Posts by 108-Ent

  • Kingdom: Reviewing and Ranking the final singles

    Quote from keaji

    I like Kindom Come the most definitely. It flows nicely, it's melodic, it has tbz's feeling and also kind of a royal feel that they are going for so it's a nice continuation.


    Btob's song is really nice and I've been listening to it a lot, but I don't like rap parts, they throw me off and they don't fit in as much.


    My third favorite os probably Ikon's song, it's fun, catchy and different.

    Yep, that majestic-ness TBZ have been seeking has finally been reached in Kingdom Come.


    I am glad that you enjoy iKON's song, I wish that the melody was stronger though, and the beat drop was a little less lethargic.

  • Kingdom: Reviewing and Ranking the final singles

    The pre-chorus is my favorite part of Wolfgang too!


    Funny that you mentioned that you enjoyed At Ease's YG ending. These days unless it is golden, I tend to hate YG endings, too repetitive for me.


    I wanted to get this out before the performances actually, as I just wanted to talk about the song itself, and not let the performances affect my score lol.

  • Kingdom: Reviewing and Ranking the final singles

    Hey guys! Its been a while. I still have been posting on my blog, but absent on the forum. Well, I'm back with my ranking and review of the Kingdom singles. I have provided a link to the post, and will copy the content here too. Please check out my blog and my other posts, the quality is good :)


    The video links have not been posted on the forum to avoid increasing the length.


    Original Post Link: https://108ent.blogspot.com/20…y-war-singles-review.html


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    6. iKON - At Ease

    iKON still has their free-flowing hip-hop energy but lacks B.I as a producer. This is hurting the group quite a bit, as this energy is going to waste. At Ease is marred by heavy autotune, and the lack of any true song, leading to an ultimately underwhelming drop for the central refrain. The verses and pre-chorus occasionally show a spark, but nothing else really happens.

    Rating: 4.75/10


    5. SF9 - Believer


    The opening beats and synths of Believer are great. The song soon settles for a mid-tempo and sensual groove, building on their Kingdom growth. Unfortunately, the song soon becomes extremely forgettable, opting for some well-worn trends, and a lethargic instrumental. The members do their best, but it can't save the song.

    Rating: 6.5/10


    4. ATEEZ - The Real


    The Real has some great moments, such as the pre-chorus which reminds me of EXO's Eternal Kiss. Unfortunately, the rest of the song comes off as woefully dated, trying to go for that middle eastern sound, bordering on cultural appropriation, without actually using those rhythms for anything too good. Thankfully, Mingi's grand return in the second verse is excellent and allows for a much better appreciation of the rest of the verse.

    Rating: 7.25/10


    3. Stray Kids - Wolfgang

    So, Wolfgang has nothing to do with Mozart, and instead is a cheesy trap track, relying a whole lot on posturing and shouting. But as any fan of Stray Kids would tell you, those two factors are Stray Kids specialty. While I certainly prefer their more melodic and experimental work, they manage to turn this mess of a tune into something strong due to an excellent arrangement, led by vocal choirs, orchestral strings, and a church organ.

    Rating: 7.5/10


    2. The Boyz - Kingdom Come

    The Boyz spent most of Kingdom trying to go for a western fantasy sound, so it is ironic that they finally succeed at it with their finale song. Kingdom Come is far from perfect, but its orchestral arrangement and simple melody allow for that ornate sophistication that was their aim from moment one. I can just imagine this song's performance and am certainly excited about it. It could have gone even bigger and exploded during the climax. But then again, it is doing pretty well anyway.

    Rating: 8/10


    1. BTOB - Finale (Show and Prove)

    Regardless of who wins the show in the end, my personal winners will be BTOB. Down to 4 members for the show due to military hiatuses and controversies, they showed that although they are the most senior group, they still have the guts to go in their own way, without following the trend. The opening rap verse is fire, and even as a more vocally focused group, they out-rap everyone else. This leads to the amazing and colossal chorus. I wish it went slightly bigger, but in no way is it forgettable, and it gets stronger each and every repetition.

    Show and Prove is not the sound of a desperate group, clinging onto its past fame, but rather that of a group telling its peak is yet to come. I am not sure how long it will last in my playlist, but I will enjoy it each and every time.

    Rating: 8.75/10

  • Review: BTS - Butter

    Hello Everyone!


    Here is my review of BTS's Butter. Please check it out!


    https://108ent.blogspot.com/2021/05/review-bts-butter.html


    It is at my blog, and I am also posting it here. As the subject is clear here, the song link, intro and closing paragraphs have been removed for ease-of-reading.



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    Butter is a direct successor to 2020's megahit Dynamite. In fact, it is surprising that it only shares one songwriter with Dynamite (Jenna Andrews). The chorus's melody could be paired excellently with Dynamite. Anyway, Butter spirals forward, arising from a slow, percussion-based funk beat, to the disco synth-funk we are all here for. Thus, the first half of the song is decidedly forgettable, while the second half almost has too many moments, overcrowding the scene.

    Throughout all of the song, the glue holding it together is the chorus. The hooks are well-crafted. The vocal processing is obvious, but the charm in the vocals is there. Besides, this song is not Blood, Sweat, and Tears, I can understand the need for vocal effects in a pop song. When the chorus first appears, it is assisted (or harmed) by an underwhelming post-chorus. Thankfully, we never hear it again through the whole song.


    After a really brief second verse, we are thrown into the chorus again, this time with a synth-funk riff. This is my personal favorite moment in the song. It is brief, but it sets the stage for what the song is trying to accomplish.


    This is followed by a rap, adding such much-needed 'K-Pop' into the song. Surprisingly, Suga's rap is a stand-out moment and a good reminder of what he can do when HYBE is not going to throw him an unneeded rap. His English pronunciation is arguably the song's best.


    Speaking of which, Butter's lyrics are in an interesting place. On one hand, they make more sense than Dynamite, but not enough for it to be fully sensible, and they are pronounced so well they must be heard. In the end, that makes the lyrics one of the biggest detractors of the song. Back in 2020, BTS's Map of the Soul: 7 had some great lyrical moments. Since then, BTS's lyrics have been on auto-pilot, following a lot of the lyrics being outsourced. Butter continues this disturbing trend, with only RM involved in the lyrics. At least RM's line dedicated to ARMY is solid.


    Rating: 8/10

  • Would you be here for American Eurovision?

    I am waiting to cringe lol. American music is a whole lot more self-serious than European music. And let's be honest, some of the states are more split than countries 'cough cough.. California and Texas cough cough'. I'd watch it, but I doubt it will last, unless everyone is acting greater than thou with the same musical style.


    Still looking forward to Asiavision though.

  • EXO is the best

    I initially was going to rant a bit on how we don't need to put down other groups to support EXO, and then I read the PSA note under Tic Tac Toe 'PSA : User tic tac toe doesn’t have a personal vendetta against your favs. EXO is just dead and she’s bored. You’ll have to hear her unsolicited opinions till June 7.'. Fine with that. Now I can talk about how much I love EXO.


    They might not be my personal number 1 at the moment, but they were one of the groups that kept me in K-Pop around 2014-15 when I nearly left. Mama is my personal favorite from them, but Growl, Overdose, Heart Attack, Baby Don't Cry, and basically half their discography is nearly there.

  • Covers that you listen more than the original?

    One cover I listen to more than the original, at least in the world of K-Pop, is TVXQ's Magic Castle over The Classic's rendition. But because I am sure 95% don't know who The Classic is, I'll embed a new cover or two that is better than the original.


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    Both are Golcha covers, and honestly, I think Golcha are one of the better cover artists in modern times. Side Note: A Song For Me was also originally a song by The Classic.