Woo-hoo! My favourite K-pop boyband is back! After an amazing 2011, which I considered INFINITE’s monumental year, the seven-member group from Woolim Entertainment return to the Korean music scene with their third mini-album ‘Infinitize’.
After a string of good music, hit-after-hit and memorable victories, the rising stars of K-pop are set to continue their progress with a new album in Korean. But unlike some comebacks this year, will INFINITE’s comeback falter?
1. “Infinitize” – The obligatory intro. 57 seconds in length, energetic and fast-paced.
2. “The Chaser” – Ahh, the lead single!
Produced by my favourite K-pop producers Sweetune, I’m happy INFINITE chose to work with them again! The song is in the production duo’s signature style – 80’s inspired music, very-danceable and a great build-up to an even greater chorus. The vocals soar on this track, but with the boys hitting high and low notes, I wonder how they’re are going to pull this one live with their excellent dancing.
As for the MV, INFINITE, for the first time, dance inside a massive set – a la (pretty much) every SM video. I quite liked the backdrop though, it looks really nice. The dancing is top-notch, as always, and I can’t wait to see this performed live on the music shows. – 4.5/5
3. “Feel So Bad” – The one word that came to mind as soon as I heard this song was “asian”. I don’t know why but it sounds quintessentially J-pop/K-pop in it’s melody. Catchy none the less. – 3.5/5
4. “그해여름 (In the Summer)” – Sounds so very inspired by Jason Mraz, especially “I’m Yours” – which for some crazy reason is immensely popular in South Korea. Still, this song is a perfect fit for an album released when it’s getting warmer in Korea. – 3/5
5. “Only Tears” – A ballad first performed by member Sunggyu on their Second Invasion concert series earlier in the year, this song was too good to not make it on the album. As an album track, the other boys get to sing on it as well, and it still sounds great. It’s a really good song and does not sound like a formulaic Korean power-ballad at all. – 4/5
6. “I Like You” – Okay, album-filler time. A standard uptempo, singing-with-rap bits track. The chorus is alright, nothing more. – 2/5
7. “With…” – This isn’t on the official tracklist as it’s more of a hidden track. Sungyeol kicks off the vocals on this ballad, which has got a very retro feel to it. Despite being a hidden track, I actually like it more than the previous song. – 3/5
INFINITE are back! There is no doubt the group are going to succeed with this comeback. Although I still think “Be Mine” is their best track to date, “The Chaser” is none the less a fantastic new single. It may not have the staying power of “Be Mine,” but I’m confident the boys are going to nab a few wins on music programs with their new single. This release only being a mini-album, I’m sure we’ll have another Korean comeback from INFINITE later in the year.
As for the album as a whole, I felt Woolim did a better job on this set-list than they did with the last album I reviewed. I pray INFINITE’s collaboration with Sweetune continues as that production team are solely responsible for defining the boyband’s signature sound.
My final rating for INFINITE’s 3rd mini-album ‘Infinitize’: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)
