1. Seventeen - Thanks
Korean
Released: February 5th
Seventeen returned with "Director's Cut", which is essentially a repackage of their most recent album "Teen.Age". The title track "Thanks" seems like a song of gratitude towards the group's fans. With its electronic synths and emotional theme, the song looks back towards one of Seventeen's previous songs "Don't Wanna Cry". In line with the director concept, the music video is "behind the scenes" with cuts of the members in the studio writing lyrics and recording their songs. I interpret this as Seventeen showing a glimpse at the hard work they put into the production of their albums, and paired with song's lyrics, they are grateful to fans for rewarding their hard work!
Review: Song - 3/5 MV - 3/5
Review: Song - 3/5 MV - 3/5
2. Monsta X - In Time
Korean
Released: February 6th
Monsta X always reveal special music videos for select b-sides of their albums. This special clip is extra special though because it was released to celebrate the group's 1000th day anniversary! Much time has passed since Monsta X has debuted, and coincidentally (or maybe not), this r&b ballad talks about wanting to stop the passage of time. "In time, time please stop, so I can see that beautiful light In time, so in this time and place." With this, I noticed that, aside from consistently releasing fanservice clips, Monsta X are also consistent in including a high-quality ballad on their albums. With its smooth melody and lyrics that were co-written by member Jooheon, "In Time" fails to disappoint!
Review: Song - 4.5/5 MV - 3/5
Review: Song - 4.5/5 MV - 3/5
3. Riri - That's My Baby
Japanese
Released: February 9th
Riri is a nineteen-year-old Japanese pop singer who debuted in 2016. She is an apsiring talent, with amazing vocals as well as songwriting and composing ablilites. Her music influences are the likes of Whitney Houston, Beyonce, and Mariah Carey, so not surprisingly, the genre that she takes on is American-style R&B. "That's My Baby" has a good mix of Japanese and English lyrics and has a fun summery vibe, despite being in the winter months!
Review: Song - 4/5 MV - 2.5/5
4. NCT U - Boss
Released: February 19th
NCT U is a rotational sub-unit of SM Entertainment's boy group NCT. They were last active in 2016 with two singles, and now SM has brought them back to start out their new musical project "NCT 2018". Since the unit is rotational, the member line-up is not consistent and some of the members that participated in the unit's debut are not included. This time, Ten and Taeil did not participate, but new members Jungwoo and Lucas were introduced! "Boss" truly captures the essence of NCT. The music video was filmed in Ukraine and the members show a cool vibe, an atypical sense of style, and great choreography!
Review: Song - 3/5 MV - 4/5
5. CLC - Black Dress
Korean
Released: February 22nd
CLC has decorated their career with different concepts and music styles. This time they go for a strong, feminine concept that even seems a little bit dark. "Black Dress", a heavy EDM song with hip-hop elements, is about a girl who dons a black dress to make a man fall for her. The beat gets an A+ and CLC's vocals are on point, however, "Black Dress" falls short because the progression of the song is stagnant. Also, repetition does not always bother me, but I wish this song didn't rely so much on the words "black dress". With that said, it's nice to see their company's effort at making them a versatile group.
Review: Song - 2.5/5 MV - 3/5
Review: Song - 2.5/5 MV - 3/5
6. Red Velvet - I Just
Korean
Released: February 28th
Released: February 28th
"I Just" is a heavy electronic synth pop song that was produced in part by SM artist Hitchhiker. It is a b-side from Red Velvet's second full album and explores the group's "velvet" side. The beat instantly makes this one of my favorite songs by Red Velvet, and it has quirky elements that set it apart from typical EDM. Though "I Just" was released last November (with the album), the group is only now a releasing music video. The MV a is very simple and homemade clip that appears to have been filmed with a cell-phone.
Review: Song - 5/5 MV - 1/5
Review: Song - 5/5 MV - 1/5
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