Tag: Seulgi

Catching Up With Recent Comebacks: ASTRO|Wendy|Chanyeol|Kim Sejeong & Kang Seung Yoon

Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing great!

Over February and March, I was in a zone where my physical energy wasn’t in sync with my to-do list. Hence I had to prioritize certain things over others. Thankfully my workload has reduced, so I’m gradually getting back into the groove of multitasking. On that note, it’s time for some well-deserved music reviews. Before I get into the main subject of this post, allow me to make a shameless plug😅. If you’re into Lifestyle and fashion blogging, kindly check out my lovely friend Lauritta with this link 👉🏽 https://laurittachineke.com. She does her best to post every week, and her content is genuinely relatable. You get affordable fashion ideas + excellent advice from her life experiences. So please click the link and show her some love from me. Thank you💋.

(Please note – this is a real-time review, meaning I am typing down my exact thoughts while checking out each artist.)

Alright, I am starting with ASTRO. They released their 2nd album, All Yours, on April 5th. First, I’m going to check out the title track – “ONE”, and move on to share my thoughts on the album.

The music video’s visuals are very fitting for such an upbeat track. I love the outfits and distinctive styling for each member. They all look lovely. On first listen, the rap and pre-chorus sections are what truly got my attention. Overall, “ONE” is a sweet, feel-good song. However, would I say that I am 100% vibing with this song after my first listen? Not exactly, but I could still see myself listening to it once in a while.

This album got me feeling a bit conflicted. After a full listen, it’s pretty evident that this is a pop/EDM-based record. All ten songs are good because I could play them in the background and jam out while completing other tasks. However, as much as I enjoy these songs now, I’m also someone who quickly gets bored with the typical pop genre. Hence I was pretty confused. After going through the album a good FOUR times🤦‍♀️, I decided to enjoy the vocals, energy and production that I love, and when I’m bored of any track, it can be skipped or deleted from my playlists. On that note, my ultimate favourite track is “Dear my universe”, and my rating for All Yours by ASTRO is 8/10.

Let’s move on to Red Velvet’s WENDY. Her solo debut was on April 5th with the mini-album, Like Water. I’ll check out the title track first and then share my thoughts briefly on the album.

The visuals for this music video are enchanting, and Wendy has such a beautiful voice. “Like Water” is my zone; I LOVE IT. There’s something very captivating about this style of music. It’s soothing and perfect for my daily consumption. The instrumental, vocal quality and overall production on this track are excellent. 100% Playlist worthy.

This EP is such a blissful experience. I felt so much peace while going through each song. Wendy’s Vocals and the production quality!!!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I’ve always known how amazing she is as a vocalist, but she indeed came correct with this record. It’s such a perfect balance of R&B and Ballads. Like Water will be on repeat for a long time, and I am excited to see what the soloist – WENDY brings in the future. My ultimate picks on this mini-album are “Like Water” & “Why Can’t You Love Me?”. My rating is 10/10.

Next is CHANYEOL of EXO. He released a new single titled “Tomorrow” on April 6th as part of the SM STATION project.

Okay, the guitar intro and his voice got me in love, and I want to enjoy every second of this feeling + he looks so good. I love the black/white and animated visuals. There’s isn’t much to say than “Tomorrow” is right up my alley, and I can play this song on repeat and never get tired of it. So yea, 100% playlist worthy in my book.

Now unto KIM SEJEONG. She released her 2nd mini-album, I’m, on March 29th. Per usual, I’ll react to the title track – “Warning (feat. lilBOI)” first and follow up with my opinions on the album.

Sejeong looks good, and I love the colourful/playful scheme of this music video. lilBOI’s rap flowed into the song perfectly, but I wish he had more time. Also, Sejeong is so adorable. I love “Warning”; It has a catchy melody.

The playful vibe of this EP is addictive, + Sejeong’s lovely voice makes it even better. My ultimate favourite songs are “Let’s Go Home” and “Warning”. I’m is a beautiful mini-album with five equally captivating songs. I added them all to my playlists and will be revisiting them often. Good job KIM SEJEONG. It’s a 10/10 from me.

To close, I have Kang Seung Yoon of WINNER. I’ve been itching for my baby’s comeback as a solo artist, and finally, I can indulge. On March 29th, Seung Yoon released his 1st album, Page. Let’s check out the title track – “IYAH”, and enjoy this well-deserved album. I’m hoping this incorporates some rock elements like his previous solos.

Yessss!!!! I got what I wanted. The instrumental intro is a delightful melody to my ears + I love the set for the music video, It feels very homely. Okay, hear me out, right now, R. Kelly is not one I mess with, but there’s a particular section in “If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time” that sounds similar to the intro for “IYAH”. It’s just amazing to hear how a few tweaks in chords can create a new song, a different vibe but still ignite some nostalgia of something you’ve once heard. I just felt like pointing that out but let’s move on. The message for this song is beautiful and relatable. Awwww, the music video is so lovely and well-directed. Okay, I got emotional at the end when the choir came in. I LOVE THIS SONG. You’ve come so far, Kang Seung Yoon. I’m so proud😥. 

This record blessed me with Kang Seung Yoon‘s incredible vocals and wonderful instrumentalization back to back. All twelve songs are on point, + the production is top-notch. I love that the album has a good balance of different genres/vibes. That way, everyone is bound to find at least one or more songs that fit their taste. It’s hard for me to pick a favourite track right now because they’re all great. So my rating for Page is 10/10.

That’s all I have for this post; I hope you all enjoyed reading this review. I’ll meet you all soon😊.

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The Ladies of Red Velvet Stun In Recent Editorial Photos🤩

This post will showcase some recent editorial photos of Red Velvet’s Irene, Yeri and Seulgi.

(Please Note: none of these images are mine. I got them from official magazine websites and social media sites.)

First off is Irene for VOGUE (Korea). She is so beautiful 😍.

Yeri’s recent photoshoot with DAZED (Korea) is so adorable. I love how she pouts in some of the pictures.

Finally, here is Seulgi for ELLE (Korea). Flowery concepts are always a beauty to see.

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Red Velvet – IRENE & SEULGI – Monster: Kpop Album Review

Hello, beautiful people. I hope you all are doing great and staying safe.

For the past two weeks, I haven’t been very active, but I’m officially back. Although my absence led to a lack of music reviews for recent comebacks, I did listen to all the new songs and albums on my own. As you all can tell from this post’s title, I’ll be checking out Red Velvet’s subunit – IRENE & SEULGI. They released their 1st mini album – Monster on June 6th, and I had to show up for this one because their teaser images were absolutely stunning. Both ladies were serving me goddess looks –

(Please note – this is a real-time review, meaning I am typing down my exacts thoughts while listening to each song.)

Reaction to Title Track/Official MV:

  • A weird intro, but okay.
  • The set for the music video’s is gorgeous and really colourful.
  • The bass on this song is quite intense.
  • I’m also enjoying how sultry their voices sound on the track.
  • I appreciate the interactive choreography. Both Irene and Seulgi are killing it.
  • The contoured outfits are such a good look for both ladies.
  • Also, excellent progression with the use of a rap-singing style for the verse, and then moving on to full singing from the pre-chorus section.
  • However, I’m not too sure about the pre-chorus, but let’s continue.
  • I love the switch up for the instrumental during Irene’s second verse. I don’t know the technical name for what happened there, so I’ll just call it an electric fart.😂
  • The visuals and lighting for this music video are beautiful.
  • Okay, the part that starts with – “I’m a little monster, be scared of me…” slightly threw me off at first, but it does sound perfect after hearing it three times.
  • I have to replay this song before giving my final thoughts.
  • Honestly, I acknowledge the good qualities of “Monster” because both Irene and Seulgi sound amazing on the track. The instrumental is quite intriguing, but unfortunately, the overall tone and vibe aren’t doing much for me.

Album Review:

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Here is the album on Spotify –

  1. Monster – Third time listening to this track, and I still can’t get into it. I think it is because I enjoy some parts while the rest are just there for me.
  2. Diamond – Okay, I love the instrumental intro for this one. It’s quite bouncy and makes me move a little. Both ladies are serving beautiful and smooth vocals. This song, to me, is way better than the title track. From the soft melody to the overall production, “Diamond” is a whole vibe. I am genuinely enjoying their voices on this track, and the instrumental with the soft finger-clicks is sitting well with my spirit.
  3. Feel Good – Another intriguing start, and this song seems more hunting than the previous two. I love the short pauses between each sentence as they sing. Also, excellent instrumental progression, most notably with the way they introduced the drumbeat. Oh, are we getting an EDM build-up? I was not expecting the song to take this route. The production on this track is intriguing. “Feel Good” is a great song, but it still feels slightly odd to me. Maybe I just need more time with it. All the same, vocally, both Irene and Seulgi sound incredible.
  4. Jelly – This is more bubbly than the rest. It is giving me classic Red Velvet vibes. Irene is solidifying herself as a vocalist with this album because both ladies have given nothing but clean and beautiful vocals with all four songs. I am really enjoying this track. I can see myself coming back to “Jelly” a few times because it makes me feel good. The drumline style instrumental for the bridge is giving me life. Plus, the subtle falsetto notes are blessing my ears. This is my second favourite on this album after “Diamond”
  5. Uncover (Sung by SEULGI): Bonus Track – This is very R&B styled, and Seulgi’s voice is perfect for this type of song. She has the classic soft and mesmerizing tone for R&B music. “Uncover” is another good one, but I don’t see myself coming back to it a lot. All the same, it is a perfect way to close the album.

Final Thoughts: 

This is their 1st mini-album, hence why I’m cutting them some slack. IRENE & SEULGI sounded terrific together, and the production on the album was kind of okay. I genuinely enjoyed “Diamond” and “Jelly” out of the five songs. Overall, I was not blown away by this record, so my rating for Monster is 6/10.

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Red Velvet – Psycho: Kpop Music Review

Red Velvet just released a repackaged album – ‘The ReVe Festival’ Finale, which features the title track “Psycho”o_1dsopdpc01hsk9bsnou16ovmd91uRed Velvet is a South Korean girl group managed by SM Entertainment. The group consists of five members – Irene, Wendy, Joy, Seulgi and Yeri. They officially debuted as a four-member group on the 1st of August, 2014 with the digital single – “Happiness.” Later on, in March 2015, Yeri was added to the group as the fifth member.

(Note – this is a real-time review, meaning I am typing down my exact thoughts while listening to this song.)img_2292

Reaction to Official MV:

  • Damn, they already got me with that high note. I am pumped and ready for this to be a bop.
  • That note hits hard because of the silence at the beginning of this song. You do not expect it.
  • All the girls look stunning.
  • I love this dark makeup look going on here.
  • Nice touch with the finger-snapping at the start.
  • What is this beat? It is weird, but I like it.
  • Yesss, Wendy bless me with your wild falsetto.
  • The chorus is perfect, and I love the choreography. Very smooth and sharp.
  • The aesthetics of this music video is quite impressive. I love how everything looks a bit faded out.
  • Wait a minute there. Everyone sounds great, but WHATEVER SEULGI JUST DID AT THE 1:37 MINUTE MARK DESERVES A REPLAY.
  • Woooh, she served vocals on that line.
  • Irene’s beauty is a blessing to my eyes. How can someone be so beautiful and talented?
  • The pre-chorus section is definitely my favourite part of the song. That falsetto start always gets me.
  • The instrumental for this track is so good. I am not a music expert, so I cannot point out all the exciting things I hear correctly.
  • Like just listen to the beat right at the 2:54 minute mark of the music video. What is that? Whoever engineered this is a genius.
  • That part of the instrumental sounds like a car engine, but it fits so well with the song.
  • Red Velvet always comes out with such experimental sounds, but it works for them.
  • Yesss….. to this ending section of the song “Hey now we’ll be ok… it’s alright.” I LOVE THIS.
  • THIS IS DEFINITELY A BOP AND A HALF. lit, lit….lit
  • 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏. Great job, Red Velvet.
  • They nailed every part of this song. I also love this concept.
  • Time to watch the MV again.
  • I think a few scenes in this music video reference some visuals from their previous videos.
  • This is so good. The girls popped off.
  • I love this era for them.
  • I am adding this song to my playlist. Also, I need the actual album.
  • My rating for “Psycho” by Red Velvet is 10/10.
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