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Song Review:: POW: WHY

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Release date: 2026 May 05 Album tracklist:  WHY Album runtime: 2 minutes  Two-and-a-half minutes. I know I harp about it a lot, but I refuse to not continue to do so because it is ridiculous that I'm grateful for songs over three minutes. I've finally remembered when I see their name that I really like them, which is progress on my end! This is a fun little instrumental. It's not quite fully in celebratory or party mode, but the energy is excellent and bright all the same. It is making me wonder a little if this is one of those songs that sounds really upbeat and cheerful but then you look at the lyrics and you realize the song is depressing. But I am pleased overall with the little touches of variation here. The energy shifts are what I'm looking for. The last little bit of the song, the vocals just kind of pile on each other in the most entertaining way. It's not fully scratching the itch that I have for the bright energy song, but I'm down with this vocally. ...

Song Review:: Cortis: GREENGREEN- TNT

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Release date: 2026 May 04 Album tracklist: TNT , REDRED , ACAI , YOUNGCREATORCREW, Wassup, Blue Lips Album runtime: 16 minutes  So many capital letters from these guys. As a side note, I was deeply amused by James's valid crash out over the new-and-false version of the alphabet song. Fun fact, the ememememoh problem kids can have is easily fixed by instead singing it to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star until they get it, and then switching to the correct version. We didn't need a new version. I don't know what role James takes in the group, not a clue, but I have a feeling that this may take up some of their next album, HYBE permitting. Speaking of HYBE, two-minute title track. Alright. This had better have something big if this is going to be two-minutes long. And, it doesn't. The instrumental goes nowhere. It sounds nice. But it just is there and it fades into the background so fast that I'm wildly disappointed. I didn't even notice that it disappeared ...

Song Review:: H//PE PRINCESS: 17.7- Stolen {Pre-Debut}

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Release date: 2026 April 29 Album tracklist: Stolen Album runtime: 3 minutes  Again, we have a group that I’m not sure where we’re at with the Underage Protocol, nor do I actually know anything about them because of the aforementioned productive captivity during the plane ride that I’m on, but this is either their debut song or a pre-debut song. So, we’re going to temporarily put them on Underage Protocol until I can find out if they’re actually supposed to be on there or not. Better safe than sorry. I’ll also update this with more information when I get back. They need to be on Underage Protocol unfortunately because they will have four members under eighteen at debut later this month. Ah! And one of the members is a trainee over at JR's company, Evermore Entertainment. And another one is Keita's younger sister. Nice. Oh, that’s an interesting beat. It sounds like a wooden instrument of some sort, but despite the lightness of that beat, there’s a simultaneous grunginess and we...

Greatest Hits:: After School: Bang!

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It's a testament to my self control regarding these posts because this was the first girl group that I really vibed with and some of their songs (including this one) have found their way not into just my general listening playlists, but also some of the specific playlists, like my pre-work playlist, that I have. I just really like the Pledis groups, y'all, and even though I will be one of the first in line about their management issues (exhibit...basically all of their groups), they generally have a track record of picking very good songs for their groups. This song was one of the first ones I picked for the theme for the month and I slotted it in specifically to be released today, because Happy Mother's Day, everyone! After School debuted in 2009 under Pledis Entertainment as a five member group, formed around and because of leader Kahi, who formed the group alongside HSS, the company CEO. Because of their graduation concept, they've had almost as many line-up changes ...

Song Review:: BABYMONSTER: CHOOM- CHOOM

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Release date: 2026 May 04 Album tracklist: MOON, CHOOM , I LIKE IT, LOCKED IN Album runtime: 12 minutes  We are on Underage Protocol for this group, which is annoying but fine, because five of the seven were under eighteen at debut, and the maknae was all of fourteen, which means both conditions for Underage Protocol were triggered. It's not an achievement for the company. For shame, YGE.  It's even worse because I could fully vibe with this group. Next year. We've got kind of an Indian sound going on here, which provides an interesting counterbalance to the rapping parts of the vocals, but it's still a lighter sound than I would have expected. We've also got a few different sections for variation, so I'm pleased that the song is as long as it is. I'm really curious about the other songs they've got. I mean this in the highest compliment possible, but this sounds so YG Girl Group. The company bloodline, metaphorically speaking, is strong with them. The b...

Song Review:: I.O.I: Goodbye With A Smile

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Release date: 2026 May 04 Album tracklist: Goodbye With A Smile (Recorded in 2016) (Prod.Jinyoung) Album runtime: 4 minutes  Did I think I was going to ever be writing a review for one of their songs that hadn't been suggested by someone via The Form (because you can do that; if you don't want a full GH or BBS post for a song and would rather know what I think about a song or just want someone to talk about the song briefly, you can ask me to do a regular, normal review about any song, title track, pre-release, b-side, it doesn't matter)? I did not, but here we are, and I'm excited about this. For everyone who already is a fan, I'm so excited for you to have this. For the people who are about to become fans, I hope you enjoy the journey. Four minutes of song. Four minutes of piano and strings and a guitar. This is so pretty. It's also powerful and fairy-like, which is a bit of a fascinating combination. The strings and the chimes give the song a very specific li...

Song Review:: NAZE: NAZE- People Talk {Debut}

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Release date: 2026 May 04 Album tracklist: Pretty Pink Socks, People Talk , Awesome, Seoul Album runtime: 12 minutes  I'm suddenly having deja vu, like I've already looked these guys up. Was it this group? Was it a different one? Well, regardless, these guys took a bit of the ol' ASTRO route and technically debuted as actors first in a drama and used that to introduce themselves. And I believe that they would have been CIX's younger brothers, if CIX hadn't recently been disbanded, and yes, I am totally fine about that. Why wouldn't I be? Disbanding right before military service. It's fine. Technically they're the grand-dongsaengs because of EPEX., so EPEX are the ones getting younger brothers. Anyway, I wish NAZE all the luck in the world. And their maknae is already eighteen, so we don't need to put them on Underage Protocol. Interesting choice for a debut song. I feel like more companies are debuting with a little bit more of a sultry, yearning sou...