Queendom 2: Singles Review and Ranking
No this time I am not going to review and rank all the episodes of Queendom. Long-time readers know how well that went for Kingdom. What I am going to do is review and rank the six new singles from Queendom, because that is easier, and why not.
6. LOONA - Pose
Everyone entered the show rooting for someone, and I rooted for LOONA. I love some songs across their discography, and the members are charismatic. Minus the Shake It performance, they had a somewhat 'meh' Queendom. Pose does nothing to do this, as it is the same quasi-hip-hop shout-a-thon K-Pop fans a somewhat tired of. The worst offender in the chorus, which genuinely makes my ears cry. The members do their best but Pose is forgettable at best, outright annoying at worst.
Rating: 4.75/10
5. Kep1er - The Girls (Can't Turn Me Down)
Kep1er's Queendom started quite strong but soon went downhill. It was an uphill battle from the start, and I wonder what this will do to the rookie group's image. Either The Girls will not help it too much. The song does not have a chorus as bad as Pose, but stays consistently bad throughout, wasting the group's potential even further. I like the bass in the verses, at least.
Rating: 5/10
4. Brave Girls - Whistle
I love Brave Girls as a group, but they were somewhat average throughout Queendom, the survival show idea just really doesn't fit their vibes. Nonetheless, I hope they can gain some renewed momentum from the show. Whistle has some groovy moments, and the elements of a great Brave Sound track are there, but it all comes together into a slightly rushed chorus, which the melody cannot compensate for. Hopefully, the group provides better material than this for their next comeback.
Rating: 7/10
3. Hyolyn - Waka Boom (My Way) Ft. Lee Young Ji
Regardless of who takes the ground at the end of the day, Hyolyn will be considered the winner. She did dominate the show, and her Touch My Body and See Sea performances gained much acclaim. Unfortunately, Waka Boom is the noisy sound that Hyolyn should certainly be beyond at this point. They are moments of potential, such as with the pre-chorus, Young Ji's fire rap, and when Hyolyn's singing, but are hammered back with some truly average songwriting. Hyolyn makes it work better than it should, leaving Waka Boom a win.
Rating: 7.5/10
2. VIVIZ - Red Sun!
Objectively, Red Sun is probably the best-written song of the bunch. It just is that the melody is not as sharp nor atmospheric as its top point. I love the ornamental jazz influences through the track, it reminds me of pre-2014 IU in the best way possible. VIVIZ seem to be trying to go for an ornate style through Queendom, and Red Sun fulfills that promise.
Rating: 7.75/10
1. WJSN - Aura
WJSN have been my personal MVPs of Queendom, with consistent performances from the very beginning to the very end. I think I am finally becoming a fan of the group, with Save Me, Save You, Pantomime, Butterfly, and As You Wish getting some renewed life in my playlist. Aura is nothing special, but it is the only song here with potential. I love the atmosphere through the entire song, and that chorus is outright fantastic through the vocals. This may not be top end-of-year material, but is probably one of two songs that I'd come back to outside the context of the show. I love the whistle hook and the central refrain.
Can't believe LOONA gave us Pose for this. I'm not a fan but they surely could've given us anything but this. Glad you enjoyed WJSN's Aura! I'm still trying to get into their music haha. Need to work harder.
ReplyDeleteSame on WJSN, enjoyed many of their singles, but they have grown on me so much over the course of the show.
DeleteFor LOONA, I think part of it comes down to the group in financial chaos, with their top member suing the agency. I just hope things end well for everyone, especially Chuu and the other members.