"tOgether fOrever" - Kep1er
Live performance
I think this is one of Kep1er's best b-sides to date, so it's a bit of a shame that it's a Japanese release. To me, this song feels like a quintessential k-pop girl group song with a little of Kep1er's flair. The acoustic guitar in the verses is a nice touch that I really appreciate. The chorus is pretty and uplifting, but with a tinge of melancholic nostalgia that adds some emotional weight. Then, a nice dance break takes the place of the bridge and adds energy to the song. The instrumental for the dance break is pretty cool and fits Kep1er's sound well. Kep1er is still set to disband this upcoming July, but I'm sure this lovely song will remain in Kep1ians' hearts "forever and ever and ever."
"tOgether fOrever" English translation
"Like It Like It" - Secret Number
Music video (English subs available)
Live performance (beginning of the video)
Dance practice
Secret Number have released a few songs over the years that have appealed to me, and "Like It Like It" is definitely one of my absolute favorite songs of theirs. This song is quirky and fun and features what I believe to be one of the most interesting toplines in k-pop in 2023.
Right off the bat, the song starts off with an all English intro. A majority of this track is actually in English, so it's easy to get into for English speakers. As is often the case, the English lyrics are a little ridiculous and the grammar is odd at times, but it fits the vibe of the track, so it doesn't bother me here.
The synths are interesting and fun on this song, and the topline complements the instrumental well. The chorus is fast-paced and quirky, making it extremely memorable, while the post-chorus brings the intensity down a bit, but is just as catchy as the chorus. Also, I actually enjoy both the vocals and the rap on this song!
I found the second verse to be quite surprising, since there's an instrumental break at the end that features electric guitar. And the surprises don't stop, because instead of launching into the second chorus, the song goes straight from the second pre-chorus into an extended bridge of sorts. It's a fun way to shake up the typical pop song structure, and it fits the vibe of the song well!
"TARGET" - CLASS:y
Music video
Dance practice
English translation
After a busy debut year in 2022, CLASS:y only released four new songs in 2023, sadly. The releases were solid/good, but "TARGET" was easily my favorite of the bunch. The intro has classic spy movie vibes, which I find really fun. This single has a brass heavy instrumental, which can be rather hit or miss for me, but it works in this song. It helps that the synths the producers chose complement the brass parts well.
The best part of the song is definitely the upbeat and extremely catchy chorus. It has a different vibe from the rest of the song, but it doesn't feel out of place. The dance break following the second chorus is also a highlight, and the instrumental is great here. For the outro, the fantastic intro is re-visited along with an additional flourish to finish the song. This isn't my favorite CLASS:y choreography, but it's still pretty good, and they execute it well. I linked the dance practice since I couldn't find video of them performing this song live.
"Limitless" - ATEEZ
- Lyrics: co-written by Hongjoong, Mingi
Music video (English subs available)
Live performance (Wooyoung was injured, so he is not dancing here)
"Limitless" is the one song in this part 2 post that feels more like a j-pop song rather than a k-pop song with Japanese lyrics. More specifically, it feels like ATEEZ's take on a j-pop song, and that may be in part due to the fact that this song was used as an opening theme song for the Duel Masters anime.
Yunho's lines in the intro followed by Seonghwa's vocals set the tone so nicely. The first time I heard San's vocals in the pre-chorus, I got chills. He absolutely nailed that part. I really like the topline during the chorus and Wooyoung's vocals. After the anthemic post-chorus, the song segues into a classic ATEEZ style rap verse in the second verse, and I appreciate the electric guitar (note: it may be synth that sounds like guitar) that supplements the instrumental here.
Yunho and Seonghwa's vocals are juxtaposed once again during the bridge to good effect. The instrumental then cuts out for a bit, and we're treated to San's gorgeous vocals once again. The final chorus has some nice ad-libs and vocal layering, and the song finishes with a proper outro, which is always appreciated. The vocals and topline of this song really struck a chord with me, and I was particularly impressed with San, Yunho, and Seonghwa on this song.
Other recommendation(s): "DIAMOND"
"Choices" - LE SSERAFIM
Eight days into 2023, LE SSERAFIM released "Choices," their first original Japanese song, and they came out swinging. This is one of those choruses that I would find myself randomly thinking about on a semi-regular basis because of how catchy it is. This song was also used as a theme song for the Japanese drama 3000 Yen: How to Enrich Life. Undoubtedly, this was a strong Japanese debut for LE SSERAFIM. This song doesn't have a music video nor a video of a live performance though, unfortunately.
The intro, which is also the post-chorus and outro, is catchy and the lyrics are simple yet clever. Speaking of which, the lyrics of this song are really good throughout. The pre-chorus has a nice topline with good vocals, and it sets up the chorus perfectly. Not sure what more to say about the chorus other than it's an absolute earworm with lovely vocals and uplifting lyrics. The bridge is interesting, with its brass focused sound and fast paced sing-talk style rap, and it adds some nice texture to the song. Finally, the ad-libs in the final chorus are quite pleasant.
"Choices" English translation
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Sorry it took me so long to upload part 2! My usual routine was upended and the past couple weeks have been unpredictable. Also, I did lose motivation, to be honest, but I wanted to make sure I at least finish this two part series though. I'm not sure if I'll have the time or desire to keep blogging, so just wanted to give a heads up in case I disappear for a long period (again)!
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