Rundown: Lee Chae Yeon, DreamNote, Kep1er, KARD, X:IN, Park Jihoon, Yeeun

A somewhat slow week that included some clunkers, but also had some stuff that should definitely be able to hold the interest of some people. ====== Kep1er – “Giddy” [embedded content] It’s what I would describe as LE SSERAFIM core, and it’s a sound that I understand why people like it but it’s not necessarily up my alley. While it’s not quite executed as well, I don’t see any reason this shouldn’t sonically appeal to the same audience aside from fandom bias. —— KARD – “Without You” [embedded content] Hopes were high that they would be returning to their tropical releases that were so compelling early on in their career, and it does to some extent early on, but unfortunately kinda meanders through a bunch of their latter tropes in the back half. —— X:IN – “KEEPING THE FIRE” [embedded content] Take BLACKPINK‘s worst and make it worse. —— Park Jihoon – “Blank Effect” [embedded content] Like if a sloth’s movement was a song. —— Lee Chae Yeon – “KNOCK” [embedded content] Eons better than her debut, I think Lee Chae Yeon has found her feet as a soloist with this. The back half of the chorus is especially strong and I wouldn’t be surprised if this grows on me. —— DreamNote – “Lemonade” [embedded content] I actually like the energy and it’s a lot of fun. This is gonna sound nitpicky, but that synth that comes in for the pre-chorus is off-putting against their bright and cheery vocal, and it feels overwhelming in a way that I can’t unhear it. If I could get past that, though, it’s quite good overall. —— Yeeun (CLC) – “Cherry Coke” [embedded content] Look man, she is extremely pretty.