It seems the K-pop gods had the best saved for last, for we have been bombarded with great single after great single in the last couple of weeks. “Beautiful” by Wanna One (Released Nov. 13) Not that fans didn’t already know this, but still, “Beautiful” was a cute reminder that the OngNiel ship is real […]
Monsta X returned to the K-pop scene on Nov. 7th with “Dramarama” off of their fifth mini album titled The Code. This is the third comeback from Monsta X in 2017, after releasing “Beautiful,” “Shine Forever,” and “Newton” earlier this year. The title track intertwines distinctive guitar riffs to create groovy instrumentals and blends them […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Untitled-design-1.png7681024Naomi Osujihttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngNaomi Osuji2017-11-17 13:16:442017-11-17 13:16:44Monsta X’s ‘Dramarama’ song & music video review
It seems the K-pop gods had the best saved for last, for we have been bombarded with great single after great single in the last couple of weeks. “Beautiful” by Wanna One (Released Nov. 13) Not that fans didn’t already know this, but still, “Beautiful” was a cute reminder that the OngNiel ship is real […]
Monsta X returned to the K-pop scene on Nov. 7th with “Dramarama” off of their fifth mini album titled The Code. This is the third comeback from Monsta X in 2017, after releasing “Beautiful,” “Shine Forever,” and “Newton” earlier this year. The title track intertwines distinctive guitar riffs to create groovy instrumentals and blends them […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Untitled-design-1.png7681024Naomi Osujihttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngNaomi Osuji2017-11-17 13:16:442017-11-17 13:16:44Monsta X’s ‘Dramarama’ song & music video review
It seems the K-pop gods had the best saved for last, for we have been bombarded with great single after great single in the last couple of weeks.
“Beautiful” by Wanna One (Released Nov. 13)
Not that fans didn’t already know this, but still, “Beautiful” was a cute reminder that the OngNiel ship is real and sailing. For Wanna One’s latest comeback, instead of veering towards the typical love story that accompanies a ballad, the group gave us the romance Wannables actually wanted: the one between bros Daniel and Seong Woo. But music video aside, “Beautiful” shows yet another facet to this wildly successful group. Known for their energetic performances, Wanna One came out with a ballad that highlights the members’ vocals —especially those on the sub vocal and rapper lines. It’s so interesting to see the members’ development as performers and singers before our eyes, considering some of them hadn’t been training for that long. With “Beautiful,” we get to see that all their hard work is paying off.
—Alexis
“Twinkle” by Lovelyz (Released Nov. 14)
While Red Velvet are a little late to the Halloween game, Lovelyz are ahead of the pack with their (sort of) Christmas song “Twinkle.” It’s not a typical Christmas track thanks to Lovelyz inability to stray from their electronic influences. Produced by 1Take (who takes a lead single for the first time after producing a number of b-sides for various groups including Wanna One’s only good song “Wanna Be (My Baby)) and Tak, “Twinkle” uses an incredibly dense backing electro track under typically lovely bell and string details. The electronics change as the song goes on, adding 8-bit moments and classic big euro synths for the chorus. What makes “Twinkle” a little bit strange is the way Lovelyz’s vocals are the same as always. They are used to synths but not quite an intense rhythm section. Jiae, Jisoo, Yein’s rap part is particularly important than as it adds a great amount of personality to a vocal section that could veer towards Disney territory. That being said they are just setting the stomper of a chorus which the unstoppable Kei knocks out of the park. It feels like the chorus happens five or six times but it’s so good you want it to keep coming anyway.
—Joe
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Monsta X returned to the K-pop scene on Nov. 7th with “Dramarama” off of their fifth mini album titled The Code. This is the third comeback from Monsta X in 2017, after releasing “Beautiful,” “Shine Forever,” and “Newton” earlier this year. The title track intertwines distinctive guitar riffs to create groovy instrumentals and blends them with the group’s signature hip-hop sound.
Song
On a regular basis, it takes a couple of listens for me to capture the vibe of a song. With “Dramarama,” I was able to enjoy it after listening to it for the first time. Compared to the group’s previous title tracks like “Beautiful” and “All In,” which have been strong and in-your-face, this track has a funky vibe, thanks to the prominent guitar instrumental.
“Dramarama” is a stepping stone for the septet, showing a new side to listeners. It’s steadier than their previous title tracks, which have been fast-paced. It starts off at a steady pace, playing along with the guitar riffs, added by vocals. The build-up from the pre-chorus, led by Hyungwon, is a great transition into the chorus. The chorus is catchy, and I enjoyed the rap section because of Jooheon’s grittiness and I.M’s deep tone.
What I enjoyed about this track is the way they were able to attempt a different sound that is usually hip-hop with a mixture of EDM, but keeps the aggressive style Monsta X is known for. It was surprising to hear this type of sound from the group, since it’s something that listeners are not used to hearing from them.
The video for “Dramarama” explores the theme of time traveling and the price that comes along with it. The plot revolves around Kihyun, Minhyuk, and Wonho discovering a watch that allows them to time travel. It centers primarily around Kihyun, who goes back in time to save Jooheon’s life after a car accident, while Minhyuk is taken back to an alley where both he and I.M are being chased by men in dark suits, and Wonho goes back in time to kendo fight with Shownu. As for Hyungwon, it seems he’s a time traveler who skips around time to help the others by giving them the watch to fix or do something in the past.
Along with “Beautiful,” this is one of the group’s best videos to date. The symbols that are included within the video like the watches, the clue on the newspaper suggesting that Hyungwon is a time traveler, the voice over stating the watches are not allowed in first few seconds in the video helps viewers understand the storyline. But there are more questions that I have. What is the story behind Minhyuk and I.M’s friendship? What is the connection between Wonho and Shownu’s characters? Why is Hyungwon’s character so important?
The song and video relate to each other because in the song, the members talk about trying to figure out their “drama” with someone. In the video, Kihyun, Minhyuk, and Wonho are attempting to figure out their dilemmas by using the watches to prevent tragedy, win battles, and reunite with a longtime friend.
Between the narrative, choreography is included, where the members are dancing inside a tunnel, decked out in a mixture of red and black ensembles. Even though the video focused more on the narrative, I enjoyed the dancing, especially the shoulder shimmy and the little milly rock that Jooheon, Kihyun and Minhyuk do in Jooheon’s rap section.
Monsta X has shown excellent growth this past year when it comes to music, and “Dramarama” is a good example of that progress. Compared to the other tracks released this year, which have been edgy and glitchy, “Dramarama” is slightly toned down. They are known for their powerful tracks and performances, so it’s refreshing to see a slight change in this song, while still fusing their original style into the track. Hopefully this will be the song that will encourage the group to experiment with different sounds in the future.
Monsta X's 'Dramarama'
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What did you think of “Dramarama?” Are you liking this new vibe Monsta X are going for? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. Be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with al
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