[Single Review] T.O.P dazzles with DOOM DADA

When it was announced that T.O.P was releasing a new solo single I was extrememly excited, "Turn It Up" is one of my favourite solo singles from the members of BIG BANG.

"DOOM DADA" is the usual YG affair, a Hip Hop track with a lot of bass, which is fine, but where it excels is T.O.P's delivery. He is actually the best rapper in BIG BANG if you ask me. He spits the verses with rapid precision. There isn't really much of a proper hook but it's ok, the focus is instead put on the verse where it belongs. It manages to be much more interesting than pretty much anything you'll find on GD's latest album. 

The MV is pretty crazy and leaves you puzzled. I don't know if there was meant to be a story or not but I sure as hell couldn't follow it but it was cool. I particular loved the bit with the spinning skeletons, very effective.

I not sure why YG decided to release this now, right in the middle of Taeyang's promotions but I guess it's more just for BIG BANG's dome tour in Japan or something.

Praying for GD&TOP vol. 2 though to be honest.

[News] Lady Gaga releases Do What U Want has entire world slayed

First if you haven't listened to the song do so now:

Wow right? So simple but executed so well, giving some of the best vocals of her life, and the production is AMAZING. The whole thing is like a f**k you to the haters, critics etc not sex which you would initially think. 

I haven't seen anyone not praise the song to high heaven, only some Katy Perry stans that realise this trumps everything on Prism quite easily and it's only a promo single :( poor Katy. 

Artpop is shaping up to be the best album of the year

[Album Review] SHINee - "Everybody" - The Fifth Mini Album

When I heard SHINee were releasing another album this year I was initially worried. Having released two full albums in Korea and one in Japan I was worried that SM might scrape the bottom on the barrel with this one or there would at least by some Korean remakes of Japanese albums tracks. How wrong was I. SHINee have created one of their most cohesive albums yet full of unexpected twists and turns click through to read my full review...

Ella Henderson, the best thing to come from the X Factor in ages, reveals a song from her debut album.

Ella Henderson is the reason X Factor should continue on. When it finds people this talented and gives them a platform to go far it's worth the rest of the crap it creates.

I'm obsessed with this girl's voice and the song is pretty good too. Syco better not ever let this girl go if they have any sense, she could be big, I want her to be big.

[Single Review] SHINee are at the top of their game & rival TVXQ with "Everybody"

SHINee are back with their THIRD I repeat THIRD comeback of the year. That's kinda crazy. Although k-pop artists usually have much quicker promotion cycles than you would find in the west they still normally limit themselves to once maybe twice a year (unless you are B.A.P). SM really seem to be pushing SHINee hard at the moment and I really hope this isn't signalling the end for them or that some of them might be going into the army. Although I'd love to see some solo work from them.

When I first heard this song and snippets via teasers I initially though, oh no another boring dupstep-y track, the chorus is not particularly interesting or catchy and is quite frankly kinda lazy from a composition sort of view. The verses are better and Minho isn't rapping this time which makes for a nice change, although he's got better since debut days, he isn't that great and I think I actually prefer his singing voice much like Amber in f(x). It's ok but when compared to other SHINee singles like Lucifer & Sherlock it doesn't compare. 

Where the song really shines however is when they perform it. This choreography is incredible, they throw each other around, turn into a transformer and they execute it perfectly. If you ask me, this solidifies SHINee as the best dancers in k-pop for sure. Infinite need to up their game to take their crown. The song wasn't really crafted to be listened to as much as performed to. If they ever perform it completely live (which I'm hoping they will next week) and the vocals are on point SHINee are seriously up to TVXQ level standard and that's incredible. SHINee are probably my favourite band in k-pop these days and I couldn't stand them back in 2009. They constantly show growth with every comeback and release albums that are consistent throughout. 

Score:

Performance : 9.5/10

Song: 6/10

(Did the score slightly differently this time because a combined score would really show how I felt - what do you think? I might start doing this for all releases)

[Single Review] T-ara - Number 9

T-ara are back! They are now back to the original six members and although I really like Areum I'm quite happy with this and I hope they keep this lineup from now on. Knowning CCM this wont be the case though. Anyway onto the song..

Number 9 feels like a hark back to their "Absolute First Album" days (one of the best k-pop albums ever btw if you've never listened to it). I adore this song. It's like Sexy Love only about 10 times better. Sexy Love was meant to be their big comeback after the Hwayoung scandal but it really didn't live up to the quality of their previous singles, for me anyway, it was a good single but not incredible. THIS is the big comeback I wanted. 

Produced by Shinsadong Tiger (responsible for most of BEAST'S and 4minute's big hits) "Number 9" starts of with just a guitar and a gentle oooooh before dropping right in the deep end of a club song. Which is basically the best way to start any song isn't it? The song is incredibly catchy throughout. My favourite part is Jiyeon's with that robotic "number 9" in the background. Awesome. 

There is also of course some awkward english "I'm addict.. I'm addict..." it's almost forgivable and what T-ara song is complete without it tbh? 

T-ara just don't know how to release a bad single. Hopefully this can help them recover to being one of the biggest groups in Korea again because this is for sure my favourite k-pop single this half of the year. 

I also love the video, it's a pretty standard k-pop affair but it fits the song perfectly and choreo is pretty good for T-ara's usually pretty low standards. Oh and Qri eats a rose... obviously.

Score: 9/10

[Guilty Pleasure] G.R.L. - Vacation

I hate myself for liking this so much. 

But the fact is I've had it on repeat for the past day now after someone reminded me of it's existence. They're meant to be the next version of the Pussycat Dolls except they are completely different. More pop and all of them actually sing. 

It's just fun and SUPER catchy oh my days. I also stan for Lauren Bennett so it's good to see her make it through the death of the excellent Paradiso Girls. The dancing is pretty good too, it doesn't match many of k-pop girl group dance routines in it's complexity but it is executed well. They can actually dance unlike the majority of western girl groups. That's why I liked the Pussycat Dolls, sure all but two of them couldn't sing (..and never did) (Poor Melody) but they could kill a dance routine and were super sexy. 

But who the one that acts like a 12 year old in the video even though she's like a full grown woman?! Who told you to do that?!

Anyway check out "Vacation" below. I hope we hear more from them and that they don't die out like the poor Paradiso Girls :( . 

[Single Review] Praise Godney "Work Bitch" is here.

Britney's back with a STOMPING first single off her yet untitled eighth studio album. She doesn't hold back on it does she?

It's a collaboration between her, will.i.am and one of the guys from Swedish House Mafia and it sounds exactly like a collaboration between her, will.i.am and one of the guys from Swedish House Mafia. The beat is basically taken straight from that SHM song Greyhound. A song that I love but always craved vocals for so I'm cool with that. The british accent also makes a comeback and it kinda makes her sound like Cher Lloyd (awkward), I swear you can also hear some backing vocals from Miss Lloyd as well which makes me think that this may have started out life as a Cher Lloyd demo. 

I most likely am of course entirely wrong. 

This of course will be massive in the clubs around the galaxy but is it Britney's best ever lead single? I'm not sure, it's missing something I can't place my finger on. 

It's fun, it's cheeky, it's a bit different to her pervious stuff. It kinda gives me flashbacks to Scream and Shout but this is much more melodic and she does some really nice/interesting stuff with her voice (or a computer does I'm not quite sure). It's better than Scream & Shout though because it's actually a proper song with a semi proper chorus. Radio is going to eat this up like there's no tomorrow. It's going to be a big hit, this is a fact. It's also going straight to the top of my workout playlist, Britney telling you to WORK has got to be good motivation right?

Album 8 is gonna be good. 

"You wanna live fancy
Live in a big mansion
Party in France

You better work bitch"

Score: 8/10

[Must Listen] Rphabet - Black Suit (Feat. San E)

San.E is one of the best rapper's in Korea right now... how did JYP let him go? 

Love the production on this as well. You have to give it a listen! 

[Music Video] Iggy Azalea proves herself with "Change Your Life'

I've been following Iggy for a little bit now. I saw a couple of her videos before she got signed and thought she was great and had the potential to be the next big female rapper. So when it came to her releasing her first proper single I was really excited and "Work" lived up to that excitement but I knew it would be really big. The "head over heels" line is iconic however. It wasn't really made for radio. "Bounce" on the other hand was TOO made for radio, felt like her management was grasping for a hit, it did really have that Iggy flair that I originally liked. It was a jam though and I enjoyed it. 

"Change Your Life" however strikes a perfect balance. The hook is VERY catchy and will instantly get stuck running around and around in your head. She raps excellently and looks great in the music video (when she gets out the pool - wow). She also sings a little bit, nothing amazing but it's good to see she's not a one trick pony. T.I is featured in it as well which I could have done without but I understand why he's there. I'm loving this Iggy and I'm anticipating her album which is due out before the end of the year.

There's also another iconic line "We spend our Winters in the Summer of Australia,
Eating crumpets with the sailors". 

Amazing. 

The best song on G-Dragon's new album is in fact the bonus track.

"Window" was only included on the physical copy of the album and it's the best thing G-Dragon has done in a while. Inspiration was obviously taken from Drake for this one. GD sing/raps/mumbles over this dreamy beat. He does something with his voice that he's never really done before, this is G-Dragon toned down. "This might be the last time we say goodbye" he repeats on the chorus. Apparently the song's about murder depending on how you interpret it. I've read the english translation and can't really see it but like a lot of things the meaning is probably lost in translation which makes the whole thing cooler and more mysterious. 



I need G-Dragon doing more stuff like this. Although I am enjoying his album "Coup d'etat" somewhat, the whole thing does fall a little flat for me. We've heard everything on there before apart from "Window". There's nothing innovative there. YG hardly ever is. It's boring for the most part. I mean if friggin' Girls' Generation can release one of the most interesting k-pop tracks ever then YG can have a go too. But then again G-Dragon contributed to 100% of the tracks whereas SNSD occasionally might apparently write the lyrics to a filler album track. So swings and roundabouts. 

[News] Britney's new artwork is one of the worst of the year but the song will probably be one of the best

A days or two ago Britney unveiled the artwork for her new single titled "Work Bitch" is it's a hot mess. Britney looks drugged up and photo shopped to death. The font is sub-par and the whole vegas thing is just bleh.. I know her management are probably trying to promote her stint in Las Vegas at the same time but the whole thing just looks kinda tacky and it's all been done before really.

Saying that the song will probably slay as do most Britney singles do. It's written by will.i.am two of the guys from Swedish House Mafia so it's basically going to be some EDM BANGER(z) that samples RuPaul. Also to be quite honest of all the women of pop comebacks occurring right now (there are quite a few) Britney's is the one I am most anticipating, you never know if somethings going to be amazing or a train wreck with her and that makes things more exciting. I have heard some alleged snippets around the web recorded by dancers at her music video shoot and it sounded promising. 

As I was writing this Popjustice (i.e one of my favourite sites on the web) tweeted this:

The Britney Spears single is a 9/10 on first listen.
— Popjustice (@Popjustice) September 13, 2013

So some more evidence that it will in fact slay you and your family. We will all be worshipping the Lord Godney before next week is done. 

I hate Chris Brown but love his new video - "Love More"

I'm slayed. I can't stand Chris as a person but this is giving everything I need. And can we talk about Nicki's verse? One of her best in a while! I've said this before and I'll say it again, Nicki seems to be best when featured on someone else's songs.

I love the theme, the dancing, everything. It's funny too. Watch below.

[Single Review] Lady Gaga - Applause

Fans have been dying to hear new stuff from Gaga since Born This Way in 2011. She's been teasing this ARTPOP thing for long enough. Poor thing broke her hip and had to cancel pretty much all of the north american Born This Way tour which is a real shame. I was lucky enough to see her in London and was blown away by her. She puts on a great show that fans and non-fans a-like will enjoy. But anyway onto Applause. 

Applause is a standard electro dance song but with enough of a twist to make things a bit more interesting. Lady Gaga's delivers some interesting vocals on the verses and the chorus/hook has some interesting layering and is super catchy. You can't help but dance a little. Put your hands up make 'em touuuucch. It is still kinda generic but I kind of expect that from a first single. "Born This Way" was definitely not the best song on "Born This Way" and I expect the same from "Applause" and "ARTPOP". 

What's with Gaga's obsession with Fame though still? Harking back to "The Fame (Monster)" era that a lot of people preferred to BTW. It's no Bad Romance or Poker Face though. 

Overall I'm pleased with this though. It's just a good song but it wont be remembered as one of her best. Bring on ARTPOP. 

Score 8.5/10

P.S also side note about Gaga saying bloggers are bad blah blah blah. I know she was referring to a certain blogger that used to suck her tit but now apparently hates her and other certain bloggers. But she needs to just got over the fact that people have opinions that differ to her own. Not everyone will like you. Although I do feel too much hate goes around the internet but you kinda just have to deal, saying these things will just rile people more.

[Music Video] Nelly's making a comeback with "Get Like Me"

Nelly's teamed up with Nicki Minaj & Pharrel, two of the biggest names in mainstream music at the moment for his new single "Get Like Me". Have to say I'm loving this. Sure it's Drop it like it's hot part. 2 or something but whatever.

Also, anyone else feel that Nicki delivers her best verse when she's featuring on someone else's track? Why can't she drop verses like this on her own songs?!

The music videos pretty cool too.

[Single Review] VIXX release yet another great song 대.다.나.다.너

When VIXX first debuted, I pretty much ignored them. Like alot of the k-pop community. With the debut of a crazy amount of each week, I don't always listen to those not from the big companies at first. But I listened back over their discovery after they released 다칠 준비가 돼 있어 and realised they hadn't released a bad single yet they were still relatively unpopular still. With the release of Hyde they're picking up popularity now and this song can only make their fanbase grow even further. 

대.다.나.다.너 is the cutsey concept done right. Designed to contrast their last comeback, this song is a perfect catchy summer tune. It's popping with life, catchy and they do this cool thing in the MV where it's reversed but their mouths still match the words (for the most part). 

It was written by the same guy who wrote SHINee's Dream Girl and I can see that. It's not particularly inventive but it's just a plain old pop song. Definitely give it a listen and their other singles if you haven't checked VIXX's stuff out before. 

Score 7.5/10

[News] f(x) release possibly the best song of the year so far

f(x) are back after over a year. I'm gonna do a proper review later but basically you all need to listen to it now. The production is amazing, infusing elements from all over the world, I can her some indian, spanish and western elements in there. I love the contrast between the verses and the chorus. It's super catchy and just super amazing and I'm so happy. The MV is boring though which is a shame but it shows of the choreo nicely and the girls look amazing. 

I need to give it a few more plays before doing a review but this might actually my favourite k-pop song of the year so far. Give it a listen and tell me what you think.

[News] f(x)'s new album is gonna slay

Just listen. 

Looks like SM are finally giving them good album tracks. Their first full album was average at best. But this.. I can't wait. It's out 29th July apparently but their first comeback stage is 25th. 

[Single Review] Beast are back with the interestingly crafted "Shadow"

K-Pop in general has a short shelf life. Songs are designed that way, promotion cycles last a few weeks, lead (and often only) singles have super catchy hooks. If I like a song I'll generally play in on repeat for a month or so after which it enters the abyss of my itunes library that isn't in my recently added playlist. 

From the first play I can normally tell if a song is going to be on repeat. Not in this case. The first time I heard "Shadow" I was quite unimpressed. I thought sure it's nice but where's that super catchy hook that Beast normally have? I finished the first play thinking.. great.. but I don't particularly want to play it again. 

But I did. 

Slowly I started to realise that the chorus melody is in fact very interesting and crafted so well. Yoseob's vocals are allowed to shine by the production. I think this marks the first time rapper Junhyung has written and produced a title track for Beast and he really shows his talents. My favourite part of the song is also his second rap verse. The vocal modifications make something interesting. This song slowly infect itself into your head and I think it may in fact be one of the best things Beast have ever done, second only to Fiction, but I don't think they will ever top that. 

The whole thing also feels very Breath/Fiction era Beast which is good because that's Beast at the best. Beautiful Night was fun and all but this is better. They show off their dark charisma with some interesting imagery. What do you think? Comment below! 

Score: 8.5/10

[News] Marina & the Diamonds releases video for best song off Electra Heart

Incredible. This is my favourite song off Electra Heart and I never thought it was going to see a video treatment but here it is! The video is simple but effective and fits the emotion of the song perfectly. Produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut with Diplo, Lies is a very raw and passionate song and tackles a topic about love that most people will relate to. 

Also check out the acoustic cover of the song that she did a while back here that some might say is ever better. 

[News] Flawless hipster queens f(x) are making a comeback.

f(x) are finally making a comeback more than a year after the brilliant but kinda generic "Electric Shock" with a full album "Pink Tape"

SM released this "art film" to tease us and it's kinda hipster and amazing. There's random english from krystal that kinda makes sense and they tease one of the tracks from the album as they pose while shit is projected on them. I mean Krystal has bright red hair. Flawless. Watch below. 

[Single Review] Infinite make a stomping comeback with "Destiny"

Infinite are back and they definitely didn't hold back! "Man In Love (남자가 사랑할때)" is one of my favourite releases this year. Infinite never really ever seemed to disappoint me since so how does "Destiny" shape up?

"Destiny" is a hard hitting dance song filled with strings and dubstep wobbles, the chorus consists of insanely catchy "woooh woooh". Dubstep wobbles are not really new and can often just feel like a bit of a gimmick but I think they actually work really well here, it's really catchy and powerful. 

One thing that Infinite's management learnt early on is how to distribute the parts to members, the know which members have better voices, you never feel that any member has been left out but also that the members with less vocal talent have too many lines. Dongwoo and Hoya deliver excellent rap verses as always. 

In terms of the MV this comeback is a 180 degree change in image for Infinite (when is that not the case in kpop). Man in Love was all about being in love and a cutey image was potrayed with bright colours and aegyo smiles everywhere but this is all about fighting for the girl that's leaving you. The dancing is good. In terms of synchrony and cleanliness Infinite are the best dancers in kpop. 

I think this is also the first Infinite single not produced by Sweetune which makes for an interesting change. There are definitely some influences from them though and Infinite still keep their signature sound while changing it up a bit. The Sweetune 80s sound that was sounding a bit stale has been ditched for something much more modern which is definitely a good thing. 

Score: 8/10

[Single Review] Falling In Love - 2NE1

Blacksjacks have been waiting a very long time for the return of 2NE1. A new album was promised last year but was pushed back in order for the girls to have a world tour. Rumours had been circulating since then as to when they would be back again and the day is finally hear.

"Falling In Love" is a step into reggae for 2NE1 who normally stick to electro-pop for the most part. The song was actually teased way back last year when CL performed it as an intro to their "I Love You" performance on Inkigayo. You know the one where she had a parrot on her shoulder.

2NE1 were the group that introduced me to k-pop. There "western" sound made for an easy transition into the crazy world that is k-pop. There isn't a song that I don't like from them, you are guaranteed no filler from them. I hold them to quite a high standard and I was quite worried about the comeback. "I Love You" initially really didn't impress me too much although I have come to feel that it is actually very good, for the production alone if anything.

So how do I feel about "Falling In Love"? I like it. I really do like it. CL gives probably one of my favourite rap deliveries I've ever heard from her. Boms vocals are utilised perfectly on the chorus. Often I feel she's often reaching for notes that she can only just get but you really get to hear her amazing tone on this. Dara's parts are ok, I would have liked no autotune, we know she can actually produce some really nice vocals (see I Love You) but not here. The star of the show for me here though is actually Minzy, her voice fits that reggae style so well and the contrast between her slow delivery and CL's fast paced raps works well.

Can 2NE1 do better though? Definitely. That is why I know this song has fallen flat with a lot fans and reviewers. It doesn't have the punch of "I am the best" and isn't quite "quirky" or "experimental" enough which seems to be the trend in k-pop right now. It's very catchy and lot of people are enjoying it but it's not pushing any boundaries like SNSD's "I got a boy" did. Maybe it's the fact that it's actually a year old song that was meant to be released last year. The music video is also amazing if you haven't seen it. Standard YG affair but with a more tropical vibe. I look forward to the rest of the singles and album. I know 2NE1 will deliver something special.

Score: 8/10

[Opinion] Are Core Contents Media the worst company in kpop?

Core Contents Media have just announced that Areum, the newest member to join T-ara, is now leaving after just a year with the group. Areum herself annouced the news via a youtube video you can watch here.

I don't know how I feel about this. I've actually really enjoyed Areum in the group and she's pretty talented at both singing and rapping and I think she could be pretty successful as a solo artist. My worry is that CCM are just bullshitting. They no longer want her in the group and "going solo" is an excuse that fans of Areum can't get too upset about but whether it actually ever happens is another matter.

I myself have no problem with members being added to a group after they have debuted. I think Pledis do this really well with After School. From the beginning we were told there were going to be member changes and a "graduation" system. Many fans were sad when Bekah and Kahi left but we knew it would be coming. CCM on the other had just seem to chop and change members of T-ara without much thought just to build some exposure just a week doesn't go by when there isn't some sort of scandal involving their artists. Two of their other groups 5dolls and SPEED (originally together as the brillant Co-ed school) have gone through more line up changes. 5dolls are coming back with 6 members (lol wut?) only which two were actually part of the original Co-ed group, and I've lost count of the amount of changes SPEED have gone through. I just get this feeling that whenever CCM feel that a group isn't doing well they change to the lineup to see if it gets people talking about them. 5dolls are also nothing without the flawless Chanmi so I don't know why they are even trying (I joke, I'm actually looking forward to the comeback, I'm just gonna miss Chanmi). 

We already know they're an awful company. They handled the Hwayoung scandal pretty badly. T-ara have gone from being one of the biggest and most popular girl groups in korea to the bottom. Half of their fans were convinced of their bullying (even though most of these claims have been proven wrong) and Korea now hates them. It would be a real shame if T-ara were to collapse, they have consistently produced good singles and obviously work extremely hard. 

There are now rumours that Areum is actually ill because of her severe weight loss. Something like 25lbs during the T-ara N4 promotions. That's a crazy amount seeing as she couldn't have been much to start with. I just really hope her departure from the group was her choice and that her weight loss was just down to hard work rather than anything more sinister. 

[New Song] More perfection from Ellie Goulding with "Burn"

Holy crap! Ellie is rereleasing one of my favourite albums of 2012 "Halcyon" with some new songs and Burn is the first single. Obviously it's pretty incredible. Quite different from Halcyon which was quite dark for the most part. This on the other hand is a pretty much the opposite full of happy synths. Check it out.

[Single Review] Ciara is slaying again with "I'm Out"

Back in 2005 my 13 year old self was in love with Ciara. Her slick dance moves really impressed me back then and still do. 1, 2 step and Goodies were such jams but recently she hasn't been impressing me  Sorry and Got Me Good just weren't good enough and where scrapped in favour of a the new single Body Party, which I pretty much fell in love with. Mike Will Made It is definitely one the producers I look out for now.

I'm Out serves as the second single off her new album Ciara due out July 5th and features the queen of features herself Nicki Minaj. When I first heard this song a while back I thought it was alright and the highlight for me was actually Nicki's verse. But over the weeks I kept going back to it and I became a little bit obsessed. Then the video came out. Sometimes a video can make a song and I think this is one of those occasions. Ciara and Nicki look great, the choreography is on point and basically you need to watch it right now.

I will definitely be checking out her new album when it comes out and hopefully this means Ciara is back on form.

Score : 7/10

[New Song] Tinie Tempah - Trampoline (Feat. 2 Chainz)

Tinie Tempah just premiered his new song "Trampoline" produced by Diplo and is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a collaboration between the two. Lyrically it's average but it's an absolute banger that will no doubt invade clubs everywhere. Check out the official lyric video below.  

[Single Review] 4mintue - 물 좋아? (Is it poppin'?)

4minute were one of the first groups that I became a fan of when I first got into k-pop back into 2009. They had however never seemed to establish themselves as a top tier group despite having been around for quite a while (Apart from Hyuna's solo career).

That however all changed with the release of their last single 이름이 뭐예요? (What's Your Name?) produced by brave brothers which dominated the charts for over a month (years in k-pop). However despite the success many fans and myself included felt it actually wasn't their best single and didn't match up to previous flawless releases such as HuH & Volume Up. Does their latest single do the trick?

물 좋아? is again produced by Brave Brothers, no doubt in hopes of repeating the success of What's Your Name? and is both extremely similar but also quite different. It's a bit less in your face than What's Your Name? Gayoon once again provides her excellent vocals on the hook that will get stuck in your head after the first listen. It's a perfect chilled out summer jam that I've had on repeat for since it was released. Does it come close to the perfection that was HuH? Probably not but it's a very nice single indeed. Let me know what you think? 

Score: 8/10