There have been quite a few comebacks this past month I have slacked on getting reviews out for! So, I figure why not do a little review speed round for the month of April! Let us get into it!

Apink- “D & D”

A-pink celebrates their 10th anniversary with their new release of “D&D” and are sounding fresher than ever! I enjoyed this sweet little track and was thoroughly impressed with how solid the vocals are on this one. The production is quite clean and the song has solid groove throughout. Love the harmonies in the bridge as well. Overall, a very cute and fitting anniversary song for Apink.

Rating: 7.5/10

Lee Chaeyeon “Knock”

Lee Chaeyeon makes her first comeback as a soloist with her title track, “Knock”. As someone who really enjoyed the direction of her debut song, “Hush Rush”, I have to say I was slightly disappointed by this track. Although the song has some strong moments (pre-chorus/post chorus), overall it feels incredibly generic and the “knock” hook is slightly annoying. Overall, not a very strong comeback for me, I hope in the future her company can giver her a “fresher” sound like they did with her debut.

Rating: 6/10

Kep1er “Giddy”

Kep1er is back with a much safer sound on their newest title track “Giddy”. To start with the positive, I really enjoy the production on this track and the slick bass riffs throughout. I also particularly enjoy how open the pre-chorus feels. However, I just feel like this track is a little dated, and probably would have been more suited to be released in 2020 or 2021. The anti-drop just feels quite predictable and is just not doing a whole lot for me. I understand why their management went with a safer sounding track compared to their previous release “We Fresh”, as that was not met with much love from the general public. Overall, I feel Kep1er’s team is having an identity crisis of how to define their “sound” in the vast K-pop realm.

Rating: 6.5/10

Mark of NCT “Golden Hour”

Mark is back and bolder than ever in collaboration with SM’s station for his solo release “Golden Hour”. I initially was quite surprised when I first started listening to this track, with its strong rock influence. Not what I was expecting from Mark, but holy wow… This is such a powerful and creative track. From the lyrics to the production everything is done with strong purpose, making the track even more impactful. I just love how the whole concept is based around a meme of Mark! Overall, a very strong project from Mark and what more can I say? The song is a banger!

Rating: 8.5/10

Tempest “Dangerous”

I have to admit, I haven’t followed most of Tempest’s releases since their debut (which I enjoyed), so I was quite curious how this would sound. Off the bat I like how strong the song starts off and really grabs your attention. The production is quite clean and the hook in the chorus is nice, and slightly reminds me of 2nd gen hooks. Overall, a catchy song, but not doing anything too special or unique here.

Rating: 7/10

Have you checked out any of these releases? If so, let me know your thoughts!