(ALBUM REVIEW) Girl's Day - Love

With Me: I don't know if it's the fact that this is the first song on this album or if I really feel this way, but I feel like this is the music that is in Girl's Day wheelhouse. They knock this one out of the park. This seems to be the sound Girl's Day has been looking for, and believe me, I've been listening to them since 2011 and there were five members. Their songs before "Expectation" were lacking, but it was with "Something" that they really hit it good, and for whatever reason, "With Me" reminds me of "Something," but with a less mysterious sound. My only concern with this is that I know that this register is high for them, and performing it will be difficult. Otherwise, I feel like I am finally listening to the Girl's Day that the world has been waiting for. I stopped watching "Winter Soldier" for this, just so you know how serious I am.

링마벨 (Ring My Bell): I'm going to admit, I had to stop listening to this in order to have a dance break. Of all the songs to be released this summer, this one has been only the second that I had to stop and just enjoy (the first being Nine Muses' "Hurt Locker"). The register of this song is perfect for these girls, and each part, though distinct, goes together really well. Even Hyeri's part is in her comfortably small register. I'm also really glad that Yura only had a short rapping part, since, though I love her, she isn't the strongest of rappers. It is a little too short, but I'd take that over it being too long. I know some of you who have read my reviews before are probably wondering why I haven't pointed out that the "Ring My Bell" bit is really repetitive, to which I will say two things: one: You are right, it is, but two: my usual problem with repetitiveness is that it sounds like one member repeating it or that it doesn't sound like something that should be repeated. This is a bit like a chant, so repetitiveness is forgiven a little more than usual. My main complaint with this song is that the bridge is really sudden. Suddenly I'm listening to a ballad, and though the transition out of the bridge is solid, the transition in needs some work. Overall though, this is a title song I can get behind. Check out the music video!



마카롱: I am convinced that this is Girl's Day sound now: Chanting, catchy, retro songs. Not Secret-style retro (seriously, Secret, go back to retro. I miss it), but their own retro style. Some parts of this song are a little awkward--like the music suddenly halting or the verses sounding just a little off kilter, but it's still good, and I bet the different sound is the reason some of you will claim this as your favorite. Own it! The harmonization throughout is solid, and I really like the scatting. I feel like this is a song that needs a music video involving a place like Johnny Rockets as well. And I want a chocolate shake now. I'm going to make cupcakes after this though.

Come Slowly: Ballad time! I've always had problems with Girl's Day ballads, because I've always felt like they were lacking. The first one I truly liked was "I Miss You," which I'll get to talk about later. For me, this is a cross between their ballads before "I Miss You" and "I Miss You" itself. I like it better than some, but it's still not great. Now, this isn't the fault of the girls. The style just isn't my favorite. I can hear their talent, for sure. I just don't think Girl's Day sounds confident in ballads yet. Hopefully they will eventually, and some members (Minah and Sojin) sound great in ballads, but as a group, the four just don't do it for me yet. Also, I can't have been the only one that thought "Come Slowly" was a very suggestive song title before it even began...



Top Girl: We have teleported to the 1980s, I see. What's really interesting to me is the fact that Girl's Day debuted with a "futuristic" song, and it flopped hard, but when they started doing songs that reckoned back a few decades, they found success. Just an interesting tidbit. This song makes me think I'm in a nightclub in the 1980s, and I'm okay with that. As someone who isn't really into the club scene, I know this would be a great song to drive to as well. I hope they do a music video for this or I at least get to see this performed, because it's just a fun song that makes me want to dance a little. Just a little; like I said, I'm not a party person.

Darling: Oh, "Darling." This was the song that cemented Girl's Day in summer track history. I was lucky enough to attend Girl's Day's first concert last year where they unveiled this song, and I remember being sort of concerned about the reaction they would get until the next morning, when the first song I heard on the public radio was "Darling." From then on, I heard it everywhere for the rest of the summer. I feel like this was truly when Girl's Day realized that the retro sound was the way to go for them. Their voices suit it better, and though Sojin and Minah dominate this song, you feel like it's a group effort because they have strong parts of harmonization. "Darling" still isn't my favorite single from Girl's Day, but between the music video and it growing on me, I've come to regard it lovingly. Check out the music video!



휘파람: When this song first came out as a "B track" (does anyone else know what those are or am I really old) to "Something," I had hopes that they would come back with this song as a follow up to the monster hit that "Something" was, but alas, I had no such luck. There's something about this song that just makes you fall in love with it. The whistling throughout, the fact that the girls take turns being each others' back up singers, or the chorus that just screams for a good dance--I don't know, but it's nearly impossible to not get sucked into this song once it starts. If you don't end up bobbing your head to this, I don't know what to tell you.

Look At Me: I suppose I should have mentioned this ballad as one of the few ballads I like from Girl's Day. Whoops. But honestly, in my head, this isn't a ballad so much as it is a karaoke song in the making. It's slow, the lyrics are clear, and the register isn't too difficult to manage. But I suppose technically it is a ballad, and I like it. Yura's bit is pretty awkward, but there are actually some times that I like it, which is something that just doesn't happen usually. My favorite part of this song is Minah's vocalization at the end, because you truly hear not only her talent, but the other girls' as well, since they overlap. It's a karaoke song, but it's a good one.

Something: Ah, the song that finally propelled Girl's Day into the public eye. When you first hear this song, your reaction is "I don't know what this is or how I feel," but by the end of your first listen, you're reaching for the repeat button. I feel like no one can really explain why this song got really popular, it just did. I don't even think the girls knew how well this song would do. But seriously, if you can tell me why it got really popular (even before Hyeri's aegyo), let me know, because even though I like this song a lot, every time I hear it, I just can't believe it appealed to so many people that they won multiple music shows with it. I love it, I just didn't expect others to. Check out the music video!



Timing: I'm going to admit something really embarrassing without whiting it out like I usually do: this song reminds me of a Shania Twain song. I don't know which, and I don't have the patience to go figure out which one, but let's just say I was a huge Shania fan as a kid, and there's something about this song that reminds me of that period of my life. And I love it. I also love how cheesy some of it is, like Shania. It's just a cute pop song that I smile at every time I hear it. It's my guilty pleasure song honestly.

보고싶어: Of all of the songs I have heard Hyeri sing in, this one is my favorite. Just though I'd get that out of the way. Also, for a ballad, Yura's rap isn't too bad. Considering Minah and Sojin usually carry the song, the strength of Hyeri and Yura in this song is not only surprising, but refreshing. I wish all their ballads had this balance. And even though the only original ballad on this album (by that I mean newly released) isn't up to my standards of balance, I will always have this one to fall back on. Check out the music video!



Show You: Before "I Miss You," I thought this was as close to a ballad I loved with Girl's Day. Minah and Sojin sound great, but Hyeri and Yura were awkward. However, I do remember one performance when for some reason, a few of the parts changed, and I liked that version, but I feel sort of bad, since I think it took lines from someone. Overall, it's a good ballad, but it really isn't my favorite, as I have said. Probably so many times you are now sick of me saying it.

Hello Bubble: "Hello Bubble" is a sort of single for Girl's Day. I have trouble calling it a single since at its root, it's a promotion for a hair care line. I almost didn't review it because of it. But the girls sound good, so I decided to give it its due. I will say I really love Yura's rap; it could have been really awkward, but she owns it, and it turned out well. Otherwise, I will say this was a good marketing campaign for this hair line, since the song not only had a music video, but it did well chart-wise as well. The one thing I will say that goes against it (besides the sheer fact it's a long commercial) is that the ending is very sudden and awkward. This song deserves a better ending. And Girl's Day deserve better than a music video for a hair care line. Check out the music video!



Overall: It's a good album from Girl's Day. I took off some points since most of the songs are songs that have already been released. but given the fact that the new songs sound really great, I'm looking forward to their next releases already. I hope eventually they are able to put out a full album with all new songs, but for now, I will make due. I've been listening for 4 years, and that won't change anytime soon!

Score: 8.6