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U-Kiss Stop Girl members promo

U-KISS – ‘Stop Girl’ album review: Smooth and sexy comeback

After the disappointing “Dora Dora,” I was hoping U-KISS would make a comeback with a better track. Hopefully one produced by Ryan Jhun – the producer behind last year’s “Neverland” and “Tick Tack” – both of which made me really like the group. Thankfully, this comeback sees U-KISS return to form!

U-Kiss Stop Girl members promo
The now six-member U-KISS with their seventh mini-album

Here’s a track-by-track review:

01. “Imma New Thang (Intro)” – A thumping 30-second instrumental opening to the album

02. “Stop Girl” – Production duo Ryan Jhun & JD Relic team up again for this smooth mid-tempo jam:

For the first time in their nearly 5-year career, U-KISS has a contemporary, mature, slick lead single – instead of their tried and tested hook-driven dance songs. The teasers hinted “Stop Girl” would be paced a little slow and sexy, and it is. The vocals and rap fit beautifully, and although the first released MV is a ‘black & white’ edit, the choreography is good enough to be judged (the inclusion of female dancers is a welcome change).

The overall production is top-notch and the instrumentals feel really crisp. Definitely leaps and bounds over “Dora Dora,” but then again, I guess that’s difference you get with Marcan Entertainment‘s production. A really good song. – 5/5

03. “Time to Go” – An intro first heard in 2011, now extended into a full-fledged track on this album. The beats are thumping, the melody is consistent with the ‘dark and sexy’ vibe, but other than that, this feels so much like an album track. One that would have never had a chance as a single. – 2.5/5

04. “Remember (Acoustic version)” – A ballad originally featured on the OST of K-drama ‘Syndrome,’ the acoustic version gives an even better showcase of the power vocals within the group. Soohyun and Kevin prove they have the vocal chops to be taken seriously among idols (especially Kevin) and this ballad is otherwise a really good listen. – 3.5/5

05. “Sexy Baby” – Keeping with the sexy vibe, the last Korean track on the mini-album is a mediocre album filler. “You’re my sex-y babe-ay“. Erm, there’s little else I can say about that. – 2/5

06. “Stop Girl” (English version) – It was fairly obvious from the sound “Stop Girl” (most likely) was written in English first. And having two members fluent in English (Eli and Kevin), it would have been an opportunity lost if they had not recorded an English version. Sure, the native Korean members have accents that are easy to make out, but some members like Dong Ho ace their lines. Imagine if they could all sing in English, U-KISS could have truly been an international idol group. – 3/5

07. “Stop Girl” (Instrumental) – Not rating this.

Bonus mention: “Cinderella” – Released a few weeks ago as a digital single, this mid-tempo track has been on my mp3 playlist ever since! I don’t know why it wasn’t included in this mini-album as an album track. Although “Stop Girl” is a better single, “Cinderella” is a great track on its own. – 4/5

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With their seventh mini-album, and a member gone (AJ is studying in the US), U-KISS are still without a win on a music program in South Korea. Down to six members, the group still have the core essentials needed for an idol group and are doing well with each successive release – be it in Korea or Japan. And as much as their international fanbase remains loyal, I can’t help but pray “Stop Girl” nets these boys their first award. Heck, they deserve at least one after all these years!

‘Stop Girl’ the mini-album isn’t much of a compilation to speak off. One great single with a bunch of left-over remixed and thrown in. Still, reviewing it a whole, U-KISS’ latest effort – and probably the last one for 2012 (man, time flies!) – still gets a 3 out of 5 from me. That means ‘Good’.

BoA The Shadow mv screencap

K-pop Round-up-Review: BoA, KARA and G-Dragon

The good, the bad and the ugly. Although it’s the title of a classic Western, that’s exactly how I felt reviewing these new releases in the third edition of Round-up-Review.

BoA – “The Shadow”
BoA The Shadow mv screencap

Korea’s ‘Queen of Pop’ – BoA -has been around the music scene for over a decade. And she’s only 25. Given BoA was only 13 when she debuted, and despite the fact there are K-pop idols older than her, Kwon Boa is still considered a ‘senior’ artist by her peers. Continue reading “K-pop Round-up-Review: BoA, KARA and G-Dragon” »

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)

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