expectations. And something she was disappointed about – not just in Jopping, but the rest of the album – TEN and Lucas had very low line distribution. And TEN is her ultimate favorite.
I do agree with you about KARD. I think they’re trying something new – or trying to break out of their usual sound which they’ve been criticized for having (not diverse enough from song to song). But unfortunately it’s just not working. And that pains me as I really had hopes they would continue to grow.
Interesting theory about how many of these comebacks are trying to get in before BTS’ next comeback. I never thought about that – maybe because we’re speculating an October comeback but we’re really not sure (from the last I heard at least). But you’re probably right about all these comebacks!
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I think Jopping grew on me, honestly, and I’ll credit that largely to Mark’s rap. That said, I think that it definitely is not their best work, but I can’t deny that it’s catchy.
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It’s funny, I had the total opposite reactions with SuperM and KARD. I think it’s in large part because I went into both of those with absolute rock bottom expectations–everything about the way SuperM is set up just feels super weird to me, and “Jopping” as a title is just so cringe-inducing, that the fact that it didn’t actively make me want to tear out my eardrums made me like it better haha. (That said, I still didn’t like it–it does some things really well, but for the most part it’s not great, especially when paired with that over the top [and not in a fun way] MV. The album has a few good B-sides, though.)
And “Dumb Litty” is also a wince-worthy title, so the fact that it overcame that to finally give KARD a new sound to play with and some solid visuals made me like it more than I probably would have if this was the type of song we got from KARD more often.
Totally agree with you on Twice–Feel Special is outstanding, and I’m so glad they’re getting concepts like this and Fancy.
I agree with ONEUS, too–I’m really hit or miss when it comes to disjointed K-pop songs, and “Lit” was a bit too stop and start as a song for me to really get into it, though I love how much fun the MV had mixing and playing with traditional cultural elements and modern sensibilities. I haven’t listened to their album yet, so I’m curious to see what I think of the song in and of itself, not when I’m also taking in the video.
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Yeah, I agree about the titles. I think there’s something to be said for a good hype song but I feel like the companies may be trying too hard to be like “hip.”
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Hey do you get to know that BTS leader,i.e our president RM (Kim Naam Joon)has been nominated for most famous 100 …
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That’s crazy! So proud of him!
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