Teen Top ~ Red Point/ Warning
Sign
TEEN TOP recently
dropped their track "Warning
Sign" off their 'RED POINT'
"Warning Sign" has many appealing elements that
make it a worthwhile listen! From its deeply toned beat, the guitar strumming
that follows throughout, paired with tenor/falsetto pitches, the song gathered
these sounds together wonderfully. My favorite aspect is the rich instrumental!
It really sets a mood and picks up the pace for the individual moments
occurring in the song. It opens with a strong bass strum and drum snare, taking
you into a different direction before the rest of the instrumental kicks in.
I'm happy it didn't keep a dependent groove sound entirely like 2PM's "My House", because it'd become generic fast. The glittering
sound during Chunji's bridge is another whimsical
aspect that makes the song have a mysterious atmosphere alongside the lyrics.
I personally feel the MV was successful in adding flavor to
the story. The beautiful sapphire dice and hourglass emphasis that the
relationship is just, sadly, another game, even the scenes by the stairs, seem
like a lost labyrinth. I also love the melting licorice color drooling down the
roses, lavishly decorated walls, and angels because it is a metaphor for a
tainted purity. The image you first see can be quickly swallowed up by
something different. The rich white manor becomes quickly darker and in
disarray, symbolizing that the rich intimacy built between them is now being
destroyed. When it comes to the boys' visuals, a mature feminine look was
offered with only Ricky seeming the most
masculine in style. Yet I like that TEEN TOP can bounce back in forth between
fragile features to suave charms. It is not an easy concept to pull, just like
girls groups who want to be cute and sexy all at once.
This song is more of a
relatable message than merely an enjoyable beat. The opening lyrics"You
wanna play girl? No more games. Now it's over," rubs off as a
confident player vibe who knows how to win the game, especially in the way it
was said. However, the lyrics offer a different story with the chorus stating "I
won't be fooled again, I should get away from you, baby." I like
the take on this storyline as it depicts a man who isn't sad he finally caught
on to his girl's antics, but was weary from the start and feels victorious from
catching her in the act. The song reminds me of Rihanna's "Take
a Bow" as their lyrics share a message that this game, or
"show," is over now and everyone can see right through them. I like
the intensity in most of Neil's and Chunji's lines because they
push the listener to believe that their lover was caught red handed in the act
rather than confronting them after the fact. "I know what's inside
your innocent looking eyes" is my favorite verse because I think
it displays that deceiving monster everyone may meet in any relationship.
Alongside the praise,
there are a few aspects of this song I simply don't care for. For starters, I
thought the chorus was a little weak. I understand that this song opted for a
smoother take but songs like "To You" and even "Ah
Ah" incorporated a catchier chorus while maintaining a sound that glides
from your ears into your mind. Secondly, I thought some portions of the rap
were a little lackluster. Lyrically, it didn't carry as much depth as the rest
of the song intended. The lines "Everything you did. Every single
thing. When I look back. I can't forgive you. I just can't," are
unique for only one reason. I feel the sudden shift in music brings me into L.Joe's
mind, as it reminds me of when TV shows have that dream sequence music for a
character's thoughts. You can tell the lyrics are a conversation of thoughts
that are quickly pacing throughout his head rather than being said. The sudden
picked up pace of the electric guitar strumming matched with Niel's adlibbing
and snaps build up an intensity that L.Joe's mind is about to burst and he is
ready to shout the first words that come to mind, offensive or not. That is
when it brings life to the chorus "Your cruel excuses are making
me mad."
Diving deeper into the
album, the second track "Don't Go" is likable right off the
bat. It has a intimate sound with lots of R&B influence. It is another
instrumental that gives life to the song with more glittering sounds and
everyone's voices can shine well, as it especially suits L.Joe's and C.A.P's
rapping charisma and, as expected, Niel and Chunji's steady and high vocals.
Check out the album preview clip to get a taste of what I'm talking about!
"Day"
is a real favorite of mine! That sassy saxophone and soft piano play
beautifully together. Rapping is also a big feature in K-Pop songs these days
and it definitely pushes C.A.P's and L.Joe's voices to the front more than the
other songs. I hope this is a song they will promote with as well if they
choose another song from their album.
The album really built a
solid amount of ballads, and "Liar" is no joke! The violins
are so magical and revitalizing to hear instead of the constant acoustic guitar
strumming and snaps that seem to be an ongoing sound in this album. I like how
much "Liar" carries that same pained love from "Warning
Sign" with its thought out lyrics. The tender "oohs" warm
my heart, especially when the boys sing so gracefully. The track isn't filled
with too many loud notes, which boosts the peaceful atmosphere the song
carries.
"Day After Day"
is the vitamin C this album needed. The songs seemed to follow a more mellow
flow but this track offers up some light-hearted feels instrumentally. The
synthesizing sounds that ride up and down in each bridge make it a real head
swaying jam. I appreciate that the song dips from a comforting sound back to
something with a more infectious melody.
The last track "Don't
Drink" is another suave sound that is playful with its sounds and
interactive lyrics, with the side conversations playing in the background.
However, I'm not a big fan of too many side convos added in songs because I'd
rather hear adlibs which, to my delight, Niel happily delivered and goes hard
in for each and every verse. The song's "La La La La La" verse
at the end is energetic despite sounding soft. If I had to pick a summer song
from this album, this song works wonders on anyone's mood simply because of the
carefree, sunny attitude.
The album is nicely done but after a while it was too calming
for me. It wasn't putting me to sleep but I wouldn't be surprised if I did put
these songs on to fall asleep to. Overall, the promotional track was well done
and gives character to the image the boys worked so hard to personify. I think
the tracks worth listening to first are "Don't Drink" and "Day"
because it offered more variety to their musical abilities without escaping the
overall smooth as butter concept. I appreciate the personality shown in each
track of the album, which is why I score 'RED POINT' so generously. Keep doing
your thang TEEN TOP!
Track Listing :
사각지대 (Warning Sign)
*Title Click Here
가지마 (Please, don`t go) Click Here
Day Click Here
Liar Click Here
기다리죠 (Day after Day) Click Here
술마시지마 (Don`t drink) Click Here
가지마 (Please, don`t go) Click Here
Day Click Here
Liar Click Here
기다리죠 (Day after Day) Click Here
술마시지마 (Don`t drink) Click Here
