Music Reviews, Twelve Letters of Lizmas: 2022

Top 5 Albums of 2022!

Dear, guys – welcome back to Letters from Liz!

I know this blog has become more of my “writing universe just typed out in blog format”, but I really do like coming back to my roots every holiday season and writing more pieces like music reviews, overexposed posts, or even something simple as telling you my top 5 favorite albums of 2022! I did this last year for Lizmas, and thought it was only right to continue this tradition for 2022 just to see just how different my favorites were from this time last year to now!

So without further ado, here are my top 5 favorite albums of 2022!

5.) “BORN PINK” by Blackpink

Alright, y’all. So I wouldn’t call myself a Blink, which is the fandom name for Blackpink. I’m a very casual listener when it comes to them and for the most part, I enjoy their music when they release new music. Prior to this release, their last comeback was way back in 2020, and it is uncommon for K-pop groups to wait so long between releases since the industry is so fast-paced. So when “Pink Venom” was released back in August as their pre-release single, many people felt robbed of the anticipation that these girls has around them when they announced that they were making their comeback after a 2-year hiatus. I can’t lie, I was one of those people that had a love-hate relationship with the song, but when their second full-length album came out a month later, my jaw was to the floor. This album is seriously a “no-skip” album. Months later, their title track for the album, “Shut Down” still gets played every single day on my way to work and vice versa. The album showcases some vocals that we never got from the rap-heavy group, and although they experiment with more “trendy” sounds, they somehow still make it feel very much Blackpink-esque. I do hope that YG Entertainment gives them more comebacks, because as much as people want to the on them because of their popularity, as someone outside of the fandom: I understand why they are so popular, and literally with the right guidance and direction, these girls can stay on top in the midst of the fourth generation girl group battle.

4.) “ADMARE” by NMIXX

So unpopular opinion: I really enjoyed this debut album from NMIXX. Just for some background: NMIXX is a seven-member girl group under JYP Entertainment; the same company that Twice, ITZY, and Stray Kids are under. They debuted earlier this year in February, and despite everyone not liking their debut album due to it’s experimental genre, I actually was hooked when I first listened to their title track, “O.O”, and their b-side, “TANK”. The group’s concept is to literally mix genres in their songs, which is something not new to the K-pop scene, but it’s new for a girl group’s entire concept to be just that. Many listeners did not the concept or felt confused about the song’s structure, but I didn’t mind it too much because I was always a fan of the type of songs that would change melody or beats within the song. Some examples that come to mind are SNSD’s “I Got A Boy”, and last year’s mega-hit “Next Level” by aespa. Needless to say, despite their complex concept, these girls are possibly some of the best vocalists within 4-gen K-pop groups. Lily, their eldest member, has a vocal range so insane, she can literally sing high notes the same way we speak regular words. Plus, her duets with other NMIXX member and leader, Haewon, are literally so lethal and magical; I would definitely want a sub-unit promotion further down their careers because those two together are whoa. But yeah, I think for a debut, this was really strong and unique and I am excited to see their range when they release a mini-album in the future!

3.) “Colorful Trauma” by WOODZ

I need to know what crack Seungyoun puts in his songs because he’s had 5 releases since 2020 and every album he’s put out has been a favorite of mine or a “no-skip” album. Seungyoun isn’t my ult bias once Seungsik of Victon took that spot, but he’s definitely number 2 on my list. Seungyoun, or known by his stage name “WOODZ”, released his fourth mini album back in May with a pop-punk concept and I swear, he knows how to do a motherfuckin’ concept right! The title track, “I Hate You” literally is anyone’s anthem that got their heart broken and feeling angry as fuck. It definitely had my happy ass singing out loud “I hate you! I don’t need you! I forget you!” and then go over to my guy’s place and be all cute and lovey-dovey. In this case, I really enjoyed the b-sides of this album; while most still staying in that pop-punk genre, all the other songs have different messages and honestly, a lot of these songs have become inspiration for my writing universe because of the diversity and atmosphere that they all have. “Better and Better” makes me feel like I’m skateboarding down a hill with my crush as a teenager wearing baggy pants and a zipped-up hoodie and overly worn Converse. “Dirt on my Leather” makes me feel like I’m at a bar chugging cans of beer while I stand on the bar table dancing. “I Hope To Be Like You” makes me feel like I’m telling all of my mentors and my support team that, well, I hope I can be like you one day. The album takes you on a rollercoaster of feelings and I’m just saying, Seungyoun knows how to make good music. Of course; besides Victon, any other K-pop act I would want to see on tour is Woodz because every song is a fucking bop. There’s a reason why his new releases come into my top favorites every single year.

2.) “Chronograph” and “Choice” by Victon

Am I completely biased for including two Victon releases? Absolutely. It’s for good reason, I promise.

Anyway, 2022 was the year of Victon’s “Time Trilogy”, meaning that we were going to get three comebacks within the year, and honestly; as an Alice, I was excited that our boys were now getting multiple comebacks after going radio silent for the entirety of 2021 after releasing their full-length album in January 2021; VOICE: The future is now. If you would like to read more about the three releases, feel free to read my completely biased music reviews for Chronograph, Chaos, and Choice.

Chronograph was the first installment in the trilogy and was released in January 2022. This was also the first comeback since the eldest member, Seungwoo, enlisted in the military back in July 2021. It was a single album, which meant there were only two songs released. I really enjoyed “Chronograph” as a title track because it was so different than their previous release, “What I Said”. The song is super catchy and fun, and the styling was so futuristic and fun; also, Red-hair Sik is one of my top favorites ever now because of this era. Their second and only other song on this album, “Want Me” had me in a chokehold for the first latter of the year. It showcased the member’s vocals and also kept to that classic Victon sound and the lyrics are heartwrenching. It was a strong start to their trilogy and I was literally obsessed; I still am considering that I have the English version of “Chronograph” memorized word for word. Such a great era for our boys.

Choice was the third and final installment in the trilogy and was released in November 2022. It was the first comeback since former member, Chan, had left the group in early October after his DUI came out in the media. It was a weird transition for the group, and I know that this last part of the trilogy was most likely planned and recorded before this news came out, and seeing the boys dwindle down to just 5 members felt wrong. I was nervous about this comeback to say the least. But when the album was finally released, I gasped in shock. Even before I became such a die-hard fan of Victon, I was always impressed at how most of their discography had “no skip” albums. this album is the definition of a “no skip Victon album. The title track, “Virus”, has a nostalgic vibe to it, making it feel like a 2nd or 3rd gen K-pop group (which is crazy to think that these boys are a 3rd-gen group but didn’t get the recognition they deserved until K-pop was in its 4th-gen) type of song. The album tells a beautiful story; starting off being about tragic love and loss yet ending with songs like “Better Place” and “Feels Good”, which are some of the cutest fucking songs to be released by Victon ever. Needless to say, this has been the strongest mini album since Continuous, which was released back in March 2020. This album has become one of my favorites that Victon has released, and that says a lot since I am, once again, very biased for my favorite group.

1.) “HOLY FVCK” – Demi Lovato

For the first time since getting into K-pop, my favorite album of the year wasn’t actually a within that genre! Coming in at number one is my Disney Channel 2008 queen, Demi Lovato. As most of us know, Demi has had a really hard time getting her groove back when it comes to her life but also her career as well. She’s had some bops and bangers of albums even after her Disney days, but none of them truly reign in the same success as her earlier stuff did. I think a lot of Deni fans can agree that she was always our pop-punk princess; her first album, Don’t Forget had hints of pop-punk and teenage angst. Even at a young age, she slaughtered it, so it was a shame that when the music trends changed, she had to change with them as well. Don’t get me wrong, I think one of Demi’s strongest albums post-Disney years was her album Tell Me You Love Me, but when Demi began to release singles off her new upcoming album, I was hyped.

Her first single, “Skin of My Teeth” had me in a chokehold all summer. It was so fucking good and I was so excited for Demi and going back to her more pop-punk but now a little more heavy rock days. Then, she released “Substance”, which again was so fucking good and was on repeat for most of the summer as well. It was gearing up to be an awesome album so when it finally was released in August 2022, I was blown away. The album as a whole tells a story of Demi that we are not strangers to but still remains to always give us glimpses of her story that she never told before. We see this in her third single of the album, “29”, which is basically her talking about a relationship she had with an older man and how now, being 29, realizes that wasn’t okay. Other songs, like “EAT ME”, “HOLY FVCK” and “FREAK” are such fun and hard songs to rock out to, and even after it being months since her album release, these songs still are on my everyday playlist. When she announced her HOLY FVCK Tour dates and I saw that she was coming to NYC, I had to go and see her and it was no doubt the best night of my 2022 year. Hands down.

Anyway, that’s it for now! I’m excited to see how 2023 is going to be within the K-pop scene and even in the western genre! K-Pop prediction: Seungsik making his solo debut before he has to enlist in the military next year? Please and thank you. 🙂

Music Reviews

Victon’s 8th Mini Album, “Choice” Album Review! 🦠

Dear, guys – welcome to Letters From Liz!

Another day, another Victon comeback! I have to be honest, life has been so busy for me that I actually forgot to prepare this post in advance. Nevertheless, Victon made their comeback with their 8th mini album, Choice, ending their 3-part time trilogy. The trilogy started off with Chronograph earlier this year in January and continued in May with Chaos.

Victon announced their comeback back in October during their fan concert, “Chronicle”. While we were all excited to get new music from our favorite boys, it came during a time where Victon had just lost one of their members. Chan officially announced his departure from the group just a week before the comeback was announced, which left a lot of us confused and concerned thinking if this was the right time to jump right into a comeback. Atlas, Victon dropped the last part of this trilogy and they did not disappoint. Let’s just say this album is my favorite out of the trilogy!

So without further ado, here’s some of my thoughts on each track!

1.) “Virus”

Okay, so the title track for this is this masterpiece that literally didn’t even think was something that Victon would put out. This sound is very nostalgic; it’s a sound a lot of 2nd generation & 3rd generation kpop music was like for boy groups, so it was refreshing that they decided to make their comeback with a sound like this. But this electronic pop isn’t a foreign sound for Victon! They experienced with this genre in their earlier stuff, like their title track for their 2nd mini album with “EYEZ EYEZ”. The only different is that this is a sexy song. The opening has our main vocalist literally serving those 90’s R&B vocals, setting the tone for how pretty the song is, but then BAM – the beat changes and it’s dark and sexy.

I really enjoy this song as their title track! Plus, we get an insane Hanse rap that just feels out of this world because the flow of his rap and how the beat changes and is set up doesn’t align whatsoever, but our main rapper makes it work and it’s literally insane. We also get two high notes at the end! The first one is from Sejun, which was surprising to fans because he’s not one to get the high notes as a lead vocalist. If anything, I think this era is Sejun’s! Of course, we get high note Seungsik, which puts the icing on top of the title track cake. It’s definitely one of my favorites on this album, and as an overall title track for Victon.

2.) “Time Chaser”

This b-side is truly a hidden gem. It’s so beautiful, and I simply have no words for it. It’s a different sound for the boys, but they execute it so flawlessly and it’s heartbreaking but empowering. The premise of the song is that even with time passing, “I will never break”, as our leader Seungsik sings in the chorus. This would’ve been a strong title track and something tells me this was in the talks of being this mini album’s title track, because it definitely is one of the strongest b-side tracks in Victon’s discography. Yes, she sits at the same table as “Flip A Coin” from their full-length album, VOICE: The future is now. I have nothing else to say besides that this song is my favorite out of the album, and a tattoo is in the works for this because of the meaning and the message behind it. I recommended anyone wanting to listen to Victon to listen to this gem while doing your research.

3.) “Alive”

The opening of this song made me scream. The opening samples somewhat of a “R&B with some lo-fi vibes” beat and then the beat drops and it’s literally such an experience. It’s funky and it’s groovy, and it’s something that we’ve heard Victon do in the past. The chorus even changes in sound. It definitely reminds me of their b-side from their last mini-album; “Bonnie & Clyde” where the beat changes in the chorus and Sejun begins to sing. I can see myself getting pumped up at the gym listening to this song.

4.) “Better Place”

This has to be the cutest song Victon has put out, and it makes me smile the most stupid smile I ever did. This song has such a double meaning; while the song has light and symbolizes a new beginning in their trilogy, I also feel like this is Victon letting Alice know that they are in a better place. It’s been a really rough past couple of months for our boys, so it was nice to hear this song and even have the boys sing it all off-key and playful at the end of the song.

This also features my possible most favorite Hanse rap ever. Within this rap, he has all the members participating and then completely vibing out with the rest of his verse. I hollered and it was on repeat because it was possibly the cutest thing ever. Needless to say, this is also another favorite of mine!

5.) “Feels Good”

“Feels Good” feels… good! They play with a beat that feels like a younger Victon, which I always adore when we get new music from them because even though they are all older and more mature now, this young and fresh sound they started out with still fits them so well. This song easily feels like it belongs in their second mini album!

This song was written by all of the members, and the lyrics were written with the others in mind. They have described it as a love letter to each other, and I nearly cried hearing that. Victon always do this thing where they end their albums with songs that are meant to make you feel good, but almost cry happy tears. This song is bittersweet, and it makes me wonder if this was written prior to Chan’s departure or after or if the lyrics were written with their other members in mind, like Seungwoo and formerly Chan. It’s definitely a fan song, and from the looks of it, the fans are taking a huge liking of it.

And that’s the end of their trilogy! It’s been a wild ride this year with Victon and seeing how the story evolved with each music video and title track. Personally, I think this is their strongest mini album since Continuous. This album compared to the last one feels the most like Victon and this album is truly a no-skip album.

Here’s to more Victon comebacks in the future! Seungwoo discharges from the military in January 2023 and I think I speak for every Victon fan… we miss our Wooya with our boys! So, you already know I’ll be back with another review of their next comeback when he comes home! Until the next one!

Music Reviews

Victon’s 7th Mini Album, “Chaos” Album Review! 🍷

Dear, guys – welcome back to Letters From Liz!

You already know that whenever you see an album review on the blog, it’s because Victon made a comeback! So, within the ALICE community, we were speculating a comeback literally any day now. The boys were getting busier with schedules, they were being a little more secretive than usual, and when they performed “Time of Sorrow” on MCountdown as a special stage, both Seungsik and Hanse were rocking some new hair. As a kpop stan, that truly means one thing: a group is prepping for a comeback! So when it was announced in early May that they were making a comeback, it didn’t come as a major surprise to us because we were preparing for it. Victon’s last comeback was in January with their 3rd Single Album, Chronograph; the group’s first comeback in a year since their 1st Full Album, VOICE: The future is now and the first in their “Time Trilogy” series. Chaos will be the second in the time trilogy, and the group’s first mini-album since March 2020 when they released their 6th Mini Album, Continuous.

Anyway without further ado, here is a very biased album review of Victon’s latest release: Chaos.

1.) “Stupid O’Clock”

Okay, so the first time they announced that a song like “Stupid O’Clock” would be their title track, I was a little taken aback! With further explanation (and google), apparently “stupid o’clock” is another way of calling something extremely early or late. Also, are we really surprised; this is Victon’s Time Trilogy we are talking about. Anyway, this is a really strong title track; it’s not too loud or in your face, and the chorus is insanely catchy; you hear it a complete of times and you’ll find yourself singing to it. The song features a funky bassline that I feel has been Victon’s new sound; it was also present in their b-side, “Want Me” (which totally makes sense in how they said this was like a hint to their next comeback). The lyrics are sexy, to say the least, with the chorus starting off with “Cuz you’re mine” and “I’ll make you dream all night” and again, that funky bass that screams a little bad boy sex appeal.

I honestly think this song can go viral; the dance to the song is simple, and the song is not hard to follow lyric-wise. Following this new sound that Victon has adapted into their title tracks, I feel like this has the potential to break some of their previous records and get a music show win! Manifesting that into the universe. Oh, and Seungsik starts off the song, so you already know it’s a fucking banger.

2.) “Bonnie and Clyde”

Today during their showcase, Victon revealed that this song was a contender for being the title track, which I totally understand. Personally, I’m glad it wasn’t just because the music reminds me a lot of how “Chronograph” is, but needless to say, this is a fun song. I really love Byungchan’s and Sejun’s voices in the chorus; you don’t think the beat would take a turn like that in the chorus but it works! Also, Hanse’s rap sounds so playful on this track; it’s really fun to just dance to this song. The lyrics are your typical “us against the world” type of vibe, reckless type of love thing, y’know? Although this song is crazy good, it’s not within my top 3 favorites (yet).

3.) “INK”

This is another song where the guitar makes you scrunch your face in disgust because it’s just so dirty. Also, excuse my dirty mind but without English translations to these songs, I would’ve assumed the lyric “love ink” was, well… Anyway! I very much do feel like Hanse was correct; this is his and Seungsik’s song because with Hanse’s rap and style of this song and Seungsik’s belt-like choruses, this song is good! Again, this isn’t my favorite off of the album (it’s perhaps my least favorite?) but I know with a few visits, I’ll be screaming “love ink” like it’s nothing and rapping over Subin’s “Why you calling for me? What you wanting from me?” in no time. The lyrics, though, are very clever with the wordplay and art. It’s a cool song and the sound is very different from what we are used to hearing from Victon!

4.) “Stay”

So, this song has been stuck in my head since I first listened to it and declared it my favorite b-side on this album! This song very much has a classic Victon sound to it, but still, it fits the mature concept they are going for. This is a sweet song to listen to, and can we talk about how we need more Chan intros to songs like his voice starting this song was the right choice to start off this vibe! Although this is Victon’s 4th song with the word “Stay” in it, the lyrics to this song are basically talking about someone you really like and you just want them to “stay, stay for a minute”. I love Seungsik’s little background vocal of “Stay!” that comes in after the chorus; it’s so cute and so fitting for him! It’s definitely on repeat and will most likely be for the entire summer.

5.) “In Love”

I didn’t think I would like this song as I much as I do, but I’m so glad I proved myself wrong! Y’all, don’t sleep on this song. This song is so light and beautiful and honestly, if Victon doesn’t sing this song at someone’s wedding, I will scream. This song, without being too obvious, is about two people being in love. Also, our maknae (youngest in the group) Subin co-wrote the lyrics to this song! He tends to always write the sweetest lyrics for Victon, I swear! This song is complete comfort; it warms you up inside and makes you smile all stupid; it’s your everyday love song. Seungsik’s high note at the bridge literally warmed me up when I first heard it. Not trying to be completely biased but he just did it so flawlessly and it was simply beautiful. If you think this song will make you cry, just wait until the last track is played.

6.) “Dear. young”

So, I really didn’t want to be a person in this fandom that was like “omg I feel this song on so many levels like it made me cry so hard!” But here we are… I cried on the bus from work when I heard this song. In a nutshell, “Dear. young” is a letter to their younger selves, to let them know that they thank them for all they endured in their younger days. It hurts, even more, to know that Seungsik wrote this song, but all 6 members really did this song so much justice. It’s a beautiful ballad and a beautiful way to end the album. Of course, having Subin sing the lyrics “dear young days, me I wanna say thank you” literally made me sob. A song hasn’t hit me this hard in the feels in so long; perhaps it’s because I understand wanting to thank your younger self for enduring everything life has thrown at them and to make them the person they are today. I cried, and it’s still a song that continues to make me cry when I listen to it… stay tuned for a “Dear. young” tattoo because she’s coming.

All in all, this album exceeded my expectations in all honesty. I am so glad these boys were able to release another mini album because let’s be real, it’s been long overdue since their last one! This comeback in particular, though, makes me miss Seungwoo. Hanse said it best at the showcase; he thought about Seungwoo a lot in the process of this album because it very much would’ve suited him! Hopefully, we can get one last OT7 comeback before, well, if you know, you know.

I hope this comeback is fun and cool and successful and that all the members stay healthy and hydrated! I can only imagine how difficult it is to do a summer comeback.

Victon fighting! See you guys for the finale of the Time Trilogy!

Music Reviews

Victon’s 3rd Single Album, “Chronograph” Album Review! 🧭

VICTON Turns Heads in Their Chronograph Teaser Pictures - EnVi Media

Dear, guys – welcome back to Letters From Liz!

Liz? Posting on a Wednesday? Yep! This post is a special one because yesterday, my favorite boys made their comeback! For any newcomers to the blog, I am a major kpop fan and my favorite group of all time is Victon, a 7-member group under IST Entertainment (although one of the members is currently enlisted in the military). Their last comeback, which I wrote about on the blog, was a year ago, so when this comeback was announced back in December 2021, Fans for the groups were excited and happy to finally see the boys together again getting ready for a new release! In this release, there are three songs on the album (that’s typically what single albums consist of) with the title track being called “Chronograph”. Like in most reviews, I will talk about each track on the album one-by-one and tell you my honest opinion on them! Yes, even though these are my boys and I love them to death, I will be honest in my thoughts and give my honest opinion about the songs.

So, without further ado, let’s start!

1.) “Chronograph”

This title track is so funky, y’all. Like when the M/V for this song came out, it was nothing like I would expect it to be. IN all honesty, it took me a couple of listens to get into it because it was just… different. Like the beat is great and it’s so bright and colorful (which is something we haven’t seen Victon do since… well, forever) but the song can sometimes feel a little lackluster and under the radar. What I mean by that is that in the first couple of listens, I found myself not really listening to the song; like it was just playing, and then it was over. But! The song did get stuck in my head all day yesterday, and so I had to listen to it like 900 more times before I felt the groove and the funk of the song. I think this title track is definitely experimental for the group, and I’m excited that even in their styling for this comeback, it’s something we really haven’t seen Victon do since their debut. But, of course I want to be brutally honest with this review, I do have to say this isn’t my favorite title track of theirs, nor is it my favorite on this album. She’s a bop, but I find myself being more into the b-side of this album.

2.) “Want Me”

“Want Me” is so painfully beautiful and hypnotizing; that’s not even an exaggeration. When first listening to the song, the beat sounds very “tropical” in a sense (which would make sense since they spoiled in their comeback showcase that this song was the sound that their next comeback would resemble; am I smelling a sad Summer comeback?) but the lyrics pretty much talk about how someone misses a person not in their life anymore and that they are sorry for how things ended up, but they still want that person back. Subin’s “I can fix it” and “I can be better” lines truly hit in the feels that I didn’t know I even had anymore. Also, the chorus is highly addicting, and overall this song just feels very much like a Victon song. I really hope during their promotions, they perform this b-side on a music show or a variety show or even prepare it for their Fanmeeting in February because I would love to hear some live vocals for this song. Definitely my favorite out of the two here, but like who’s surprised: Victon has some of the best b-sides ever.

3.) “Chronograph” (English Version)

Victon’s first-ever English song, you guys! Of course, it’s just the title track in English translation, but here’s the thing about kpop songs translated in English: they always tend to feel a little dirtier than the Korean translation. The English version of this song is what made me like the title track in the first place, to be quite honest. In the English translation, the song is about liking the time spent on the person you’re crushing on/in love with and that no matter what, you can’t get them out of your mind. It’s cute, but when you have Seungsik sing “I won’t hold it back, let’s slow it down” and “Cause I wanna come explore you”, my knees went weak on my way to work listening to it. It’s so good! Of course, I won’t say anything about their English pronunciation because a.) English is not even a second language they know well and b.) this is their first time singing an all-English song like I would love to see non-Korean speaking singers try to sing a whole song in Korean; kpop idols are not human, y’all. Anyway, in saying that, I do hope that their pronunciation improves throughout their career (because I think the feedback on this English version would be positive and Victon is aiming to be more internationally known anyway) because it’s hard to sometimes decipher what they were singing, but other than that, it slaps and they did so well considering it was their first English song!

But yeah! I’m so excited that our boys are back in action and performing together again after a whole year! I definitely missed the feeling of comeback and being a part of the promotion period with them and getting all this new content from our boys! Let’s hope that this promotion period, all of the boys are in good health and stay in good health and make lots of great memories.

Until the next comeback!

Music Reviews, Twelve Letters of Lizmas: 2021

Day 2: Top 5 Albums of 2021!

Dear, guys – welcome back to Letters From Liz!

The end of the year means that it’s time to countdown my favorite albums that were released this past year! I feel like withi the kpop community alone, there was so many new releases and amazing albums, and it’s honestly so hard to just pick five of my favorite albums. But, let’s just jump right into it because oof, I have a lot to say about my favorites this year!

5.) “SAVAGE” by aespa

aespa's 'Savage' tops two Billboard charts

So, aespa has been on my radar for the past year, specially since they released their comeback track “Next Level” earlier this year. I personally wasn’t crazy about their debut, but once I got into them, I realized just how insane their vocals and concepts were. For a little introduction of these girls, aespa is a 4-member girl group under SM entertainment that debuted in November 2020 with their debut track called “Black Mamba”. Their whole concept is this alternate universe futuristic type of thing, but these girls honestly slay it and do it well! They finally released their first official mini album, “Savage” back in October and wow, this album is so good! I had to buy the physical copy because the concept of this album was bomb and the tracks on this album were so good! It’s different than your typical girl group type of song, but these girls honestly fit each other so well and I’m so excited to see where these girls go next!

4.) “BLAZE” by DO HANSE

VICTON's Hanse reveals striking concept photos for 'BLAZE' digital album |  allkpop

Another year, another Victon member making their solo debut! This year, our main rapper of the group, Hanse, made his official solo debut with his first album called “BLAZE”. Now, I didn’t know if I was going to like this album because I’m such a sucker for a vocal line, but I was honestly so surprised to vibe with the title track, “TAKE OVER”. It’s definitely such a different type of kpop song, and honestly I’m so proud that Hanse got the chance to create music the way he wanted to since he’s such an interesting and eccentric type of kpop idol. The other tracks on the album showcase such a variety of music genres and bops; this album easily became one of my favorites of the year, hands down!

3.) “The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE” by Tomorrow X Together (TXT)

Tomorrow X Together – 'The Chaos Chapter: Freeze' review: K-pop's fourth  gen leaders find love in a hopeless place

Prior to 2021, I was not a TXT fan. Their music didn’t really get me going, so when it was announced that they were coming out with their 2nd full-length album, I was pretty indifferent about it. But when it was finally released, my heart was a mess. The title track, “OX1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” was so amazingly good and completely brought me back to my teenage emo days! The styling as amazing, the vocals were out of this world, and these boys really made it clear that they are the 4th generation kpop boy group. To give some context about these boys, they are a 5-member group under BigHit Entertainment; the same company that BTS is under! TXT debuted back in March 2019, so they are no strangers to the industry! This was the album that really got me into these boys, and now I am complete TXT trash; a MOA! The rest of the album was also amazingly good; it was on loop when it was first released and since then, they have been releasing other comebacks that are just as good and I’m so beyond sorry i for sleeping on this amazing group. If you’ve been skeptical about listening to TXT, this is the album that will get you into them for sure!

2.) “VOICE: The Future Is Now” by Victon

Victon Forges Ahead in “What I Said” – Seoulbeats

My boys, y’all. On the blog, I wrote a music review about this release back in January when this gem came out to all of us. Victon released their first full-length album and it’s honestly just full of songs that truly describe Victon perfectly. It was their first ever album to have solo tracks in the track-list, and it showcased such a variety of music genres, as well as writing among the members. Their title track, “What I Said” still reigns supreme. It was such a different direction the group went, and to this day I’m still hooked to the instrument behind the song and just the amazing charisma each member portrayed within the songs. Again, every b-side on the album showcased a taste to the “new Victon sound”, but also paid homage to the sound Victon started out with 5 years ago! Since then, the group have been doing some solo activities and Seungwoo enlisted in mandatory military, but for their 5th anniversary, they released a song for the fans and it’s honestly the cutest thing ever, like I cried. Nevertheless, I am so glad the boys had an opportunity to release a full length album and have so much creative direction for the album, and I hope to see them have a physical album release soon!

1.) “Only Lovers Left” by Woodz (Seungyoun)

WOODZ drops dramatic new teaser for 'Waiting' music video

Man, if there’s anyone that comes out with a banging album, it’s Seungyoun! Last year, his debut album under his stage name Woodz was my top favorite album of 2020, and since then, I didn’t think there was going to be an album to top it. His previous releases were just okay, but when this album came out back in October, I was literally in love with this entire album. The title track “Waiting” wasn’t my favorite, but the rest of the album is so fucking good! This is the first time he released three fully English songs, and with Seungyoun’s versatility and writing abilities, all the songs had that “mmph” factor in them! Although Seungyoun isn’t my ult bias anymore, he holds a special place in my heart, and his music always reminds me that I stan talent and only talent. If you want to get into some Kpop that doesn’t feel like Kpop, definitely check out this album and Seungyoun in general! He doesn’t disappoint.

That’s all for now! I can’t wait to see all the new rookie groups that yet to come out, and so excited to see how much this lineup changes! So many new girl groups are coming out within this time period, so perhaps they’ll be more girl groups on this list next year! Until the next one!

Music Reviews

Victon’s 1st Full Album, “VOICE: The Future is Now” : Album Review! ♟️

Dear, guys – welcome back to Letters From Liz!

Finally, the day has come! Victon finally made their comeback with their first full length album, VOICE: The Future is Now. I’ve been waiting for this album to drop since they first announced it back in November! They were supposed to make their comeback in the beginning of December but due to the potential exposure of COVID-19 through one of their staff members, they postponed their comeback. Since then, Alices have been patiently waiting for this monumental comeback from out favorite boys and here we are, living. Of course, like every other Victon comeback, we will sit down, listen, and discuss their new music and talk a little about it! Just a mini disclaimer: any of the translations of the lyrics may not be 100% accurate since not many translations of these songs are out yet in the time that I’m writing this!

So, with that being said, let’s get started!

1.) Into The Mirror

The opening melody of this song fits so well to the majestic and magical realm that this album has. When I first heard this song on the album, I was blown away by the power that these boys project in their vocals; it reminds me a lot on how ATEEZ, another Kpop boy group, performs their tracks on their albums. “Into The Mirror” is just the beginning of Victon’s journey of making their dreams a reality, and the powerhouse vocals that Seungsik and Sejun have in this track blew me away. Such a strong opening to an amazing album!

2.) What I Said

Y’ALL. THIS TITLE TRACK. It’s definitely a sound that Victon have been preparing us in their b-sides for the last year because WOW, they executed this hip-hop/rap/pop tough ass fucking song so well! SO lyrically, the song radiates confidence, pretty much saying that anything that I say well be put into reality, again going with the theme of this album perfectly.

First of all, Hanse went the fuck off with his raps! It was rough, it was hard, and it’s something that fits Hanse’s style so well, like his parts are some of the toughest in the song. ALSO, the melody in the back… y’all. When Victon first started to tease this album and this melody was playing in their teasers, I was dying, just hoping the beat was their title track beat. It’s just so fucking tough, the stank face is permanently on my face when I listen to this song. Typically, certain members just slaughter their title tracks but honestly, they all carried this song so well and I was instantly hooked. Song of the year, yall.

3.) Circle

“Circle” definitely carries some classic Victon energy; it’s light, it’s “feathery”, and majestic, something Victon is really good at creating as a group. This track follows that same theme of “just do what you want to do”, don’t wait for time to grant you the things you need, go and run after them. It’s a beautiful song, and the choreography really gives me “Time of Sorrow” vibes, but just so much more mature and pretty! It’s definitely one of my favorite b-sides on the album and such an easy listen.

4.) Chess

“Chess” is so sexy! I love the instrumental on this song; it’s definitely something really unique for Victon to do, but it fits them so well at the same time? Like, it’s a real grown version of what Victon are becoming and I’m so fucking here for it. Seungsik’s chorus literally is so mesmerizing with the bass in the back of his sexy ass riffs and oof, okay Liz, calm down. Anyway, “Chess” is about being hooked and intrigued by someone; the game they play is something you’ve never encountered before and it’s just really interesting to witness. I knew Chess was going to be one of my favorites because of the breakdown of the chorus was just so sexy and so up my fucking alley, and I was not wrong.

5.) Up To You

Another classic sounding Victon song, which in all honesty, I’m so happy that even with their growing sound, they still have some elements of their classic sound on this album. “Up to You” was a song that I needed to get warmed up to, but it’s such a cute and sexy song, I couldn’t resist just smiling and possibly blushing through it. The lyrics are pretty much about always being the one to make the decision but this time around, it’s up to the person they are feeling. It’s such a catchy song and Sejun’s voice in the chorus is just so poppy and bubbly and ahhh, it’s so good!

6.) All Day

Okay, so back in August around the time Seungwoo was preparing for his solo debut, he had played a demo of a song he was working on that everyone instantly fell in love with and questioned if that song was going to be on the upcoming solo album. Homie pretty much said that the song doesn’t fit into the style of his solo album, and that he wrote it for the intention of possibly giving it to Victon. And giving it to Victon he did. I was so excited to finally hear this song on an album after so long! This is another song that has that very classic Victon feel. the lyrics are so pretty; they pretty much talk about being with someone that makes you smile, which is just… so uwu. It’s such a simple and easy listen; it’s definitely a refreshing song on the album because it’s one of the softer tracks on this really tough album!

7.) Carry On” (Seungsik Solo)

Watch: VICTON Manifests Their Dreams In Imaginative And Charismatic “What I  Said” MV | Soompi

I knew when I first heard this song when the album came out, I was going to cry. I totally did, but cam you blame me? Seungsik is my ult, my kpop boy, my favorite of favorites, and when I found out he was coming out with a solo track on this album, I was so exicted. I was even more excited when I saw that Seungsik’s solo was written by every member of Victon besides him. It was like they all had that song in mind for Seungsik and like it’s so fucking heart-melting because like they wrote such a beautiful song for their leader to sing! Of course, this song will most likely be that song I go to when times get hard for me because the lyrics of the song is just so beautifully written and just a constant reminder that no matter what happens and no matter the direction life takes you, just keep going, carry on. It’s such a smoothing song; no crazy instruments in the back, no super-duper high notes, just a beautiful man and his beautiful vocals.

8.) Eyes On You” (Chan Solo)

Before I say anything else about this track, I have to say that I forgot how lusty and sexy the intro to this song was! So, this song was actually performed a year ago at their first concert as a his solo stage, and I’m so glad that they got to officially release it on an album! It’s such a Chan-fitting song, his vocals are so sultry and the fact that he wrote, composed, and arranged this song on his own with the help of one other person, like we stan multi-talented idols! The lyrics are sexy and I know my best friend, Ro, was probably crying ult tears while listening to their man. Haha ^__^

9.) Utopia” (Sejun Solo)

Update: VICTON Counts Down To “VOICE: The Future Is Now” Comeback With  Teasers | Soompi

Sejun’s vocals always go unappreciated and this solo track says otherwise. Sejun’s voice is unbelievably light, feathery, and soft on this song! I feel like I’m just sitting on a cloud whenever I listen to this song, but that could also just be because the song is called “Utopia”. The lyrics are just about being free with the person you love and care about and (again) it’s such a refreshing song on such a hard and tough album. It’s still one of the songs I still have to listen to and allow it to grow on me, but nevertheless, it;s a beautiful fucking song.

10.) Where is Love?” (Hanse Solo)

Hanse’s solo track is powerful, to say the least. I always liked how Hanse would rap; he has a crazy flow and a unique voice behind that flow, but he also has a very sing-song type of style on the softer songs that I always enjoyed, and this track showcases that. Another easy listen to and something I find myself thinking a lot about while listening to this. There aren’t any official lyrics out to this track yet, but I can only imagine they are more than lyrics, they are statements, because that’s just how Hanse is. It’s also another song I don’t immediately gravitate towards, but it’s still such a good song.

11.) Unpredictable

When the highlight medley first came out, the community kept talking about how “Unpredictable” was going to be the best song out of the album. It was sexy, it was bumpin’, and I thought I was really going to like this song. It’s not my favorite. I think the chorus is really my favorite part of the song, but the melody behind it doesn’t really vibe with me well. Again, I’m probably just being a fake ass bitch and will probably like it the more I listen to it, but as for now, she’s not my favorite.

12.) Flip A Coin

THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG OFF OF THE ALBUM, HANDS DOWN. If “What I Said” wasn’t on this album, I think “Flip A Coin” would’ve been the title track; it has so much potential to be one! I knew I was going to like this song as soon as I heard Seungsik singing “Flip that coin, flip it flip it”, I was in love. The lyrics of this song follow the theme of the album: we are following our dreams and whether or not we leave it to fate, we are still going to do our shit.. I would like to call this song Victon’s “cocky” song; the song that they get to brag and be confident in their successes within the last year and a half. The beat goes so fucking hard, Seungwoo and Hanse’s rap parts in this go so fucking hard – they really all went crazy on this track. I have this song stuck in my head and it will probably stay stuck for days.

13.) We Stay

allkpop on Twitter: "VICTON reveals another making-of film teaser + lyrics  image for 1st album 'VOICE: The Future is Now' https://t.co/PHO5H1utLf…  https://t.co/Yr1KWuSwrg"

This song. This song, for such a happy song, made me cry the hardest on my way to work. “We Stay” feels like a song about Alice, the Victon fandom. It’s about how they will stay with us and never leave us if we stay with them, and honestly just by following them for a year and a half and getting to know where they came from, I understand just how many hardships came with them during the first couple of years of their career. With talks of disbandment back in 2018 when they were struggling to make a scene in the very competitive Kpop community, they are doing so well for themselves and I couldn’t be more proud of them. This song, and everything this song represents, felt like a thank you to those who stayed during those hardships.

Overall, this album is possibly my favorite album of their discography, hands down. Their debut mini album will always hold a special place in my heart, but this album just speaks a different language and it’s just highkey so amazing. All 13 songs are just so unbelievably great in their own way; I don’t think there will be another album this year that will top this one, hands-fucking-down. 2021 is Victon’s year, and I’m so ready to be on this ride with them!

Blogust 2020: The Series, Music Reviews, Topic Tuesdays: Music

Day 11: A Kpop Trash’s Thoughts on Seungwoo’s Solo Album, “Fame”.

mars; 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝟏𝟎 (@hanseungwoah) | Twitter

Hey, guys – welcome back to Letters From Liz!

This has been a summer of a lifetime for me, let’s just say that.

If I had to sum up my summer 2020 in one word, it would be KPop. I started my collection during this time, I’ve made some really great friendships in this community, and a ton of new music came out. My wallet was crying, y’all.

But the most exciting thing I was looking forward to was Victon’s Seungwoo and his solo debut! It was announced back in June that he was releasing his solo album in August and well, it came out yesterday and wow, I have some thoughts on this bad boy.

*Also note that the English translations for the titles written in Hangul could be inaccurate!

1.) “Fever”

So, the album starts off with this banger, first of all. If you followed Seungwoo’s documentary-style series on the Victon YouTube channel, we were teased with the hook of this song during it’s lyric-making process. A common theme I sense in this song and in a lot of the other tracks was that want for need for comfort, which homie was not lying about when he said that this album is those who need comfort. “Fever”, in my opinion, felt like the second title track; I felt like this song could’ve been the more pop-style title track that I believe would’ve been okay as a title track, but I’m glad it’s not for reasons we will discuss in the next song! This is definitely a song I’ll have to listen to more and grow with, but for now – she’s a strong start to a highly anticipated album.

2.) “Sacrifice”

When I tell you this title track is possibly the strongest and well distributed songs on the album! “Sacrifice” is the title track that shows Seungwoo’s abilities to rap and sing and do it flawlessly in a track. People who were introduced to Seungwoo through X1 and PDX101 (like myself) didn’t get to see much of Seungwoo’s rapping skills, which is what he occasionally does in some Victon’s songs following Hanse, their main rapper. So lyrically in this song is about needing to give up something that you love, but ultimately it will always be a aprt of you… I suck at translations but that’s the gist of it, haha. This song has a nice balance of both the rap side of Seungwoo and vocal side because, oof the high note he hits at the end is deadly. Also, the rap part will forever be stuck in my head because it’s just so fucking catchy and good and UGH – this is such a strong title track, especially one that is considered a debut.

3.) “Reply”

This song is the song you listen to in your car, driving down a street on a hot summer day with your shades on and top down. It’s typically a song not waiting to wait around for a reply but feeling uneasy about being alone, which I could be This has such a summer feel, and it instantly makes me smile. It also has a nostalgic sound, to both 2000’s R&B music and even to some earlier Victon music with some hip-hop flare to it. It’s definitely much the sound that Seungwoo would come out with, it’s classic Seungwoo and I think it was a good idea for him to have a on this debut to showcase that sound that we’ve been familiar with in a lot of his Soundcloud related songs.

4.) “I Just Want Love”

If there was a genre (which there probably is) that was called “Kpop baby-making music”, this song would fall under that genre. This song is definitely my favorite b-side of the album. The beat instantly gave me some 2000’s R&B Usher vibes, and I mean it’s a hell of a sexy song. The lyrics mimic that whole sexy vibe that clearly is saying like… oof I’m hella feeling you and your vibe right now. If there’s one thing Seungwoo can do well, he does sexy extremely well and this song showcases that. To his breathy tone and his falsetto and the infamous moan-like singing he’s known for doing, this song will get you hella flustered. I know it did for me. I feel like Seungwoo really shines in this song and the chorus… first of all he opens the chorus with “baby, melt me in your arms” and then ends with “I just want love!” And his high notes like, what?! This song is just everything and a certified bop.

5.) “forest”

“forest” is the first slow/ballad-like song on the album; he teased that this song was meant for his fans that those who feel like they need comfort, he will provide that by being our forest, which is really beautiful. The lyrics (in the best translation possible at the moment) speaks directly to someone; a friend, a loved one – or in this case – his fans, and let’s them know that if they every feel lonely or need some comfort, he’s there to “be their forest”. I like the very chill melody behind this sing; it still carries a momentum like the other, upbeat songs have, but this song does carry this comfort and chill vibe that is even soothing at some points. Seungwoo has a very soothing voice, even when it’s in a higher pitch and falsetto-like. I really enjoy this song and I honestly think it’s a great song (in my opinion) that can help calm people down and ease their mind. It does for me.

6.) “Child”

I love the guitar playing in the track! It’s so simple with just Seungwoo’s vocal and the guitar playing; you can definitely tell there’s some influence behind this song to Dean’s “Instagram”. It mimics that energy, but is also so different in its own way. It also has a very similar sound to Seungyoun’s music, which I mean, I always believed that they had a very similar musical taste, but yeah! I really enjoy the calmness in this song as well! Lyrics wise, I can honestly relate when he still feels like a child in the world despite being an adult and like, honestly that’s a big mood.

As someone who’s followed his journey for a year now, I am immensely proud he got the opportunity to make his solo debut because he’s fucking talented and it needed its own album to showcase that. Seungwoo has been showcasing some of his skills behind the scenes for awhile now; he’s been helping write lyrics and rap verses for Victon songs ever since their debut in 2016 and this album proves that he’s able to do that for himself, and on his own. You can tell this project meant so much to him and it extraordinarily shows through the final product. Wooya, fighting (or Sacrifighting!)

Victon Members supporting their hyung: a whole vibe.
Blogust 2020: The Series, Music Reviews

Day 3: Update on Kpop Top 30 Project!

Dear, guys – welcome back to Letters From Liz!

Last week, I showed you guys the list of songs that Ella, I, and her friends made of our Top 30 Kpop Summer songs. Great news! The video is out!

You can definitely tell how much of a girl group listener I am because the amount of girl groups I included on my list compared to the others is quite funny! And if not, there’s some Victon in here as well.

Again, a big shoutout to Ella for inviting me to joining her project with her friends! It was extremely fun to do and watch and of course, I love that the icon for me is Seungsik!

Show her video some love, you guys!

Music Reviews

A K-Pop Trash’s Opinions About June’s K-Pop Comebacks!

Dear, guys – welcome back to Letters From Liz!

As a multi-fandom Kpop stan, I was well fed in the month of June, like, so well fed, i’m practically good for another couple of months in music. I don’t know what made every entertainment agency decide that their groups would make a comeback in June, but ya girl is not complaining. Anyway, every week one of the groups I listen to made a comeback and thought it would be fitting to speak on them all in one post! So without further ado, let’s talk about some Kpop comebacks, shall we?

TWICE’s “MORE & MORE

Song Review: Twice – More & More | The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews ...

On June 1st, Twice dropped their 9th Mini Album, “MORE & MORE” after a 9-month hiatus; their last mini-album, “Feel Special“, was released in September 2019. A lot of anticipation was riding on this comeback, and many fans were excited to start off the summer with new music from Twice; I know I was! When the teaser photos were released, I was… not really impressed to be honest, like the whole “hippie” earth concept just felt poorly put together. The nature concept though is beautiful, and it’s the version of the album I personally purchased for myself. In regards to the actual title track, I was actually kinda disappointed. It’s catchy and it’s definitely a different sound (which Twice has been consistent in doing) but from the teasers and all of that, the song just seemed like it was supposed to be… better?

The true star of the show is the b-sides. If anything, this album has some of the strongest b-sides Twice has put out. “Make Me Go” has that feel that I believe would be the perfect song for Twice if they were to ever officially make their U.S debut, “Sweet Summer Day” is such a perfect song to go out and enjoy the summer day with friends at the beach or at a block party, and “Oxygen“; she’s lovely. Twice is known for having some of the best b-sides on an album, so I’m glad that aspect of their albums hasn’t changed.

Rating: 7/10 – Would recommend, but first stream the b-sides of the album.

Victon’s “Mayday

I apologize in advance if I come off way too bias with this, but Victon are my boys. So even though these boys have been preparing this comeback since their “Howling” promotions back in March, it wasn’t announced until May 20th, two weeks before they were scheduled to come back. When I tell you I was in the middle of catching up with my Victon photocard collection and screamed that more money is now being spent on this group… but I was very excited! It was strange that I would want to come back just three months after releasing their 6th Mini Album, “Continuous“, I was glad that these boys are busy making new music for comebacks!

So about the actual song: Mayday is their 2nd Single Album that came out on June 2nd. After seeing the teaser photos and music video teasers, I didn’t understand what the concept was. The colorful, “Venez” version is shot on a beautiful Spring scenery in colorful suits, while the dark, “m’aider” version was black and white and… dark. But! the music video doesn’t showcase any of that; in fact, they are in somewhat combat attire, which I actually wish was featured in their physical albums, let’s be real. To not make this a novel-length review, “Mayday” is an attempt (a pretty successful one statistic-wise) at a more dark, aggressive, hip-hop influence sound for the group. With Victon testing out the waters in previous albums, (“New World” and “Nightmare“) it was about time that they would use that sound for a title track and oof, she’s a banger. Sure, the song feels very experimental and some of it feels missing, but for what it is, it’s a strong title track. The music video is honestly so fucking pretty, like the millions of views on their channel for this M/V? They’re from me, y’all.

Is she my favorite title track? No. Again, there’s a lot of room for improvement for these boys when it comes to experimenting with this genre, but it’s really good for a starter song. Hanse and Seungwoo slay this song because they are both the rappers in the group and this is a rap-heavy song, but the line distribution could’ve been way better… if the song had a real chorus. I mean, “Fire off a mayday, but I can’t wait” is catchy and she’s been living in my head for the past month, but the chorus could’ve been used for members getting some lines.

Rating: 9.5/10 – If you’re a fan of the more aggressive & dark concepts of K-pop boy groups and want to discover a new group, this is the song to start off with. Also, “I’m losing all my sleep on you” as the opening line sung by Seungsik? You’re welcome.

IZ*ONE’s “Secret Story of the Swan

200606 IZ*ONE - 3rd Mini Album: Oneiric Diary (Official Group ...

Y’all, IZ*ONE is coming back to back with the albums to let the K-Pop industry know that the scandal of the Produce series will not hold them back! They officially came back from their 10-month hiatus with their first full-length album, BLOOM*IZ, back in February and now they are back four months later with their 3rd Mini Album, Oneiric Diary. Their title song, “Secret Story of the Swan” is definitely a different title track than the others and I’m glad because their title track for their last comeback was way too similar to their iconic song, “Violeta“. This song somehow felt like it came out of nowhere, but these girls really slayed this comeback song! It’s definitely a song (and album) you have to listen a couple of times before you get the feel of it, but IZ*ONE doesn’t disappoint when it comes to these different concepts they got going on! It’s not my favorite title track, but it’s definitely an improvement from their last comeback for me!

Rating: 8/10 – Again, it’s one of those songs you have to listen to a couple of times before you get into it, but the chorus is so unique and catchy! Also, all of the songs on the mini album are so different from one another. One of my favorite b-sides from the album is “Merry-Go-Round” – she’s a couple little bop!

CRAVITY’s “Cloud 9

CRAVITY CLOUD 9 TEASER Twitter Trend : The Most Popular Tweets ...

This song and music video are the cutest thing ever! So, Cravity made their comeback in the middle of June with a song from their debut album, “HIDEOUT – Remember Who We Are – S1“. It was definitely a different type of comeback for K-Pop; most comebacks are accompanies by a digital album or a whole new mini album, but Cravity decided to comeback with a song from their debut album that came out 2 months ago. If anything, it’s something that westernized music artists do; artists release a couple of singles from their album every couple of months before they release anything new. In Kpop, most comebacks are months a part with typically a new title track accompanying their new mini album or new single album. Anyway, this song is the perfect b-side that showcases their refreshing side. These boys are the cutest ever, and this song an concept fits them flawlessly which is crazy because their debut single, “Break All The Rules” was the complete opposite yet they fit that concept so good as well. Yes for duality.

Rating: 6/10 – It’s not my favorite track of theirs and I probably won’t binge listen to it, but the concept and music video are too cute to pass.

Weki Meki’s “OOPSY

Weki Meki HIDE and SEEK Teaser Photos (Seek ver.) (HD/HR) - K-Pop ...

Let’s all give a round of applause for Fantagio for giving these girls another mini album after two single albums because these girls deserve so much better. Anyway, in the month of loud comebacks from huge groups, Weki Meki came back with their 3rd Mini Album, “Hide and Seek” – and I’m pretty impressed with it as a whole. For the title track, it was… okay? I mean, Weki Meki had better title tracks in my opinion & the b-sides on this album are so pretty and different than what they’ve done in the past whereas “Oopsy” just sounds like a repackage of their previous comebacks. Don’t get me wrong, she slaps, just not as hard as their previous title tracks. I’m just glad that these girls are getting more opportunities to put out more songs at a time!

Rating: 6/10 – probably won’t listen to the title track that much, but I might give the album as a whole a few listens here and there. Weki Meki fighting!

Blackpink’s “How You Like That

Update: BLACKPINK Amps Up Excitement For “How You Like That” With ...

After making their comeback in April 2019 with “Kill This Love“, Blackpink finally made a comeback with their pre-release single, “How You Like That“. They are expected to make two more comebacks, one being for the release of their long-awaited full-length album. When the news of them finally making a comeback was announced, everyone was literally on the floor anticipating this release, as was I! Blackpink was the second ever Kpop girl group I listened to, and I wished YG treated these girls like a normal group that comes back once every couple of months, but here we are! So let’s talk about this comeback!

So, “How You Like That” is a classic Blackpink song. It’s a very hip-hop/dance influenced song with some strong ass rap lines, some great vocals from Rose & Jisoo, some adlibs from Jennie and Lisa throughout the song, and then a dance break. It’s what we heard in their last two comebacks, but if it works for them, it works for them! I’m a kpop listener that likes when groups try things differently though, so although this song slaps and my favorite part is Lisa’s raps and the talk-sung chorus, I wasn’t…blown away? Like, what made me like the song more was definitely the music video; the styling and visuals are honestly everything, but I just wish the format of the song was a little different!

Rating: 7/10 – Not my favorite title track, but still a bop. Hoping Blackpink will revamp their sound in the next comeback though!

Woodz/Seungyoun’s “Love Me Harder

When I tell you I was waiting for this day to finally come! So Seungyoun (Woodz is his stage name) released his first mini-album to end off the month right; EQUAL in a nutshell, DID NOT DISAPPOINT. This album has to be my favorite release of the month just because the entire album is a masterpiece. Every song hits hard, “LIFT UP” sounds like it could be a straight-up rock song, “Accident” will give you goosebumps due to the insane vocals this man has and displays, and “BUCK” will literally turn you the fuck up. The title track, “Love Me Harder” is a song I have not heard come out on Kpop since I’ve been a fan, and I instantly fell in love with it as soon I heard it. It’s no surprise that Seungyoun released some fire tracks, because he’s done so in the past! To know that he wrote all of the lyrics to the songs and co-composed them as well, you know he’s just crazy talented. I’m so proud of him because this is his fourth time debuting, and I really hope that his talents and passion really shines this time!

Rating: 10/10 – Period. Fire album, fire title track, fire concept, I’m so happy with this debut!

And that’s it on my end! I know there are so many other groups that debuted or came back this past month, so also please show them some love! Here’s to more comebacks in the future! Kpop is exciting, y’all.

Music Reviews

VICTON’S 6th Mini Album, “Continuous” Album Review!

Dear, guys – welcome back to Letters From Liz!

March, thus far, has been one hell of an exciting ride. I’m currently getting myself ready to go on my first ever solo airplane trip to Florida so needless to say, so look forward to a travel diary about my trip next week!

Another thing to happen this month is that wowza, so many Kpop music comebacks. With ITZY and VICTON’s comeback on the same day, my multifandom ass was all over the place trying to buy their albums and listen to music while going to work and doing what I had to do. But, now that I had time to listen to the album and digest it (of course, not literally, haha), I wanted to actually write an album review for my ultimate bias group, VICTON.

Some backstory on this album: This album was announced at the end of January in regards to Seungwoo’s future activities. Play M Entertainment announced that Seungwoo would resume his activities in VICTON (he was in X1 for a couple of months before their sudden disbandment) and will be a part of their March comeback. After the album being revealed as Continuous, the title track was also revealed, which is “Howling”.

But before we move on to the actual title track, here’s my thoughts on the other tracks in VICTON’s 6th Mini Album, Continuous.

1.) “Nightmare”

seungwoo

Oof, let’s talk about “Nightmare”, shall we? When the album highlight medley was released, I was the most excited for this track. It definitely has a different vibe and sound to anything they did before; it’s dark, it’s very Halloween-like, but it still has that newer Victon “hip-hop sound” that they suit extremely well. For “Nightmare” both Seungwoo and Hanse helped write the lyrics and rap sections of this song. Also, can we talk about our main vocalist Seungsik?! Seungsik’s runs in the chorus are so clean and haunting, plus he harmonizes with his own damn background vocals as well? Oof. It’s definitely a strong contender to start the whole album off; it definitely has the potential to be a title track, so I hope that when they start promoting this month, they perform this b-slide because it fucking slaps. 

2.) “Howling”

seungsik

“Howling” is the title track for the 6th Mini Album, and it does not disappoint. It was the only song on the album that was written by people outside of Victon (of course besides Hanse; he writes all his raps for their songs). I must admit, though, it took me a while to get the feel of the song. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a bop and she’s a powerful song, but it did give me some “nostalgic night” vibes. It has the same atmosphere that their last couple of comebacks have felt like, but it definitely suits them well. Again, Seungsik had to show himself and hit high notes that I’ve never heard a man hit before, and overall it’s just a powerful song. It’s uniquely sexy, it’s passionate; really everything that they spoiled in the last couple of weeks. Also, can we talk about Hanse’s rap? Seriously one of his best raps in Victon’s discography… besides the “Nightmare” rap; that hits differently. 

3.) “All I Know”

chan

Their third track, “All I Know” is truly a classic Victon song. This song was written by Chan and Hanse, which I believe is a first for Chan! It has the same vibe and atmosphere that their older discography had, so it was nice to see that although they are maturing and moving on to more sexier and darker concepts, they return to their more mellow and soft sound. This track is about moving on from a relationship and not knowing what is next in life because all you knew was that other person. Oof, if that didn’t hit the relatable feels! It’s definitely a beautiful song and I hope they sing it live one day!

4.) “Petal”

sejun

“Petal” is definitely a track I’m not crazy about yet; maybe it will grow on me! This track was written by Seungwoo, Seungsik, and Hanse. It’s truly a beautiful song, it’s truly a nostalgic like song, remembering the past as the seasons move forward. The thing about Victon and their vocals is that their falsetto is truly on point, and this song is the perfect example of falsetto being used in the right places! The song is already light and feather-like, so the falsetto in the chorus sung by Seungwoo, Seungsik, and Sejun is simply breathtaking. I know I’ll like this song eventually, she just needs a couple of more listens!

5.) “White Night”

hanse

The final track of their 6th mini-album is called “White Night” and it was written by Seungwoo, Sejun, and Hanse. I’m not a fan of ballad songs, but this one is so fucking pretty, it’s truly something. The light piano and strings in the back make the song so flowery and beautiful and the vocals; oof the vocals. Seungsik singing the chorus has been stuck in my head for the entire day the album dropped I shit you not. It’s so angelic and again the falsetto is major chef kisses, seriously this song is going to be the song I work out on the aisle to when I get married (haha). The thing about this song is that I truly believe it has some deeper meaning than what it’s leading on. Sure, on the surface it’s about loving someone and them being your light and blah blah blah. I truly think this song and their “nostalgic night” track from their last album have some sort of connection; it was a nostalgic night, a sad night, a night where memories ate you alive, and “White Night”, a night where the moon is in the sky, everything is good again, everything is what it’s supposed to be. I truly think of Victon and their journey within the last couple of months without Seungwoo; no matter how much success they got from that last comeback, they all wanted to celebrate it together and they all had rough times. So although I was first an X1 fan, I’m very much glad Seungwoo is back in Victon with his members.

Final Thoughts about this Comeback:

Overall, this comeback was a very calm and mature one. Despite “Nightmare” and “Howling”, the songs were more so on the mellow, slow tuned side, which is completely okay! I feel like these boys are maturing in their branding, their styles, and in the way that they sing. Yes, Victon’s image in the past was very refreshing and upbeat and colorful, but we also have to remember they were rookies and that sound suited them the best back then. This more mature, slow-paced sound of Victon is something I like because their vocals are showcased more, and this album just proves that these guys are talented.

Writing this now, my favorite song off of the album is “Nightmare” just because it’s different than the other tracks and just a sound that Victon never did before. After that, it’s definitely “Howling”, then “White Night”, “All I Know” and lastly “Petal”.

I’m really happy to be singing Victon perform as 7 again, in all honesty. Sure, I didn’t know the group before PDX101 aired, but there’s a reason why so many of that audience is now Victon’s fans; their chemistry is just insane. Out of the other group members of different groups that participated in PDX101, Victon gained the most success. Because of the show, they were able to get their very first music show win in 3 years with “nostalgic night” and because of the show, their songs are now on music charts such as Melon and Genie. They are truly gaining their well-deserved success, and now they are experiencing it as 7 again.

This Alice is happy. Victon hwaiting! :3

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