March is over so I’m giving my quick takes on all of the debuts and comebacks we got from K-Pop the last two months.
Since I missed posting about February comebacks due to a writing slump, I am including some in this post along with March comebacks. And as always I’m only sharing the debuts and comebacks I actually paid attention to and not every single one that happened. 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
O.O by NMIXX
The widely controversial debut of NMIXX has been quite the show to watch honestly. In my opinion, O.O is trying too hard to be something new and honestly, this group feels like their purpose for JYPE is to rival aespa. It’s unfortunate for the members if that is the case because they are definitely very talented, especially as dancers. But this debut is chaotic at best.
Infection by Black Level
My one complaint is that they are quiet compared to the instrumental, so the instrumental drowns them out. That is a production issue which is unfortunate because it negatively affects the members. And it sounds like it could have been a great song.
Bad News by Tempest
It is fun and I enjoy the song. I don’t think it is the most genius debut ever, but we’ll see whup goes from here.
DU DU DU by TAN
It has some interesting moments and overall I like the song. The video isn’t the most memorable ever. I had to rewatch it to remember what happened in it.
Voyager by Kihyun (Monsta X)
It’s not bad, mainly because Kihyun is a great singer, but it’s kind of forgettable honestly.
Tippy Toes by XG
I knew nothing about this group until they showed up on Weverse and then their debut popped up in my recommendations, so I decided to watch it. And I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve honestly listened to it a lot since it came out.
Parallel Universe by NINE.i
I like the softer song as a debut, since so often now we get the badass concepts as debuts. I do think the mixing is a little off because their voices sound quieter than the track and I would have liked to hear them clearly, especially on a debut.
Comebacks
BOP BOP! by VIVIZ
I wasn’t super impressed to be honest. I feel like the fact they were from GFriend was the selling point and not necessarily their talent of the song.
Dilemma by Apink
I like the song and really like the sound they went for. Their vocals go really well with it so that was the standout for me personally.
INVU by Taeyeon
I don’t listen to a lot of Taeyeon, but what I have has always been beautiful. And INVU is no different. That video is so stunning and her voice is so special. It’s just such a soothing track that fills a spot in my music taste that other K-pop releases don’t.
JIKJIN by TREASURE
Before I even listened to JIKJIN I kept seeing comments about it being a big shift for Treasure, so I was looking forward to it. And while it is musically a little different from their previous music, it is not the most noteworthy shift and really just fits what is trendy for boy groups.
Eye On You by Wonho
It’s a fitting track for Wonho and that is the extent of my opinion.
GingaMingaYo by Billie
The strange world of Billie is just too strange for me. I can’t enjoy the music when I don’t understand what the hell is going on. So I gave up and stopped watching it. Billie is not for me.
Dance With God by Craxy
Parts of the music video looked really cheap, particularly when in front of green screens that were so obvious. And then shots where the member that is singing is not moving their lips at all and just staring at the camera. It just feels ill-planned and the song is not good enough to make up for it. They should have made Trigger the title track because the performance video and song for that are so much better than Dance With God.
Love in Space by Cherry Bullet
I wasn’t a fan of this one. It was missing something and it didn’t stick with me after watching the video.
Ven para by Weeekly
I never really listened to Weeekly before because I found their concept too cutesy for me. But Ven para definitely switched it up and I was impressed.
TOMBOY by (G)I-DLE
(G)I-DLE is always full of surprises and never does what is trendy, which I love. The more I listened to Tomboy the more I like it. And I think all of the members really embrace the aesthetic well. This being the first comeback for them with only five members it definitely needed to be strong, and I think they succeeded.
Honey by Solar (MAMAMOO)
Honey is not what I was expecting it to be, which is not a bad thing. I was thinking because Solar is such an amazing vocalist it would be vocal forward, close to a ballad maybe. But nope that is not what we got. And that is fine. I neither loved nor hated what we got and will just move on and listen to other things.
Too Bad by WEi
Another one with a fun song but a cheesy video. I definitely is not a song made for me since it is very cute and innocent and that is not my go-to concept.
Maniac by Stray Kids
On first listen, I liked it but didn’t necessarily love it. But it definitely grew on me with more listening and is one of my favorite songs on this album. I still think there are Stray Kids songs I like more, but this is a solid comeback.
Feel My Rhythm by Red Velvet
I feel like ReveLuvs are going to be mad at me, but I didn’t even finish watching the video because it was boring. The same thing happened with their previous comeback, so I’m just going to go with I am not a fan of current Red Velvet.
Adrenaline by Cravity
The song is fun. The video just makes me feel old and cringe a little with these guys in school drool over a girl. Like no thanks that is not for me. And it not being for me is fine! Not everything has to appeal to everyone and it doesn’t mean it is bad when it doesn’t.
EDELWEISS by T1419
Of course, a song named Edelweiss is going to be a soft ballad. I personally don’t like ballads. A ballad has to be really phenomenal for me to like it and I didn’t get past thirty seconds on this one. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and keep their score neutral because the song could be great and I am just super biased against the genre.
O by VERIVERY
I like when groups try new concepts and styles, and this was a step out of the box for VERIVERY. I just didn’t love it myself. It’s fine and it’s good to see a changeup, but it wasn’t the most outstanding track ever.
Glitch Mode by NCT Dream
It’s so fitting for NCT Dream! The technology focus that NCT has plus the fun and playful energy that fits Dream specifically is perfect for them. And It’s so much better than Hot Sauce.
memeM by Purple Kiss
I love how their debut and both comebacks have been so different from one another. It really showcases their versatility, which I think is a huge positive for a group. I will say that lyrically memeM isn’t as good as Zombie or Ponzona, but the musicality and vibe are so, so good. If the lyrics were a little better, this would definitely be five hearts, but it is definitely 4.5 at least. Also, Swan’s voice is perfection.
승천 (Ascension) by Kingdom
Kingdom has one of the most interesting concepts as well as some of the most gorgeous music videos ever, and Ascension is no exception. I will say that most of their title tracks have a similar vibe, so it would be nice to see them try something new for the next one.
What new music have you been enjoying this month, K-pop or not? Tell me about it with a comment!
