Fair Shake Reaction: Wonderego - Crush

Wonderego - Crush

(Genre: Kpop)

Don't wonder where to find more:

Hmm-Cheat (Music Video)

Ego (Music Video)

Harness (Performance Video)

Satisfied (Live Performance)

EZPZ (Live Performance)

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"Mr.Heartache" by SEKAI NO OWARI
With every PV release, I keep hoping this group gets more recognition because they really make some unique stuff! This PV shows even further how diverse this group can be. Some may know them for their more gloomy visuals or sound, but they also have this bizarre, upbeat side to them as well. This PV perfectly describes the group's sense of humor and natural chemistry, while they dance around in fruit, vegetable, and animal costumes or watch cartoons. Sure, the song is about dealing with a broken heart, but the lighthearted and real approach to it instantly puts a smile on your face, mending all wounds. It's really hard not to enjoy this PV completely.


[Insert PV Here]
"Nokoriga" by MORE
I never was much of a Sugar fan, but I did enjoy them live and their music is not that bad. Nonetheless, it was exciting to see another active (at the time) ex-Sugar member and, for me, Tomoyuki from 12012. The music does remind me of Sugar and Moran, which is a good thing in my opinion. It's a very jazz lounge rock sound that suits Loki's voice very well. The visuals aren't overly produced and mostly feature Loki interacting with a woman or flower petals. The shots of the whole band are just as interesting as you can really see them get into the music and move along as they play their respective instruments. It's gonna be difficult finding new music with such a band name as "MORE", but I am looking forward to more.



"DOPE" by BTS
Have I mentioned that BTS is truly killing the kpop scene lately? Well, they are! When this music video came out, I was super excited to see such a fun concept and even more fun of a song. The song gives each member a chance to show off their talents and gives us a glimpse of their personalities in each of their respective scenes. The costume concept with the pseudo-one take feeling with the camera really makes the video move along smoothly and makes it all the more interesting compared to the usual formulaic approach with some vague story and choreography laced in between. I do have to admit that the vibe I get from this video is very Block B and I mean that as a seriously good compliment. It's just nice to see the members let loose, show their passion through their delivery, and don't forget that ridiculously tight choreography.



"Oasis" by Crush feat. ZICO
If this was not your summer jam of last year or even one of your current jams, then you need to hop on board! This video utilizes location better than most Korean acts and makes you want to be there with Crush enjoying the beauty and space. He looks like he's feeling himself and admiring this beautiful lady from a far. I believe the chemistry without them being in the same shot. I even enjoy the indoor shot with the vibrant colors and beach set pieces. The song is easily enjoyable and has a very catchy chorus and bridge that makes you want to bop and sing along to. Even though ZICO has a "Keith Ape" moment, but somehow he pulls it off better than Keith Ape, he doesn't ruin the essence of this party track. Also, the brief appearance of Zion.T is very much welcomed. Looking forward to jamming to this in summer 2016!



"Bad" by INFINITE
As much as I love this group, their music has been a bit hit and miss for me lately, which is a little depressing as a casual fan. When this video came out, I was ecstatic! It felt like another growth spurt for the group and showed an elevated dark side to them. They've had dark concepts before, but this suited their style more than certain tracks previously. I enjoyed the polished, subtle dark, and abstract imagery. There's so much to look at and makes me want to look at more to see all that effort they put into these set pieces. The song has a very catchy chorus and has a lot of dimension in the melody and vocal arrangement. Sure, it's not the best song the group has put out in all their years, but it's a breath of fresh air for me compared to some of their more recent stuff around that time.

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"FAIRY DUST" by AKi
As much as I love AKi and he's been my favorite from SID since day one, I was a little skeptical about him going solo, but he's proven himself more and more with each release. This second PV release gives me a little more confidence and excitement compared to his debut "FREAK SHOW". It does give me a slight J influenced vibe in styling, but the overall appearance mixes the persona I know from his time in SID and a separate solo entity. I love the mix of studio, glamour shots, and vague storytelling. It has a good balance of polish, vintage, and indie in its respectful scenes. The song is also super catchy and it looks like AKi had a lot of fun filming this with his band buddies.



"QUALIA" by Arlequin
If you've known me for a long time, you know that I love indies jrock and I still do. I still check out new talent and this is one I picked up last year...I think. I'm not sure if I've shared them before, but this PV shows how much this band has grown in such a short amount of time. It's a very mature sounding song with a great bassline and vulnerable vocal delivery by Aki. Like most indies bands, the PV doesn't display a big budget in the least, but I enjoy the visuals provided to show off the emotional vulnerability with Aki and the mystery lady while also giving us glimpses of the band's chemistry, especially around the breakdown. This is definitely a great step in the right direction for the band and I'm looking forward to so much more!



"Rushiddo Dream" by DADAROMA
Aside from Pentagon and NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST, I've been really into this band lately. Their sound is something I didn't expect from them upon first glance, but I feel like this little ramble of "newer" visual kei bands is more suited for a separate post or something. Much like the previous PV above, this was a major growth in quality and depth for the band and it made my heart flutter with excitement. It has a very passionate and haunting sound from the musical to the vocal arrangements. I love watching each member lose themselves in the music while Yoshiatsu belts out his soul to the world. The visuals are very polished, haunting, and subtly elegant. The story with Yoshiatsu and the child are very intriguing and the atmosphere is very immersive for this song. Definitely check this one out if you're new to DADAROMA!



"JAJAJA" by YDG feat. Dynamic Duo & Crush
After watching Show Me the Money 3, which I swear I haven't forgotten, I've been trying to listen to at least a little more of YDG's music every time he pops up in my feed. This is one music video I'm happy I've checked out. This smooth, classy track brings maturity and sophistication to the Korean hip-hop genre to break up all the aggression and trap rap. It still manages to show YDG's fun charm and mixes elements of jazz and R&B while have a charming and subtle sensual rap delivery. Dynamic Duo definitely elevates the class level of this song and video as well as contribute to YDG's story, while Crush channels Zion.T and molds into the saxophone jazz style of the melody. It's a real treat for the eyes and ears for sure.



"ah-ah" by TEEN TOP
It feels like forever since I've genuinely enjoyed a song from these guys, let alone a music video. The boys have definitely grown up a little since their "Super Luv" days, but they still retain that cute, young charm from those debut days. The song is sweet, fun, and charming and shows off their vocal abilities very well. I'm truly impressed by some of the range these guys have in the singing department. The video does hurt my eyes a little with the pastels and whites, but the overly contrast and bright colors in the darker areas are a nice break. I enjoy both sides though. It fits the fun, party atmosphere, while being a fresh, cute, and flirty video. They definitely look like they're having fun. Also, that fancy footwork! Omg~

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"ざんげの花道" by D=OUT
It has been so long since a D=OUT PV has stood out to me along with their music. Although the presentation of the video isn't anything new to me as I've seen this same setting with Kagerou and I'm sure another jrock band I can't think of at the moment, it actually looks like they're having fun. The music sounds like they're going back to their roots, minus the mix of traditional Japanese sounds, but there's a definite D=OUT flair in the sound. The members let loose and dance around the stage while offering their fans beauty shots of them in these really polished areas. The energy is definitely a lot purer and positive compared the past couple or so PVs they've released, even though not much is going on content wise. Nonetheless, I think D=OUT fans will be pleased by this shift and I hope I can see more of this sort of energy from them in future PVs, even if the content and concept is simple.



"SOSes!!" by TRIAMPERSANDY
This group was introduced to me by a friend who was a fan of GYUN and her former band Gollbetty. Honestly, I haven't been keeping up with this band at all, but what I've heard is pretty good. This song starts off pretty soft and slow, then when everything pauses for a moment, a burst of electric energy comes out with quick guitar riffs and GYUN's high vocals. The video is very band centric, but adds a unique color palette of neons and light flairs. The members transition in and out of the scene as duplicates, between set pieces, and as a whole group. There's some fun, random special effects that match the chaos and fun of the song.



"Metronome" by Jay Park feat. Simon D & GRAY
I believe Jay Park has been a bit silent in the music creation spotlight, but has been working pretty hard on his label and even snagged amazing "new" talent GRAY and legendary rapper Simon Dominic, mostly known from being half of Supreme Team. After listening to GRAY's debut mini-album, I expected a lot of great things from this trio and it was the breath of fresh air I needed. Fusing together R&B and hip-hop effortlessly, Jay Park plays to his strengths of transitioning his vocals to fit this fusion while letting GRAY loan his rough, confident vocals to the chorus and Simon D complete the fusion with some impressive rap bars. The video is sleek and classic to fit the mood. It tells a story of a couple whose relationship is off balance and uses props to symbolize the movement of a metronome while matching the artistic flair of the special effects. With this partnership, I hope I see more from this trio as they work extremely well together.



"Amazing -Bad Lady-" by Cross Gene
As mentioned in my follow up rookie post, I confessed that I don't pay attention to this group as much as I would like, but they have great talent. Sometimes their material tends to blend in with the rest of the rookies of that year and a bit of the following year. I was happy to see something this stylish stood out from what was out at the moment. It uses a video style that I like which is sticking to a monochromatic color scheme with pops of color. When there is full color, it's darkened or muted so it doesn't seem too jarring to the eyes. The choreography is still good, even though I think the crotch dusting is awkward, but the catchy and unique melody paired with great vocals make up for that. I really get this similar U-KISS vibe from them in a recognition sense more than anything. I look forward to more material on this level.



"Hug Me" by Crush feat. Gaeko
A lot of fresh faces have been standing out a little more on the mainstream front and I believe Crush is one of those faces. Similar to Jay Park and GRAY, he fuses hip-hop and R&B together with a hint of electro-pop. His vocals border between those lines of hip-hop and R&B which matches the music of this video. The verses have a smooth melody with just enough bass and electronics, the transition has a little electro-pop, and the chorus has more of booming hip-hop energy. The visuals tell a simple story about a relationship or the potential of one. It matches the music fusion by featuring sweet romantic scenes, clean choreography with the right amount of confidence and sensuality, and clichés from both music genres such as fancy cars, flashing lights, a throne-like chair, and hip-hop clothing that isn't too overwhelming or obvious to the viewer.