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SNSD – ‘I Got a Boy’ album review: What the…

My first blog post for 2013, and what a great way to start the new year for me!

SONEs couldn’t ask for a better treat to usher in 2013 than to see their favourite girl group back with a Korean album. ‘I Got a Boy’ is SNSD‘s 4th full album, and after the rather disappointing “The Boys” from nearly a year-and-half ago — my expectations were rather high for some great new music from my girls!

Girls Generation comeback group shot
The girls get a bright and saturated look this time around

And today afternoon (January 1st in India), the music video to “I Got a Boy” released. Here we go!

1. “I Got a Boy”

Okay, this is going to be a long rant.

Upon first listen, I instantly guessed SM Entertainment followed the same formula they used on SHINee’s “Sherlock”. You know, that “two songs mashed into one” bullshit. But in Sherlock’s case, “Clue” and “Note” really sounded like “Sherlock” split into two. The song’s chorus alone made that song rock. “I Got a Boy” on the other hand is a mash up of godknowshowmany songs! It kicks off with Sooyoung and Yuri delivering a rap. Then the real crux of the song begins at 0:53 with the heavy piano hook. The verses are still an offbeat lead up to the chorus.

And then at 2:05, Tiffany puts it down another way! (She says so) 🙂

Just when you thought the song could possibly grow on you, the tempo changes to a faster bpm (beats per minute). At this point you’re wondering: “why did they do that?” or “was this really necessary?”. The chorus melody stays the same but the verses sound like they’re from a different song. Hyoyeon and YoonA deliver their rap during this bit.

Then at 3:37, the song changes pace once again. TaeTiSeo has this section all to themselves.

Girls Generation I Got a Boy video screencap
“Hey, let’s dress up the girls in wigs and change the set for a 12-second sequence. ‘Cos… you know, we’re SM! Dollar, dollar bills y’all!”

By the 4-minute mark in the MV, the tempo returns to 140 bpm and Jessica soars into the bridge before the song ends with the repeated chorus.

At first listen, all I could think about was: “WTF SM!?” Watching the music video with all the weird mix of aegyo cuts in between the cool ‘gangsta-girl’ attitude was really messing up my thoughts. So I just looked away and listened to the audio alone to see if I could get a better opinion. I must say the initial weirdness wore off and the song did grow on me, but honestly the only bit that stayed in my head is the chorus. It’s catchy, no doubt.

As for the music video itself, the stylists went for a more f(x) (or dare I say, 2NE1) style — and I’m not sure the girls really pulled it off. Of course they look good, but then again, even if the members were dressed up in black garbage bags, they’ll still look cute and pretty! I hate Sunny’s look in this video, they really messed up her hair. Seohyun also seemed too cute to pull off the punk-inspired look.

If the girls themselves don’t enjoy singing the song, they sure will enjoy dancing to it. The choreography is kick-ass and it’s the one thing I feel the girls will have fun on stage with. And for what seems like an eternity since ITNW, the girls can finally dance in comfortable sneakers and not their usual heeled shoes. A relief for each one of the girls I’m sure!

But in the end, I still have mixed feelings about “I Got a Boy”. And ‘mixed’ couldn’t be a more appropriate word for this song.

Girls Generation I Got a Boy rating

2. “Dancing Queen” – The song that was rumoured to be the single in place of “Gee” – but couldn’t be released due to last minute copyrights issues.

Thank god for that! “Dancing Queen” is nothing but a Korean remake of Duffy’s smash-hit “Mercy“. So if you like the Duffy original, well, then you’d like this song too (I guess). I can’t imagine what SNSD’s career would have been like had they not released “Gee“! – 3/5

3. “Baby Maybe” – Originally a demo for British singer Pixie Lott titled “What You Do,” this Korean version really suits Girls’ Generation. Sweet, sugary girly-pop, and after the offbeat start to the album, we find ourselves in true SNSD-territory. – 3/5

4. “말해봐 (Talk Talk)” – If this sounds familiar, then you heard it first on Girls’ Generation’s second Japanese album as the track “Boomerang” — which was one of the better tracks on ‘Girls & Peace’. That said, by now I was hoping for some fresh material, and not more recycled music. – 3.5/5

5. “Promise” – The expected ballad finally hits. With its thumping beat, harmonious vocals and a good chorus, I really like this song. – 4/5

6. “Express 999” – When I saw the title, I couldn’t help but reminisce about the Japanese anime classic ‘Galaxy Express 999,‘ and listening to the ’80s-inspired sounds, I’m sure SM producer Kenzie imagined the same. Another great track! – 4/5

7. “유리아이 (Lost in Love)” – Really liked the soothing vibe on this ballad. It reminded me of the harmonies ballads from the ’70s and the early ’80s had. Another good track. – 3/5

8. “Look at Me” – Back to weird again. This track is another one that plays around with different sounds through its verses and chorus. It’s okay, but I found myself skipping it on repeat listens. – 2/5

9. “XYZ” – With lyrics penned by Seohyun and Yuri, this song isn’t a lesson in the ABCs. Instead, it’s a uptempo dance track the girls would have worked on while listening to a lot of Britney Spears records. (I can tell ;)) A good effort none the less, and a sign the girls’ songwriting skills are getting much better! – 3/5

10. “낭만길 (Romantic Street)” – The track featured in the ‘drama’ teaser SNSD dropped for “I Got a Boy”. It’s (if you haven’t guessed from the title) another ballad. But just like the other ballads on the album, it’s sweet and mellow. I find the ballads really stood out more in this tracklist! – 3.5/5

SNSD I Got a Boy MV members screencap
Normally I would have chosen a common theme for each member’s image. But with this comeback, it was hard to.

For all that I said about the comeback single, I actually think ‘I Got a Boy’ is a very likable album. Unlike many SM albums of the past where the lead single and maybe two other songs stand out, with the rest being nothing but filler material, there are many tracks on this album I would listen to far more than “I Got a Boy”.

It’s been a few hours since the MV came out (it’s midnight as I wrap this up) and the reactions to “I Got a Boy” have been just as how I felt when I fist heard the track. Except that by now I have grown to accept the varied sound — while thousands of others still seem to hate it! Many are disappointed with the comeback single, while the rest are trying convince them to give the song a few more listens. I could tell you to do the same, but I will be honest: those who have trouble accepting certain genres of music will find it difficult to like “I Got a Boy”.

It’s still not the great comeback single I had hoped for, that too after the mediocre “The Boys”. I guess it’s justified when people have high expectations from SNSD’s Korean comebacks. After all, gone are the days when the girls spent all their time in South Korea. Now with the girls making way more money in Japan, we don’t get to hear much new (and I mean really new) music in Korean. The Japanese singles have been great, but they just don’t feel as natural.

I am happy the girls are back on the screen though! At least during the promotional run, we can expect variety show appearances, new interviews and more fresh SNSD content. I’m at a phase where I’m watching older clips on YouTube because I have practically watched every funny piece of recording SNSD have appeared in!

That said, I really hope SM entertainment has a re-packaged album in the works with a real killer single as back-up — just in case the backlash for “I Got a Boy” is a tad too much. Heck, if SM Entertainment has such a tough time choosing the right single, just give me a call! 😉 I’m someone who listens to practically every genre (and sub-genre of music) from the ’70s all the way to present-day chart music.

I’m all for artists trying to challenge themselves and take the risk in trying something new. But even I had a tough time appreciating “I Got a Boy”. I’m curious to see how the fan-chants to this song are going to work. Anyway, knowing the rabid fanbase SNSD has, ‘I Got a Boy’ the album will still do well on the charts and the girls will rack up a few wins on the music programs (if not win all of them!).

But for now, tallying up the individual scores, my final rating for SNSD’s fourth full-length album is:

Jessica I got a boy mv screen

B2st Midnight Sun members

BEAST – ‘Midnight Sun’ review: What an AMAZING lead single!

Well the day has come. The last of the big Korean boybands I have yet to dedicate a review for. Good reason for that – I never liked any of Beast/B2ST’s songs until “Fiction” came out last year. That single was a real game changer for me, as it wasn’t just the first song I liked by Cube’s six-member boyband, it was also – in my opinion – one of 2011’s best K-pop songs!

But their 2012 comeback single… holy @#$%!!!!!!!

B2st Midnight Sun album cover
It took five mini-albums since their debut for me to write about them

Here’s a track-by-track review:

1. “Midnight Sun” – The album opener is a guitar-tinged up-tempo number that I initially thought was the lead single. More like a ‘buzz single,’ this Shinsadong Tiger-produced track is a serviceable start to the album. It doesn’t sound ‘new’ by any means, and could have made it as a single last year. – 3.5/5

2 “Beautiful Night” – Now this on the other hand:

I’ll just say it right away! This is, hands down, is the best single B2ST have released to date! Right the very start I was smiling, because of just how good the song sounded! Uptempo, fresh and managed to infuse today’s house music-influenced dance pop without sounding like some cheap imitation. Produced by duo Good night, Sleep well – whom I can’t seem to find much info on – but if I were to guess, I’m guessing they are foreign. Because the sound just doesn’t feel like it came from a Korean producer.

Sure the song has a T.O.P-like shout sampled from “Beautiful Hangover” but who cares, the rest of the track is unlike anything you have heard in K-pop recently. I really think this song could have been a global single had the members possessed fluent English pronunciation. It’s that good in my opinion.

There was a time when I used to get really excited about a song at first listen, so much so that I used to have it on constant repeat soon after. Like when I first heard ‘N Sync’s “Tearin’ Up My Heart” or Backstreet Boys’ “Larger Than Life“. I hadn’t had such a feeling about a boyband song in a very long time. So thank you B2ST, for rekindling that young feeling once again! 🙂 – 5/5

Beast Beautiful Night MV screencap
“You’re welcome!”

As for the music video — thank god, it’s not shot inside a boxed studio! Again, props to Cube for “thinking out of the box” for this song. Filmed in New York with random white people (and two black men), the party vibe totally suits this summer jam. I’m sure there’s a choreography prepared for their live performances, but not seeing it in the MV also made it feel all the more fresh. And dear haters, just because Beast filmed a music video in New York the same year BIGBANG did, doesn’t mean the concept was “copied”. So give it a rest online!

3. “It’s Not Me” – One of the notable aspects of this album is that member Junhyung wrote and contributed a lot in the production of every track besides “Beautiful Night”. This mid-tempo song about a girlfriend who thinks she saw her guy with another woman is actually lyrically fun as the guy pleads for her trust. Well rapped, and with a Spanish guitar outro, I really liked this track. – 4/5

4. “When I Miss You” – While the rappers dominated the previous track, track 4 is a ballad, meaning the vocalists get their time to shine. A contemporary, mid-tempo ballad and a likeable one at that. – 3/5

5. “The Day You Rest” – Maroon 5’s recent hits seem to have inspired and influenced quite a few K-pop tracks off late. If it was “Moves Like Jagger” for “Trouble Maker,” then Junhyung and Kim Tae Joo surely must have loved Maroon 5’s current single. “One More Night,” when producing this song. It’s not a copy, but the similarities are there. – 2.5/5

6. “Dream Girl” – The last song on the mini-album is another mid-tempo ballad, one I seem to like better than “When I Miss You”. Also written and produced by Junhyung and Kim Tae Joo, if this is quality of music we can expect from Junhyung, the day one of B2ST’s own members writing their lead single isn’t far. Well done! – 4/5

B2st Midnight Sun members
Yet another stellar comeback!

Like I have written a few times before, the evolution of yet another K-pop group continues. Beast have been away from the K-pop scene for over a year. But despite the slew of awesome rookies and the return of many of their superstar peers, B2ST too have moved up a notch in their placing amongst K-pop’s top groups.

I never liked any of their early material because songs like “Shock,” “Breath” and “Beautiful” were just too silly and riddled with bad Engrish. From being referred to as “a group of recycled material” (since the members were all part of other failed boy-groups and other agencies), Beast have come a long way since their formation in 2009. If “Fiction” was a sign B2ST turned a new page in their career, “Beautiful Night” is proof they have cemented their status as a super-group in K-pop. That lead single is sure to be a smash hit and will easily win the group numerous awards, if not expand their fanbase globally even more.

I have a feeling B2ST may return with a re-package album later in the year, but even if they don’t, I think their job for 2012 is done.

My final rating for Beast’s ‘Midnight Sun’: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)

Linkin Park Living Things new album cover

Linkin Park – ‘Living Things’ album review: Best of both worlds

I’m writing this review a lot earlier than I expected to. As with all Linkin Park album releases, their new album has been leaked online more than a week in advance. It shouldn’t surprise anyone – even Mike Shinoda. Although my CD is already pre-ordered, I couldn’t help myself from finding what one of my favourite bands had in store with their follow up to 2010’s A Thousand Suns – an album that brought the band a lot of acclaim, and hate. I loved it, and hoped the band would pushing musical boundaries.

Linkin Park chose to work with legendary producer Rick Rubin again, the third time since ‘Minutes to Midnight‘ (2007). So how does the fifth studio album fare? More importantly, how does it sound?

Linkin Park Living Things new album cover
The fifth studio album by Linkin Park

Continue reading “Linkin Park – ‘Living Things’ album review: Best of both worlds” »

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