I have been absolutely flooded with new K-Pop albums these last few months from groups I really like. The only problem with that is I am still in the throes of my obsession with &TEAM, so I haven’t worked them in as quickly as I should have. But here we finally are, with a quick and dirty review of all the albums I’ve checked out so far.
Ampers&One – Definition
I will admit that their single “God” felt really different from anything they’ve released so far. Yes, it still sits within the more edgy atmosphere they’ve adopted for their last two EPs, but I think what sets this one apart is it’s use of more traditional instrumental sounds. It was really the perfect pick for their single, and I find myself still signing it most days. “Hit Me Up” and “What You Talking About” are both very playful songs. The former has a really cool groove to is and kind of reminds me of Eminem’s more funny songs, while the latter’s rapping sounded a lot like Hyunjin! I finally got a good listen to Siyun’s vocals on “My Way,” a song with a bit of a cyberpunk quality to it. Unfortunately, I could not get on board with the final two tracks of the album, “All Eyes on You” and “Tears in Your Smile.” While they did kind of call back to the sound of their debut days, they absolutely did not fit with the rest of the songs on this album.
Cortis – GREENGREEN
For as different as Cortis is to much of the K-Pop industry, somehow they manage to sound even more different with their second EP! Their pre-release single “REDRED” was really jarring at first, but I love some noise pop, so it became addicting to me pretty quickly. I’m also quite impressed with the choreography for this song. They manage to capture such a casual, yet clean execution, and these boys don’t rest for even a second of this song. I’d be positively winded even just half way through! “TNT” also sounded so totally different for them, but the pre-release better prepared me. I find these songs to be a little bit more difficult to differentiate their voices, but they’d go really hard at a festival. The rest of the album’s tracks seem as equally experimental. I have a soft spot for “Wassup” because to me it sounds like it Armor For Sleep decided to make a trap/rap song – I really dug it! Sometimes songs can’t all be winners, and for me that is the case with the final track, “Blue Lips.” I can appreciate the experimental approach to it, and I actually enjoyed James’ verse, but overall it didn’t do much for me.
&TEAM – We On Fire
While at first I wasn’t sure about the title track, I found myself singing it back almost immediately and all of the freaking time. I found myself craving to listen to it most days. The bass in this song is a really strong point, as well. The music video had a cool videogame quality to it, but kind of fell flat at the end. I did like that it tied into the Going In Blind world! “Bewitched” and “Hotline” took me a few tries to finally come around to. Both are pretty fun tracks, though the vocals don’t quite stand out as much as I’d like on “Bewtiched.” “Hotline,” while fun, kind of reminded me of something I’d hear on a video related to middle or high school, but the chorus is deliberately audience driven, so it’d be fun to experience in a live setting. The last song on this EP surprised the heck out of me by becoming my favorite one. “Sakura-ira Yell” is a ballad at its core, but in my opinion it had a little bit more meat to it. Not to mention heavenly vocals and visuals thanks to the special live clip they recorded for it.
82MAJOR – FEELM
Gah, I love 82MAJOR! They are constantly able to reinvent themselves on these comebacks while still staying themselves at their core, and this EP was no different! “Sign” might be their most lowkey single to date, but god if it isn’t addictive. Seriously, the raps are almost non-existent, but they absolutely all crush the vocals. I dare you to listen to it and not find yourself thinking about that catchy chorus. The album opener “W.T.F” actually made me laugh pretty hard, but it was really interesting to hear how Western sounding it was with the samples. The raps went HARD, so I was kind of bummed with how short it was. I enjoyed the videogame club sounds from “Cage,” though vocally it’s their most generic song, in my opinion. On the opposite end, I love the vocals experiments they tried out on “Circles!” And “Yessir” also caught my attention with Seokjoon starting it off! The song itself almost had a runway feel to it, but it ultimately came off as more of a party song. Overall a really strong EP!
LNGSHOT – Training Day
Although this is technically their second EP, to me it feels like more of a standard K-Pop mixtape because it features solos from all of the members, as well as one full group song. Either way, I am kind of in awe of how quickly these guys are churning out music. I know there is some popularity with them, but to me it feels like they should be huge. What I found most fascinating with the EP was how much of it was in English. Having only listened through it once at this point, I don’t want to say it’s 100 percent, but it’s definitely the majority. Louis opens the EP with the very pop “Good Girls,” which kind of sounds a little strange with the tone of his voice and the more suggestive lyrics. Still, it sounds great. Woojin also shows off his vocal abilities with “Boo Thang” and he was giving me Jay B flashbacks with his “chacha beat boy” feature. Ohyul’s song is probably my least favorite only because it’s more ballad-like, but his vocals are so smooth and dynamic. And I was really impressed with his English pronounciation! Ryul gives us the only real rap song on this EP, though it also comes in as the shortest. Their group track, “Vanilla Days,” is giving 90s TV, and sound quite different from what else they’ve released, but Louis’ voice is BANANAS on this track. Another solid offering from this rookie group.