Boy Band Got7 Comeback With the New Fourth Mini Album Mad

Got7 ~ Mad

Just two and a half months since their last release, 'Just Right,' GOT7 is back, and they're hoping you'll go  'Mad' for their latest EP.  "If You Do" is their title track, written by  Black Eyed Pilsung. The rap lyrics on much of the album were written by Jackson and  Mark (probably no surprise, since they've had a hand in the raps since  GOT7's debut). The Album released on September 28th 2015

The album kicks off with "If You Do," which starts off a bit reflective, and then transitions to a smooth bass-driven dance track. There's silky harmonies juxtaposed with raps, like in most songs these days. The song is an angry letter to a girl who mistreated them, but the tone of the chorus is a bit too upbeat. I like the raps, however, which get angrier and more aggressive over the course of the tune. The girl's voice basically telling them off mid-song is a nice touch, too. 

"Put Your Hands Up," despite many other songs with similar titles, is not a party song. It's primarily rap-driven, with repeated lines as hooks. Everything has a distinctive flow and actual singing is rare, adding to the in-your-face feel. The lyrics are pretty clever, using various lines from the Miranda rights as well as a metaphor of incarceration to show their anger towards a cheating woman. 

"Feels Good" is a dance song through and through. With a burping synth and smooth croons and rap interludes, it's well put together. Problem is, from the tune right down to the lyrics, it's a bit generic. It doesn't go with the concept in the teasers, nor does it bring anything new to the table. It's a slick, body-moving track, but ultimately, it feels like filler. 

"Good" is where the album picks up again. It starts like a normal pop song, and the raps come in, keeping time perfectly. I like some of the layering effects in the vocals, and how some of the raps sound naughty. Some of the lyrics reference other songs on the album, which is a growing trend I enjoy. The song itself is about confidence, which they appear to have in spades. 

The next track is "I Keep Looking," a playful song that starts out a bit stripped down, but picks up heft with the chorus, with a bouncy synth line and some killer rapping. I can rhapsodize all day about the tune and its sick hooks, but at the end of the day, it's all about a girl. 

"Tic Tic Tok" is probably the most mature-sounding song on the EP. That's not to say the others aren't, but this has a sensibility about it that sets it apart. It's got half-sung half-whispered vocals, and a nice bridge that sets up the chorus, along with some repetitive raps. The ever-present beats remind you that it's a dance tune, and a pretty good one, too. The song is asking for time to stop, so they don't miss a moment.

Track listing :

If You Do *Title Click Here
Put Your Hands Up Click Here
Feels Good Click Here
Good Click Here
I Keep Looking Click Here
Tic Tic Tok Click Here

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2015/09/album-mv-review-got7-mad

Girl Band Nine Muses Comeback With the New Fifth Mini Album Lost

Nine Muses ~ Lost

Nine Muses has dropped their new album, and they hope it won't be 'Lost' on fans. This is their third comeback this year, having released  'Drama' in January and 'Hurt Locker' in July. . The title track, , "Sleepless Night," was produced by Brave Brothers, and "TO.MINE" features lyrics written by the members themselves. Are you ready to give it spin?  

The first track, "a.m. 3:00" has an insistent piano line, like a ticking clock. You've done this too, whiling away in bed, awake, wishing you weren't. Ethereal and a bit eerie, this intro track is mostly about insomnia, leading into the title song. 

"Sleepless Night," a slow groove with an unknown singer crooning "Baby" in the background. It's kind of a swingy melody, punchy yet seductive. The Brave Brothers team has succeeded in crafting something original. The effects that make up the song are great, like the ticking clock that starts up again mid-bridge, the dialtone, etc. The piano is haunting by itself. The actual Hangul title of the song is "Can't Sleep, I'm Hungry," but the reason she can't sleep is because she can't stop thinking about the guy she lost.  

Next up is "Secret," which is what I would have used as a title song. I love the lonely, searching bleeps of the synth in the beginning that are joined by an electric guitar and a more filled-out tune. We still have the drip drop from the synthesizer throughout, giving body to this danceable, seductive track. There's a breathless quality here, that just adds to the tension before the chorus. The song itself is a sneaky encounter with a lover. 

We come to "Koong Chit Dak Chit," which is bold and brassy, and has a very different feel from the songs on this disc that we've heard thus far. The sassy horns are great, and the vocals on this track are strong and direct, the way they need to be given the subject matter. The song is about breaking up with a conceited loser -- no regrets.

"TO.MINE" is A folksy pop number with silky harmonies, sung to an acoustic guitar. I like it, because it's not entirely a ballad, but more a tune with a sweeping aesthetic. It's a pretty tune, and sometimes these girls sound so delicate in the arrangement. It's a pleasant finisher, a nice way to come down after the brattiness in "Koong Chit Dak Chit" and the urgency of "Secret." Put simply, it's an ode to a boy.

Track Listing :

a.m. 3:00 Click Here
Sleepless Night Click Here
Secret Click Here
Koong Chit Dak Chit Click Here
TO.MINE Click Here
Sleepless Night (Inst.) Click Here

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2015/11/album-mv-review-nine-muses-lost

Boy Band Topp Dogg Comeback with the Fourth Mini Album The Beat

Topp Dogg ~ The Beat

    After six albums (including one repackage), Dogg are back to show you 'The Beat.' Six new tracks for your listening pleasure, and one of those tracks is a solo track by member Sangdo. . 'The Beat' is their first EP without members Kidoh and Gohn, who recently left the group.

Backed by blazing guitars, the boys of Topp Dogg get right in your face with "Runaway." Rap and hard rock combine in a thrill-laden marriage, complete with melodic bridges and chorus and sick delivery. The lyrics are a bit different from what you might expect. There are references to  "hiding my real figure," "you and I are different beasts," "run in time with your heartbeat," and "Beauty and the Beast," among others. Just in time for Halloween - are they talking about a werewolf? 

Next up is their title track "The Beat," which, despite the name, is more melodious than "Runaway."  We've got pounding drums and guitars, a xylophone, and vague desert vocals in under the thundering vocals. I love the  "Day1, Day 2, Day 3" structure, and the pounding melody had me chanting  "No Mercy" right along with them. The message is about going for what you want and  "be a dream chaser."

"O.A.S.I.S," a funky track, has an amusing English fail in the beginning: "TD boys," their pronunciation straddles the line between hilarious and naughty. The song itself is a testament to how they can switch gears and make a song like this, reminiscent of Steely Dan with extended smooth croons and horns. The song itself is about a girl who is their oasis and"moistens the heart."

The fourth track, "All eyez on me," is a guitar-driven rap tune. It's got the noise and the sass to be a kickin' tune, and that's exactly what it is. One of the things I like about good hip-hop outfits is the attitude, and they bring that to the fore in the song.  "Let's dance everybody let's dance, we'll kick back the rest" is an awesome hook. 

"Emotion" is a body-moving funk tune. It's well-crooned, and quite danceable, but the the rap is a little jarring. Thankfully, it's short, and doesn't entirely ruin the piece. Emotion is a bit of a throwback, though with a bit of a modern sensibility to it as well. The song is about falling in love, and the depth of their "emotion."

"Sweetheart," the Sangdo solo, starts out as a ballad, but ends up being a sweet, mellow, finger-snapping piece of soul. Smooth as tiger fur, it's a great song because it shows that the boys are not just limited to rowdy rock and roll or funk but they can also croon with the best of them.  

Track Listing :

Runaway Click Here
The Beat Click Here
 O.A.S.I.S Click Here
All eyez on me Click Here
Emotion Click Here
Sweetheart (Sangdo Solo) Click Here

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2015/10/album-mv-review-topp-dogg-the-beat

IU Comeback With the Fourth Mini Album CHAT SHIRE

IU ~ CHAT SHIRE

After a much-lauded performance in 'Producers,' IU is back with her new album 'Chat Shire.'  This album contains a couple things that make it great right off the bat: One is that she wrote the lyrics herself (and actually produced  "The Shower"); produced "The Shower");the second is the EP contains the song she sang in 'Producers,' "Twenty-three." Don't look for her on TV, though, she's bringing her show to the fans on tour. The album released on October 23rd 2015.

"New Shoes" - a swingy jazz composition buoyed by IU's sweet voice. It's got a bouncy trot-like rhythm during the main verses, and the chorus has a nice, breathy end to it. The song's about more than just a new pair of shoes. She references red shoes (of course), but also Dorothy. It's about the exuberance, that spring in your step that carries you home.

"Zezé" - It starts out easy enough, with a pounding beat and a bouncy, jazzy style, but she practically spits the chorus in defiance. I love the way this song is put together, each part is definitely its own, but it flows together so well. The inspiration for the song is the book 'My Sweet Orange Tree', about a boy who's gentle one moment, and the next moment he's malicious. "I become the Minguinho (tree) and the song contains my message for Zezé," she says of the song. She wrote the lyrics to be deliberately open to interpretation.

"Twenty-three" - The standout song on the album, definitely jazzy, and high energy. You can hear a lot of Cindy in here, a bit of rebellion the way it's sung. It's inspired by the Cheshire Cat from 'Alice in Wonderland'. When Alice asks the cat for directions, he gives her a vague answer. It's about growing up and not knowing what you want to do.

"The Shower" - A soothing, low-tempo track, with a quiet guitar to back our angel-voiced singer. There's a harmonica that also does some time here as well, adding a bit of hope to the tone. IU gives her voice an ethereal quality, which helps with the reflective, pensive tone that this song requires. It ends with the very same line it begins with, and she's asking a lover what was important to them while standing in the rain. 

"Red Queen" - With this song, IU picks up the pace again, starting out with a peppy drum track and launching straight into the song. Rapper Zion.T is on this track, and I had my reservations, initially -- it's just not that kind of song. But he doesn't rap so much as sing, and the combination works. She drew inspiration from a picture drawn by f(x)'s Sulli: the Red Queen in 'Through the Looking Glass.' She tried to make the Queen a sympathetic character. Did it work? I'll leave that for you to decide.  

"Knee" - Another reflective song, with some lovely emotional delivery. A slow piano, and a layered chorus help give it a very lush feeling. The nice thing is that it's never over the top -- it works perfectly with IU's voice, even when a violin comes in to keep us company. A reworked pre-release track, this song was written in a moment of self-doubt during a sleepless night, and she missed being able to rest her head in grandma's lap and enjoy some worry-free rest. 

"Glasses" - A quiet song, that has a bit of swing and a bit of sass. There's a wonderful, epic surprise waiting for us when it hits the chorus: one of the best transitions to a time change I've heard.  Mid-tempo, soothing, yet original, this is a great way to finish an album like this. It's a song about seeing things the right way.

Track Listing :

New Shoes Click Here
Zezé Click Here
Twenty-three Click Here 
The Shower Click Here
Red Queen Click Here
Knee Click Here
Glasses Click Here

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2015/10/album-mv-review-iu-chat-shire

Kyuhyun Comeback With the Second Mini Album Fall Once Again

Kyuhyun ~ Fall, Once Again

Super Junior's Kyuhyun charmed us last year with his solo debut mini-album and the ballad "At Gwanghwamun." He's back with a new mini-album, 'Fall, Once Again,' full of touching ballads and just in time for a solo concert in  SM Entertainment's 'The Agit' series. The album includes the title song "A Million Pieces" and the Kyuhyun-composed piece "Ways To Say Goodbye.". The album released on October 14th 2015.

Tenderly sung, Kyuhyun reins in his voice for "A Million Pieces," which makes it work better in my opinion. It brings a soft emotion to the track and works nicely with the message of the lyrics.  I don't think it's as lyrically evocative as "At Gwanghwamun," but it's still pretty. The message is upbeat, singing to a girl he loves, saying he can't live without her. 

"Remember Me" starts out as a pensive track. The bulk of the track is warm and quiet, but towards the end treads into power ballad territory with pleading vocals telling us all about love and loss. The lyrics talk about a girl who left him, but he still loves her and asks her to remember him. 

"Autumn Sleeves" is a guitar-driven track, and Kyuhyun gently describes the scene to us in his comforting voice. The tension builds in the end, his vocals changing to yearning and wounded. The song is about finding a sweater in the closet, bringing back painful memories.

The more uptempo "Piano Forest" is a nice little ditty. It more properly belongs in the soft rock realm and wouldn't have been out of place on '70s radio. His vocals give you a bittersweet feeling. The song has very evocative lyrics, appealing to the five senses, evoking the feeling of walking on the dry and colorful leaves of autumn.

"Because I Miss You" is a wistful and sincere piece, and the piano accompaniment is very understated. Kyuhyun's clear voice is very soothing here, and we almost see him penning a tear-stained love letter to a lost love. The lyrics are pretty unambiguous on this point: nostalgia dominates his heart and thoughts, and he just wants to see her today.

The sixth track, "Wind," is a very stripped-down number. A piano and acoustic guitar are his only companions on this song. His voice is occasionally angst-ridden, and it sounds like he misses his lover very much. It's smooth and soul-baring, and what we've come to expect from Kyuhyun. The wind brings a familiar scent to his nostrils, the scent of a lover who is only a memory.

"Ways To Say Goodbye" is the final track, penned by Kyuhyun himself. It starts out slower than the other tracks, but it soon picks up a lot of production backing him, with orchestral flourishes and even a beat. He uncages his voice on the last half of the tune, and it soars like a freed bird. He is telling a lover that he's back, if she wants him. 

Track Listing :

A Million Pieces Click Here
Remember Me Click Here
Autumn Sleeves Click Here
Piano Forest Click Here
Because I Miss You Click Here
Wind Click Here
Ways To Say Goodbye Click Here

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2015/10/album-mv-review-kyuhyun-fall-once-again

Boy Band VIXX Comeback With the Second Album Chained Up

VIXX ~ Chained Up

After nine months away, VIXX releases their second full album. Known for their unique and dark concepts, they're back and all 'Chained Up' in love. In addition to 9 brand new tracks, the LP contains their hits  "Error" and "Eternity," as well as the Korean version of "Can't Say."

"Mistress" is the intro song, an unsettling tune filled with vague synth notes and eventually acquiring a creepy piano line. I'm not going to point out the obvious parallels between this song and the next one that discusses chains... :)

As a change of pace, we have "Chained Up," their title track. It starts out a bit creepy with ominous vocals and whispers, but soon it's unchained and goes full-on dance for the chorus. It uses synth washes really well, and Ravi busts out the raps that make this song awesome. The message is that the guys are chained to her, and they couldn't leave if they wanted to. 

"Maze" is another dance song in the same vein of "Chained Up" with some significant differences. Again we have the whispers, but this time they are seductive, not spooky. It also uses guitars and has an absolutely killer hook: "running running Maze." The lyrics talk of how being with her is like running through a maze; they can't get out.

They mellow out for "Stop It Girl," a sweetly-sung, guitar-driven ballad. The other instrumentation is fairly minimal until the end, highlighting the pretty amazing vocals. I like the stop-start transition between verses and the chord progression that heads progressively down mid-verse, adding some unique elements to the track The lyrics tell the tale: "I can't watch / you talking to some other guy." 

Genre-bending "Hot Enough" is a mid-tempo funk song with some decidedly modern elements. It works pretty well, and there's a killer rap in the bridge that blends nicely with the smooth croons here. Hot enough is a song that describes in detail an encounter with a lover. 

I was a little disappointed in "Spider." It starts out promising with auto-tuned vocals and an eerie intro, but then it kind of degenerates into a generic dance song. There's nothing wrong with it overall, it's just that the energy is lacking here. I like how they compare the girl to a poison spider -- I like the concept here a lot. 

"Out of Sorts" is a happy, mid-tempo, soft rock tune standing in defiance of the creepy concept. There are soft, soaring vocals that make this song a soothing one. The band is not really "out of sorts" here at all -- the song is about how they've never met a girl like her.  

"Heaven" - Nice, light, and poppy, this is another tune where you wonder where the dark concept went. Which is okay because it's a fine tune in spite of the concept drift, with clever lyrics and a fixation that is dangerously close to cute. The song says the boys will be her"A.N.G.E.L."

In case you couldn't guess from the title, "Us Now" is a sweeping ballad about how they're different now, but they're still together. At times tender, at times airy, it tends not to descend into pure schmaltz, and the emotion in the vocals seems pretty sincere. 

The next three have already been released, and if you're a fan, you've got your own opinions. They fit pretty well with a dark concept: "Eternity" has to do with love being a nightmare that never ends, the singer is calling himself a coward for letting her go in "Error," and what they  "Can't Say" is the truth about wanting a girl.  

This is a pretty solid pop album. The dance songs are catchy for the most part with killer hooks and awesome raps. The ballads are great installments, too, with unique elements that help them pop. And the older tracks stand as a comparison, and they haven't changed much at all, still able to deliver a slick collection of songs. They've even changed up genres to show off their talents. If you're a Starlight, you owe it to yourself to give this one a spin. 

Track Listing :

Mistress Click Here
Chained Up Click Here
Maze Click Here
Stop It Girl Click Here
Hot Enough Click Here
Spider Click Here
Out of Sorts Click Here
Heaven Click Here
Us Now Click Here
Eternity Click Here
Error Click Here

Can't Say Click Here

Source : http://www.allkpop.com/review/2015/11/album-mv-review-vixx-chained-up