July 22, 2025 — Weekly Bullet Reviews
This week’s weekly reviews are pretty pop-heavy — probably because we’re fully in the midst of summer now. Who’s down for a good time?
As always, some ground rules:
- These songs are listed in no particular order.
- Basically these blurbs are our rough first impressions of these tracks, so our reviews will be a lot more relaxed!
- Anything released from the past 3 weeks/month is eligible for a bullet review.
- Songs with new, recent music video releases will also be considered for a weekly bullet review.
Justin: “SICK WITH IT” makes an instant impact. MILLI carries bold faced, intense, dark pop like thick makeup. That gargling, drone bass rumbles your teeth. Would love to hear this in a club with all the cocktails rippling from the speakers. “Call the doctor up cause I’m too sick with it!” is so stickyyyy. Bonus: music video bangs.
Li-Wei: “CALL THE DOCTOR UP CAUSE I’M TOO SICK WITH IT”
I’ve known MILLI mostly for their frequent collabs with the members of the 88Rising crew (shoutout to the soft-girl throwback jam “WOWoW! ✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)” from last year), but this is the first time that I’m checking out her solo work. WOWoW is right! “SICK WITH IT” is all swagger, and MILLI’s raspy commands work perfectly with the song’s blaring bass boosts, mouth clicks, and “Disturbia”-inspired smeared images. There’s also a verse that kind of reminds me of Gwen Stefani (“Get it girl / Get it, get it girl”) which feels fun in its own right. I miss when all pop music was this freaky. In another universe this song would’ve been released in 2022 and it would’ve been kind of hilarious? IYKYK.
C: Funnily, I first learned about this song because I follow avantgardey — a troupe of near identical, bob-cut Japanese dancers. The visual identity of the mv parallels the feel of acidgrafix and cybersigilisms that are trending more in media, a wild contrast to the cleanly produced freaky-weird media avantgardey usually stars in. It’s a strong fit for the grungier, bassier space MILLI is exploring in “SICK WITH IT”.
Mya: I like the blaring alarm. It reminds me of the warning screen on the PSP game Ape Escape.
Silica Gel – “南宮FEFERE (ft. Japanese Breakfast)“
Justin: “NamgungFEFERE” is hard to pin down. It’s a multitextured and varied track smashing acoustic, electronic, and ethereal. Seeing Michelle Zauner’s contribution on this track seems random, but still pretty great extending her angelic vocals to the mix. Overall, the track feels BIG and journeying and if you want to just feel something like a bird crashing into you full speed, this will do it for you. Also, if you wanted to empathize with an orange, watch the music video.
Li-Wei: It’s stuff like “NamgungFERERE” that increasingly makes the case that some of the coolest music is coming out of the Korean indie music scene. Even without the gorgeous Japanese Breakfast feature, this song expands the idea of what you can put into a song, bundling psychedelia, alt-rock, and vibrant synths into one chaotic, larger than life package. If you’re a fan of Meaningful Stone, SE SO NEON, or even 2001: A Space Odyssey, you’ll find something to like here.
C: I LOVE SILICA GEL. Ahem, “南宮FEFERE” is emphatic in its weirdness. Choral chants of “Microtribes awaken now / Microtribes rise and awaken” accompany imagery of dung beetles and oranges. What more could you ask for? Silica Gel has always had an interesting Y2K analogue electronic twist to their rock and it definitely takes the forefront here. The bridges between sections, especially in this song, are so well done. Japanese Breakfast’s contributions bring a soft ethereal touch to Silica Gel’s juvenile earnestness.
Mya: I love Japanese Breakfast’s familiar, dreamy spaciness. Silica Gel’s bossa nova inflection is a welcome surprise. The chorus towards the end is interesting. It’s like they’re singing across the gymnasium from you, entirely unreachable.
Justin: My fave UMI is back with the decadent, romantic “10AM.” The way that UMI exalts “I love you” gives me goosebumps. The instruments feel like they are lurking right underneath the water making my head feel like it’s bobbing right above the waves. Ugh, it makes me feel all gooey, I really almost cried. Okay, also that song tease at the end of the music video? What is that? I HAVE TO KNOW. My track of the week.
Li-Wei: At this point UMI can sing almost anything and it’ll turn into a gushingly gorgeous love song. No complaints here. Also, the music video is so cute that it made me tear up a little… thanks a lot!
C: “10AM” is sweet and content as UMI’s honeyed vocals drift across the track. The song almost seems unrequited with how emphatically it expresses UMI’s love for another with no response; I almost wish that it featured another artist as a duet. The space “10AM” takes up is thick, expansive, and warm. UMI’s vision of a tiny universe between two people full of love seems thoroughly fulfilled.
Mya: A tenderhearted and melancholy song. “If you are the lover, I am the rock / You are the tether if gravity ever stops / Over the ocean, drifting away.” The morning’s clarity, before the afternoon’s scorching sun. “10AM” ends abruptly and uneasily.
Justin: Baobei gives us a breathy warehouse beat for introverts on “Shy”. Though it definitely is made for a converted warehouse boiler room situation, listen to it with headphones. The alternating “shy” feels pretty nice on the ears. Not totally my thing, but fun nonetheless.
Li-Wei: All of the songs off of Baobei’s recently released 886 EP are perfect for the club – metallic, aggressive beats twist and turn as Baobei’s whispery vocals guide you through your night. “Shy” is perhaps the most self-contained standalone song of the bunch, featuring a rumbling bass that could cause a small earthquake in the right setting, some squelching noise effects that make you feel like you’re in a Terminator movie, and the singer herself proclaiming her shyness via a bold dance track that implies anything but. DJs take note! This one’s one to add to your midnight party sets. Also, shoutout to the Windows Media Player animation-reminiscent visuals – that’s some good stuff.
C: “Shy” took me off guard with how gravely it embraces its electronic elements, Baobei’s melodic singing transitions into trap high hats and inward bass. The barebones approach to instrumentation and vocal production is unique. “Shy” is definitely pre-mixed for the club but I can’t help but feel that its soundscape is maybe too thin and might be better served by more production to match its intensity.
Mya: There’s something off-putting about the shyness here, staccato and out of joint. Which I like, to be clear. I think shyness is off-putting. It’s not tender; it’s shattering. It’s an uneven gap between you and everyone else, like rotting wood that gives way at the lightest touch. “Be careful with me, I’m shy.”
Jackson Wang – “Made Me A Man”
Justin: Jackson Wang switches gears to an acoustic driven confessional on “Made Me A Man.” Wang in this track is more tender, restrained, and vulnerable than I’m used to. Clearly, he is speaking from a place of some level of transformation, and with this sound I’m very interested to hear what’s coming up from Jackson Wang. I recommend giving this track a try. Surprise of the week.
Li-Wei: I usually choose the songs on the weekly reviews based on what’s up and coming without having listened to it. So when I sat down to listen to “Made Me A Man” by former GOT7 member Jackson Wang (without having listened to any of the other tracks on the album), it completely threw me off-guard. As his new album MAGIC MAN 2’s closer, this one is downtrodden and a bit more sullen than I thought would come from a Kpop superstar. The acoustic guitar lends itself nicely to this period of self-reflection after the party has ended, and he sheds some of the theatrics for sincerity. It’s a funny end to an album that otherwise has some solid bangers and a song that has the line “Life is great / Just gotta be a dick sometimes!”
C: I confess I’m not the biggest fan of Jackson Wang’s work but I find his songs broadly enjoyable, if not something I’d repeat more than a few times. “Made Me a Man” is still presented with the usual Jackson Wang theatricality but in content, it’s somewhat bland. The track is meant to be more tender than his usual output, but without the usual high sonic production I’m not sure it really conveys anything special. Wang’s presentation is often what I come to his music for, there’s no doubt that he’s writing about very heartfelt subject matter but I’m not sure if “Made Me a Man” truly provides a sense of place for his feelings.
Mya: “Made Me a Man” is a catchy song — an old-fashioned, mid-2010s kind of catchiness. It’s familiar. Attractive to my ear. I hear the mantras of men who describe their girlfriends, brides, and exes this way. “You made me a man.” It’s sweet. Too sweet. It fills me with dread.
Justin: Everyone and their great great grandparents know about BLACKPINK by now. So add in some generous Eurodance synth and you have the newest hit “JUMP.” I really like this track and will get down to it no problem if I hear it in the wild. Music video is hilarious hahahaha.
Li-Wei: Wow, have I missed hearing the “BLACKPINK in your area” calling card.
I get that all four members of BLACKPINK have found varying degrees of success as solo artists over the past few years, but hearing them back together on “JUMP” makes me feel something holy. A high-BPM banger that invites you to act like the body-horror crazed fans in the music video (seriously, give it a watch), “JUMP” is tailor-made for your summer hip-hop classes, EDM raves, and headbanging until you get whiplash. It reminds me a bit of Ciara’s high energy “Level Up,” which also fits that same category of explosive tracks that will eventually make its way to your hypebeast gym playlist. I’ll take this over any of the ballads any day (looking at you, Rosé).
C: “JUMP” is so fun! The thumping beat and bitcrushed horns bring a wide smile to my face. The song’s fast pace and Euro influence catch a lot of love from me. While I usually can find something I dislike in most mainstream K-pop, “Jump” is a rare track with which I have near no objections.
Mya: I like the bubblegum brass. I love the fast pace di-di-di of, “Bet you get it now, ate that didn’t I?” The song doesn’t overstay its welcome. Which I’m glad for, cuz the beats and the whistled tune are ear splitting — not a complaint!
Run River North – “Worth The Wait”
Justin: Very happy to hear a new Run River North. “Worth the Wait” is a tight, ninety second affirmation on chances taken. Alex Hwang’s slight tremble in his vocals is welcome and warming on a track that sparkles like stars then leaves.
Li-Wei: It’s been a long while since we last heard from Run River North (in my mind they’re one of the first Asian American indie bands that I listened to back in the day), so their surprise release of Perfect really turned some heads. “Worth The Wait,” the first song on that project, is barely a full-length song – at 1:30, it’s almost more of a voice note than it is a track. But within those stripped-back 90 seconds, that minimalism lets the stillness fill the space. Halfway in, it builds up to a fuller, all-enveloping sound that feels warm yet forlorn. Worth the wait? Definitely.
C: I’m surprised this was released as a single. “Worth the Wait”’s short runtime, more akin to an interlude, is a lot of emotion and meaning in a small package. The soft production and acoustic instrumentation come and go faster than you can think it would ever overstay its welcome. The lyrics remind me of a poem scrawled in a friend’s notebook and I welcome it warmly.
Mya: Oh no, I love a short, sad song. “Worth the Wait” makes me very sad. Stay here. Stay here. “Don’t let go.”
Jesse Barrera, EJEAN – “Ambulance”
Justin: “Ambulance” is a funky lil romance-stricken duet between Jesse Barrera and EJEAN. I like the sound, production, and attitude on the track. I do not like the lyrics or understand the Ambulance theme other than that “wee ooh wee ooh” sound.
Li-Wei: I don’t think anyone can sell that wee-woo-wee-woo ambulance siren sound better than Barrera and EJEAN can. This cutesy pop song is adorable and built off of a cheesy chorus, but it’s silly and works for what it is.
C: To be honest, I was distracted by Jesse Barrera’s mullet hairdo the whole video. The video’s direction is very fun in my opinion, the cheeky use of flashing red light emojis in the subtitles as the song makes siren noises made me crack up. “Ambulance” is a funky fun track with an exceptionally catchy hook and a funny gimmick.
Mya: The operant fantasy of the week is calling an ambulance when you’re sick. HA… I like the rhythm of this song; it enlivens an otherwise basic frame. I laughed at “I think that we got something good / We got something good / Maybe too good”. That’s good comedic timing.
Justin: Tiger La Flor delivers a cute, nostalgic Americana twanged tune on “Motel 6”. Feels like I could hear it in Vegas or on a roadtrip to Nashville. Impeccable aura. For fans of Lana Del Rey for sureeee.
Li-Wei: There’s a strong sullen Americana à la Lana Del Rey influence in Tiger La Flor’s brand of pop, which mixes a very California vibe with beachy vintage rock. “Motel 6” is made for cruising down the highway with the car top down. The vibes are immaculate.
C: Just as Eric Satie describes his musique d’ameublement, I think of a few tracks that fit into a genre of ‘traveling music’. Bathed in nostalgic Americana and lyrics of transition, “Motel 6” sticks in my mind as something that I’d gladly listen to while traveling as I look out the window and my mind wanders. “Motel 6” also hosts a surprisingly present bass with a simple and fun bassline I’d love to play.
Mya: I love a story told over a long drive down California. “Motel 6” has the lyricism of any good country song. It’s nothing fancy; it’s solid. I like it. “In Southern California running from rain” is a damn good line.
Dyan Tai – “Broke Popstar (ft. BVT, Jamaica Moana)”
Justin: Makes me think about my love for money and cars. “Broke Popstar” is a glitzy, maximal dance track. I can already see the visuals, the aesthetics, the club where this will play in. The song for the fellow poors with expensive taste. Use this song to channel your financial fantasies. Can’t wait to hear more from Dyan Tai. Favorite lyric: “You owe me 600 pesos, or my aunties and uncles, beat you with the zapatos.”
Li-Wei: What would a track from the self-proclaimed “Gaysian Empress of Sydney” sound like? Dyan Tai is here to claim that crown, and they’re really making a good case for that title on “Broke Popstar.” A hyperpop jam that takes samples from Beijing opera (seriously), “Broke Popstar” may very well be the new queer Chinese New Years anthem. I’m gonna be saying “I love money / I love cars” to my relatives on Chinese New Year from now on. With assists from Jamaica Moana and BVT, this one won’t be leaving your mind anytime soon.
C: I liked this track so much more than I thought. “Broke Popstar” beats you over the head with unusual sounds and constant changes in the soundscape, never content for just one choice of digital instrumentation. The beat at the start reminds me of Pharrell’s beat for “Milkshake” in some roundabout way I can’t put my finger on. One of my highlights this week.
Mya: “Broke Popstar” is an overwhelming, overstimulating song — and I love it. I love Jamaica Moana’s bars. I love the suona, which strings the whole song together like a friendship bracelet pulled taut before it snaps. “I love money / I love cars.” I love this song!
Header photo taken from Silica Gel – “南宮FEFERE.”
Check out our other Weekly Bullet Reviews here.