I am a huge fan of B1A4 and purchased their first full-length album Ignition when it was first released. Little did I know back then, but they've re-released the album with two brand new tracks and re-titled the album: The B1A4 Ignition Special Edition. And even though the repackaged album only contains 2 brand new tracks (plus their instrumentals at the end of of the album), I've still purchased the album and am currently waiting for it to arrive in the post (I may be posting photos of my copy when it arrives!). I reviewed the album back in March (you can read my full review here) but I think it's time that I gave my review on those brand new tracks - 잘자요 굿나잇 (Baby Goodnight) and 너 때문에 (Because Of You).

The title track of the album (the track that they're currently promoting) is Baby Goodnight and it's a huge departure from their previous title track - Baby I'm Sorry. They returned in March with a dark concept and shocked fans with their almost grown-up attitudes and darker image. But now, B1A4 have returned to their cute, fun and colourful image that they were previously known for. The song itself is a fun, light and energetic pop song that almost seems to feature old-school gameboy sounds. Although it's not a song that would be considered a huge dancefloor filler, it still has elements that make you want to get up and have "dancing party time" - as they beautifully coo in the chorus: "dancing, dancing, dancing in the moonlight". This song definately echoes their first two songs - OK and Beautiful Target - and proves that, although they showed their maturity with Baby I'm Sorry, B1A4 have not lost their fun and energetic personas.

The second new track that B1A4 have given us is 너 때문에 (Because Of You). This song is a lovely midtempo track that fits in nicely with their previous songs (especially the sound that they explored in their first two mini albums). Although the song doesn't have any gimmicks or cute moments, it's a fantastic song to display the member's vocal capabilities (especially Sandeul, who sounds absolutely amazing!)

All in all, I think that this re-release is completely worth buying (whether you've bought the original version or not). We may have 'only' been given 2 new tracks but they are both great songs and the repackaged album features lots of new photos and a brand new concept. Well worth buying, I'd say.

A Pink were one of the top rookie groups of 2011 and released a couple of hits during the past year (MY MY and I Don't Know). And now they're back with the first full length album - a short collection of songs that showcase their cute and sweet sides. But is this just more of the same of what we've already seen from A Pink?  Is their image becoming a little tiring now? Let's find out.

Click the "read more" link below to read my full review of A Pink's Une Annee:

Girls' Generaiton divided into 3 this month for the release of their first sub-unit's mini album - Twinkle! The sub-unit group, comprised of members Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun, were given the odd yet appropriate name Taetiseo. Their group name may not be a word that rolls off the tongue, but what about the music? I review Taetiseo's first mini album Twinkle after the break and see if the album lived up to expectations....

Click "read more" to view my track-by-track review of Taetiseo's Twinkle mini album:

My latest review is for 7 member group U-KISS' sixth mini album - 도라도라 (DORADORA). Released a couple of days ago, I've had enough time to listen to it and give you all my review. So without further-a-do...

Click "read more" to read my track-by-track review of U-KISS' DORADORA:

Girls' Generation fans - such as myself - were treated this morning to the first ever video teaser for the upcoming Taetiseo project. Taetiseo? Quite simply, that stands for Taeyeon - Tiffany - and Seohyun. Yes, one third of Girls' Generation have formed a sub-unit group and will be releasing their first single Twinkle before the end of the month. This is really exciting news because Girls' Generation have never produced a sub-unit group before - unlike their brother-band Super Junior, who have graced us with Super Junior-M, Super Junior Happy, Super Junior-T and the recent Donghae/Eunhyuk sub-unit.

The teaser - as glitzy and glamarous as it is - has raised a few questions. Why have Taetiseo gone down this route? Why are Girls' Generation only NOW introducing their first sub-unit group?

As the Queens of K-Pop, I personally don't understand why GG has decided that now is the right time to release a sub-unit. Currently, they're stronger than ever - and not only in Korea, they're doing amazing in Japan and have recently had high-profile TV spots in the U.S. For these 9 lovely ladies, their sun couldn't be shining any more. I am always happy to embrace new GG music - that's a no-brainer - but this has definately come as a surprise to me. I don't think forming a sub-unit is a reaction to After School's successful Orange Caramel sub-unit, nor Rainbow's recent sub-unit Rainbow Pixie. Instead, it just seems to be schedule-filler for Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun.

Aditionally, although the teaser isn't even 20 seconds long, we can already judge what kind of song this will be - fun, glitzy and perhaps somewhat of a throwaway party track. That's fine - I listen to songs like that on a regular basis - but it's not what I expected when Taetiseo was first announced. With Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun being announced as the 3 members of the group, I was expecting either a ballad group or a song which featured each memeber's powerhouse vocals. I have no doubt that this song will show off the 3 ladies' incredible vocals but I think I'd rather have heard their vocals laced on a deep, meaningful and emotional track - rather than this seemingly light and fun song.

I am still very excited to hear what the full song will sound like - and I have no doubt that I'll love it (I'm a big GG fan!) - but this just wasn't what I expected. I'll be writing another review when the full song and mini-album is released - and hopefully, I'll be completely blown away!

After concluding their promotions for previous single The Grasshopper Song and the band's only male member leaving to begin his military service, Sunny Hill have made their return to the music scene this week. Their new digital single Princess and Prince Charming(백마는 오고 있는가) was released on Thursday and is very Sunny Hill. Whether or not that is a good thing is undecided.

This song (and it's music video) ooze Sunny Hill's individual charms and their quirky style. Although beginning as a ballad group, the group reinvented themselves last year with the addition of a couple new members and transformed into a very alternative yet contemporary pop group. This change of style paid off. They became an exciting group and their songs - Midnight Circus and Pray - became decent sized hits and cemented Sunny Hill's name in the K-Pop industry. Fast forward to 2012, and they've released The Grasshopper Song and Princess and Prince Charming. Now, I really do like these songs. They have fantastic music videos - full of great imagery and symbolism - and the songs themselves are upbeat, fun and definately different to what is out there at the moment. That said, however, I feel it's becoming a little samey. Their concept may be unique but their songs are no longer individual. Since Midnight Circus, I've found all their tracks very similar - they've released around 8 tracks (on their mini albums, singles etc.) and each song is a very similar to one another. Sure, Sunny Hill differ completely to the hundreads of other K-Pop groups around, but their material doesn't differ from one song to the next.

Princess and Prince Charming may indeed be a charming song, but it doesn't show any growth - nor does it differ from their previous single or mini album. To me, I'd love to see Sunny Hill switch things up yet again. We've seen them transform once - why not do it again? I'd surely welcome a new direction at this point.

Everyone's favourite cute and bubbly girl group are officially back! I've been awaiting the comeback of Girl's Day since last Summer, when I first became addicted to their monster-hit 반짝반짝 (Twinkle Twinkle), which went on to become one of the 2011's biggest songs. And yesterday, they released their long-awaited new mini album and new music video for Oh! My God. Today, I'll be reviewing their mini album...

So, click the "read more" link below to read my track-by-track review of Girl's Day's Everyday II mini album:

SISTAR are back with their 5th release and their first ever mini album - Alone. As the follow-up to 2011's massive hit SO COOL, a lot was riding on Alone. But has it delivered? SISTAR have definately evolved as a group and their style is a lot different from their previous releases - but is this change for the better?

For my track-by-track review of SISTAR's first mini album ALONE.... click the "read more" link below!

4minute are officially back! After a year long break and a series of delays and push backs, their newest mini album Volume Up was unleashed to the public this week. But, was it worth the wait?

Check out my track-by-track review of Volume Up after the break:

Having being teased for the past 100 days - yes, it was 100 days of teasing - April 7th finally saw the release of  SM Entertainment's latest creation - EXO. EXO are a 12 member boyband technically but have split in half - 6 members have become EXO-K and will promote in Korea and the other 6 members are part of EXO-M who will be promoting in China. Because I'm a K-Pop lover and am currently learning Korean, this review will focus on EXO-K's version of their debut single MAMA.

Firstly, I have to be honest - I had completely lost interest in this whole project. I felt that we were overloaded with teasers and the hype was so over-the-top that I actually lost interest in them quickly. However, the first time that I heard MAMA and saw the music video - I was utterly blown away. From the cinematic introduction, explaining how EXO came to be, to the Iluminati-esque robes - I knew that this was not your standard run-of-the-mill music video. The music video seems to give each member a certain power of symbol - and each member can manipulate water, fire or other elements. This immediately gave the MAMA music video a unique and epic atmosphere because instead of seeing EXO-K as K-Pop Idols, they seem to be supernatural and out-of-this-world creatures. Also, the amount of special effects and the elaborate set design really shows how much SM has invested in this group. Indeed, this video is very slick and well produced - and combined with the superb choreography, the MAMA video truly is a winner and easily one of the best music videos of 2012 so far.

As for the song, it's just as unique and epic as it's music video. The strings and vocals at the beginning definately give this song a vibe that I can only describe as apocalyptic ...! I wouldn't say this song was the most radio friendly and I definately believe that MAMA will divide a few opinions - it's very brave for a debut single. However, for me, I think it's incredible. My favourite part of the song is undoubtedly the breakdown - the clashing drums, the heavy-metal guitar and the rap which wouldn't sound out of place on a heavy-metal song.

For a debut, this is flawless. But the only problem that comes with debuting with a music video like this? The follow-up. EXO may have lived up to the 100 day hype, but living up to this near-perfect music video may be even trickier. 

It's recently been confirmed that both 4minute and SISTAR will be making their 2012 comebacks in the second week of April. As today is April 1st and we'll no doubt be hearing their comeback singles within the next 2 weeks, I wanted to write about who I think will be victorious in this epic girl group showdown.

4minute - The + Points
4minute could end up having the most successful comeback because of the anticipation factor. They've been in the game longer than SISTAR and have arguably built up a bigger fanbase throughout the years. It's been a year since their last output (2011's 4minutes Left album) and their comeback has been pushed back from January, then February, to March and now it's already April. Their comeback is definately highly anticipated but have they waited too long to come back?
Secondly, since their last album, HyunA has become this massive star. She always was the focal point of 4minute, but with her viral hit Bubble Pop!, her Trouble Maker smash hit from last December and her fashion label, she's never not been mentioned on the K-Pop blogs and has promoted throughout the whole year. Because she's such a big star now, 4minute will no doubt garner even more attention - putting their comeback directly in the spotlight.

SISTAR - The + Points
SISTAR could easily win the April comeback showdown, too. Their 2011 was so successful for them - their song SO COOL was one of the biggest tracks of last year. In fact, SO COOL sold more digital copies than 4minute's Mirror Mirror track, according to the Gaon charts. But, it seems like SISTAR doesn't have as much of a following like 4minute. They only really brokethrough with their SO COOL promotions and their record label isn't as successful as 4minute's Cube Entertainment, which could mean less promotion for SISTAR.
But, their profile has been raised recently with Hyorin's role in Dream High 2. Hyorin is known for being one of the best singers in K-Pop and having weekly exposure on TV has definately boosted SISTAR's profile.

And the winner is...?
Truthfully, I couldn't reach a clear cut decision. Both groups have enough plus points to warrant a successful comeback - yet, there are certain reasons why one group could win over the other. 4minute may have been around longer and they do have superstar HyunA in their group, but because they've been on hiatus for so long - have people forgotten about them? Are they just HyunA and the other 4 girls now? SISTAR may seem like the underdogs having had their breakthrough in 2011, but they had two hits last year - SO COOL and Ma Boy - so they could easily take the top spot.

Personally, I think it quite simply depends on the song. Both groups seem to be on an equal footing as of April 1st, but when the music video, album teasers and the the eventual single is released - I think we'll truly be able to crown the champion of this battle.

As I'm struggling to find new albums/mini-albums to review, I thought I'd review another one of my favourite albums from 2011. I'll be reviewing After School's first full length album Virgin and hopefully explain what it is about this album that I love so much.

So, for my full track-by-track album review, click on the "Read More" link now!

Despite debuting two and a half years ago, Rainbow are only now releasing their first full-length album - Over The Rainbow. Although they're a full-fleged Korean success, their first album is actually a Japanese release. Korean fans may still be waiting for their debut Korean album, but for now, this Japanese album will have to suffice. And, warning - do not let that cutesy, bright cover fool you - Rainbow are sophisticated and sultry women, and Over The Rainbow proves this.

For my full track-by-track review, click the link below to read more:

f(x)'s first album Pinocchio was by far my favourite album of 2011. Nearing it's first birthday, I've decided to write a review of it - celebrating all its glory!

Check out my track-by-track review of f(x)'s Pinocchio below:

Sherlock is the fourth mini album from Korean supergroup SHINee. After a year and a half away from the Korean music scene, they returned this week with Sherlock - but does it live up to the hype and anticipation?

Click below to read my track-by-track review of SHINee's Sherlock:

B1A4 were by far my favourite boyband to debut in 2011. Their songs OK and Beautiful Target were so fun and summery, and I found myself singing along to Beautiful Target 24/7. Now, March 2012, they are officially back! IGNITION is their first full-length album and they've opted for a more grown-up and darker image this time round.

If you want to read my thoughts and feelings about the new album, click the link below to read my full review of  IGNITION:

Nu'Est finally debuted yesterday with their first ever music video - FACE. And it did not dissapoint. I've been waiting for Nu'Est's debut since December, after seeing them in After School and Son Dambi's Christmas single Love Letter. Nu'Est is on the same record company (Pledis) as After School and when the members were announced, the 5 guys were tentatively named After School Boys or Pledis Boys. But their official name was announced as Nu'Est which is miles better than the original names.

And after a week of teasers, FACE was finally unveiled to us yesterday. For a debut single, I thought it was mighty impressive. It was slick and sharp and I really enjoyed the concept - a bullying concept which I had never seen in a K-Pop video before. I was really pleased that FACE was set in a school environment. Just as After School's debut video for AH~ was set in a school, so was FACE - and I liked that link. But unlike AH~, FACE is a gritty, edgy and powerful song. The English lyrics include lines such as 'stupid', 'so what' and 'shit' - proving that Nu'Est aren't messing around. The song is not only powerful in it's lyrics but also in it's beat - especially the dub-step breakdown in the middle.

Dancing wise, I thought these guys were so impressive. I enjoyed the chair choreography and the whole 'bullying/hitting' element to the routine. It was fast-paced and energetic and as it was set in a school, it looked really rebellious too. Ren is my favourite member because of his cold and non-cholant persona - he is the definition of 'So What?'.

Overall, I was highly impressed by Nu'Est's debut. Whereas other boybands might have debuted with a softer side, Nu'Est have already come at us with something strong and shocking. I feel like they won't be going down the fun/cute route, which I am very happy about. If they stick to this edgy image, I'll be looking forward to what else they have to offer.

5/5

SHINee are finally having their Korean comeback! Yaaaay! This is very good news considering that they were very absent from the Korean music scene in 2011 due to their Japanese activities. But on March 19th, they'll be releasing their 4th mini album - Sherlock.

It's a very interesting title and I'm very intrigued to see how the word "Sherlock" will translate into their music. SHINee have, in the past, made names such as Lucifer, Juliette, Quasimodo and JoJo into awesome songs, so I have no doubt that if there is a song with the title of "Sherlock", it'll be nothing short of amazing. The mini album will have a total of 7 tracks which is a great amount for a mini album!

They've released teaser pictures for each member (see their official site for all the teaser pictures) and once again, SHINee seem to be pushing the limits in the style department. I personally think that out of all the guy groups out there, SHINee push the most boundaries (kind of in the way that G-Dragon does in BIG BANG).  Just in their performances for Lucifer, SHINee were being daring with their hairstyles, make-up, jewelry and their fashion sense. I love how how SHINee have taken fashion items which are typically feminine and transformed them into a masculine and trendy look. What's more, I'm also excited for their comeback because SHINee are some of the best dancers around. Their choreography is always on-point, fast and in sync.

I'm so exicted to see what SHINee has to bring in 2012! 7 more days to wait!

I recieved another package from YesAsia which contained 3 brand new K-Pop CDs. They are: SPICA's Russian Roulette, miss A's Touch and Big Bang's ALIVE (G-Dragon Version). Check out my review of their uniqe packaging after the break.

C-REAL debuted last year with their song No No No No No and I was a big fan of it. It was a soft R&B number with sweet vocals, and the 5 members of C-REAL were dubbed as 5 mini IU's - another K-Pop artist I'm a big fan of.

This week, they returned with their new single Joma Joma and their second mini album Love Diary. It's definately different to No No No No No but I can't help but feel that it's a step back for C-REAL. Although their first single was insanely cute, it still had a grown-up feel to it. But somehow, Joma Joma seems quite childish. The girls have been dressed in a very young way (school uniform-like, if you will) and the whole tap-dancing element to the song makes it overall a bit kiddy-like. I thought their first mini album was really strong and although the members were obviously very young, they could still compete with the older, more mature K-Pop Idols. But this time round, I feel they've gone back a step and released something 'safe' instead of trying to mature.

All of that said, I still think it's a good song. I don't think it's a song that I'll be blasting out of my car when I'm driving, but for a short and sweet song - it does the trick. I really like the rapper of the group who gives C-REAL the edge that they need. The other songs on the mini album are pretty good - 맘에 든다고 has a computer-game vibe to it but works surprisingly well.

Overall, I'm not dissapointed with this comeback. However, I am not blown away or overly impressed either. I think these 5 girls are exceptional vocalists and I do see a bright future for them, but I hope - for their sake - that their next release will be something with a bit more subtance and with signs of growth.


3/5