November has come to an end so I’m giving my quick takes on all of the debuts and comebacks we got from K-Pop!
I’m only sharing the debuts and comebacks I actually paid attention to and not every single one that happened in the month. So if a favorite artist of yours isn’t in here, tell me about them in a comment and I’ll check them out!
Debuts
Gifted by BE:FIRST
Firstly, I know they are J-Pop, not K-Pop, but I wanted to include them regardless. I’m captivated by this one. I don’t think it is the strongest debut of the year, but they did something unique compared to their fellow newbies and I appreciate that. I’m intrigued, so I’ll keep listening to see where they go.
RING X RING by Billie
I don’t know what I think honestly. It feels like they’re doing two different concepts with the mystical attic as one and the stages as another. I think they should have stuck with the attic all the way through and done the dance scenes in one of those sets instead. As for the song, it has some uniqueness to it, but I’m not necessarily going to add it to a playlist.
BARCODE by lilli lilli
A duo is not super common so it’s interesting to see. I like the song and their vocals work together well so I’m interested to see where they go. I don’t have any strong opinions on the music video. It’s fine, and I wish the choreography was more interesting. It’s not the strongest debut, but it is good.
Show Me Your Pride by Lionesses
So this group is the first opening LGBT+ group in K-Pop, which in and of itself is noteworthy and worth praise. As for the song and video, I don’t know how I feel. Like it comes off a little weird in some moments and I can’t tell if it’s intentional or not. I don’t even know how to rate this one honestly.
???
Comebacks
Maverick by THE BOYZ
My two main takeaways are I don’t like the chorus and I don’t understand the video. For the chorus, it isn’t the payoff I want after what the verses built to. It isn’t satisfying and feels abrupt and a bit out of place. And the video, it feels like there is a story and maybe there is one on a larger scale for The Boyz overall. But I don’t know what it is so I’m just confused.
Kiss Kiss by LABOUM
I honestly don’t have anything good to say about this one, unfortunately. The song is boring, the video can’t decide what concept it wants to be, and the choreographer doesn’t know how to choreograph four members and not make it look weird. I didn’t finish watching the video it was that dull.
No More X by TO1
I like it! Vampires are getting very popular in K-Pop lately so it’s now becoming a comparison game of who can do it the best, and I think TO1 did a good job. It is very literal unlike some others, but that’s not a bad thing.
Chopstick by NiziU
Taking the chopsticks song and turning it into this is a really clever idea and they made something really cute. I can tell it’s going to be very memorable.
SCIENTIST by TWICE
It’s a good song and very fitting for TWICE. It’s not my favorite TWICE song ever, but it is really good. And I like how they incorporated science into the music video as well as kept it dreamy. The only thing I dislike and dare say hate is Dahyun’s bun antenna. It looks so stupid.
FRESH by ICHILLIN’
I didn’t expect this song paired with the pastels and sweet looks, so that was a pleasant surprise. The chorus is what ties everything together. They did a really good job blending their concept as a group with this fresh (yeah I know) take.
TIKI TAKA by T-ARA
So apparently, T-ARA funded this comeback entirely themselves as a gift to their fans. They basically did everything themselves. And they made something really gorgeous honestly. The only thing I don’t like is the captions being part of the video instead of in the closed captions. It’s a little distracting. But other than that, I love this comeback.
Siesta by Weki Meki
Weki Meki is usually hit or miss for my personal taste. I do like the song a lot, and the video is fine. It has some really pretty shots for sure, but I don’t really get anything more from it than that.
Rush Hour by Monsta X
The only thing I miss in this comeback is Shownu. Monsta X bringing another great comeback that’s perfect for them. Joohoney wins this comeback in my opinion, but they’re all so good really.
Trauma by SF9
Music-wise, this song is very much my taste. The only thing I’m not a fan of is the rap that doesn’t flow with the beat in the second verse. It’s a choice I’m never a fan of honestly. As for the video, I wish we got more choreography moments. I wanted to see the chair choreo more.
I’m A B by Hwa Sa
I think if I didn’t have the captions and thus didn’t know the lyrics, I would have been more of a fan. But lyrically it seemed nonsensical. I’m going to assume that that is mostly because translations aren’t the most accurate. So the song is fine to me as well as the video. The highlight for me is the traditional interlude. That was the most interesting part for me.
Killing Me by Chung Ha
I really like it! I more specifically like the song in particular, but the video is also good and interesting. I like the matryoshka concept as a metaphor for life falling apart. All in all, a really good comeback.
Christmas EveL by Stray Kids
The best way to describe this is absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible. I don’t think anyone but Stray Kids could pull this off. It’s just really fun and a good time.
Peaches by Kai
The vibe fits very well with Kai and what he’s done in the past, but I honestly found it a bit boring. It was very one note and there wasn’t anything super special about it in my opinion.
Boyfriend by cignature
I find it an interesting choice for a title track. Musically it’s not what I usually expect, but it is a good contrast from other comebacks because of it. And I like the overall vibe. One thing I would have changed was I wouldn’t have had any choreography. It just comes off weird and doesn’t fit the vibe tonally to me.
What new music have you been enjoying this month, K-pop or not? Tell me about it with a comment!