SISTAR 19 - "Gone Not Around Any Longer"

Over the past few weeks I've gotten a lot of requests to review this and that, and if you were one of those who asked, my answer has always been "I'll try", because no matter how much I want to write about all the great music I've been listening to, I'm going through a really rough patch with school and just this week I had to go to class all week with a flu and throat and ear infections left and right. I was hoping to get some "work" done on the blog over the weekend which is why I started listening to all the stuff I missed out on over the past few weeks and I got to the new SISTAR 19 EP when they came. The tears.

Sometimes I think my reviews are far too personal, especially when I read other blogs and critics and I get jealous at how well they compartmentalize and just go straight to the music, but then I remember that I always complain about acts not showing enough sincerity and emotion. If I don't show you guys, if I don't tell you, what I felt and how those emotions came, then there's a very slim chance that my review won't be as effective as it could've been. If I can't move myself, and show you that I was moved, how am I supposed to even begin trying to move you.

So yes, the SISTAR 19 EP made me cry. Twice. You probably don't know this, but I'm the type of person who, out of both necessity and years of trying, has forged a kind of mask. I don't cry unless it's serious, it's always when no one's looking, and no matter how depressed or stressed out I am, on the outside I've made myself out to be perfectly fine. I don't talk about my problems with my friends or my parents, I've held in majority of my frustrations and self-esteem issues, and I know it's dangerous and I shouldn't be holding things in, which is why I started writing.

The main reason why this made me cry was because "Gone Not Around Any Longer" is a really, really good EP, plain and simple. Call it a shallow reason, but honestly I think it's the only reason why I'd ever cry over the music I listen to. Of course it was enforced by the fact that I've been having a really hard time lately, but like I said I may not be able to compartmentalize when I write, but I do a ridiculously good job of it in real life. The fact that this was a good EP, the fact that this is such a beautiful EP, was what made the dam break open.

As a whole, I really love the light-hearted sound of the EP because for once it's a sound I would definitely imagine a bunch of young-ish girls to pursue. It's youthful, it's fun and light-hearted, but at the same time it is sexy, and it is feminine. This is the part between innocent little girl and woman in her late 20's/early 30's that pop tends to forget, or can't really capture accurately because it's neither of the polar opposites, but which also happens to be a pretty big part of fan bases. But from what I've heard on this EP, it looks like SISTAR 19 had no problem capturing that playful femininity and delivering it with conviction, cohesion, and a sense of effortlessness.

When I first heard "Gone Not Around Any Longer" the song, it was a pleasant surprise more than anything. I had read some comments on it last night and the negativity of them only made my surprise even more striking. It sounds very Brave Brothers, but this is one of those "once in a blue moon" times when he manages to find an extremely effective compromise between the familiar and the fresh, as far as his previous productions are concerned. For the most part, the selling point of this song is how he took all those makeshift "jazz" elements we've heard before, those familiar loops, that trumpet he seemed to be attached to all of last year, and even those high-pitched "ooh ooh"'s, but he didn't weigh them down even more with a very intense melody like the one in "Alone". Instead, he went one step further and actually gave the melody some spring to its step.

The result is a song with depth, with both a mysterious air and a cheery disposition -- it's feminine and sexy without being flat or boring. You get a song with some really gorgeous instruments like that crisp drum kit that literally made me melt, and that gutsy but graceful electric guitar, all delivered with effortlessly musical dynamics which make for some really heart-stopping but natural transition. And on top of all that there's this gorgeously put-together and thoughtfully delivered melody that gives the song power all while reenforcing the over-all graceful facade. Though it would still be outrageous to compare this song to heaven’s gift to man kind in the form of Craig David’s “Fill Me In”, first because that song is immortal and second because they’re two different songs with different destinations, they’re similar in one thing -- “Gone Not Around Any Longer”, especially the chorus, is probably the closest recent K-Pop has gotten to capturing and successfully delivering that nonchalant, “cool” but urgent and confident sound which “Fill Me In” is the epitome of.

I never thought I'd live to see the day a Brave Brothers production would stun me as much as After School's "Because Of You" did, but it looks like I have.

As much as I now worship "Gone Not Around Any Longer" for being a brilliant piece of pop music, it was ultimately "A Girl In Love" that drove the album's point home. I find it quite ironic that the most light-hearted song on the album was the one that drew the most emotions from me, but that's exactly why it's my favorite song. I don't know how many times I've said this, but really, the hardest thing to do is to deliver a simple song well, because a lot of people take them for granted and end up just doing an average job. "A Girl In Love" is the complete opposite, because it's such a simple, almost generic song, but you can hear that everyone who had a hand in it took it seriously.

What I really like about the song is how you can actually hear everything going on without putting too much thought into things, from the melody to the tambourines and the synth lines. But instead of the quietness turning into a competition between the elements, they do the complete opposite and bring out the strengths in each other. The gracefulness of the melody gives way to the texture of the tambourines and the sophistication the loops are going for.

What ultimately convinced me though is the fact that while this song was clearly taken seriously, it only served to make the over-all sound and atmosphere even more fun and light-hearted. Because everyone knew what to do, very minimal concentration was required for the basic "what note do I play", so everyone turned to the next question, "how do I hit this note". It's that kind of mindset that makes for a good song, because like I always say, in pop it's not about what you do, because majority of the songs are pretty much all the same, it's about how you do it. This isn’t a pretentious song, it’s exactly what you hear it as, and it doesn’t give off that air of trying too hard -- whatever depth or beauty you get from the song is a natural byproduct. This, my friends, is called chemistry. Chemistry between the elements, the instruments, the arrangement and melody, and with the delivery.

Honestly I thought that “Ma Boy” would destroy the momentum of the album, because from what I could remember it didn’t have that gentle intensity to it -- even if it has that fun element, the hook was a lot heavier and I recalled it having a different over-all feel from the two new tracks. But when I actually listened to it in relation to the rest of the EP, I was surprised when the real effect was the exact opposite of what I thought it would be. “Ma Boy” works with the other two songs precisely because of my reasons for thinking it wouldn’t. It’s a lot heavier most probably because it was produced before they even thought of putting it on the EP, but it’s that weight and intensity, coupled with the playful element present throughout all three songs, that gives the EP some dynamics. If the previous two songs were more concentrated on the “how”, on the process and the elements, “Ma Boy” goes ahead and delivers the punch for the whole EP. This is how you do dynamism right, not only with conviction, but with cohesion to boot.

I never thought I would say this about a release by SISTAR, or any division of, but if I were to sum up this EP in one word, I’d say it’s masterful. It’s masterful pop music, the kind that doesn’t claim to be “intellectual”, but in having all the qualities of the epitome of a pop release, becomes intellectual anyway. It is in these kinds of EPs that I get proof of the depth of songs that most people deem “shallow”.

5/5

BTOB - "Press Play"

I didn't really have a good first impression of BTOB, and I know a few other people felt the same way, so I wasn't really following this comeback. That also explains the fact that this review is a month late. I had the album sitting in iTunes and my phone since it was released, but I was so busy finishing up the first semester that I never got around to listening to it until tonight.

And boy was I in for a major surprise.

Cube has never really been that high-up in my books because they're not very consistent with the quality of their releases, usually focusing only on BEAST and Hyun A who are the "more popular" ones in the agency. The problem with that approach is that the reason why BEAST (and maybe Hyun A, but just a maybe) became popular in the first place is because they got good material. If the rookies or the lesser acts never put something strong out, they'll never be successful. So you can see why BTOB, and Cube, surprised me so much with this EP.

The stylistic direction they've taken really hits a sore spot. I mean, how can it not when it's overflowing with elements of Swedish production and Backstreet Boys in the late 90's/early 2000's? But what's especially noteworthy with their direction is the fact that the material takes influence from very strong sounds, but still manages to still sound like K-Pop.

To say this in the simplest way possible, "Press Play" is a very, very strong EP from start to finish. There really isn't a single weak song on it. The songs aren't only all on the same level of proficiency, they also work extremely well with each other -- the songs stand firmly on their own, but when you hear them all one after the other they take on a life of their own. Really, it's crazy how good this EP is.

"Press Play" sounds so much like a cross between Craig David and S Club (7) (Who happen to be two of my favorite British acts.), especially with some of the vocal treatments and instruments they used. It's a breeze to listen to and it's a lot of fun, but I'd think twice about wanting to break out in dance and song to this. It's not overflowing with groove, and I would've liked it even more if it had gone all-out, but at the same time it's that slight hesitance and stiffness in the delivery that puts the K-Pop into the song and separates it from the influence. Otherwise it would be just another boring Craig David imitation.

If "WOW" isn't a homage BSB, I don't know what is. This sounds so much like the music of my childhood (because I'm not a child anymore!), it's scary. And I guess I'm also freaked out because it's such a good interpretation of the BSB sound. It's also melodic in the chorus/near-shouting kind of way, It's an intense song with all these very full, rounded instruments and those heavily padded vocals, but the guitar line that reminds me a bit of and those screams in the background give it that sense of playfulness and make it a bit tongue-in-cheek, actually. The treatment of the guitar line reminds me a lot of a more mischievous version of MBLAQ's "Mona Lisa". The vocals are spot on -- some near-shouting at the choruses, those groan/whisper verses, and countless layers of voices, even for solos.

After two very Western-sounding tracks, "I Know Nothing But Love" sounds very K-Pop at first glance, like something BEAST would do, or maybe even Teen Top. I love how they took it a step further, not with the elements on the surface like the vocals or the melody or the production, but with what's happening under that. That drum line, though most of the time drowned out, is gorgeous. The use of that snare in particular at the verses makes me want to curl up and cry because it gives the song so much class. But what I like more is how the drum line and the piano line work with each other. Usually (if the songwriter is uninspired or lazy) the drums give a song kick because most people assume that they're loud, and the piano gives the song grace and sophistication because piano lines are graceful. It's the other way around on this song, and it's done so well that you don't notice it until the two actually come in together and work their magic.

"U & I" just makes me melt into a puddle of goo. With a smile on my face. While the previous songs have been very dependent on style and things other than the melody and the basic chords, "U & I" literally puts that beautiful melody on a pedestal. With the instrumental that does exactly what it has to do as a pedestal, nothing more, nothing less, the goosebumps just keep coming. And surprisingly, it fits their vocals like a glove. That slight nasal quality pulls the melody together because otherwise it would just be a puddle of goo (much like me!). This is kind of like meringue -- sugar is sugar, it's sweet which is great and all since we all love sweets, but when you add in the egg whites they hold the sugar together and make it into this heavenly creation.

Honestly, the generic and slightly cheap beginning of "Stand Up" made me think that maybe this was where this album would fall. I mean, after such strong songs, they're bound to have a moment of weakness, right? But then that stunning bridge popped out of nowhere with all that epic and my jaw literally dropped. The melody reminds me of a sped-up version of this stunning song, with the elements of this masterpiece, but with so much more intensity. Which are both examples of brilliant Swedish pop.

The instrumental sounds so effortless even if there are a million things happening all at once -- because the elements work together instead of fighting for dominance. The piano line that runs around the chorus along with the synths is beautiful, and basically everything during that epic verse too. The instrumental and the arrangement are very ambitious and they take that ambition one step further with the confidence, which is then driven home by the brevity of the vocals. As if all that wasn't good enough, the middle 8 is probably the most beautiful middle 8 I've heard this year -- you have all the qualities of the rest of the song, with that much more grandiose to it. It's an overwhelming song, but it's the good kind of overwhelming because it makes you want to listen over and over again because you hear something new every time.

"My Girl" rounds up the EP, and it's a good cool-down from "Stand Up". But that doesn't mean it's inferior. While the other songs put up very strong fronts in whatever qualities they put across, "My Girl" takes a step back and lets you bask in everything. It's a simple song, yes but it's packed with enough moments to sustain your attention, but at the same time it does shove things into your face one after the other. The elements themselves are actually pretty generic and standard to pop songs, but like a lot of the other songs, the success lies in the execution. The arrangement is very bare for majority of the song, like part of the verses where the elements that stand out are basically just vocals, a guitar and percussion, or how it's extremely easy to make that electric guitar at the chorus stand out like a sore thumb, instead it lays low. The build-ups and transitions are very natural and follow them melody, but the song also becomes urgent where it needs to be, like during the stunning middle 8. I'll have this on repeat for the next few weeks. At least.

As you can see, I'm still overwhelmed at how strong this EP is, all things considered. But what's clear though is that if BTOB keep this up, they'll go a very long way -- a far cry from how I thought they'd end up earlier this year.

5/5

Jewelry - "Look At Me"

Going through almost as many line-up changes as the Sugababes, Jewelry 2.0 onwards has never really been my cup of tea, nor have they put out any really praise-worthy material. "Vari2ty" had a nice melody, and "One More Time" was Jewelry down to the bone (probably because Minwoo wrote that and their previous biggest single "Superstar"), but after the last original members left, the group kind of had an identity crisis with "Back It Up".

Of course you could argue that the "Back it Up" Jewelry is different from the "Superstar" Jewelry, but at the same time, they're still Jewelry, regardless of the members, and if there's one thing that Jewelry have always had, it's a niche. While the industry became saturated with sickeningly cute girl groups or the polar-opposide overly sexy/serious ones, Jewelry were right smack in the middle of them.

The Jewelry sound has always been funky, slightly edgy and strong, but feminine at the same time. Not girly, not slutty -- feminine. It was the kind of music that wasn't really for the oppa fans, although it was still kind of for them, but in a sense, also for the female market. Sure, the songs were sexy and so was the choreography, but there has always been this air of nonchalance to their music -- like they were doing it for themselves as much as for the opposite sex. So basically this is the closest K-Pop has gotten to the "girl power" that other countries had.

"Back It Up" wasn't overflowing in that, and so I wasn't that excited for "Look At Me", but by the time I finished watching the video, all my doubts flew out the window. And, by the time I finished listening to the EP, I was smiling from ear-to-ear, hooked. This EP has given us a chance to see just how talented these girls are, because the material both accommodates, and hides, their flaws, and brings out their strong points.

But the one thing this EP has that legitimately surprised me was the level of cohesion. It's cohesive! That hardly happens in K-Pop. From start to finish, the production, the execution and the songs themselves -- they all sound like they come from one act, and they all sound like they come from Jewelry. Jewelry in 2012. The girls have really "found themselves" and found the Jewelry point with this EP, and I must say what they've found is pretty good. So good that they may very well be my favorite girl group of this year.

I've never really been a rap person, but "Rhythm HA!!!" was okay, and it made sense. It has that intensity, but sometimes I think the rapping turns into screaming, which I assume isn't a good thing in rap, because it's hardly ever a good thing anywhere. It just charges full speed ahead, which I think is a very apt intro for what's to come.

"Look At Me" is exactly what I'd imagine Jewelry doing in 2012, regardless of the line-up. It has those funky instruments that translate into spunk, it's overflowing with attitude and conviction in pretty much everything, and the production brings out all these little details that make all the difference. It's melodic enough to be called a song, and the vocals are really, really, really well-executed and well-produced, but it's also simple and repetitive enough to be catchy. It's intense all right, but it's not "Sixth Sense" intense -- there's still that strong sense of fun all throughout, which is one of the main reasons why this song works. It's serious where it has to be, but the fun just effortlessly blends in everywhere else.

I love how "Party Rebel" has that Destiny's Child thing going, but still manages to sound extremely K-Pop. It's halfway between Lee Hyori and Son Dambi, with the bass line and those real drums (which I LOVE) making it more Lee Hyori, the processing making it Son Dambi, but those harmonies are just all Destiny's Child, or derivatives of. The hook is extremely repetitive, but I've been listening to it all day and surprisingly I'm not the least bit annoyed yet. Probably because it's put between melodic lines well, so much so that you still remember it, but for good reasons. And while we're on this 90's/early 2000's bandwagon, can I just say that I love the middle 8? It's so unexpected, but at the same time it's not, and it actually makes sense. Gorgeous melody, and I love how they made it sound more natural and bare than the rest of the song. But the icing on this potentially confusing cake is really the production -- the fact that it's so strong just makes this song so much better.

At first I thought "Me Too" was going to be another one of those stock ballads all these girl groups get, and in a sense the melody is, but the way they executed it with this pseudo-Jamaican sound was really smart. The melody alone is pretty boring, and the girls' vocals aren't exactly the most powerful, but the instrumental, and the arrangement of everything, managed to give the song a light shove. And that shove really translates into the song. It's a step below the quality of the two songs that came before, but it's also a welcome break from all the up tempos.

"Single Single" is currently fighting with "Look At Me" as my favorite track. It's such a feel-good track, it's just the right amount of perky, the amount that knows when to hold back. That melody is gorgeous from start to finish, and the smooth vocals are the right kind of vocals for this kind of melody. The post-chorus/pre-bridge that's auto tuned is gorgeous, despite being, you know, auto tuned. My only problem with this song is the treatment of that high note, because it sounds way too much like what happened in Seo In Young's "Anymore" (which I also love to bits, by the way). Not that Seo In Young owns that vocal treatment, but it's almost exactly the same, and it irks me. But anyway, I love this because it's probably the most K-Pop of all the songs on the EP, but the execution brings it one step further. This is the kind of song that usually gets really flimsy production from some C-list "producer" who, most of the time, doesn't really know how to make a song work. Not this time though. The production on this song, like the rest of the album, is very full, but not to the point of being sanitary. The producer didn't douse the EP with bleach, per se, he just piled on the detergent. In a very musical way.

"Look At Me" as a whole is probably one of the best releases I've heard all year, and it's also the one I've enjoyed the most in the past few months. It's cohesive and it has it's own identity, but it's also extremely brave. It's that brevity in the repertoire, in the execution, that makes this album such a pleasure to listen to.

5/5

BEAST - "Beautiful Night"

When BEAST confirmed their comeback, I was both excited and scared -- excited because after "Fiction and Fact" they pretty much cemented themselves on my radar, and scared because Cube has screwed up pretty much all their comebacks this year (I'm looking at you all -- 4Minute, G.NA and A Pink) and I definitely didn't want the same thing to happen to BEAST.

However the minute I heard "Beautiful Night", I realized that I worried for nothing.

It's been a good three years since BEAST debuted, and I'm really, really pleased with their evolution both talent and material-wise, because really, they've gone nowhere but up -- where they're supposed to go. I can't really say I'm surprised because I saw it coming years ago, but for a K-Pop group of their standing to get to this point is really something else.

And that point is being able to move me with an uptempo. Being confident, technically proficient, and comfortable enough to make me call an uptempo beautiful -- because that takes a lot more than just a few members who can sing. There are two possible routes for a group who manages to do that -- the first is gaining my respect towards them as musicians and performers, like how Big Bang and 2NE1 did it, and the second is me legitimately stanning them, like how DBSK did it. Right now BEAST are leaning towards the respect side, but that can easily change.

This is probably the epitome of fearless pop as far as K-Pop is concerned -- the ever so slightly classier kind. Pop that isn't picky with it's brilliance -- that sounds good with or without the video, at low or high volumes, and I hope, recorded or live.

"Beautiful Night" is a song that needs little focus to fully appreciate, but higher levels of focus do result in higher appreciation, I think. The song moves at a fast enough pace to both keep your attention and familiarize you with each element, so you're neither bored nor completely baffled as to how something happened. It holds back where it should, but when it's time to explode it really brings everything.

And the song itself really fits BEAST. I was talking to Ree just a while ago and we were saying how it sounds to Euro and it's like S Club's "Alive" if it was done in 2012, but then I realized that we've seen this from BEAST before -- from "Bad Girl". It's like a classier, more mature and better-executed "Bad Girl", which, in my opinion, is one of the best indicators of growth. You look at the way they executed songs before, and you look at them now, and the improvement is striking.

"Beautiful Night" doesn't rely on just the song, or just the vocals -- it something that can stand on it's own, but it sounds so much better when a confident and practiced group like BEAST pulls it off.

From the very beginning, "Beautiful Night" attacks you with this strong, confident chorus/hook, but at the same time it's subdued enough to help you brace yourself for what's to come. We get to hear some really smooth but gutsy beats under it, but really, the focus of this part is on the chorus -- that stunning melody delivered with rich, but at the same time it just glides through. The build-up explodes before leading to this gorgeous synth loop by the second chorus, and continues for the entirety of the song.

The transitions are my favorite parts of the song, actually, because aside from the fact that they're so well-done to the point of them being extremely natural, they're one of the main reasons why the song is so confident. It's like biting into those tiny red chilis when you eat curry -- it doesn't always happen, but when it does it gives you a hard kick and your senses go into overdrive. In the best possible way.

Come to think of it, if "Beautiful Night" was food, it would be curry. The instrumentation is extremely rich, with all these rounded synths and the very smooth melody, but it also has kick, courtesy of the vocals and the transitions.

Up until this morning I was actually worried, because I looked through my "best of" list for this year, and none of the songs were worthy of being in the top ten. Looks like that's going to change now.

5/5

Jo Kwon - “I’m Da One”

Apart from strong vocals, which are a given, I was honestly expecting nothing from Jo Kwon’s solo album. I didn’t follow the teasers, I read the track list at a glance, and when two songs leaked it took me a few days before I listened to them -- I just wasn’t interested. But now that the whole thing is out I can’t stop listening to it from the beginning of the first track, all the way to the last.

If you’re only looking at the songs at a glance -- the melodies, the arrangements and the choice of orchestration -- “I’m Da One” as a whole will come off quite cheap, and it actually is very Swedish/German Eurotrash with a melody, but what makes this album different is, again, the execution. I always stress the value of execution for a good reason -- strong material will take you somewhere, but outstanding execution will drive your point home. Of course there are situations where even the best performers can’t save a song, but in most cases, execution will make or break the entire situation. And on “I’m Da One”, the material and execution work together. The result? A pop album that isn’t afraid of being a pop album. This is how you do pop.

And really, that’s all I ask. To be fearless when you make pop music -- because it’s something you should never be ashamed of.

The further in you get, the better it gets, and the more I realized that “I’m Da One” is so much more European than it thinks it is. It reminds me so much of a more current and technologically-advanced version of the good old Swedish pop music that was being put out back circa-2008/2009 (I cannot believe 2008 was four years ago, okay. I can’t). The album is reminiscent of the likes of Darin (who I worship, plain and simple), Kevin Borg (whose debut album was a masterpiece), and Ola (who made the best feel-good pop). The sweeping melodies on top of dominant synth lines, the epic orchestrations of beautiful chord progressions -- they’re all there, because Jo Kwon can pull them off. And the best part is, this sounds like it’s all in the subconscious, that it was done effortlessly just because it made sense.

Never judge an album based solely on it’s first track -- that is both true and false. “Awesome Girl” sounds cheap, like a handful of other songs by other people, but in hindsight it also introduces what’s to come. It’s the type of song you have to look at as a whole, and not in little bits and pieces. Once you see the significance of the German synths and cheap instrumentation, it’s actually a pretty good song. Gorgeous melodies, confident vocals, fun pop music -- that’s what this album is, and that’s what “Awesome Girl” shows off. I’d listen to this song again solely for the melody.

I don’t quite understand the purpose of putting the radio edit amidst the album, and the full version at the end. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? Radio edits are usually treated like remixes, which bear little significance to the rest of the album apart from giving a new take on a track that’s supposed to flow with all the other songs.

But anyway. “Animal” is an okay song, and I actually thought this was the lead single when I first heard it a few days ago, but now I see why it isn’t -- because it’s not as Jo Kwon as the title track is. “Animal” builds upon “Awesome Girl”’s premise and here we see the beginning of a solidification of the Swedish direction this album is going in. It reminds me of a Darin lead single with more fierce. But what makes this slightly less Swedish is the shift of emphasis from the melody, which is very Swedish, and more to the hook, which is more of an American thing -- the melody of the verses doesn’t particularly stand out in comparison to the rest of the song, and the chorus is pretty much all hook.

The thing I like the most about Jo Kwon, as proven by “I’m Da One”, is that he can be as ridiculous and hilarious as he wants to, but he always, always, pairs it with grace and conviction. If someone else were to do something like this, complete with the absurd premise of the video and shamelessly cheap choreography, that person would either end up laughing like crazy, or would want to curl up into a ball of embarrassment. But not Jo Kwon. He has his foundation of actual vocal talent and a strong command of the stage, he pairs it with something he knows not a lot of people in K-Pop can pull off, and he just blows all the competition away. It’s brilliant, actually -- because it works.

On the musical side, “I’m Da One” is a cross between a performance-centric song and a genuinely strong pop song. It’s very current, with the very Western production evident, and while the song itself is proficient enough on it’s own, the video gives it another welcome dimension. But let’s backtrack a bit to the Western production. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about this part of the album, because I was afraid of Jo Kwon being stripped of what makes him. Thankfully, all my worries were thrown out the window because Jo Kwon’s presence is strong enough to not only inject, but cement his personality, and his being a K-Pop act, into the song.

“Lipstick” begins the transition from hook-centric songs and into songs where the entire melody matters. It’s a gorgeous song, with a very important role amongst all the other songs, which is another reason why I adore this album. It wasn’t just thrown together, it was built from the ground up, with a foundation, supports, and transitions which are all equally important in keeping the structure together. “Lipstick” is right between stunning and fun -- the stunning courtesy of the melody and chord progressions, and the fun courtesy of the hook and the arrangement, in particular the synths.

“Who’s Loving You Now” is the epitome of stunning -- this is where the album completely turns into a masterpiece. This, my friends, is how you pull off stunning. It’s a slow build-up, complete with probably the most stunning computerized drum rolls I’ve ever heard, and my beloved string section taking center stage during one of the most important transitions. The best part of the arrangement is that the build-ups don’t just shove everything in your face and expect you to die, they linger, and leave room for both your imagination, and what’s to come. Lace a sweeping melody with all these strong, long notes that Jo Kwon just churns out like they’re nothing, and you have one of the year’s most beautiful songs (a strong contender for #1, actually :D). It doesn’t need a elaborate word to describe it -- it’s simple in it’s beauty, but that’s what makes it even better. In a sea of such forceful songs, this is the breath of fresh air done right.

What is with K-Pop and Harry Potter spells lately? First Junsu, now Jo Kwon? (They’re both idols going solo too) “Wingardium Leviosa” is a welcome break from all the stunning that “Who’s Loving You” brought out, but that’s not to say that it’s a bad song. The production takes center stage on the song, keeping all the elements running around from clashing with each other. It’s an extravaganza of a song, but a neat one.

In case you haven’t already caught onto it, “Something ‘Bout You” is here to remind you that one, Jo Kwon can sing, and two, he has attitude. It’s a song where the melody and arrangement share the emphasis -- the melody is gritty and ever so funky, and the instruments, the tambourine, the electric guitar, and even the synths, add to the spunk of the song. Put everything together and it sounds like a slightly less classy U2 or Coldplay (but more U2 than Coldplay), or maybe even something The Wanted would do -- and they are, again, European.

If “Who’s Loving You Now” is simple in its beauty, “Heaven”, is beautifully intense. But it’s not the intense that will work your brain to shreds, it’s the intense that’s so effortless, you end up shredding your brain yourself because you have no idea how it turned out that way. The focus of the song is really on the melody and the vocals, but it’s not like the instruments just sit there and fade away -- they very gently carry the melody, almost like just guiding it. Miso’s voice is stunning, and something I cannot imagine the song without, really. It reminds me of a less whiny Belinda (the Spanish singer who was in The Cheetah Girls 2, and who released an earlier version of “Love Appeal”, my favorite Hello Venus track so far), with more depth. The grit in her voice is a perfect contrast to Jo Kwon’s very smooth vocals, reminiscent of the gorgeous Lena Park and Kim Bum Soo combination.

“Just A Kiss” was leaked a few days back, along with the radio edit of “Animal”, and honestly I was put off by the fact that it’s in English. But listening to it now along with all the other tracks -- it makes sense. The drum line gives the song attitude and is one of the main elements that sets it apart from distinctly Korean ballads, along with the minor chords, and actually even Jo Kwon’s voice. He’s not a deep-voiced belter like Junsu JYJ, he’s a pop voice. It’s a distinctly British pop ballad, complete with the music video shot along a beach at night with a sea of candles or something, and very far from the Korean ballad formula. It’s refreshing in it’s being a ballad, and not dead weight. Probably the best way to end an album, actually.

I miss this kind of music. I miss the kind of music that’s just so effortlessly beautiful that I can listen to this while waiting at a bank and not care that I’m smiling like a madwoman. I miss the kind of music that I can write about without being conscious of what I say, and how I say it. This is the pop that taught me to value pop as music, and I never thought I’d live to see K-Pop blow me away with it, in the most K-Pop way possible.

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the best album of the year so far, the closest thing to perfection K-pop has managed to put out. A warning to everyone else planning to make a comeback this year -- it will be very hard to top this. Yes, even my beloved HoMin and JYJ. Because let’s face it, SM can’t help it with his ballads, and JYJ production is pretty bad quality compared to this.

The Best: “Who’s Loving You Now” and “Heaven”
The Better: “Awesome Girl”, “I’m Da One”, “Lipstick”
The Worst: N/A
The Rating: 5/5

JJ Project - "Bounce"

It’s taken me time to write about JJ Project because I’ve been enamored with them for the past week and a half, which led me to just watch them in awe and spazz over them (that and I got sick earlier this week, so I was pretty much useless after I put out my Inki recap). Even with just three proper songs on their EP, there was so much to digest, and so much happening. In a good way, of course, but a lot nonetheless. I think you’ve all caught on to the fact that yes, I like JJ project, despite half their EP being rap-centric.

The reason why I like them so much is because they’re convincing, because there is as much effortlessness in their execution as there is conviction. See, this is what I mean when I say that execution matters just as much as good material. While good material will take you places, equally competent execution will drive the point home.

And that effortlessness is really what you need for material as fun and straightforward as the songs on “Bounce”, because what these two guys do is give the otherwise thin JYP material some spring. Save all that soul for Miss A or half of the Wonder Girls -- I like my boybands jumping through hoops and fire like there’s no tomorrow. Not that JJ Project is technically a boyband, but then again, you can say the same about DBSK post-JYJ. Anyway. “Bounce” is what I’ve been looking for in a boygroup for a long time now -- effortlessly fun material, complete with literal jumping around stage. But at the same time, whether you watch them or not, the material is still brilliant, which instantly adds points to their score.

And really, the production on this EP is glorious -- almost reminiscent of what JYP did to “Wonder World”, which was epic in every way imaginable, the only difference is that while the Wonder Girls were sophisticated and crisp, and JJ project gave the material just that much more grit and spunk.

“Bounce”, the song, is all over the place. One minute you have rap verses, the next you have singing over a hip-hop loop, then out no nowhere this rock part comes up. In all honesty, if I wasn’t so used to the stunning “Rising Sun” and “O - Jung. Ban. Hap.”, I’d find it strange. And let's face it, it's not the world's most amazing and ground-breaking song either, However, two things make this song so right -- the fact that I have background in K-Pop, which eliminates all shock, and the fact that, again, the two of them carry the song so well, with the right amount of everything. And by everything, I really mean everything -- from intensity and conviction, all the way down to grace and effortlessness. Honestly, and I know you’ll all probably kill me for the corny pun, but the only way to accurately describe “Bounce” is that is has bounce. Literally. Good choice of title, JYP.

“Bounce” and “Hooked” remind me so much of pre-DBSK boyband material brought to the present, where we have all these fancy new recording equipment. The basics are all there though -- the rapping, the singing, the song structure, and even the melodies and chord progressions themselves.

“Hooked” is my favorite of the three, but I can honestly say that I love this entire EP as much as I love the songs individually, and this favoritism is more a personal preference than it is a technical one. The melody is gorgeous, the hook is catchy yet ridiculously subtle (did you even notice it?), and the rapping is so much more bearable than all the other acts I’ve heard over the years. It’s so 2005/2006 Rain/Se7en in the way it’s “Hip-Hop”. The song as a whole is slightly heavier than “Bounce”, but the effortlessness is different in “Hooked”. It’s like the difference between dark and milk chocolate -- while they’re both really good, dark chocolate is a lot heavier to the taste.

Honestly, if we were talking of just melodic parts, the ones on “Before This Song Ends” are my favorite. Backed by as epic as an instrumental as you can get from techno, the melodies are really flow-y and absolutely stunning, and Suzy sounded great as well. Although, what I didn’t like with the song is how even JJ Project’s execution couldn’t hold the song together. I mean, they did it with the same amount of conviction and effortlessness as the rest of the EP, and that part shows in the song, but the structure itself is very disjointed, even more than “Bounce”. Add that to the fact that the hook was deliberately made repetitive, and you have something that only really sounds good at a club or in large, open spaces, not at home, through your headphones. Although, may I say that it’s effective in being a clubby, and that’s basically the point of the song.

I know I said the Shinhwa album was the best release of the year so far, but I’m afraid they’ll have to relinquish that throne to JJ Project. JYP may have had a lot of blunders over the years, most of which I refuse to acknowledge anymore out of shame, but when he gets it right, he really gets it right. Because this, my friends, is how you handle a debut -- by going full steam ahead, carrying actual talent and bucketfuls of conviction.

5/5

Junsu - "Tarantallegra" (Single)

I'll be honest and say that I had no idea how to start this review because the only thing running through my head when I listen to this song is "KSAFHSKJGKSDGHSJUNSUUUUUUUUUU" and all coherent, rational thoughts have just been completely thrown out the window. But then I realized, that's the point of this song, and the point of my review.

Because, in essence, that's what music is supposed to do -- it's supposed to not only make you freak out or jump around your room, it's actually supposed to make you near-insane. Not in a bad way or anything, but when you listen to a song, essentially it should move you, and move you more than just a tear or a few tapping fingers here and there. Again, music is half heard and half felt, and essentially what you hear should help you grasp what you feel.

"Tarantallegra" affects you like that because it's effortless, because it's overflowing with conviction. While there were times when I cringed watching the video, Junsu isn't afraid to deliver. Obviously, he has the talent and the technicals to do something like this, something not a lot of people in K-pop have. I always, always say that before you can think of identity and whatnot, you have to be proficient, and Junsu is perfectly capable of standing his own ground on a song, and carrying an entire performance just with his vocals. Now, because he's technically proficient, the song really becomes Junsu inside out. I's not just because he wrote it with his brother though -- if someone else were to sing it, no matter how technically proficient that person may be and no matter how accurate the notes are hit, "Tarantallegra" will lose a part of it's identity.

And that’s really all I ask from K-Pop as a whole, actually. Be proficient in whatever you do, and do what is you. If you’re doing something you love, something that’s a part of you, the effortlessness and the conviction will follow naturally. “Tarantallegra” is proof that those two elements, when put together, work effortlessly. I mean just look at it, it’s so ridiculous and Junsu’s orange hair is just plain weird, but the song, the choreography, and the video work together so well that I have no qualms. At all.

When the teaser first came out, a lot of people were pointing out that the synths on this song were similar to “Xiahtic”, and while they are, honestly, I don’t see a problem with that. The synths here and on “Xiahtic” give both songs different over-all sounds, and Junsu composed both songs -- we’ve heard so many other producers re-hash their own songs even more blatantly than this.

Years in K-Pop have taught me to either absolutely hate, or just not notice rap parts out of personal preference, but honestly, the rap on “Tarantallegra” is one of the few that I cannot imagine taken out of the song. It adds another dimension to the entire package, and Flowsik’s deep timbre both contrasts and compliments Junsu’s vocals.

The reason why I don't have a problem with the auto tune during the chorus is because everyone knows that Junsu is so much more than just a capable singer, that he's obviously one of the best in K-Pop, and even Asia, and so he can easily sing those auto tuned parts live. The thing is, when I go and criticize other acts for using too much auto tune, the reason why I do it is because those acts use it as a mask, to hide their lack of talent. But then, like I just said, Junsu's talent is no secret, and the auto tune on this song is more of an artistic/aesthetic decision than it is a blanket.

The verses are stunning, they really are. I get mini-heart attacks throughout both, and I’m not complaining at all. It shows off what has made Junsu’s voice so infamous, and I get the belting I wanted!

Speaking of vocals, the thing I really, really love about how this song was done is the emphasis on Junsu’s vocals. Autotune aside, “Tarantallegra” is a song that Junsu carries -- the instruments on the backing track do add something to the over-all dynamics, of course, but most of the time they just go in a straight line. Junsu’s delivery controls majority of what happens to the song, and he does it extremely well. I cannot wait to see this live, (even if he’s not going to be on music shows) because knowing Junsu, it’s going to be that much more brilliant live.

And that, my friends, is the challenge I give to newer acts -- make me smile, cry, freak out, and move me, with an uptempo. Hype, looks and aesthetics don’t matter -- use your material and your musical proficiency to move me. It’s easy to do it with a ballad, but uptempos are a completely different story. If a new act can do that, and do it with as much conviction as Junsu has just done, they have my respect. This is the new benchmark for uptempo performances -- because Junsu has managed to deliver effortlessness and confidence over and above a heavily choreographed and produced package.

5/5

Shinhwa - "THE RETURN"

The (other, older) gods are back, and I don't think we mere mortals are ready, but in true god fashion, they don't care.

Not that I'm complaining, because I had such a hard time staying sane while listening to it. The thought of them finally coming back, paired with the gorgeous songs, is a lethal combination. But more than anything, this album proves something that a lot of acts completely forget. If you're really a good musician/performer and you really know what you're doing, it doesn't matter if you're in 2000 or 2012, you will still be good, and you will still sound like yourself.

There are two sides to "THE RETURN", as this is Shinhwa in 2012. The "now" aspect is very clear -- they make use of a lot of modern technology, trendy chord progressions and sophisticated vocal treatment -- but the Shinhwa aspect is just as clear, there is no denying that this is a Shinhwa album. There's a certain regality to the way they went about producing and executing the album, and from the first song all the way down to the last, regardless of everything else, it finds a way to sound superior.

"THE RETURN" isn't some haphazardly album thrown together just for the sake of a reunion, complete with "new versions" of old hits in a desperate attempt to relive the past (none of that on this album!), it's sure of what it is, and what it has to be. They made all the right decisions with the direction, the packaging, and the all-important lead single. "Venus" is not the only good song on the album, but it most definitely isn't horrible. But it's not only in what songs were put in, it's also in how they were put in, and how going through the entire album in one sweep is so natural.

Put the musicality, the good decisions and the crisp production together and you get the closest thing to perfection. Sorry Big Bang, "ALIVE" was great, but "THE RETURN" is now the best release of the year.

But they don't completely forget the fact that fans will be crying over this album, and so adding a few tear-jerking songs in between all that regality won't hurt, right? Right. Because that's exactly what "On The Road" is. We're greeted with soft drum rolls laced with a pretty piano line and some cymbals here and there, before a very low-key verse that just spirals into this tear-jerkingly stunning chorus, that's light enough to match the song, but intense enough to hear over fangirl sobs. It's simple, and we don't get any of those fancy instruments yet, but it's simplicity makes you curious -- what's the rest of the album going to sound like?

Amazing, I believe, because they just keep it coming with the brilliance. "Hurts" is just that much darker than "On The Road", with that whole late '90s/early 2000's R&B thing going on, and their vocals are really something, but once you get to the chorus, it's literally a chorus of all their voices -- no jumping through hoops and fire needed, that's the explosion. "Hurts" is the epitome of effortless -- it has so much conviction, but it's also very natural.

It turns out that those two tracks were just the beginning, and a sort of "flashback" musically, because the next two songs are nothing but current. They're like hybrids of everyone from BEAST to EXO to U-Kiss and even that new NU'EST song -- it's trendy, upbeat, and fresh. To be honest with you, so many things could have gone wrong with the two songs, they could've ended up sounding cheap, the melodies could've gotten lost under all the autotune, but again, the difference is that this is Shinhwa we're talking about, they know exactly what they're doing -- these new groups don't hold a candle to Shinhwa, and everyone knows that. It's like the difference between cheap chocolate and the really good kind. Essentially they're both chocolate and they have almost the same ingredients, but it's in the quality of the ingredients and how they were put together that the two kinds differ.

Unlike other similar songs, what "Venus" has is musicality -- you can tell that the composer really put effort into it. The dynamics work seamlessly and effortlessly with each other, literally gliding from verse to chorus to middle-8, the verses are stunning, but they don't hit you over the head, the bridge builds-up in the smoothest possible way, and while half of the chorus monotonous, they actually picked the right note to sing this time around. The song literally sounds like eggs on a well-oiled pan, and how they slide off once cooked, and taste heavenly.

Continuing with the trendy suite of "THE RETURN", "Red Carpet" is not as epic as "Venus", but it's an amazing song in it's own right. I'm honestly having such a hard time believing that the guys singing this are in their 30's, but then I remember whose album this is. The main thing to pay attention to on "Red Carpet" is the presence of a melody, and how the vocals deliver it in relation to the rest of the song. If SHINee sang this it would sound flimsy, and if other bands sang it they'd sound cheap -- what Shinhwa have is maturity with the right mix of youth, and not the other way around.

And we're back to boyband bootcamp with "Move With Me". It's SO early 2000's k-pop, ala-early BoA, S.E.S., a bit of Rain here and there, and Shinhwa of course. Rather than saying it has conviction, the better word to describe "Move With Me" would be that it has spunk. The drum line, the short and sharp guitar parts, the harmonies all throughout, the chord progressions they used, and everything all together equals a package that's funky, slightly mischievous, but still light and modern.

"Let It Go" is in the vain of "Insomnia"-era Craig David during the verses, with the sharp, but slightly soggy/full beats and that eerie piano line. You think it's going to be like that for the entire song and just explode into a loud chorus, but when the chorus actually arrives this guitar part just swoops in out of nowhere, steering the song away from what you originally thought it was going to be, and you're left speechless. It's the guitar part that gives the song the conviction, but it's the vocals that give it groove. Everything rolled together is really a feast to your ears. I don't know if you guys have tasted it, but "Let It Go" reminds me of those Marks&Spencer Dark Chocolate Jaffa cakes. When you bite in to it all you taste is the chocolate, but chew it a bit more and BAM this amazing orange jam comes out of nowhere and takes over your mouth.

I was actually pretty iffy about "Stay", because it starts off like some novelty song, and pretty much keeps at it throughout, with the cheap synths and novelty song-worthy, melody executed with light vocals and thrown together with rather flimsy production. The same goes for "Welcome", it sounds like a cross between "Bonamana" with thin production and something Haha would rap/"sing" to, what with the "conga" instrumental. I guess the redeeming factor of the two songs is that they're not pretentious. They're not cheap songs masquerading as something sophisticated -- they're cheap songs that sound like cheap songs. They are what they are, and they're very consistent in that.

I never really understood K-Pop's fixation with all things retro (and even J-Pop, if you count DBSK's "Choosey Lover"), but it's being done, so I really can't do anything about it. "Be My Love" doesn't sound cheap like the previous two songs, but it is pretty cheesy. Like, cringe-worthy cheesy. I can imagine them in those all-silver/metallic blue (ala-Westlife's "What Makes A Man")/OR GOLD suits doing repetitive sways and snaps, complete with spirit fingers at the "youuuuuu" parts. Yeah.

"Re-Love" is epic and stunning and brilliant and everything rolled in. Swoon-worthy harmonies throughout a stunning melody, a bass line you feel instead of feel underneath the epicly gorgeous, but pretty basic, instrumental -- it's the mandatory boyband slow song done flawlessly. This plays up the band part of boyband, with all the gorgeous harmonies and the high note parades, and this is one of the main reasons why fangirls start dropping like flies. That pause towards the end killed me, and the harmony right after killed me again.

We start with epic, go through a couple of different songs, and we're back to epicly gorgeous with "Breathin'". Putting aside the fact that it sounds like "breeding" instead of "breathing" (I bet you won't be able to unhear it anymore after this LOL), the best way to describe it would be that it's glorious. Not gorgeous, not stunning -- glorious. Glorious in the pop sense, of course, but glorious nonetheless. The beautiful melody, the harmonies and background vocals, the strings in the background that literally lift the song up to the heavens, and the percussion that makes sure it's a smooth ride -- glorious.

My favorite: "Venus" and "Breathin'" are tied
Song(s) I'd listen to again: "On The Road", "Re-Love", "Let It Go", "Red Carpet", "Hurts"
My least favorite: it's between "Welcome" and "Be My Love"
Last words: Best release of the year so far.
The final verdict: 5/5

Big Bang - "Alive"

Taking off from my review of "Blue", "Alive" in it's entirety is exactly what I was saying last week -- the album challenges our existing idea of what the "Big Bang sound" is, and it makes us think. I was looking through people's comments of the EP, and a recurring theme is that it sounds far too pop, that they've abandoned their R&B beginnings. However, this isn't an album you can just listen to at a glance and say "okay, these synths sound like Big Bang, and this chord progression sounds like something from their previous albums" -- no, you can't just end it at the technical elements. You have to take those elements both individually and as a collective, and in as many combinations as you can think of. Just like what I said when I reviewed "Blue", you have to be in the right state of mind to both appreciate and understand this album. It will only make sense if you think about the music in relation to all the other factors this album was put out to.


Big Bang are seniors in the industry. They may be younger than DBSK, but at least 80% of the active groups now will consider them as seniors, and that includes the likes of SNSD, the Wonder Girls, and the acts who are already considered pretty up there. With seniority comes not only wisdom, but freedom. They no longer have to adhere completely to what the industry wants from them, they're free to experiment. But at the same time, they've been in K-Pop so long that that sound they had to adhere to has become their sound. That's where the challenge lies -- to find a balance between the two -- and that can only be done if they're completely sure of who they are, both as individuals and as a group.

The first thing you hear when you put it on is synths, autotune, and a catchy hook. That's the intro, "Alive", for you. What's interesting to note is that although it's very noisy and heavy, it's a perfect preface to "Blue". Technically speaking, it's probably because of the synths and the melodic nature of the intro that's present in "Blue" as well, but once again, half of that equation is based on feeling. It just feels right. "Blue" is gentle and very unassuming on the outside, what with the soft synths, that actually remind me of a haze or mist, but it packs a punch on the inside, courtesy of the bass and guitar lines. I compared it to water the last time, and that still stands -- you have to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate it, but when you do everything makes sense.

We see the return of the fun Big Bang through "Love Dust". Take a truckload of notes, B1A4, this is how it's done. In reality, the more I listened to it, the more I was convinced that this is the complete opposite of "Blue". While you have to look underneath everything to see the beauty in "Blue", you actually have to look at the surface, and nothing but, when you listen to "Love Dust". The deeper you look, the less sense it makes. The instrumental just goes on and on and on, and that annoying "love dust" chanting keeps appearing, the verse practically stalls during the transition to the chorus, and the list goes on. You have to look at this as a whole, or chunks at least -- the melody is gorgeous, the production is spot-on, and the vocals were delivered flawlessly. Put that all together and you have a fun, lively song that I wouldn't mind playing at a party or a club, not because it's a bad song, but because it's fun yet it manages to be gorgeous. That doesn't make it a shallow song, in reality it makes this album even more of a challenge because you have to switch mindsets so much.

When I first heard "Bad Boy", the instrumental reminded me so much of Alicia Keys. What got me really excited about this though is the fact that it has the gentleness of "Blue" laced with a different kind of intensity as opposed to "Love Dust". It's a mature kind of intensity -- it's not in-your-face, but it's sure of yourself. "Bad Boy" reminds me of vanilla ice cream. It's not overpowering like those triple-chocolates or every-fruit-possible flavors, but vanilla is far from tasteless. It's very simple, basic, and because of that you're allowed to taste all the other features of ice cream you don't usually do -- the smoothness, the creaminess. The same goes for "Bad Boy". The melody is very simple, so it allows you to hear the tambourine, that gorgeous drum line, and gives you actual dynamics. It's laid-back but not lazy.

If I was to describe "No Fun" in one word, it would be "arrogant", because it really does sound arrogant. The very strong bass line, the repetitive nature of the instrumental and the whiny-ness of the vocals (which was done well) all give off that arrogant sound. Actually, it reminds me a lot of a Big Bang-ized Infinite, for that very reason. Like Infinite with stature and maturity.

Honestly, "Fantastic Baby" was the song I had the hardest time "reading", so to say -- I finished the entire review, but the space left for this was empty. Then it hit me, like it almost always does. This is the link between last year's mini-album and "Alive". That techno sound they were going for this year was intensified, but also allowed to mature. The hook is more effective, the synths more cohesive, the dynamics present, and the melody only second to everything else. The structure of the song is quite a lot to take in but it's not a song you take in bits, it's one you just take as it comes. This is their way of saying, "just because we've matured, doesn't mean we can't be trendy anymore." At the end of the day, they're still Big Bang -- trendy and fun.

Allow me to profess my love for "Wings", and how YG has finally taken advantage of Daesung's gorgeous voice. Gorgeous melody, simple instrumental that reminds me of "Viva La Vida" with more electric guitars, that stunning chorus that finally shows off Daesung's vocals, and of course, the mandatory synths throughout. It's as if Daesung knew that I'd die hearing his voice like this, but he just had to add in strings to kill me even more. It sounds like a Big Bang song, but it doesn't -- it sounds like a Daesung song, but at the end of the day Daesung is a part of Big Bang, and you can never take that away from him. This song is exactly that. The Daesung in it is obvious, but go deeper and the Big Bang becomes audible.

So, have you figured it out already? What makes this a Big Bang album? Even if you have, I'll say it anyway. I've been hinting at it since the beginning, and I've seriously been itching to say it. The reason why "Alive" sounds like a Big Bang album is because it sounds effortless. Sure, Big Bang are known for their fun, "running around stage" songs, but that went out the door long ago. Listening to this album in relation to everything else they've put out, the one thing that has managed to transcend all their releases, despite outside factors, is that sense of effortlessness. It manifests in different forms, whether it be like "Love Dust" where you're not supposed to think, or "Bad Boy" that shows you how much they've matured. Everything sounds so easy to Big Bang that this album is beyond the songs fitting like a glove, now it's as if the songs are a part of them. As a listener, the songs feel right in relationship to each other and because of that, the album is an absolute joy to listen to. Sure, it practically puts your brain through a roller coaster, but when you finally figure everything out it's such a joy. It's like getting a perfect score on a test you really slaved over for months, or getting in to college.

My favorite: "Wings"
Song(s) I'd listen to again: Everything else. Seriously.
My least favorite: N/A
Last words: Best release of the year so far. No one holds a candle to this.
The final verdict: 5/5

Se7en - "2ND MINI ALBUM"

Yes! I'm typing! :D I'm feeling a lot better now, so I guess I can go ahead and cheat my way into writing a review, seeing as I don't really get all my points across when I do vlogs. And besides, I wrote three papers last week, and my hand is still alive. I think? That and I'm going through yet another "identity crisis", so to say, and more than anything I need to assure myself that I still actually have the brain to write for myself.

But enough of all my drama.

I won't lie and give off the impression that I was sane and all intellectual when I first listened to this EP, because within the first ten seconds I totally lost it. As in everything. After the first song I was freaking out and screaming in my head, and by the end of the EP I was reduced to ash. For those who haven't heard the EP yet, yes, it's that good. So after you read this review, go listen to it. And it's not just because of that stunning JYP song, which we'll get to in a while. It's a good EP because while it sounds current, fresh, and very 2012, the focus of this release is to create classics. Staples. Songs that, anywhere from three to five years later, will be covered to death.

Even by just skimming through the album, you'll notice two key reasons why I came to that conclusion. First is the emphasis on the melodies. "Emphasis" doesn't necessarily mean volume, it doesn't necessarily mean that the vocal track overpowers everything else -- it's that all the elements are wrapped around the melody. It's kind of like a hamburger. While you have a host of other vegetables, sauces, cheese, and whatever else you want to slap on your burger, the focal point is still the patty, beef or fish or whatever, and all the toppings you put, ideally, compliment the patty proper. The melodies have to be interesting and current, but they also have to be simple enough for people other than Se7en to sing. Why is this important in creating classics? I think I've discussed this in my BEAST review last year, but basically the gist is that the melody is the part of the song which has the ability to transcend time. When people remix, re-arrange, or cover, the element of the song that is kept the closest to the original is the melody. And, it kind of goes without saying, that the melody is the part people remember the most -- when you hum a song, you don't hum the drum line or the string section, you hum the melody. So putting a premium on the melody makes it easier for people to not only cover the songs, but remember it, and pass it on to other people, even after the song's expiry date.

The second point is actually something I think I've already discussed here as well. If you noticed, or even if you didn't because I'm about to tell you, majority of the instruments and elements used on the songs are very common - the full arrangement can be replicated by a live band (bass, guitar, drums, keyboard), and it would come pretty close to the recording. You don't hear an abundance of obviously computer-generated loops or whacked out sounds, and even if you did, they don't play that big a role to the songs as wholes, you can just as easily take them out and the songs would sound perfectly fine. Again, this quality will make it easier for the songs on the EP to last several years at the very least. By using "timeless" instruments, like the piano and strings, you make it possible for almost anyone to play it. And, like I always say, technology is most definitely not static, so what was once the big fad will most likely not be that hot anymore after a few years. Like auto tune -- have you noticed that people have been gradually moving away from it over the past few years? And now, the songs that were heavily dependent on the obvious auto tune are said to be caught in a time warp. That's not going to happen with the songs on the Se7en EP, because while some have elaborate arrangements, you don't have that many relevant, fancy effects. Of course there are times when these effects add depth to the songs, and I don't deny the fact that technology has brought music practically everywhere both literally and figuratively, but by keeping it simple, while making use of what you have, you give people, now or in the future, the room to experiment with your songs, using the conventions and technologies present.

Take that, top it with YG's stunningly strong production and Se7en's very capable vocals, and you get one of the best EPs I've heard in quite a while. It's cohesive, but it doesn't bore you to death either. It's one of the few K-Pop releases that I'd willingly, gladly, play from start to finish over and over and over again.

From the first line, I knew "SOMEBODY ELSE" was going to be amazing. It definitely didn't disappoint. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the song Se7en's pushing in Japan. The song reminds me of Big Bang's "Love Song", but a lot less hip-hop/rock, and a lot more pop/rock. It's perky, it's fun, but it screams Se7en. One thing I like about YG's production is the fact that although it's extremely clean, extremely smooth, unlike SM production, YG balances the sanitary nature of that kind of production, with something rough or raw, in this case it's Se7en's vocals. His vocals lie between the extremely processed, and the extremely raw. It's like all they did with the vocals was even it out and clean it up a bit here and there, as opposed to the SM style which basically pours bleach on everything, even if the cloth isn't white. Gorgeous melody, very apt, and ever so slightly mind-blowing, explosions, and generally an amazing song. This is actually now my morning alarm because it's noisy and it wakes me up, but it's still melodic, so it's not a complete shock when this starts playing at five in the morning.

After listening to the EP for the first time, the song that stuck out the most of me was actually "Angel". And it's still a really gorgeous song, what with just the guitar and piano during the verses, and the slow, but sure, build-up to the slightly intense chorus, which has this really gorgeous string section and those cymbals here and there that add a whole epicness to it. But the more I listened to it, the more the chorus got really boring -- it just goes on and on and over and over again. I adore the thought of the song, because really, it's very simple but it manages to catch your attention, but there's more to music than just the technicality, so I don't adore the song itself. For the 829743892473289th time (and you might be sick of hearing this already), music is half-heard, and half-felt, and "Angel" kinda lacks that as a whole. BUT I wouldn't mind if this was the only song I could listen to for the rest of my life.

Ah yes, the JYP song. I'm kind of surprised that they made a ballad a lead single, but then again Rain's "Love Song" wasn't exactly an uptempo either (ah yes, the Rain-Se7en rivalry), plus Se7en is one of the few people who can actually pull it off, so I'm not complaining. The song is SO JYP. I have come to the conclusion that it's not really that JYP forces his minions into singing exactly like him, thus ending up sounding like they're being strangled every other word, it's that he writes songs that give them no choice. Because Se7en doesn't sing like JYP acts and even if it's not blatant on "When I Can't Sing", the nature of the song, with the cut-off end notes, really forces Se7en to sound like JYP. And again, the song is very simple, with the piano line taking the lead, that is, under the melody. "When I Can't Sing" is an example of a well-done "song normal people can't really sing in the shower" type. It's well done, yes, and if you're a professional, or maybe even an idol, it's possible to sing it, but if you neither have the training nor the environment, it's something that's better off listened to than sung. Which kind of goes against my main point of making the melodies simple, but at the end of the day it's a gorgeous, strong song, and its ability to garner listens is just as important as its ability to be sung.

"That Person" is the subdued song on the EP. The subdued but slightly epic. There are points which sound really European, especially with the melody itself and the choice of progressions and loops, and it reminds me of something the likes of Darin or Steven Borg would have no problem singing. I adore the drum line, how it's in the background for a lot of the song, but during those random parts where it chooses to appear, it sounds very warm. The melody sounds very clear, but again it sounds very real, and in it sounding real, people get the impression that it's actually humanly possible to sing it, which puts it closer to the audience.

"Understand" is the full-on ballad. It's one of those, "You want a ballad? Here, take this," and BAM you get brilliance. "Understand" is very simple, but it's also very transparent, what you hear is what you get, which, again, makes it perfect for mimicry, which is the beginning of immortalization for a song. This is a no-frills song, a drum line, strings, your usual instruments, under an unassuming, but gorgeous melody. And it's not afraid. Sometimes when you say "ballad" or "simple", people tend to strip off too much, and just vocals and piano *can* get boring after a while. Not everyone can carry a song with just vocals, and while Se7en is probably one of those people who CAN, again, the focus of this album is making classics -- if it's too hard to sing, people will be too scared to try. So while yes, "Understand" is simple, it doesn't skimp on what it shouldn't. You get your simplicity, your bare sound, but you also get your intensity and your character.

At the end of the day, and at the end of the EP, hip-hop/R&B is what YG does best, so it would be a crime not to include a signature YG track on their flagship male solo artist's big comeback. This is prime YG material. And while this can be put beside the likes of "Hot Times" and "Before U Go", which I adore, what YG does miles better than SM is groove. This song has it, and a lot it of at that. Honestly, as much as I think they're gorgeous songs, after hearing "MAKE GOOD LOVE" "Before U Go" and "Hot Times" sound stiff. Why? Because SM overproduces. To them, this is a contest -- who spends the most money making a song, who works with the biggest-named producer, who sells the most. And it shows in the songs. "Before U Go" is extremely packed, in the arrangement, in the choice of instruments, and in the vocal treatment. Everything sounds so heavy. On the other hand, "MAKE GOOD LOVE" sounds light, springy almost. The experience is kind of like degrees of oiliness. Too much oil makes the food really greasy and gives you a stomach ache, compared to lightly-oiled food, which not only keeps your arteries slightly healthier, but also lets you taste things other than grease. It's intense where it has to be,it knows when to go full-steam, but it also knows when to pull back and let us savor it.

A well-deserved  5/5

....and my hand hurts again. I guess this will have to tie everyone over until the end of the month or something, as far as text posts are concerned. But I *will* start working on a new vlog this week! I hope you guys aren't sick of my horrid face yet.