Kpop group VIXX, or Visual Value in Excelsis, is known for its six talented members N, Ken, Leo, Ravi, Hongbin and Hyuk. The band has brought together extravagant concepts ranging from colorful to dark into their new concept album Chained Up.  This new release takes a turn from their comeback album Love Equation of eight months ago, which had a more easygoing feel.

In this album the group’s promotional concept is sexy and charismatic, with songs that fully express that theme through their lyrics. The music varies from pop to R&B pop, and VIXX’s album has a cluster of beat-ridden pop songs like Chained Up, Maze and Spider, all of which get listeners jamming.  As well as acoustic and simple slow songs like “Stop it Girl, Hot Enough,” “지금 우린 (jigeum urin) Us now “and “부시시 (busisi) Out of Sorts,” the songs focus on the vocals of the group.

The group’s style has stayed relatively the same, with songs that have a memorable hook that anyone can sing to. They also have an electric pop melody, accompanied by strong beats throughout the songs.

Compared to the current mainstream American trend of music, Kpop can sound a little behind the times when it comes to melodies. They may not sound as cutting edge, but they are danceable and catchy.

This isn’t an album for people who don’t want to listen to music that’s not in their native language. The songs are in Korean and have little splashes of English thrown in for the hook of the songs. This won’t be your cup of tea if you are looking for a song sung only in English.

Overall, the album is a great start to their comeback promotions. The album is fresh and is definitely something worth giving a try for listeners who want to go outside the American pop box.