6. 잠은 안오고 배는 고프고 (Sleepless Night) (inst) [Not Reviewed]
Let's talk about an underrated group.
1. a.m 3:00: Interesting intro. I like when k-pop incorporates at least some classical sounds. I'm not sure why the whole thing is basically repeated twice (though slightly differently), but there's nothing wrong with it stylistically. I actually kind of like it--I don't know why. It's only a minute long, I usually don't have opinions on minute long songs, to be honest. 8.5
2. 잠은 안오고 배는 고프고 (Sleepless Night) [TITLE]: I've got to say, the Korean title (It literally translates to "I can't sleep and I'm hungry") seems more than a little odd to me. But to be honest, there have been worse titles, and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of bad titles. The first time I heard this song, I found it sort of unremarkable. Considering Nine Muses last comeback with "Hurt Locker," and the fact that Brave Brothers have done songs like AOA's "Like a Cat" and "Heart Attack," I expected better from them (though they also do songs for Hello Venus, whose last song, "I'm Ill," was catchy, but extremely flawed, so perhaps it's hit or miss with this guy. This song is fine. There's no real climax (though the rapping was a highlight, for sure), and the bridge isn't overly remarkable either, but I can't pick on anything, so there's that. 8.3
3. 몰래 (Secret): This is more what I expected as the title song. A little more upbeat, with more dynamics in the music. I feel like this song also feels more comfortable for this group. I'm not sure why, but their voices sort of feel more lively. And again, the rapping is amazing. And the singing layered on the rapping? LOVE it. I prefer this song so much more than "Sleepless Night," and I don't know why they didn't have this as the title song, but I'm not the CEO of their company, so I suppose my opinion doesn't really matter in the long run. I do know that for a relatively long-standing group, Nine Muses are still sort of unknown, and if I had made the decision, I would have suggested going with "Secret" over "Sleepless Night" as a title song. 9.2
4. 쿵치딱치 (Koong Chit Dak Chit): The rest of this mini-album is so much more interesting than the title song. That can't be good for their current promotions. This song also has a strange title, but it shows the girls off a lot more than "Sleepless Night." The sound's sort of cute as well, which wasn't what I was expecting. I don't think it would have been the best choice as a title song, but considering that the vocals throughout are relatively powerful, and it has dynamics, it probably would keep people's attention for a lot longer than "Sleepless Night." 8.6
5. To. Mine: For those that don't know, "Mine" is the name of Nine Muses' fanclub. Dedicated songs are always hit or miss for me. On one hand, I get it, you want to show your love and appreciation to your fans, but often times, things get too sentimental for a non-fan. However, this one is cute. I like the seasonal thing, particularly since Christmas is more of a couple's holiday in Korea--it feels as though the group is confessing to their fans, and it may be cheesy, but I'm a sucker for cheese.The song is fine--it isn't the strongest on this mini-album, but it feels like the most meaningful. 8.1
Overall: Why is the title song one of the weakest on this album? That makes no sense to me. Even with a famous producer, it shouldn't have been the title, and honestly, said famous producer should have done better. Though, that seems to be the theme of Nine Muses' career: they release a steady stream of quality things, but something just isn't clicking with the public yet, unfortunately.
I already have a nickname for one of these guys and I don't know which one it is.
1. 지못미(APOLOGY): What do these boys have to do to make their voices sound so gravelly? I know some of the most successful rappers in YG have very distinct, gravelly voices (GD and TOP, I'm looking at you), but surely YG can't cater only to gravelly voices. Some of them sound painful. Like I'd fully expect them to be coughing up blood after recording his parts, and I'm worried for him. Even if it's his natural voice....it just sounds painful. Also, who's the rapper that made a relatively calm, sad song sound like he was threatening someone (Did some research--is it Bobby?)? Hush, young one; I know you're angry, but calm thyself a little. All that about their voices, I can finally get to their song. It's fine. It reminds me of a Big Bang song from more than a couple of years ago now, which to be fair, was a popular song. But I want this new group to show me NEW things. Don't remind me of another group; make me remember you as a distinct being. Honestly, I can't believe this is a title song. For a new group, this was quite a risk, but I guess with a large company and much hype behind and around them, they can afford to take these risks. It's an adequate song, and I know many people that love it; I can see why. My problem lies in musicality: it just doesn't sound as good as it could. And that's unfortunate. Side note: on repeat, I can't tell when it begins and ends. 7.2
2. 이리오너라 (B.I & BOBBY): Okay, so Boy With the Voice I'm Worrying About (from here on out, I will call him Boy With Voice or BWV) is in this song, so it's probably Bobby. Does anyone else get a Block B "Nanlina" vibe from this? Just take away some catchiness (please notice I said some, because I did catch myself nodding along to the beat) and some of the heavy bass (and the singing), and you've got this song. I know this is supposed to be an "ANTHEM," but I'll take Block B's. It's an anthem, and I'm sure fans will swear by this song, and that's fine, but as a third party, I'd rather listen to a different anthem--one that doesn't make me want to run into their recording studio with throat lozenges. I just want them to be okay. Are they okay? Are they healthy? 6.9
3. WELCOME BACK: Why wasn't this song first? I spent a good half hour worrying that all the members of iKON needed throat surgery. Apparently they were playing with the rough voices, so I've stopped worrying a little. Except for BWV, who I'm going to worry about forever. That being said, I still don't feel like I've heard a song that makes me think they're any more than a couple of boys playing around. Is that part of their image? To not seem like they're taking this seriously? Because even though I can now say I hear the talent of the singers, it doesn't seem like there's a united sound at all. It's chaos--but maybe that's the point? I feel like I don't know what to do with this song. On one hand, I finally hear voices that don't make me worry, but at the same time, it just isn't as good musically as it could be, and I used to expect musically good things from YG. I'm not so sure anymore. 6.7 4. 리듬 타 (RHYTHM TA): Okay the instrumental in this is great. Is there an instrumental version for this song? Because I want it a lot. Also, I can finally say this is more what I was expecting as the title song. By this point, you know how I feel about the voices, but this is the song I would have chosen as the title song. It's catchy, the music is good, and it shows off their color in a way that doesn't divide opinion. The general public (that hears the music played through Hongdae and Sinchon) would be okay hearing this song, including me--I know if I hear this as I go shopping I'll be bobbing my head (because any more and people would stare.) 8.9
5. 취향저격: I think I've heard of this song--they released this earlier, yes? I can see why. This song is much more appealing on a general scale than the others so far. The musicality is solid, and the only voice I hear that could bother people is BWV. However, I feel like this song could be deceiving if this is the first song you've ever heard by them. It doesn't fit with the rest of the album so far, and as the most generally appealing, someone could jump to the conclusion they like this group, buy an album, only to find they don't like the others. To be fair, this song certainly isn't phenomenal by any means. It's just more likeable in general. 7.2
6. 오늘따라: Now this is a song I could get behind. I want the singers in iKON to only ever do songs like this. The rappers can do something else. The singers have this. Though it isn't my favorite song, I feel less on edge and worried listening to this song as I do the others. I'm really glad to hear that the singers can actually sing. I'm sort of getting tired of all the breaks in music--it feels childish, but otherwise, this song doesn't offend too badly. 7.6 7. AIRPLANE: As a general rule, I don't like songs starting with raps (unless it's the album of a rapper, but even then, the rapper has to be really skilled). The rest of the song isn't fantastic either. It's repetitive, and it's not even catchy repetitive. It's the type of repetitive that you recognize as repetitive and then immediately forget the entire song. Even after the first listen, I was tired of it. No one sounds particularly great in this song. It sounds better than others on this album, but it's just so boring. I can't believe there's a music video for this. 6.5
8. 솔직하게 (M.U.P): The final song of this album ("half album," it's called) pretty much sums the whole album up: just when you think it's getting good, it falls prey to itself. This is the best song for the singers on this whole album, but the rapping just ruins it. I want this song without the rapping. Someone make it happen. BWV is starting to make me angry. If it is Bobby, I get that he's really popular and all that because of his stage presence, but stage presence doesn't translate to recording booths. If it isn't Bobby that's BWV, then someone needs some musical help. Ironically, this song literally tells me they're going to "make [me] proud," and the singers do, for sure. BWV does not. The only reason my score for this song is so high is because of the singers. Without BWV, it would have been higher. 8.8
Overall: I'm definitely not convinced of becoming a fan. There are a legion who have been convinced, and that's awesome, but I want more music and less chaos. Also, throat lozenges for everyone in the band at all times. They need that. This album felt sophomoric at best, and though I realize they're rookies, I feel like if they're going to hype this group so much, I have the right to be annoyed at the lack of quality and range presented in this album. What really says a lot about this album is that I now have Block B's "Nanlina" stuck in my head, and all I had to do was think of it. I'll be watching and hoping for better music in the future!
Let's face it, EXID are trendsetters. There is no way to argue that point. It really doesn't matter that they come from a small company or that they don't have the largest Daum fancafe. Everyone pays attention to EXID, whether they intend to or not. I see "Up & Down" performed so often by street performers that I'm kind of glad I wasn't in Korea during the height of the "Up & Down" resurgence. I like the song, but every street dance performance I've seen involves that song--I can't imagine walking through Sinchon a year ago. I love that this comeback aligns itself with the 1 year anniversary of the return of "Up & Down."
As trend setters, EXID are under a lot of pressure to deliver now, and their first comeback after their explosion in popularity was designed to please those that wanted a sequel to "Up & Down," but had they did that again with this comeback, they'd be in danger of losing their relevance. "Up & Down" made them popular, but people get bored if they hear the same song over and over again.
"Hot Pink" is not only a song meant to reacquaint the public with EXID's sound, but it also serves as a rebalancing. Because their sudden surge in popularity was mostly due to a single member, the first comeback after was a little lopsided in parts to her. "Hot Pink," however, evens things back out a little, which in my opinion, is a good thing. there are some other groups that got really popular very quickly due to a single member that still haven't figured out that spreading the love is a good strategy.
In my opinion, "Hot Pink" is an EXID song. If I had been given a demo of this song and asked "which group would do well with this song," one of the first groups to come to mind would be EXID. The song isn't lacking in quality, and it has that EXID "catchy repetition" thing everyone fell for. My only problem stems from the fact that it seems to be going in many directions at once musically, and I'm going to put that down to how many people wrote/produced this song (5 people wrote lyrics, and 4 composed). There is such a thing as too many cooks in a kitchen, and I think this could have been better without so many hands. However, it could have been SO MUCH worse, so at least there's that.
Overall, "Hot Pink" is a good song. Catchy, strong vocally, and in a weird way, kind of cute. It could have been better, sure--but it looks like quality songs like "Up & Down" aren't a fluke for EXID, and I'm betting this song will do well for them.
PS: EXID's earlier songs are really good as well--don't forget them.
B.A.P is back and I'm not crying, I've just got something in my eye, I swear.
1. Take You There: When B.A.P debuted, the introductory songs were typically powerful declarations of control and domination. This song is distinctly different--it sounds like it could have been just another song on the mini-album, and though I like the song, its placement as the first song you hear has me me scratching my head. I had expected powerful, and I got a medium-tempo song, that, all things aside, is a pretty solid song. It just isn't the intro song I had been anticipating for a year and change. I'll take it and cherish it though, because it's been a while I've heard these voices in this way. In addition, even though I expected a typical, B.A.P intro song, I feel like having this song as the first song on the album shows that despite what they've been through in the last year, they've been maturing as a group. I've seen groups come back after long hiatuses picking up as though no time has passed, and that doesn't seem right. These guys are older, more mature than they were a year ago, and stepping away from what would have been expected of them even a year ago in terms of intro songs shows that even though time has passed, they haven't been taking a break from their music. They've grown, and it's good to see.
2. Monologue: Yep, I'm still confused by the order. I understand that having this track first would be really strange--no one wants to start an album with a monologue. Nobody even wants to start a lecture with a monologue, and lectures are typically monologues. I'd say the only reason I'm confused about the order is why they chose "Take You There" to start the album over any of the others--perhaps that'll become clear once I get to them, and if you know the answer, please let me know! Now while I'm confused over song order, I'm also not sure how I feel about this monologue. On one hand, I feel like it would be really weird if they didn't address the fact that they were facing problems for the time that they were gone--I mean it's not like it was a secret. Some groups have been able to deal with internal issues without publicity (I assume there are some problems whenever an artist takes a while to make a comeback; any non-working artist isn't profitable and profit is the only thing companies care about in the end), but B.A.P had a pretty public blowing out, and it needs to be acknowledged. However, I typically don't like monologues, and I think it would have been okay had this "song" not been included. I would not expect a lot of other artists to include something like this beyond "A-yo we're back!" or something, but as I said earlier, B.A.P has matured and they're telling people that (literally). And I will say the latter half of the90 seconds makes me excited for the title song....
3. Young, Wild & Free: I'm going to have to apologize: I promise the score I give them for this song is not based on my emotional reaction, but I'm going to have to admit to the fact that I cried watching the music video. Not ugly tears, it was just seeing the symbolism all throughout it that got to me. It's blatant and it's everywhere, and I love it. I got emotional. Now for the music! First of all, I realize that this song is very B.A.P, if that makes sense. They've always loved songs about freedom and breaking away and all of that, and while this one means so much more, I'm going to have to consider the fact that this is a common theme for them. It works for them, but still; they can (and have had) singles about other things. They won't lose too many points because one thing all these songs with similar themes is show just how much they've matured (yet again)--Jongup has come into his own, Youngjae and Daehyun have balanced out, Zelo has grown up (in all the ways), and Himchan and Yongguk have matured as leaders, and you can hear it. I particularly enjoy Jongup's growth, because I feel like he tended to be forgotten about by some. The song does show the growth of the group, and the meaning behind it is immense, however, it could be better. It sounds a little too similar to their previous releases for my taste. I'll probably listen to it for a while though, if we're being honest. Watch the music video here!
4. Be Happy: Sounds like someone's been listening to "Uptown Funk" a lot, Bang Yongguk. Don't get me wrong, this song is good, but if anyone can't hear the obvious "Uptown Funk" influence (note: I'm talking influence, not plagiarism. Since this year the Korean music seems to have problems seeing that line), I'm not sure where they've been for a year (almost exactly, actually). The guys all sound good, and I'm glad they have a happy song on this mini-album, but all my brain keeps doing is repeating "You've heard this a million times before." Also, the lyrics read more like an interlude that's been stretched a little too long. Had this only been a minute long or so, I feel like I wouldn't be as put on guard by this song. Good song, just very familiar.
5. Blind: I like this sound on B.A.P. It plays with the rock vocals both Daehyun and Youngjae are good at, but it's still hard enough that the rougher voices, all the way to the distinctive, beautifully sandpapery rapping of Yongguk, can be appreciated. I hope we end up hearing more like this from B.A.P--I like the idea of them alternating between rap/hip-hop and rock for their career. Just before they went on their sort-of hiatus, it sort of seemed that they were headed that way with releases like "1004," but they were unfortunately interrupted. That being said, I feel like this song isn't something from 6 months ago. It's like I accidentally skipped a year of B.A.P releases, instead of them just not being around, if that makes sense. To make it clearer, what I'm trying to say is that it doesn't feel like the group was put on pause; they didn't stop being B.A.P during their break, they just didn't let us hear the music they were coming up with. That's what it feels like. And I feel like that's one of the messages they're trying to tell us with this album: despite not being in the public eye, they were never NOT B.A.P.
Overall: A good mini-album. Emotions aside, it could certainly be better. But the message is clear: B.A.P is back.
