BigBang The 4th Mini Album CD Review

V.I.Ps, and kpop fans alike, rejoiced when it was revealed that BigBang would return once again to the korean music scene. aside from solo projects and numerous cellphone ads, the 5-member group had virtually disappeared from korea for a long 2 years and 3 months. instead, they turned their attentions to an overseas market, releasing several jpop mini albums. because of this long absence, fans [like myself] were ecstatic about their comeback...counting down the days until the mini album's release date: february 24.

way back in 2008, BigBang released "remember"--an album that was practically perfect in every way. [and my personal favorite BigBang CD.] but since then, the kpop market has changed with the emergence of many new super popular boy bands [2PM, b2st, etc etc etc]. however, i believe that BigBang's 4th mini album--while being reminiscent of old BigBang--also shows that they have grown and matured as a group. it shows that they've still got "it"--the ability to dazzle audiences and dominate music charts.

like previous BigBang albums, the 4th mini album showcases their unique talents and abilities. and that's the primary reason why i like BigBang so much--they stand out against other kpop boy bands. because they [well, g-dragon...] write their own music, they are able to create unique, meaningful lyrics. additionally, they have shown both the unwillingness to compromise their creative integrity and the refusal to conform in a notoriously cookie cutter industry. [don't get me wrong, i LOVE me some kpop...but these days, they've been deputing so many new bands in a relatively small time frame, that everyone begins to look and sound the same...]

that being said...i was somewhat disappointed when i discovered that the new BigBang album would be just a mini album containing only 6 songs [one of which is an intro track]. i am impatient...greedy for more BigBang--NOW. however, the cd definitely lived up to my standards...and the hype that was created for it.

the album:

ok, so the cover art is a silver, metallic skull wearing headphones. umm, it's kind of creepy, not gonna lie. except for the sparkly-ness, i'm not sure that it exactly fits with their image...i mean, it's more like something i'd expect to see on a death-metal cd, not kpop. but, whatever.

the actual cd booklet, on the other hand, is super colorful. love it. the bright designs break up the monotony of the black/silver exterior, and their fashions are bold and unique.

the songs:

intro (thank you and you): even though this is only a short intro track, i really love it. the beat is super dance-y...it makes me excited to listen to the rest of the cd. which is kind of the point of an intro track anyways.

however, the hook--"i'm fine, thank you and you?"--is pretty much the entire english repertoire of most korean students [in my experience]. so thank you, BigBang; i now get to spend the rest of my esl teaching career listening to students sing this at me every time i ask "how are you?". [also, i'm pretty sure that the majority of my students only know kpop english...they can only recite the days of the week to the tune of "mazeltov" by ze:a, and any time they try to apoogize for something it's either sung as "sorry sorry sorry sorry" ("sorry sorry" by super junior) or "i'm so sorry but i love you" ("거짓말"--"lies" by bigbang). but i digress...]

hands up: this song was previously released on one of their japanese mini albums [last fall, i believe]. at the time, i didn't particularly care for the song...but i fell in love with it after hearing it performed live at the YG Family concert in december. other than the obvious fact that the language is different, the korean version on this mini album doesn't sound very different. it has a classic BigBang feel to it music-wise. the biggest difference that i noticed [between the japanese and korean versions] is in T.O.P's rap--which sounds better in the korean version--because he does a different thing to his voice; it's super hott.

tonight: this is the main title track from the album, and it is brilliant. the musical part is pop-y and dance-y, but at the same time it has a more mature, darker feel to it. they blend the contrasting tones of each of their 5 voices to create a uniquely beautiful song. the highlight of the song is towards the end--the music climaxes and suddenly stops, leaving a lone acoustic guitar playing the haunting melody, accompanied by vocals. i really love the use of falsetto during the chorus; it fits perfectly with the mood of the song.

somebody to love: this track was also a previously released jpop song [i think it was on the same mini album as "hands up"]. i loved it when i first heard it in japanese, and i still love it now. this song also has a classic BigBang feel to it. it's dance-y, pop-y, exciting, and fun. the chorus is essentially them declaring that they "want somebody to love", which i'm pretty certain has every girl screaming "I'M RIGHT HEREEEEE--LOVE ME!!" [or, maybe that's just me...]

what is right: this song reminds me of something that i'd listen to while driving in my car on a warm summer day with the windows down. it's a cute, fun song. it's not brilliant, and BigBang has certainly released better tracks [umm, "하루하루", "거짓말", "마자막 인사"..."day by day", "lies", "last farewell"...]. but it definitely gets your foot tapping, and it is legitimately fun to listen to.

cafe: ok. so this is probably my favorite song on the entire mini album. the very appropriately named "cafe" begins with a jazzy-sounding piano, accompanied by T.O.P's deeply sexy voice 13 seconds in. [i've literally listened to that part probably a million times...for optimum listening experience, i recommend earbuds, not speakers...it sounds like he's speaking right into your ears. not gonna lie, i died a little bit...] this song features silky smooth vocals from all 5 members--definitely showcasing their undeniable talent. taeyang's and g-dragon's falsetto parts do not disappoint, and they sound amazing together. daesung's voice sounds raw and passionate when he declares "you don't need me anymore". and seung ri's voice has a pure, yet mature quality to it [after all, he is only 20...]. i'm pretty sure this song has made me fall head-over-heels in love with all 5 of them. and it also gives me a craving for caramel machiattos...

my overall assessment of BigBang's The 4th Mini Album is that it is a great cd. i would definitely recommend it for both diehard V.I.P's and casual kpop fans. it features a great mix of old and new BigBang sounds. each track is different, and presents different emotions. both the music and the lyrics show how the boys have grown up and matured since the release of "remember", yet they still remain true to the unique style that made them famous to begin with.

good job, BigBang...your newest mini album definitely does not disappoint!!

[as an added bonus, here is "cafe" from the new mini album...listen to it, fall in love with them, and you'll understand what i was talking about...]

GD&TOP CD review

after eagerly waiting for what seemed like an eternity, GDTOP's album was finally dropped on christmas eve [as a special music treat for V.I.Ps//music lovers//people with ears//women everywhere]. i snatched it up the second that i found it, put it on my iPod approximately 5 minutes later, and haven't stopped listening to it ever since. [seriously, this album is the perfect soundtrack for: walking, sleeping, eating, putting on makeup, planning lessons, studying korean, taking the subway, working out, doing laundry, cooking, etc. etc. etc.]

now, before i start with my review i feel compelled to state that i absolutely adore bigbang and each of it's 5 members. but G-Dragon and T.O.P have always been my favorites. i think that everything GD does is fireeee: he's a talented singer/rapper/songwriter. i mean, i'll occasionally question his fashion choices [umm, GD, what's with the black skirt you're wearing in the heartbreaker video? and seriously, what's with the new hair? you look like "my little pony". for real.] nonetheless, i'd still consider him to be a fashionista and all-around cool guy. and then there's T.O.P. sigh. i freaking love him. i mean, i'd buy tickets to an event called "T.O.P standing on stage doing absolutely nothing for 3 hours". oh yeah. and if he did a song called "T.O.P singing the phone book", i'd more than likely think it was the awesomest thing ever. seriously. i want to marry this guy.

okay. all that being said, there is absolutely no way in the world that i can write a review completely devoid of personal bias. but i will definitely try my hardest, dear readers^^

***

i liked the cd before i even opened it. [based on purely aesthetic reasons, obvi.] it's black and simple, with a gold/paisley "playboy bunny" on the front. [i've also seen pink and silver bunny cases.] it's sleek, classy, simple--while at the same time being ostentatious and blingblingy. it's like GD&T.O.P are saying "hey, we're bad boys...but look how cool and smooth we are." it seems to fit their image quite well. the cd itself is really pretty and colorful-->like. and the album art...i really can't comment on this without being biased: i like anything that's a picture of GD or T.O.P, regardless of the crazy outfits/makeup they are wearing. [and there are some fashion disasters in these pictures...mostly just the weird fur stuff...it makes GD look like a woman.] ps~~the cd also came with a poster. it's pretty much the hottest thing ever.

ok, now on to the music!

intro: the cd starts off with an engaging old school beat with a deep voice shouting "brothers and sisters!" it gets me pumped up and excited everytime. in the first verse, GD sings about how awesome he is [literally, the lyrics are about how everyone wants/loves him], and in the second verse, T.O.P takes over to rap about how he's much different from what people think of him [classic bad boy...sigh]. and then at the end, GD introduces all of the songs in a really cute way. [ps~~when you're as smoking hott as GD and T.O.P, you can totally get away with singing songs about being awesome. it's not cocky if it's truth.]

high high: this song has been rocking the korean airwaves since it's release on the digital single two weeks ago. it has a super dancey feel to it; the chorus is especially addicting. everytime i hear it [regardless of where i am] i just can't resist doing the dance to it. [seriously, i'm listening to it right now, and i even stopped typing just so i could dance.] anyways, the song is great. GD and T.O.P really compliment each other, vocally and stylistically [is that even a word??]. it's so great to finally hear them as a bigbang sub-unit. also, i have no idea what "ghetto electro" means, but i fully intend on using it in daily conversation.

oh yeah: this song features 박봄 [park bom] from 2NE1. her voice is so beautiful on this song. the 3 of them blend so well together--the chorus sounds amazing. definitely no complaints about this song.

집에 가지마 [don't go home]: this song has a total 80s pop-ish feel to it. T.O.P's rap works really well when paired with GD's high, melodic voice during the chorus.

baby good night: everything about this song is sexy. it starts with a girl's voice, speaking in french. [and it confirmed my sneaking suspicion that GD is totally in to french girlsㅋㅋ] GD's voice sounds really good on this track. especially on the chorus--his high voice singing "baby good night" against T.O.P's husky "don't wanna say goodbye"--wow. just wow. and then the song ends with the same girl speaking in french. the whole track is just...sexy.

뻑이가요 [knock out]: this is easily my favorite track on the entire cd. the rap is tight. and the beat...holy crap, the beat. it's just sounds so raw and fresh. this song perfectly suits T.O.P's deep voice, and it's amazing. the only thing more amazing than listening to it on the cd is seeing it performed live. the song is so fun, and the bass is so tight during the live performance. everything about this song is absolute fire.

oh mom [T.O.P solo]: this song is a huge change from 뻑이가요 so it's kind of strange that it follows that on the cd. anyways, i was kind of worried when i heard that T.O.P would be singing a song. he always only raps or speaks during bigbang songs. i think he's sung like 30 seconds total. but, for a man whose voice so perfectly fits the very essence of rap music, he's actually quite good at singing rock. his deep, husky voice sounds really good on this song [but the lyrics are really sad].

악몽 [obsession//GD solo]: this is probably my 2nd favorite song on the cd. the chorus is so addicting, and i really love the beat and rhythm. it makes me wanna get up and dance! my only complaint: GD, you have a great voice~~why so much autotune?!?!

오늘따라 [today of all days//T.O.P solo]: gahhh, T.O.P's voice. enough said. [ps~~i love the part where he sings "i can do dat" ㅋㅋ]

어쩌란 말이냐? [what do you mean?//GD solo]: ok, not gonna lie. i absolutely did not like this song the first time i heard it. but, the more i listen, the more it has grown on me. it sounds like a hoedown. if i ever see this performed live, i fully expect GD to be wearing full cowboy get-up while square dancing around the stage. the best part is towards the end when GD says "가지마! [don't go!]" in a whiny voice--it's cute.

turn it up [T.O.P solo]: this song was officially released along with it's music video this past summer. so everyone's already heard it and knows that it's fire. and also that it has the greatest music video of all time--three and a half minutes of T.O.P looking super fine and doing things like: sitting in a giant coffee cup, playing piano on a girl's back, holding a gun, and doing the "baby bird" dance.

***

i definitely recommend purchasing this cd [support the artist]!!

opinions?? what do you think of the cd??

To Anyone

my after school mission was highly successful. i managed to acquire 2NE1's first full-length album, To Anyone which was released today. i then promptly uploaded it to my iPod and raced off to the gym to give it a listen while running.

to be honest, i was impressed before i even listened to the music. the album art, in my opinion, is brilliant. each of the members shows a different look, and everything from their hair, to their makeup, to their clothing style is so cool! additionally, the lyrics and the thanks pages are all handwritten copies, adding a really unique touch.

i was hooked from the first song (can't nobody). it's happy and upbeat and the perfect soundtrack for a workout. my favorite song from the album is without a doubt 박수 쳐 [clap your hands]. it's just so catchy. but all of their songs are; they're so easy to listen to, and they make it easy to really get in to the music. another favorite of mine from this album is 아파 (slow). the song perfectly showcases each of their voices (and they are amazing singers).

the cd also includes previously released solo songs from the girls. of these, my favorite is most definitely "please don't go" by c.l. and minzy. but then, this shouldn't come as much as a surprise since they are my absolute favorites from the group. (especially c.l.)

as a bonus, the cd includes a reggae mix version of the song that put them on the map, "i don't care". since i absolutely love this song, i was really skeptical about the reggae version. but the mix just works. it seems to fit the song perfectly.

basically, i think it's a great cd, and i would absolutely recommend it. the majority of the songs are up-beat and dancey, but it does include slower songs that showcase the four girls' strong vocal talent. unlike a lot of kpop out now, they kept the autotune to a minimum. a good thing, for people who actually want to hear the singers. i don't really know what else i can say about this album [i feel like i've already praised it enough ㅋㅋ] except GO BUY IT. NOW. it'll be well worth your 14,000 won.