[This review reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of allkpop.]

Track List:

1. Light

2. Destiny

3. Stop The Clock

4. Dawn

5. Waiting For You

6. Empty House

The active seven-member of UP10TION are back with Light Up, their latest EP. Though the group has undergone some major changes in the lineup at the hands of their company, this comeback marks the group's first promotion in about a year. "Light", the group's latest title track, is a catchy house instrumental paired with some serious vocal exercising that is nice to listen to but doesn't quite have a wow factor in any way. I held this sentiment and felt similarly for much of the rest of the album. 

I wish they lowered the synths on "Destiny" just a little bit because the pang sounds were distracting, but the song is fun, upbeat, and showcases the group's new refurbished charm. "Stop The Clock" was my least favorite song on the release as I just didn't care for the loud EDM breakdowns that seemed to harshly punctuate nice vocals and melodies. Sometimes simple is best.

I liked the last three tracks the most of the entire release. "Dawn" actually was a better song to me than the title! I liked the interesting punctuation of island influence in the instrumental and the overall sound is pretty listenable! Progression was palatable as well, but something about the song felt a bit dated.

"Waiting For You" and "Empty House" both offered a much simpler sound that contrasted harshly from the songs prior. Listening to these two songs was like taking a sip of sprite after drinking a shot of soju. Both these songs made me reminisce about the sound of groups like U-KISS and MBLAQ. 

MV REVIEW

The MV for "Light" is, you guessed it! Lit! Corny jokes aside, UP10TION is nicely styled in their monochromatic colors and contrast nicely against the soft colors of the background. The deliberate connection between the lighting in the video and the song's title and theme are definitely obvious, and well done! The video is simple, as I think it should be to really let "Light" shine. Not a bad comeback after a year without promoting!

SCORE:

MV Relevance…..9

MV Production…..8

MV Concept……..8

MV Score: 8.3

Album Production…...6

Album Concept……....6

Tracklisting…………......5

Album Score: 5.7

Overall: 7.0