Review: U-KISS’ “Tick Tack”

So it’s been a very long time since I’ve made any posts, but I can assure you that in due course, I’ll be a lot more active on here! So I thought a few short reviews would be a nice way to ease myself back into the blog. First of all, I’m going to review U-KISS’ Japanese debut single Tick Tack, which consists of three tracks and two instrumentals.

The title track is of course, Tick Tack which is a very strong dance song. It starts off with a ticking noise accompanied by some very smooth vocals from the boys. This carries on for the the first verse of the song until it eventually bursts into a powerful chorus with a strong drum section. There is an almost consistent repeat of “tick tack” in the instrumental of this song which adds a sense of repetitiveness to the song and makes the sound even fuller. The build up towards the end of the song features the three rappers coming in with a fast paced rap while Soohyun and Hoon bring in some high range power notes. Tick Tack is one of those songs that will surely get stuck in your head due to it just being so catchy. I personally feel this is one of the best Japanese releases we’ve had from a Korean artist, this year at least. My favourite parts are definitely the chorus and the powerful build that occurs towards the ending.

Coincidence is the second track on the single and it comes in the form of another dance track. I’ll be honest, when I first listened to this song, I wasn’t too sure what I thought of it. But it wasn’t long before I had it on repeat because it was so addictive. My favourite part is probably the “come this way, come this way, come this way” hook that is featured a number of times throughout the song. Though, I can safely say I do enjoy the entirety of the song. A very strong B-side track that I feel could also be classed as a single ready song. The instrumental in general gives a feel of a dance club as well, so I would definitely add this to your party playlist! Another very catchy song from U-KISS which is a great addition to their Japanese debut. I’ve also found from recent experience that this is a song that fits well for travelling at night so give it a listen when driving or travelling.

0330 -Piano & Chorus ver.- is the third and final track on the single that comes in the form of a Japanese version of 0330 with a bit of a twist. There is a strong focus on harmonies and the vocals of the members. The piano throughout is light and allows for their voices to shine a lot more. A truly stunning version of the song that expresses a lot of emotions through the general feeling of it. Now, if you know me, you’ll know how I feel about Japanese remakes of Korean songs, but I won’t lie, I like this version a lot so I’m willing to listen to it. In an ideal world, they would release this arrangement of the song in Korean as well as it suits the song nicely. Since I’m syllabically used to the Korean version a lot more I feel that that would be ideal for me.

They debuted in Japan without using a remake as a title track so this gets them bonus points for me. A great single from them that I can personally find no fault in. If you like the boys I’m sure you’ll love this single as a whole. It’s got two fantastic upbeat tracks and a very mellow ballad. Definitely check this out!