(MINI-ALBUM REVIEW) AOA - Heart Attack

[TITLE] 심쿵해 (Heart Attack): Following up their hit single "Like a Cat," AOA has come back with a song that's a little cuter, though still AOA-style sexy. This song was obviously made to be a single, and it has a distinct summer feel that is certainly appropriate for this time of year. I don't know if they usually do this, but I love the voice layering in this song. I can't really tell if it's one member's voice being layered over itself numerous times though, which is a bit unfortunate. I love hearing distinct voices come together. The song is good, and it'll probably do well on the charts. I can't say it'll win any awards, since AOA is coming back when a lot of more powerful groups are having comebacks soon, but I'll be paying attention to this song, as I suspect it'll be played a lot at pools and amusement parks in Korea this summer. The music video fits the song, and the only problem I have with it is that lacrosse is a violent sport and I REALLY think they should be wearing pads (I mean the other team is! Why should they get concussions?) Watch the music video here:



Luv Me: Another cute song, though it certainly isn't strong enough to be the first title song. There really isn't anything missing per se, it just doesn't feel like it's a strong song. It seems like it could be quite catchy, and it's certainly a good girl group song, but I feel like it could have been better. I keep waiting for the climax of the song, but it never really hits that peak. I feel like fans will like seeing this performed though; it sounds fun, even if it's a bit too repetitive. Also, the rapping isn't awkward, which is pretty obviously one of my pet peeves.

들어와 (Come To Me): Sexiness makes its comeback to AOA with this song. They do sexy concepts very well, and this song leaves me wondering what the dance will be like. Some of the catchiest parts of AOA's songs are their dance moves, and this song probably will have some good ones. In this song, I do hear distinct overlying of voices, which is awesome, and makes me wish they had done it on previous songs. Something that I've noticed in the first three songs is the repetition or sometimes scatting of certain words. Is that a usual AOA thing? I wish they'd sing as a group more often.



한 개 (One Thing): I feel like this is a band song. I realize that AOA is a group that is intended to be both idols and band musicians (though the band, AOA Black, hasn't promoted in a while from my understanding). I feel like this song could have been--or maybe is--an AOA Black song. It's a shame they put it here instead of having an AOA Black comeback with it (And with Youkyung), but I'm not their management. And who knows, maybe they will have an AOA Black comeback with this song later. It would be pretty great even as a single for them. And get poor Youkyung out of the shadows.

진짜 (Really Really): Oh, narration, how you vex me so. No song can pull off narration. None. It really sets the wrong mood for the rest of the song, and in this case, considering it's a ballad song by a group whose strong points (for now) lie in their fast-paced releases, it just makes things worse than they are. The song itself isn't particularly strong, as most of the group just repeat the same few lines over and over while the stronger singers (and rapper) take the substantial parts. The song is not crappy, and I'm sure some of you love it, and that is awesome, but it's still pretty weak. Even after one listen.

Chocolate: There was a male line at the very beginning of this song that I SWEAR was used in a Hello Venus song, which threw me off for more than a split second. Nevertheless, I recovered and moved on. This song is an interesting way to end the mini album, as I really feel like it isn't sure if it knows what it wants to be. Is it sexy? Is it sweet? Is it a ballad? Is it mid-tempo? Is it a collaboration? Is it made up of all their old songs? It left me with a lot of questions, and it finished before I had any answers, even though it's over three minutes long. Who is that guy saying "chocolate" throughout? WHO ARE YOU?


Overall: The first part of the album is strong, and I think, very distinctly AOA. The quality slides as the mini album continues however, which could become a problem if AOA have to put out new music for every comeback because the other songs on their albums aren't as strong. It's a lot of work to have a comeback, particularly if you have to have new stuff every single time. I bet the title track will do well for them, but the rest of the album will probably fall short in the charts quickly. Hopefully next time we'll see AOA (maybe AOA Black?) back with not only a strong title song, but strong follow up album songs as well!