We review a lot of music around here and we do so through two formats: formal reviews and annotated listening features. First, here is a breakdown of how we reach our final scores on album reviews, which includes the meaning behind each point, our method of conversion from points to a score “out of 10”, and what each final score means in respect to each album we review.
· Points Scale: Each song on an album* (정규/Full Album or EP) receives a point out of the following
- 0 – could do without
0.5 – mediocre/filler
0.75 – pretty good/grew on me
1 – liked immediately
· Points to stars conversion: [(Total Points/Number of Tracks) x 10] + 0.5**
· Final Album Scores
- 10 superior, and as near to perfection as the song/album can be
8.0 + excellent, with minimal flaws
6.0 + good, with more noteworthy highs than lows
4.0 + average at best
2.0 + mediocre, but with some saving graces
0.0 + poor, with minimal redeeming qualities
*Each song on an album receives a point except for instrumentals unless the album is an intended instrumental release. Only those songs that have received a point will be added to the “Total Points”.
**there is a 0.5 bonus for every album. The logic is that, if every song were “pretty good”, it’s an 8-star album.
Point distribution will be shared in the comments section of each review (e.g., Review: ‘Limitless’ by NCT 127).
An Annotated Listening
This is a track-by-track review of an album that will often include commentary on certain sections in a song. This format is, for the most part, informally written and doesn’t implement a scoring system (e.g., ‘Hey Mama!’ by EXO-CBX).
- “+” and “–”: in order to gauge our overall satisfaction with a song relative to the collection as we listen to the album, we’ve thrown these symbols in. I think you can relate to the highs and the lows you feel when you listen to music, especially to an album, and this is one way for us to translate that without stamping a seal of approval with a numeric value. By all means, plus or minus these songs according to your response, as well. Nothing is set in stone here.
Sometimes, we’ll write formal reviews of an album, but if there’s ever something more we want to talk about, we’ll most likely word-vomit that in the form of an annotated listening.
Is This How You Pop? 