One of these days, I will review a studio album and it will be glorious. However today is not that day. Instead we'll check in with Mamamoo because they're a group I love and also at the top of the girl group ladder. I'm going through their "Yellow Flower" EP for the first time, jotting down my thoughts on the songs as they go by. Since I'm beginning and planning to publish this on Friday, I'll probably have three listens at most for each track. This is about as pure and unfiltered of a review as I've ever done. Let's go.
2. Star Wind Flower Sun
Ignoring the intro "track" which lasts a whole 24 seconds, "Star Wind Flower Sun" leads off the EP. Given the current weather in New England, it's appropriate because it's a relaxing ballad. Besides the fact that it's mid-March and spring is theoretically around the corner. Anyway it's a pretty simple ballad but Moonbyul singing with her alto tones at 1:22 caught me so off guard. Her section of the song is by far my favorite. The song reminds me of EXID's ballad "Like The Seasons" mainly due to their Korean titles being four words. Obviously this is much slower and more flashy from a vocalist standpoint but still. We're starting off wonderfully.
It's been a long time since I reviewed an album. Or rather, a mini album / EP because the previous three installments (Taeyeon, IU, 9MUSES) have all been mini albums haha. Anyway those classification and syntax things aside, let's take a brief look at Wonder Girls' return with the "Why So Lonely" EP. Their comeback last year with a new lineup and band concept was well-received and their legend continues to grow.
1. Why So Lonely
"Why So Lonely" is a wonderful thing. Retro swag and reggae swag combined into one masterpiece. These vocals are fun but sultry at the same time, and that includes Yubin. Wait what. Holy shit! Yubin got to sing?! My hype and appreciation for this can't be expressed enough. I'm hoping that this will magically pioneer a shift where rappers get at least some singing lines. Moonbyul, Bora, Woori, etc. Anyway Sunmi and Yeeun continue to deliver and the more you look, the more valuable 1-2 vocal punches seem to be really damn good. The entire song is full of reggae feel, so I know a certain Running Man cast member is probably really happy about this one.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! As I prepare to stuff myself silly with classic Vietnamese food, I'm definitely lacking in the review category this month but let's try and get back into shape. Speaking of getting back into shape, 9MUSES is also attempting to return to form. While 2015 may not have been as crazy of a year in terms of releases as 2013, the group of muses are trying their best to become a staple girl group. Having dropped "Drama" and "Hurt Locker" earlier in the year, 9MUSES comes back with a brief mini album in "Lost."
1. a.m. 3:00
The awkwardly titled "a.m. 3:00" is merely an intro track, a prelude to the rest of the EP. With that said there isn't much to talk about. This minute of audio has little-to-no vocals but does set the mood for the type of music the remaining songs would bring, so there's that I guess.
2. Sleepless Night
"Sleepless Night" is the title track and the Korean title embodies the everyday struggle of "can't sleep and am hungry," something I know all too well. Anyway, let's get the mediocre aspects out of the way first. The instrumental isn't very helpful to this song. It's not necessarily loud by itself, but compared to the soft feminine voices of 9MUSES it has a tendency to drown our their vocals which is a shame. I wish they had used more piano like during the bridge and ending, that would have made the instrumental more quiet and given the girls a chance to be heard better. As for the MV, they showed so little of both the dancing and lipsyncing that I feel they should've just done without either and focused on the plot. Some of the lipsyncing was suspect (like from Sungah and Hyemi), not to mention that there's only like maybe 6 total seconds worth of seen choreography (and what little dance we did see only reminded me of AOA's "Miniskirt" anyway).
Alright now here's what I love about this song. The line distribution in "Sleepless Nights" is stellar, which is an impressive by any standards. Balancing this many members so effortlessly is praiseworthy and needs to be followed by other larger groups. 9MUSES have airy voices which were utilized very well here. Hyuna and Hyemi in particular really impressed. The former did a good job blending in with Keumjo and the latter had beautifully clean high notes during the choruses. Erin also doesn't disappoint with a rap performance I wish we got to see in "Hurt Locker." Unlike the last major release, Erin's rap is at the same pace with the rest of the song, not to mention that I think this is the only time I've ever heard her rap-sing? All I know is, the whole song sounds good and contrary to the title, could definitely lull me to sleep if not for the overly loud instrumental.]
Lastly, a few quips on the MV. I'm sure we were all flattered with the eye candy because 9MUSES are still gorgeous, but did they really have to show Sungah throwing up into the toilet? Obviously that was just acting but c'mon, nobody wants to see that. Erin using a rotary phone also gave me a few chuckles. And Keumjo finally seems to be blending in, she's never looked better in "Sleepless Nights." Sojin also went (back to) black and the long hair gives her the extra wow factor. It's worth mentioning that Erin and Sungah as blondes definitely work better than Keumjo and Sojin, though that's primarily due to the fact that their hairstyling in "Hurt Locker" wasn't optimal.
3. Secret
"Secret" is my favorite track by far. It's a dance track that is subtle with the energy, matching the track before it. Also like "Sleepless Night," 9MUSES do a good job balanced line distribution which works even more effectively with the quick transitions throughout the song. Every member uses their breathy voice exquisitely, projecting sultriness and vulnerability. There's a heavy amount of repetition but not too excessive. The bridge between Kyungri and Hyuna was odd upon first listen, but is really just setup for Erin's quick rapping burst. Erin delivers a punctual rap (though questionable on the "uh oh" noise levels) that like the bridge, does a good job establishing itself standalone and Hyemi's inclusion helps bring everything together for the final chorus. The extra runs at the end aren't anything special but they get the job done. This is a very pretty track that should have also competed heavily for title track material.
4. Koong Chit Dak Chit
I couldn't find any English translations, so "Koong Chit Dak Chit" will have to do, as much of a mouthful as it is. It does make me wanna brush back up on my Korean to understand the lyrical content ha. This dance pop track is much more brazen than the others on the mini so in that regard it's a little like the awkward child of "Lost," but it's a commendable effort nonetheless. I randomly have casino thoughts when I listen to this song for whatever reason. "Koong Chit Dak Chit" relies heavily on Erin's various one-liners which sound a little weird. It's not the numerous English words (because to her credit Erin has good English, at least here), or her voice. Perhaps it's simply that the transitions are erratic between the singing and rapping.
5. To. Mine
The title and content of "To. Mine" has Christmas all over it haha. It's a slow soothing ballad that once again spreads the love around to all the members. I love how much they've used Hyuna lately. Back when they had released "Drama" I feared that with Keumjo labeled as a main vocalist Hyuna would fade from the spotlight (also that Hyuna's voice was really good for a song like "Drama" and criminally underutilized). Thankfully Hyuna is all over this mini album and her velvety voice is music to my ears. Erin is also not left out, getting a soft rap that shows her ability to hold back when it's appropriate. Those high notes are gorgeous and overall is something you can fall asleep to. "To. Mine" is absolutely going to be a song that you listen to on a cold winter day as the snow falls. After all, winter and Christmas are knocking on the door.
As November draws to a close, 9MUSES yet again make their mark with another release. "Lost" is effortlessly good in execution and the double threat of "Sleepless Night" and "Secret" are yet more additions to their best works. With fewer groups being active around this time I'm hoping for some breakout success because this group truly deserves it with their work ethic, music, and charm. "Lost" is easily a highlight in the 2nd half of 2015.
Another solo artist returns, this time it's the lovely IU, fresh(?) off of news about her relationship with Jang Kiha. Moving on, "Chat-Shire" seemed to tease a fairytale world / concept, so let's see how she executed by taking a look at the mini album. Brief note about the links, I'll obviously have them available when I first publish the review(s), but if in the future they get taken down I'll just have to either not include them, or have like the lyric versions of the videos or something. Hopefully the sources / accounts won't get banned too too quickly.
1. New Shoes
"Chat-Shire" starts off with the inviting "New Shoes." Everything about this track screams chill (perhaps not screaming, ha). It's a perfect match for the season as the weather turns colder. Upon my first listen I thought there was more English sprinkled in the lyrics but thankfully I was just mishearing things. IU alternates back and forth between the charismatic verses and clean runs in the chorus. I'm still not a fan of layered vocals in the background but when you're a soloist you need that to help out. "New Shoes" has arguably the strongest bridge in the album, with the fake key changes and how comfortably she takes on some of those long notes. It's a shame the bridge couldn't be longer. This song sets the stage to style of the album, and does a damn good job.
Today I'm gonna try something different, something new. Let's try to talk about an album. And what better album to discuss than Taeyeon's very own solo debut mini. It'll probably be a quick rough jumble of words as I try this out but we'll see how this goes. This is a solo debut that has been sought after for at least 4 years now. Taeyeon is Girls' Generation's prized vocalist so suffice to say, the expectations for this debut were high. Upon release, "I" delivered. Containing 5 songs, the album has already been doing extremely well on the charts, but more time is needed to see if Taeyeon has the staying power to keep dominating October.
1. I (feat. Verbal Jint)
The title track "I" brings us lively vocals along with an equally lively instrumental. Right at the beginning, Taeyeon stuns with a lovely run of "sky" which will show up plenty more times in the chorus. Just as quickly, we're whisked away to Verbal Jint's feature on the track. This established veteran drops a quick rap that packs a bit of punch in terms of narrative. Also helping the track along is an active instrumental. There's about 12 seconds of break before the bridge, which is mainly for the purposes of the music video but you get to hear more of the instrumental during that window. The final chorus is where Taeyeon truly shines, mixing high notes and adlibs, with background vocals before ending the song on a clean low note.
