[REVIEW] The “Hero” : Kim Jaejoong’s 1st mini album “I”

(MV screenshot by me.)

김재중. As a 7 year Cassiopeian I have a lot I could say about Kim Jaejoong. I’m really happy that he’s released a solo. It would be an understatement to say I was looking forward to it. Hearing his mini-album [I] would be rock based, I was ecstatic!!! I remember his solo song “Maze” from back when TVfXQ released TRICK… waaay back when I said: “He would do so well with rock songs. Especially J-rock!”. Years later, here we are! Let’s get on with the review then.


[ONE KISS]
Pre-release single. I was speechless. Literally. It was more than amazing! I mean, it’s on replay for me. I’ve listened to it countless times. It’s rock, but softer, like alternative or acoustic, the way it builds… so full of emotion, it reminds me of groups like Dashboard Confessional, The Calling or Lifehouse. I knew his songs would be high quality but I was really blown away. His voice is emotive and soft but still powerful. It really catches your attention! (*inspiration/freedom)

[MINE]
The “title” song. Dynamic, meaningful, beautifully constructed, amazing. What else can I say? I’m not being biased (especially considering my favourite TVfXQ member has always been Changmin). I listened to “Mine” and I was pleasantly surprised that it was on the opposite end of the scale from “One Kiss”. It’s so strong, the guitar just amps up the energy perfectly! Jaejoong’s vocals are perfect for this style! He’s amazingly versatile!!! I’d compare it to 30 Seconds to Mars, Lostprophets, Three Days Grace, maybe some Taking Back Sunday and Evanescence (for the musical content, not the MV), even some Linkin Park! Much heavier stuff really. The meaning is intense and the only part that didn’t surprise me. The way he was chained up, restricted from speaking, lost in the forest, the mask, running alone in the opposite direction… the vampire scenes coupled with the lyrics about “blocking the sunlight”, spreading his wings to fly and the line… “my ocean”. It doesn’t take a genius to get the meaning from that! Awesome debut. (*truth/perseverance)

[내안 가득히]
A lighter type of sad song here really, this displays yet another musical style for Jaejoong. The music in the verses has an almost funk like (?) more unique melody than standard rock, with a feel comparable to the likes of Maroon 5; whereas the choruses pull us back to soft almost ballad type korean songs. This merge of styles makes it really interesting to listen to, it blends so well! And although Jaejoong’s vocals remind me of the good old TVfXQ days, you can hear how much his voice has matured and improved since debut. (*love/hope)

[나만의 위로]
We’re pulled into the acoustic part of rock here (a style I really admire). Jaejoong shows us yet another sub-genre of rock that he can pull off. I really love his voice here; it’s almost hesitant, as if he really is reflecting on the past, acting out the song… re-living the moments. I felt myself tearing up a little bit by this part of the album. I personally love stringed instruments, so this one almost calls out to me. It has elements that really make me think of the past myself. I know Jaejoong is amazing when it comes to ballads, but his voice really rang through to me here. (*reminiscence/melancholy)

[ALL ALONE]
Here we slip into the piano led, emotion dripping ballad area of rock. This song adds a new element at each stage, enhancing the overall sound; more instruments, vocal layers, tension, etc. I wanted to say so much about this song… but the words just won’t come to me. Every time I listen to this album I’m speechless. There really isn’t enough words for me to express how good I think it is. The powerful lyrics, the composition… I really wish I could hear these songs live in concert. (*loneliness/loss)


The [*] indicates the feelings and themes I get from the songs, I had to add it to show how intense they really are! But what I really love about this mini album is the absence of “a catchy pop-song to pull you in” because they’re all memorable and give such an impact! Jaejoong showcases his talent to what I would say is the fullest, for the fact that it’s completely on another level; but I still feel like he’s capable of more. Considering the “rock” element - he aced it, and more! He completely exceeded my expectations (which were high anyway), he dominated the charts and he surpassed the j-rock influence and k-pop image to release something that could (in my opinion) easily be integrated in the English-language market. But considering that was just 5 songs and one genre… Kim Jaejoong could quite possibly do any genre. His voice is versatile enough, he’s talented enough, and it would sell. But even with these 5 songs, I want to say: “Kim Jaejoong… thank you for the music. All 7 years of it. Thank you for being an inspiration to me. And Happy Birthday.”

I highly encourage, k-pop fans, TVfXQ fans, Jaejoong fans, rock fans - music fans in general… to listen to this mini-album. I definitely recommend it as a gem of Korean music and a great addition to anyone’s music collection! Support Jaejoong by buying the album, and check out the MV for “Mine” here:

(Source: chaekyon)

Reviews to come!

Hey! I’m way behind on the songs I wanted to review, but expect a review of Kim Jaejoong’s “One Kiss”, Infinite H’s “Fly High” album and an overview of songs by Primary & Matsushita Yuya. *Coming Soon*

Feel free to suggest some songs/releases for me to review! ^^

[REVIEW] One for the girls!!! (Part 3: EvoL)

[L>R: Jucy, J-DA, Hayana, Say & Yull] So “EVOL” or Effective Voice Of Ladies… I really anticipated these girls’ music. I’m a Block.B fan, and I like BNS’ overall style. Cho PD really knows what he’s doing (don’t quite get how Lee-U fits in there, but I wish him well! ^^). So let’s check out EvoL’s “Let Me Explode” ne?

[TRACK 1: 폭파해줘 (Let Me Explode)]

Evol’s style is so strong. It’s rare to find a female group in k-pop with rapping as strong as a rap based male group. The lyrics are about claiming originality while copying. The girls talk about how they’ll break the trends and they can’t tell the difference between the others except their “packaging”. They’ve got a lot of confidence singing and rapping about this, and they don’t disappoint. They’re the most original female group (or group in general) I’ve seen in recent k-pop. They don’t try to be cute, or have a ‘sexy concept’ they sing lyrics that matter. There IS a lot of repetition in the song, but the verses and choruses have an interesting flow. It’s a really energetic and strong song!

[TRACK 2: I’m Sorry]

Considering the rap foundation that BNS was built on, you wouldn’t expect such a mellow ballad type song. But if you observe Block.B’s music you’ll see BNS has a lot of music genres to offer, and EvoL is no exception. I like that the rappers can rap with such a deep tone. It creates a nice contrast to the vocalists’ higher tones. It gives the group a little independence! They don’t NEED a male rapper/singer to feature, they can create the perfect balance within their own group. The rapping is soft enough to flow nicely between the vocal verses, and the singing has the perfect level of emotion and beautiful background vocals. Looking at the lyrics, it’s a really emotional love song about a girl being hurt by seeing that the guy she’s interested in likes another girl. EvoL may have a strong image, but it doesn’t mean they can’t excel at sad love ballads! It’s a relaxing song with amazing guitar riffs.

[TRACK 3: Magnet]

A personal favourite! So strong and powerful! The beats of the music are heavy and the rapping matches it well! This song could have easily been dominated by their talented rappers, but the vocalists are powerful and ace the chorus/bridge. You can hear the determination and confidence oozing out if this song!!! Every group should have a song to say “Here we are! We will make it! Keep your eyes on us!” a song to show everyone what they’re all about, and REALLY showcase their talents. And when a song is as good as Magnet is… I really respect the group. The layers of vocals work so well! It’s like an underground rap battle at some parts, then others are like: listen to these vocals and just TRY and beat that then! These girls really sound amazing together. The almost choir like background vocals really bring out the intensity of the song and surprisingly merge well.

[TRACK 4: 우린 좀 달라 (We’re a bit different)] *title song*

It’s a dance/party type song. Not my favourite but still a good song. I’m not crazy about the way the chorus was done, but I like how the rappers’ styles here were like an allusion to the Block.B boys. I really like the way that they didn’t just sing something like: “…boy come and dance with me” like most groups do. Most of them turn it into some flirty/begging song to call some dude. Evol’s song is like: “Girls, it’s okay to be different. Don’t think you have to be so stuck in a certain style, just let yourself go!” They only mention ‘boy’ once just to say “we got flow, be honest boy”. Evol ARE the type of group that should be a role model to girls.

[TRACK 5: 1.2.3.4.5]

This is a really sweet song with some great harmonizing! It’s surprisingly cute and the rapping is just perfect in between. Once again the vocals are strong and emotive and they almost sound like a completely different group! They really did well with this debut, showing that they can handle a range of songs.

So… who’s loving the EVOLution of K-pop girl groups?

[REVIEW] One for the girls!!! (Part 2: Brave Girls)

So… Brave Girls? I heard they were pretty good. I was reluctant as usual because I don’t like most of the girl groups (for various reasons) but I think they’re becoming more varied these days.

[Mini Album 1: The Difference]

The intro is… interesting? It really kinda introduces the members (vaguely though ^^”).I don’t like “So Sexy”. It’s overly repetitive with not much lyrical content. But… a song I WOULD recommend is “아나요”. It’s a nice slow song, very nice vocals and soft rapping. It’s a nice easy listening song (which I love).

[Mini Album 2: Back To Da Future]

Positive music change in this release! “툭하면 (feat. Skul1)” has a mellow reggae beat throughout which goes well with the girls’ strong vocals. I don’t often hear such varied music styles in MAINSTREAM k-pop to be honest, so it’s a nice break. A personal favourite of mine: “비가 내리면”. It’s one of those really emotive songs that also have a nice dance beat. I love the composition and the lyrics it’s a great song! A nice ballad by Eun Young here “너무 아파 (feat. Maboos)”. I’m always intrigued by groups that release solos early. Sometimes it’s great to showcase their talents, and Eun Young’s voice really deserved the attention! I like how they added the acoustic of “아나요”, it gives the song a different feel!

[Mini Album 3: Re-Issue]

I think they keep improving as they go on! They completely changed their image here and show a strong image for females. Wearing suits doesn’t make them any less feminine and of course it won’t change their vocal or dance ability! The intro is pretty clever. The reference the the 1st release is saying like: “Do you remember us? We’re so different from that now!” The title song: “요즘 너” is epic!!! I was very happy to see the talented backing singers and band actually IN the video (give credit where it’s due ne? ^^) After such a powerful dance song, we need a break ne? And in comes “말 없이” (another favourite of mine). It’s a really nice song that you could relax with, but it’s such a sad song ne~ “I’ll be fine, even if it hurts.” TT^TT The remix of “요즘 너” showcases the lovely vocals in the song in an almost acapella setting (just light piano in the background).

My fave songs: “아나요” + “비가 내리면” + “말 없이”
And of course… here’s the MV for “요즘 너” enjoy!!! ^^

So… anyone feeling better about k-pop girl groups yet?

[REVIEW] One for the girls!!! (Part 1: APink)

(First of all, sorry for the giveaway spams… I’m a student; I like free things XD)

So… I listened to APink when they debuted. My first thought: “They’re okay, ^^ I mean… they’re really not bad!” But I actually forgot to go back to their music after a week ._.” (that’s not a reflection on how memorable they were, just a comment on how forgetful I can be XD). So here’s my Apink overview! I’m skipping ‘Skinny Baby’ & ‘Hush’ (to make a long story short - I don’t like them) plus any collaborative songs cuz I don’t know them, and ‘Bubibu (remix)’ since I haven’t heard it yet.

[1st mini-album: Seven Springs Of Apink]

Apink had a really fairytale at the beginning. ‘몰라요’ (I don’t Know) was cute, but I wasn’t keen on the MV personally. ‘It Girl’ actually stood out to me. It was cute, but catchy. ‘Wishlist’ is a nice calm song that flows nicely; I was quite surprised at how vocally strong some of the members are here! ‘Boo’ was very sudden at the end. The intro reminded me of retro videogames. I actually liked all of the songs on this mini album! (That’s quite rare for me, when it comes to girl groups). Though I don’t like the intro.

#Recommending: It Girl

[It Girl Remix Version]

To be honest, ‘It Girl’ was probs my fave on the 1st mini album. I’m not too pleased about the sudden tempo changes at the chorus. The style of the remix is nice, but those tempo changes… kinda mess it up in my opinion. The transition was MUCH better at the last chorus ne.

[2nd mini-album: Snow Pink]

I won’t comment on that name! XDDD Anyway… I get a very SNSD style from this one. (@Pinkpandas - That is the fan name right? ^^” - I’m NOT saying Apink copied. I don’t consider my self a S♥ne, a casual fan at best ne. @S♥nes - I’m NOT comparing which group is better, just saying the MUSIC/VOCAL style is reminiscent of SNSD. And we all know it’s the company that picks the music! The groups RARELY get  any input in most mainstream k-pop. It’s all about what sells.) Back to the songs. I really like ‘MY MY’!!! I blame F.CUZ for reminding me to check out this mini album! XDDD Vocals are great here (I’m not going to ask about the snow reference XD). I actually found the MV entertaining too! XD ‘Yeah’ has that stylish 8bit/retro-game sound again! I REALLY like this one! I mean I caught myself dancing to it the other day “oh! oh oh~ yeah-yeah-yeah~ yeah yeah!” ♥♥♥ ‘꿈결처럼’ (Dream-like) fits the title well. It’s a really nice dreamy type ballad. I was *again* pleasantly surprised at the vocal skills! I haven’t heard a lot about their reputation besides “cute style” to be honest, but it’s a great song. ‘Prince’ brings us back to the fairytale theme, but… “Eommaya~! Aniya~!” the lyrics of this song made me laugh SO MUCH!!! XD

#Recommending: Yeah

[1st Album: Une Annee]

That ‘Une Annee’ intro… *cringes* I’m sorry but I don’t like these Apink intros. They make no sense to me! ^^” ‘고양이’ is so ace! The music sounds cat-like!!! It’s so perfect! The subtle rapping adds to the stylishness of the song~ ^^ Now… ‘April 19th’ is a very strong ballad (slightly reminiscent of the older girl groups of k-pop). I like the variety of tones in the members’ vocals. With a song like this, I think they’d really excel in Japan if they’re given the chance. ‘Bubibu’ brings us back to “cute style” I like it, but I wish they’d stop putting in that “Dear boy…” line! XD I can see why they chose this to promote. It’s cute, catchy, fun, memorable, even the lyrics are cutesy… it’s something you’d play when you’re having a bad day, to pick up your mood. ‘Step’ is quite different from every other song they ever did. It reminds me of an old, quite mellow song; somewhere waaaaay in the back of my mind. It’s a great “easy-listening” song ne. When I heard ‘I Got You’ I was surprised Apink were getting a dance song. It’s not bad really. The really high “I got you~!” part at the end of the chorus reminds me of someone… is it Banana Girl? O.o I’m not like a BIG fan of this song, but it’s okay. ‘Up To The Sky’ is another dance song, but it has more  energy and feel to it! I like the rapping, it’s great how they use it sparingly, not just cram rap in just cuz they have a rapper! To be honest, I had been waiting to see a B2ST feature in an Apink SONG (not just MV). Junhyung to be specific. Junhyung was most likely. I was expecting more… words? XD He only did the intro!!! Another dance song, ‘Boy’ sounds really retro… like disco retro. It’s not bad, but it kinda pales in comparison to ‘Up To The Sky’ (as does ‘I Got You’)

#Recommending: ‘고양이’ + ‘Step’ + ‘Up To The Sky’

So… what are your thoughts on APink?

[Review] Let’s go to Phantom City! (Phantom album review)

[Left: Kiggen | Middle: Sanchez | Right: Hanhae] This might be one of my last reviews this summer (or even this year? >.< I’ve been quite busy/distracted this summer, I know I should have done more OTL). But I wanted to make sure I promoted PHANTOM because they’re a great group!!! ^o^

[TRACK 1: Phantom City (feat. As One)]

I like the little announcement at the beginning (to be honest I don’t know what most of it meant. I understood “지금 팬텀 시티.” XDDD) Anyways, I LOVE this song! The chorus is so stylish! I couldn’t stop singing it “Phantom City baby~ every city we go… we gon’ take them down.” I like Hanhae’s verse. His style isn’t generic, which is why I became a fan when I heard his mixtape. There’s a lot of emphasis in his words, so you really feel the impact of the lyrics. Kiggen’s rapping has that Japanese influence which gives him a unique edge. As a fan of Japanese music too, I really appreciate the flow he adds to the group. Contrary to a lot of k-pop, Phantom don’t over use English; Sanchez is usually the one to add an English verse. His accent makes the English flow fluidly into the Korean, which I like! It’s more appealing than when the English is staggered as it often seems awkward. I like the overall message of the song, it’s like we’re here and we’ll fight to the top!

I just have this to say: 파이팅 Phantom!!! (^o^)v
This is one of my fave songs EVER! ♥

[TRACK 2: Burning] *title song*

This song has more of a standard format (verse-to-chorus / vocal-to-rap ratio) but it doesn’t make it any less interesting. As I said before, the blend of the member’s voices = pure genius! Seriously, I’ve been listening to their stuff since before the 1st teaser (19 song) I mean, Hanhae’s mixtape, Sanchez’ projects and Kiggen’s Hybrefine… nothing could prepare you for the epic range that is showcased in Phantom City. The music is soft in the verses so that you hear the fullness of the lyrics, then it picks up and gives the choruses a strong impact! The layered vocals and harmonies work so well. Another great song here!

[TRACK 3: Homeground (feat. Verbal Jint & Swings)]

Another one of my favourites! Who else loves Homeground? I like some of Verbal Jint’s stuff and I’ve heard a few features by Swings so that was a total bonus! I have to just say… I love the fact they have Japanese, Korean & English in this song! Songs should mix languages more often! I’m a fan of music AND languages so… WIN!!! XD I understood a lot of this song thanks to my previous Japanese and Korean lessons. I love the explanations and the Hometown pride!
I’d love to do a cover version with 4 other K-pop fans, talking about our own hometowns. The music sounds almost experimental in some parts, I really like the composition!

[TRACK 4: 미역국 (Seaweed Soup)]

Okay, I might as well say every song is one of my faves! XD This song is so cute! Phantom pull out hardcore rapping with deep lyrics, then give us a super 귀여운 song like this? That is what I look for in a group; variety! The vocals and rapping are light and soft like the music, creating a warm dreamy feeling. The piano intro is quite sweet. This song actually reflects real life… sometimes your obligations in life cause you to forget things like (in this case) a loved one’s birthday. My birthday is coming up soon, and I’ll be playing this song the day after… knowing that there’s an event I really want to go to in Japan. TT^TT

[TRACK 5: 어딘데 (Where You At?)]

어딘데 is quite mellow. It’s another cute song, but I really love the emotion in this one! The contrast of Sanchez’ strong high notes with Kiggen’s smooth deep voice and Hanhae’s versatile vocals fitting right in the middle, it creates a perfect balance. As you listen to it the song gets better and better, reaching a crescendo and ending softly.

[TRACK 6: Ice]

Ice a.k.a: Ice Point!!! This song, seriously this song… I remember hearing about Phantom getting the contract with Hite. I’d heard plenty of CF songs (I like a lot of them) and the last Hite one I heard was by Big Bang. It wasn’t bad, the video was hyped too; so I was eager to see what Phantom had in store for us! I NEVER expected to hear DuckSauce! XDDD I’m sure most people know DuckSauce’s Barbara Streisand? I know I spent hours on the Wii trying to master it on Just Dance! Well… Phantom managed to make it even more: dance, party, fun, summer, epic than ever before!!! Anyone need a pick-me-up song? This is the one! Just party! “It’s going down we gon’ party till midnight! It’s going down 세상을 얼려버려!” ♪┗(＾0＾)┓♪┏(＾0＾)┛♪

[TRACK 7: 얼굴 뚫어지겠다 (Hole In Your Face) (Re-Mastering Version)]

I’ve loved this song since it came out last year! I’ve tried singing it but I seriously can’t do it justice. I’ll never be able to upload a cover. This song has everything! Metaphorical lyrics, perfect rap and vocal transitioning, harmonies, catchy melody and the music matches nicely. I can’t praise this song enough!!! Just listen to it and you’ll understand why I’m so speechless.

[TRACK 8: Burning (instrumental)]

Well, that’s my review! Check out the MV for Burning here:

Sooo~ what did YOU think of Phantom City? ^^

[Review] Teen Top - To You (5th title song)

I’ve got to be honest… I’m not that much of a Teen Top fan. There’s moments when they’re amazing and others when I’m disappointed. We’ve seen Teen Top debut and always come back with a catchy and memorable title song (though “Crazy” wasn’t as memorable for me personally), and they DEFINATELY haven’t let us down this time!

“To You” starts off with a kind of retro sound (YES RETRO!!! MY WEAKNESS! XDDD). The ‘Oooooh~ ooooh~’ eases you into the song and gives a soft dance feel (but the ‘to you’ part sounds a little like ‘do you’ X’]). FINALLY Changjo gets a verse… his voice deserves it!!! He starts the song with such a smooth tone and the transition is perfect. The little music cut part just enhances the song! And when we hit the “매일 매일” (“everyday”) part… it’s too late to turn back!!! The song only gets better! The harmonies come in, leading us into the rap. The song is pretty soft in general, but the raps aren’t too over-powering!!! The vocal style at the end of both raps, make a perfect balance.

The MV, that music video……… my first reaction was: “OH MY ASDFGHJKL!!! Oh my asdfghjkl TIN TAP UPGRADED!!!! Seriously… I really can’t even!” Remember… I’m not much of a Teen Top fan! I listen to ‘Supa Luv’ and ‘향수 뿌리지마’ casually, I REALLY like ‘Beautiful Girl’, ‘First Kiss’ and ‘Girlfriend’… ‘Angel’ and ‘춤춰’ are good too. But I really don’t count them as a MAIN group that I listen to.

So… when it started, I was enjoying the music. Nodding my head a little bit until it cut. Slightly disappointed, but I pretty much expected it. After the music builds… you see the room for the main group dance cuts. That room…….. SO BEAUTIFUL!!! OH MY GOSH~ O.O I LOVE the camera angles and scene cuts for this MV!!! Once the dance started… I was blown away buy how much Teen Top had improved! I never thought much of their dancing before really. The chorus of “박수” was so easy, even I could do it…“Supa Luv” was only slightly harder. “향수 뿌리지마” was much better but now To You is just…. WOW!!! The moves are pretty old school~ but Teen Top do it well, and with style! To be honest… Changjo stole the show! X’D His dancing was so smooth yet sharp! I actually don’t like Chunji… but he really pulled off the dance move in his solo shot! Ricky was pretty good too~ but Changjo’s slick dance slide was epic though!!! I could have done without the drama scenes… the story was bland (all 6 of them after one girl that either rejected or never wanted them, there wasn’t much thought put into it) and that mini fight scene with L.joe and Chunji was very anti-climactic ne? >.> I demand a dance MV!!! XDDD *and I hate CAP’s hairstyle… just saying* That jacket move in the chorus at “니가 알리  없잖아” is slightly funny… but I think it works well! X’]

[Review] M.I.B - “ILLUSION” 3rd release

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~{the “After School” club}~ [REVIEW//Part2]

…aaaaaaand I’m back, with part 2!!! ^^

7 out of 13 tracks done, and on with number 8!!!

#8: Shigane Gidae-eo (Raina solo) » I’ve been a fan of Raina’s voice since she entered After School. I remember her duet with Jerry where she did his part (and he did the rap! XDDD) This was a well deserved solo~ very mellow and soft. Nicely controlled high notes and a perfect ending.

#9: Jal Jinaego Issjyo » I think it means like, “doing well” but anyway… it’s one of those ‘reflecting on past memories’ types of songs. Very strong vocal content in this ballad… to me, it’s a little reminiscent of Seo In Young’s “Sarangira sseugo, apeumira buleunda”. Strangely I don’t identify this as a typical AS song~ O.o I’m actually not sure who’s singing each part as I’m less familiar with their voices here. XDDD

#10: Funky Man [Nana Vs Lizzy] (feat. Pre-School Girl) » I thought to myself… *STOP!!! NOOOOOOO~ DON’T CLICK IT!!!!! DID YOU READ THE TITLE????!!!??!!!!* I’m NOT a Nana fan and I’m DEFINATELY NOT a Lizzy fan ¬.¬” and who’s Pre-School Girl? O.o A group? Debuted??? If not I suspect AS trainees!!! XD But back on track… I did give it a chance. I wasn’t convinced by the intro, but as it got further in the music got intresting~ I actually give it a *passable* grade!!! Some aspects inprove it, others are lame annoying I mean… not what I prefer. ^^” I’m not gonna put it on my MP4 any time soon but if you like… hm, let’s say A.pink, Dal-shabet, well that kind of K-pop route~ then you’d probably like it.

#11: My Bell (JungA solo) » After listening to this album I kinda needed a break from ballads… this was not it!!! TT.TT I’m not a fan of JungA, but I know she’s got a decent voice. I hoped for something upbeat, didn’t expect such a typical ballad from her. I mean… it was good!!! ^^ But there is A LOT of ballads on this album. Not that I don’t like ballads, I love them! ^^ But from AS I wasn’t expecting THIS MANY!!! o.o

#12: When I Fall (2011 ver.) » I loved the original song, after the last two songs with “2011” I wasn’t expecting much of a difference. But I really like the new composition!!! \(^,^)/ It’s almost a remix, but not too varied from the original style! This one officially gets my vote as best song! ♥

#13: Shampoo (radio edit.) » I believe this version is just shorter because they leave out the musical interludes used to fill the spaces in the “drama” portions of the MV. Nice way to end the album though! ^^

Its not an album I’d rush to get… but it’s pretty good overall. A lot of good content here from the AS girls! *But I’m hoping to hear some more upbeat songs in the future* XDDD Here’s the Shampoo MV for ya! ^^

~{the “After School” club}~ [REVIEW]

After School is a recent favourite (as I don’t listen to many K-pop girl groups) and I’ve been meaning to listen to their new album so I thought “Why not review it too?”. But first let’s do a recap!

Some older songs: Ah!, Diva, Amoled, Because of You, Bang!.

Ah! » The Original 5! *Kahi, JungAh, JuYeon, SoYoung, Bekah*
Catchy ne? I like the Bekah/Kahi rap-overlap “After School in the house~” XD

Diva » *Out with the old, in with the new* SoYoung leaves, UEE is added…
I haaaaated that song!!! “Diva diva di di di diva!” Bleh~ perky high pitched repetitiveness ¬.¬”

Amoled » Promoting AnyCall (Samsung) technology with Son Dam Bi
This one was really funny to me!!! “Amoled~ nan neomu yeppeo!” XDDD

Because of you » And we welcome Raina and Nana to the line-up~
I never really appreciated this song at first… it’s quite vocally interesting ne!

Bang! »  And here comes the new member Lizzy (UEE not promoting)
“T.R.Y. do it now! Can you follow me?” Yeah I can actually! XDDD I loved this song so much power!!! And their majorette routine… soouuu jjang!!! Let’s remind ourselves shall we?

And back to the present » As we know, Bekah will be AS’ 2nd graduate and the newest member is “Guitar girl” E-Young!!! So… let’s review the album: Virgin

Similarly, AS decided to kick off the album with some epic moves…
The “Let’s Step Up” MV is kind of a sequel/spin-off the “Shampoo” MV
But yeah I love how AS showcase their varied talents!!! ^^

#2: Shampoo » Light airy feel, makes me think of old J-pop songs I used to listen to! ^^ Surprising rap debuts by Nana and UEE, most surprising to me cuz they sounded pretty good!!! XDDD Bekah and Raina really stood out to me here vocally. I never understand why AS often mix light vocals and such static rap O.o? The rapping in this song could have been softened a bit more. I didn’t understand the fullness of the MV… but I heard a lot of people didn’t pick up on it either~ >.<

#3: Virgin » Love the intro~ very contrasting music to the song’s title!!! ^^ But as we slip into the chorus I’m becoming lost… the lyrics are pretty metaphorical right? But the tone switches from a really strong vocal style to a weak repetitive hook!!! *disappointing* I’d be more likely to “Play the song again~” if I had an instrumental version.

#4: Bang! (2011 ver.) » As soon as I read this I anticipated a good song… it sounded more dynamic to me! XDDD Really enhanced and stronger than before! Also Raina’s note seemed shorter? O.o Clearer… but shorter ne.

#5: Play Ur Love » Kahi, JuYeon, Raina & Nana. There’s actually an MV for this too~ it has a great acoustic guitar intro. I know AS is capable of some really awesome ballads, and this is no exception! I’m not keen on JuYeon & Nana myself… but with Kahi and Raina they really do make a great ballad group!

#6: Dream (feat. Pre-School Girl YunJo) » Okay… I have no clue who YunJo is… O.o but this song is cutesy peppy!!! It didn’t really catch my attention so I wanted to skip it, but it’s an okay song. Kinda reflects the “dream” theme… infact it could be a drama theme! XDDD I might learn to love it eventually ne?

#7: Neo Ttaemune (2011 ver.) » You might know this song better as ‘Because Of You’. Once again… a more enhanced version. Nothing much to say. No rain in the background, and I think they used less music too?

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Well that’s part one!!! ^^
Make sure to watch out for part 2