Catching up on new music from Jung Yonghwa, LEO, CRAVITY, RIIZE and JO1.
“Your City” by Jung Yonghwa
CNBLUE’s Jung Yonghwa makes his solo comeback with the great title track “Your City”. Yonghwa delivers a charismatic performance in what is a blend of alternative indie rock and an infusion of nice retro vibes for an irresistible track. The other tracks from the album of the same name has a nice mix of funky rock and pop. But my favorite track is definitely “note to self” which is a captivating song about lifting yourself up after another day of life.
“One Look” by LEO
Former Trainee A member Leo makes his solo debut with “One Look”. I did not follow Trainee A, but this R&B-pop track is an excellent introduction to this Korean-Australian artist. Leo delivers a very charismatic and charming performance for this addictive summer vibe of a track. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on him.
“Ready or Not” by CRAVITY
CRAVITY’s latest comeback track “Ready or Not” is an interesting song for me. It’s almost a little bit of a slowburn as it starts out kind of tepid for me on first listen. I wasn’t sure what to think. That is, until the first chorus kicked in. And that’s when I finally got into the song. By the end, I came to appreciate the dynamic, youthful vibe of the pop-rock dance track. It definitely should be experienced all the way through. And that progression, for me, is what sells the track itself. That’s of course in addition to the group’s always strong performance. And it’s an overall solid title track for their album Sun Seeker.
“Cheese” by CRAVITY
Their pre-release track “Cheese,” which I only got the chance to check out upon release of the album this past week, is a nice, midtempo R&B-infused pop track. It’s a nice summer vibe of a track. And the music video suits that friendly feeling.
The other four tracks on the album are good as well with the pop closer “Love Fire” maybe my favorite.
“Get a Guitar” by RIIZE
RIIZE officially makes their debut with “Get a Guitar.” Their pre-release track “Memories” was a good song that offered up something different, especially from their fellow SM artists. The funky “Get a Guitar” is a mix of that refreshing new style and some familiar SM Entertainment vibes as well. The retro-infused pop dance track gives RIIZE an opportunity to stand out from the rest. And it is a very solid introduction to the rookie group.
“RadioVision” by JO1
JO1 prepares for their latest album Equinox with the release of “RadioVision”. Released a few weeks ago, I’m only getting the chance to check it out now and it’s a fun song. The retro-infused pop dance track is perfectly suited to the always magnetic group. And they expectedly deliver with their strong performance. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the new songs from the album.