Woollim Entertainment’s new boy duo, Tasty, finally released their debut mini-album yesterday titled Spectrum!
I was disappointed to hear that they only released three full-length songs and an intro, but I’m still excited to hear their music. Woollim has made a name for themselves based on the quality of their artists’ music: Infinte, NELL, JiSun, and formerly Epik High. They are not the flashiest label, but they know how to foster some great artists. Continue reading
It’s been two years since “Hurricane Venus” stormed the charts but BoA is finally back with her 7th Korean album. BoA is a highly respected veteran (I can’t believe she’s only 26! She’s been around for so long) and I’m sure many people will be keen to see how well she does. This release follows two of the biggest veteran idols’ returns this year (that’ll be Shinhwa and Se7en).
After a stellar year atop everyone’s list of favorite artists in 2011, Beast comes back with their fifth mini-album, “Midnight Sun.” Because I truly loved their last album, I have very high expectations for their next. Inevitably, when they’ve set such a high standard for themselves, people would want to hear more and would anticipate an album that is as good as their previous one (Gee I wonder how Adele will follow up her album, that’s got to be a tall order).
T-ara seems to be on a roll lately. They produce new music so constantly that I feel like that it’s quite stupid to call this another comeback album since they don’t really leave. I mean, in order for one to truly have a comeback, one must have left a significant time. Even by K-pop hyperspeed standards, T-ara produces new music at a faster rate. Whether that actually affects the quality of their music seems to be out of the question. T-ara flip flops between sweet and adorable adolescent music (“Roly Poly,” “Lovey Dovey”) and then follow it up with a mature sound (“Cry Cry”, “Day by Day”). Apart from the repetition in their titles, T-ara seems to have found a comfortable pattern and in no way are they hurting themselves by doing this especially when they strike a chord with each turn at bat.
Super Junior has been around for a while now and they return with their sixth. As with their previous albums, this set only features ten of the thirteen members, with Heechul leaving for military service and his place replaced by a returning Kangin. This album can also be the last one for leader Leeteuk, who is nearing his military enlistment. What does that mean for this stalwart Kpop group? New directions apparently, as they explore new styles and different sounds.
Sistar made a stellar comeback with quite possibly my vote for best song of the year (unless someone comes out later in the year who can challenge that) earlier in April with ”Alone.” Like I’ve said in previous album reviews of SISTAR, I enjoy their music but more often than not do they come up with impressive lead singles but mediocre album tracks. In other words, their albums tend to only have one or two good songs with the rest of the album straddling the line between mediocre and just plain bad. That, however, is not a knock on SISTAR’s abilities at all. I have all the respect and admiration for the girls and I am glad that they are enjoying the awards someone of their caliber ought to enjoy. But in all honesty, their producers (that’s the Brave Brothers) often forego interesting musical choices for rehash of what they’ve done before.
G.NA is back with her latest mini-album after her success last year with “Top Girl” and “Black and White”, both helping her attain more notice for her sexiness, which radiates from her music. The Canadian-born singer’s newest album talks about more mature femininity. It shows in the album cover too, that G.NA is tackling an even sexier image than she’s ever put out before. I found her previous material to be lacking and thin but here’s hoping that she does impress with this album.
Girls’ Generation is, to say it gently, not my favorite group in K-pop. They, along with Super Junior, represent what I dislike about boy and girl groups. Sometimes, the group might be bloated with untalented girls and boys just because they fit a certain image. That is not to say that these people aren’t hardworking. It’s just that they are unnecessary fat that once trimmed might get to the tasty meat. With the first sub group of this aging band, Girls’ Generation did just that: trimmed the fat to the bare meat and bones of the group. This means that the three girls here represent the very best of the group. Taeyeon, Seohyun, and Tiffany are the most gifted singers and it shows here in this magnificent little album.
I am an unabashed fan of B1A4 since their debut last year with their first mini-album “Let’s Fly.” That album had one of my favorite songs of last year, “Only Learnt the Bad Things.” I still think they are the best debut of last year’s crop. Their second mini album was blissful if unintentionally funny due to the trademark bad Engrish that they have. Yet, for all the joyful idiocy in those songs, they are brimming with talent that it corrects all of the bad parts of it. For instance, “Beautiful Target” is fun even for all the bad English in it.
With their newest album, the boys are definitely straying away from their cute boy image that they’ve established in their second album. This new mature sound seems like a new chapter for the boys. To what extent are they successful in conveying that maturity is another thing.
4minute has always seemed like such a strange group to me. On first glance, they possess talent. Their are definitely good singers here but half of the time their voices seemed trapped in really lifeless or dull tracks. They definitely are beautiful to look at but their beauty isn’t really interesting, except HyunA, whose exaggerated features border on pornographic. There hasn’t been a release from them that thoroughly entertained me: “Heart to Heart” was interesting but doesn’t linger in my mind while their past songs seem to rest somewhere between dull or uninspired.
In fact, HyunA, the biggest star in the group, releases better music when she’s away from the group: Troublemaker’s success rests as much on her sex appeal and charms as it does on Hyunseung from Beast. “Bubble Pop” is a summer jam that hit a nerve around the world because it’s so catchy. Here, she’s a distraction, something that kind of ruins most of the songs because of the vast difference in their talents. I like HyunA by herself, but not when she’s in the group.
