Review: “NEW DAYZ” and New Music from K-Pop Group TRENDZ
Photo Cr: Global H Media
Last year, on January 5, 2022, TRENDZ became the latest boy group to hit the K-Pop scene with seven members: HAVIT, LEON, YOONWOO, HANKOOK, ra.L, EUNIL, and YECHAN, debuting with their five-track EP, BLUE SET Chapter 1. TRACKS. Fourteen months, two EPs, and two single albums later, TRENDZ has made their long-awaited comeback. On March 15, the group released their second single album BLUE SET Chapter. [NEW DAYZ], consisting of three tracks: “Nightmare,” “NEW DAYZ,” and “Fantasy,” bringing their ‘BLUE SET’ saga to an end. Although still quite new to the industry, TRENDZ has already proven their capabilities and talents through each release, making them a definite name to support and remember within the K-Pop world with the songs of BLUE SET Chapter. [NEW DAYZ] further highlighting this.
BLUE SET Chapter. [NEW DAYZ] opens with the beautifully composed, dark R&B-pop track “Nightmare.” Like its name, “Nightmare” delivers a haunting presence through the backtrack use of a piano that solely opens the song before being joined by synth, electronic beats, high-pitched sound effects, and a faint sound of a clock ticking in the background. The lyrics reflect the fear and unknowingness of escaping from a dark place or dark dreams, only to return to a nightmare reality, with HAVIT singing, “even if you were to wake up again and again / it never stops / it’s nightmare” in the song’s chorus.
While the lyrics and the composition may center on nightmares, the vocals and rap deliveries are anything but, as their voices carry a dreamy tone complete with impressive vocal flows, strong falsetto ranges, and powerful rap verses, leaving a lasting impression on the listener. On the other hand, the beat switches between downtempo and medium-tempo beats while the song ends abruptly with a Hip-Hop and Rap section, leaving us Friendz (TRENDZ’s fandom) wanting to hear more and wanting to remain in the group’s “Nightmare” forever.
Photo Cr: Global H Media
Following “Nightmare” is the album’s Pop-Punk title track, “NEW DAYZ,” a song whose storyline takes place towards the end of TRENDZ’s nightmare ordeal—seeing the boys wake up and attempt to escape from the dark and their bad place. The lyrics talk about the struggles of these escapes, with them awaiting better things and believing that life will get better, singing lines such as “this is not the reality that I knew / I have to escape from the danger” and “trapped in a beautiful darkness / waiting for new dayz.” A rhythmic guitar leads the instrumentation as the boy’s strong vocals take over center stage, giving the song a nostalgic yet modern pop-punk feel that is somewhat reminiscent of the medium-tempo pop-punk tracks that many of us would have listened to growing up.
The music video for “NEW DAYZ” pays homage to the coming-of-age movie genre and teen dramas, showing the members relying on each other for support after violent altercations with bullies. The music video captures the concept of youth while also highlighting a theme of friendship, all through the song’s storyline and location settings. It’s a great song to listen to with a music video that is well on its way to becoming TRENDZ’s most-viewed music video on YouTube. There are also some great dance performance scenes intertwined within the story's visuals, showcasing yet another strength of TRENDZ members.
Bringing the single album to a close, the last track of BLUE SET Chapter. [NEW DAYZ] is the enchanting “Fantasy.” This track opens with a magical, fairytale-like melody consisting of harp and Celeste-sounding instruments that are later joined by electronic beats, creating a captivating Pop-R&B track. “Fantasy” continues and brings to an end the story captured in “Nightmare” and “New Dayz,” expressing the inner sounds of a boy who escaped from the ominous place and ultimately decides to save his friends who are still trapped there. The song opens with YECHAN singing, “I have to find you by all means / I hope we can meet…” and later, YOONWOO singing, “A dream sinking endlessly (I’m gonna get you out).” “Fantasy” brings BLUE SET Chapter. [NEW DAYZ] to a peaceful and healing end with the member’s soft and charming vocals.
Photo Cr: Global H Media
Photo Cr: Global H Media
Overall, BLUE SET Chapter. [NEW DAYZ] is an impressively strong single album from a group only at the beginning of their career. Each of these three singles shows immense talent and capability towards TRENDZ securing a great future for themselves within the world of K-Pop. The boys can sing, rap, dance, and act, as seen through the “NEW DAYZ” music video. So, whether you are a Friendz, a casual listener, or completely new to the group, show TRENDZ some love and support by listening to BLUE SET Chapter. [NEW DAYZ] and their other pre-existing tracks today!
Photo Cr: Global H Media