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Weekly K-pop faves: April 3-9

April 9, 2017/in Fans, Playlist Sunday /by KultScene

Every week, the KultScene team writes up mini reviews of our favorite new K-pop releases from the past week. This time, we enjoyed music courtesy of NCT’s Ten, YG Entertainment’s revamped WINNER, and up-and-coming idol band DAY6. ”Dream In A Dream” by Ten (NCT) (Released April East meets west in Ten’s solo debut under SM […]

Monsta X’s ‘Beautiful’ song & music video review

April 3, 2017/in Entertainment, MUSIC VIDEOS /by Veronica Traggiai

On March 21, Monsta X released their energetic and heartfelt song “Beautiful” and, paired with its equally beautiful music video, it might just earn them their very first music show win. Ever since this young group debuted in 2015, they’ve increasingly improved their talents and proven that they are not a group to be ignored. Song […]

Weekly K-pop faves: April 3-9

April 9, 2017/in Fans, Playlist Sunday /by KultScene

Monsta X’s ‘Beautiful’ song & music video review

April 3, 2017/in Entertainment, MUSIC VIDEOS /by Veronica Traggiai

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Weekly K-pop faves: April 3-9

April 9, 2017/in Fans, Playlist Sunday /by KultScene

Every week, the KultScene team writes up mini reviews of our favorite new K-pop releases from the past week. This time, we enjoyed music courtesy of NCT’s Ten, YG Entertainment’s revamped WINNER, and up-and-coming idol band DAY6.

”Dream In A Dream” by Ten (NCT) (Released April

East meets west in Ten’s solo debut under SM Station, and it’s one of the most interesting songs SM has released this year. I’ve said for a while now that K-pop needs to focus a bit more on the “K” aspect, and this song does that perfectly. The hazy, instrumental-heavy sound of “Dream In a Dream” draws on both traditional Asian music styles and rhythmic contemporary dance beats to create a hypnotic effect. Altogether, the sound provides a glorious, ambient backdrop to the beautifully choreographed video. (Seriously, watch the MV.) The–all English!– singing is minimal, but it does poise Ten as a singer, which is very different from how we’ve seen him in the past: when he debuted in NCT U last year, Thai member Ten was positioned as a rapper. After that, he appeared on the dance competition show Hit The Stage. But now with “Dream In A Dream” it seems like the company wants all eyes focused on this talented performer.

–Tamar

”Fool” by WINNER (Released April 4th)

WINNER’s comeback accomplished nothing short of demolishing expectations. One of two singles off of Fate Number For, “Fool” sees the newly-established 4-piece lineup do what they do best — emotive music that demonstrates their artistry and versatility as idols and musicians. The rappers’ delicate singing voices complement the already sweet-toned vocal Jinwoo and stronger-voiced Seungyoon in a way that feels complete and harmonious even after losing a member last year. With complex instrumentalism and beautiful vocals, the group has shown strong potential to maintain relevance even after a tumultuous first few years in and out of the spotlight. I am looking forward to more from them this year, provided YG can pull through with the releases.

Also on Kultscene: Monsta X’s ‘Beautiful’ song & music video review

–Kushal

“I’m Serious” by DAY6 (Released April 6)

DAY6 returned a few days ago with their monthly Every Day6 album, containing title track “I’m Serious” as well as “Say Wow”. Despite its title, this single is one of the most playful and fun tracks DAY6 has ever come up with. Following a string of angsty heartbreak songs, this song and its adorable accompanying music video felt like a breath of fresh air. It’s lovely to watch the boys having fun performing this song as well, especially since they decided to go for another round of music broadcasts after last month’s “How Can I Say” performances. This fourth comeback in the year marks a pivotal turning point for DAY6 however, who created a big stir last week because of their flawless performance on the semi-final of K-pop Star 6. It was a homecoming for member Jae, who was on the first season of the audition program and he truly demonstrated how he had grown as an artist since then. They followed this feat with their first appearance on Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook, which caused their songs to bounce back onto music charts and Naver searches. It’s about time Korea started awakening to DAY6’s insane talent so I’m really happy for them and excited to see where this new popularity will take them.

–Anna

What do you think of our takes on these songs? Let us know what your favorite song of the week was in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Monsta X’s ‘Beautiful’ song & music video review

April 3, 2017/in Entertainment, MUSIC VIDEOS /by Veronica Traggiai

On March 21, Monsta X released their energetic and heartfelt song “Beautiful” and, paired with its equally beautiful music video, it might just earn them their very first music show win. Ever since this young group debuted in 2015, they’ve increasingly improved their talents and proven that they are not a group to be ignored.

Song

This is one of Monsta X’s most musically cohesive and infectious songs yet. At times, the rap verses of K-pop songs can feel forced or too intense for the song they’re featured in. Thankfully, that is not true in this situation. The falsetto-heavy chorus pairs very well with rappers Jooheon and I.M’s hard-hitting lyrics. All of the members’ talents were also nicely showcased in this song without any of members seemingly overshadowing the others. Main vocalist Kihyun shined as always, but we also got a nice look at the vocal abilities of members like Minhyuk and Hyungwon — whose talents may be overlooked at times.

This song was pretty heavy handed in its use of EDM and, while that can tend to be overwhelming if not done correctly, it works to its advantage. The electronic beats in the background allowed the members’ choreography to really be the focus when they weren’t busy singing. It’s nice that Monsta X have seemingly gone back to their debut sound but with the maturity that has come with their growth as artists.

Also on Kultscene: CNBLUE’s ‘Between Us’ music video & song review

Music Video

Monsta X does an excellent job at producing exciting music videos that instantly catch the attention of viewers, and this one was no different. The video is reminiscent of those from “The Clan” series (“All In” and “Fighter”), but with more symbolism and less of a storyline. Each member got their own themed room that highlighted the strong visuals of this group.

“Beautiful” is a lot more aesthetically pleasing than some of their previous videos like “Rush,” and it was nice to see a more subtle side to the group. The only criticism is that it would’ve been nice to have a stronger plot, or at least for it to not have been quite so difficult to figure out what was going on.

Also on Kultscene: KCON 2017 Mexico’s M! Countdown Day 2 Concert Recap

Overview

This is one of Monsta X’s strongest comebacks yet and it will surely gain them the popularity and respect they deserve. “Beautiful” is a song that portrays the strengths of every member. Vocalists Shownu, Wonho, Kihyun, and Minhyuk’s harmonizations and falsetto give the song an ethereal feeling that matches the dreamy music video, while the rapper line (Jooheon and I.M.) brings it all back to earth. And, of course, no review would be complete without applauding lead dancer Hyungwon’s excellent execution of the music video’s choreography.

This is a song that works in many aspects and has the ability to succeed in both radio stations as well as through live performances. Whether it’s the choreography, the vocals, or the visuals, this release excels and inspires excitement in Monsta X’s fans (Monbebes) about what they will do next.

Monsta X's "Beautiful"

4.5

What do you think of Monsta X’s “Beautiful”? Tell us what you think in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.