Appreciation This concept tho (1 Viewer)

Myco · 4 November 2019

First off we got this amazing album cover

Do you even see this?
Probably one of the most creative things I've seen recently and it's not even really like out of the world mind blown.
The polka dot style is pretty well known, it's simple but it looks amazing.
(Also one of the members injured his knee, so they do this comeback as 4 but look on the left back, how cute is that pls)

And then just look at the Group Images

If this isn't gonna be one hell of a catchy, groovy bop then idk.
The concept and visuals look so fun and it might bring us some more 80s-90s sound like VeriVery have done so far.
DONGKIZ's music in general has been fun and catchy so far, from NOM to Blockbuster to Dreaming You, it was always a easy listen.

A review from thebiaslist
Pre-debuts seem to be all the rage nowadays, and the latest group to tease music before officially debuting is Dongkiz. Named after their agency (Dongyo Entertainment), they’re definitively in need of a cooler moniker. “Dongkiz” is pretty lame and unfortunately sounds too much like “donkeys.” But, K-pop has never been averse to awkward group names. I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually, especially if their music lives up to the potential displayed on Nom.

Dongkiz is a very young group, with four of its five members being born in the 2000’s. We’re going to be seeing more and more of this, and I hope it brings about a renewed focus on upbeat, youthful material. Nom certainly points toward this concept. Its bright, brassy hook has a similar energy to Uptown Funk or Very Nice. It isn’t pulled off with quite as much flair, but the fact that it tries at all is cause for celebration.

From the get-go, Nom bursts with energy. The song opens with a chugging funk guitar riff, which remains present throughout the entire track — even building to a brief, but electrifying, solo during the climax. This is further fleshed out by a strong dance beat and walls of bombastic brass. There’s still some fine tuning to be done when it comes to the final product, but this is the exact sound I’ve been missing from much of 2018’s subdued K-pop releases. Nom throws it all out there, never offering respite from its boundless intensity. Its melody isn’t all that memorable, but that’s less of an issue with an instrumental this engaging. Hopefully they won’t abandon this winning sound for their debut early next year.

Hooks	8
Production	10
Longevity	8
Bias	9
RATING	8.75

A review from thebiaslist
Sometimes K-pop salvation comes from the most unexpected of places. With most of July’s big-name comebacks disappointing, it’s up to the industry’s under-the-radar artists to pick up the slack. With the Ghostbusters-sampling BlockBuster, Dongkiz have done just that. The group first burst on the scene with November’s Nom, which was later recycled for their official April debut. I was high on Nom’s explosive funk-pop sound initially, but repeated listens haven’t done the track many favors. BlockBuster, on the other hand, takes the best elements from their debut and forges them into a thrillingly fun follow-up.

Direct samples of existing songs are pretty rare in K-pop, so I was shocked to hear that BlockBuster would incorporate the 80’s Ray Parker Jr. Ghostbusters theme so heavily into its structure. The central synth riff will be an instant touchstone for many listeners, even if you were born after the 80’s had ended. Thankfully, the song finds a way to fuse this instrumental to its backbone without being completely beholden to it.

BlockBuster opens with the movie’s familiar spooky synths before catapulting into a brisk funk-pop verse that sounds like the kind of thing Seventeen used to deliver on the regular. From here, the track moves into its weakest moment — a cut-and-paste pre-chorus that too literally copies its source material. But, this small misstep is easily forgiven once the rollicking chorus comes in. I love the use of the Ghostbusters synths here, giving the already-robust hook an extra zap of electricity. I wasn’t surprised to see that BlockBuster was co-produced by Chung Ho Hyun from the veteran e.one team. There’s an undeniable polish here that was missing from Dongkiz’s debut. This is K-pop at its most off-the-wall fun, and with any luck should serve as a springboard for this promising young group.

Hooks	9
Production	9
Longevity	9
Bias	9
RATING	9

A review from thebiaslist
Most of the time, a k-pop group’s title track is the best song on their album. But, sometimes b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.

I struggled to decide whether to label this a “buried treasure” or simply a normal song review. Dreaming You (상상 속의 너) was technically released as a digital single, paired with one of those charming (but basic) behind-the-scenes videos usually relegated to fan songs. I doubt many people even know it exists. Still, I think it’s my favorite song that K-pop has delivered in the last two weeks.

Dongkiz won me over in July with their Ghostbusters-sampling BlockBuster. That track hasn’t had quite the staying power I would’ve hoped for (VERIVERY’s Tag Tag Tag would reign at the top of my revised July round-up), but I still find it absolutely charming. If you haven’t watched one of their live music show performances, do yourself a favor and head to youtube. Their ghost mascot is stupidly hilarious.

Now comes Dreaming You, which puts a nice cap on the group’s 2019 promotions thus far. There’s nothing inventive or unique about the song, but this is the kind of buoyant, old-school pop music that I just love. I love the instrumental’s bright, fizzy synths and rhythm guitar. I love the soft harmonies and bright ad-libs during the pre-chorus. And most of all, I love the punchy, brass-kissed hook. Dreaming You may not make strong waves with many fans. Even fewer will likely remember it by the time we reach the end of the year. But for now, it’s the perfect tonic to inject some life into this extended K-pop lull.