Some Nice Comebacks

There were a few comebacks in July...I kind of missed them a little. The whole month had been so full and I didn't have time to check on much.

My favorite comeback, and maybe biased, is Block B's. It has no drama, no real plot, colourful images and deeper concept if we talk about music. I love it. It's so crazy and makes you question their cerebral activity and where the heck it's going to. So yes, I love it.

Another comeback that I truely enjoyed was Infinite's. Their comeback song, Back, sounds so Woolim-ish and Infinite-ish that it was hard to miss. Their songs are so catchy that you cannot not listen to them. In the last two years or so, Infinite definitely made some changes in their style. Besides that, SungJong looks so manly now. I am amazed by their stylists and well, maybe a late puberty. Anyway, there's definitely something going on in his body. The rappers sing, everyone sings in 'Back'. I like that.

Jung JoonYoung is an artist that I'm always going to look forward to. He is very independent and has his own style and concept. He wants to show different sides of him but at the same time, different sides of the rock/pop music. I think he did an excelent job so far.His newest album sounds completely different than his first. This one goes more towards the alternative sound than his last. It has more upbeat songs and his voice sounds better. He puts his personality in his music and it's so audible lol

GOT7 had a pretty good comeback too. The boys are young and they needed a yoouthful concept. "A" is a good song. I enjoy the dance, as well. They seem like they have a lot of fun with it and you can see how much they enjoy each other. To me, they look like a real young boy band. They look like family and that will help them a lot in the future. Anyway, the song is joyful and colourful and perfect for summer. It's also catchy and puts you in a good mood.

Surprisingly, I listened to F(x)'s comeback song more than once. At first it sounded like a mess. I still think that. But I like the mess. The chorus is very catchy and the concept itself is interesting. Red Light seems promising but I don't know just how promising. It doesn't seem like it will last for very long.

One comeback that made me stop and think a little was Solo Day by B1A4. These guys changed the most in the K-pop industry (from my point of view). They started off as childish, colourful and common and got to the point where I actually aknowledge them. And it's not only me. In Korea people say that B1A4 is for young people, for kids. That is true from some aspects but they have so many faces that we didn't see yet. I have big expectations from them because I know they can pull it off. This song is good for summer, for radio, for anyone who wants to relax. It's that song you listen to on the way to the beach.

Throughout Time- B1A4

Another band that surprised me is B1A4. These guys started as a happy and colorful band. It was nice and they had catchy songs but something was missing. They weren't really original and were still childish. They were a band for middle school girls.

Slowly, B1A4 changed. They tried a bohemian style with Tried to Walk and it triggered something in my mind. They were growing up. They decided to show their true selves and true music. That album was good. It wasn't impressive but it had potential. Baro's soft voice was a big good point. They all have soft voices.

Now, Lonely really captivated me. That song is great from many points. Firstly, it's personal. What people don't seem to understand is that the best music is the personal one. You can't express something that you never experienced. It sounds false no matter what. But when you get involved into the process of making music, thibgs change. Their newest album is amazing. I like ballads. Since I compose ballads I am also very mean when it comes to opinions. I don't approve just any ballad. Their album is pop/ballad/jazzy. It is a good combination. I enjoy listening to their voices and mostly, how they expressed themselves in it. They want to show how much they have grown and that's good.

Besides their music, they have grown as men too. They still look young but they think and see the world a little bit different than before. I like how they go with simple. Simple is always the best in anything. It never grows old or boring. Or, not in my point of view. Not everyone agrees with me.

What I wanted to say is that this band is good. I am very curious what they will create next. What they will want to express next.

Good Year-Best Albums of 2012

Until now, there have been a lot of new releases. A Hell lot of them! From my point of view maybe just half of them are really good and entertaining. The industry of K-pop, most of the time, is concentrated on the looks and on the perception of the fans, who love a good looking guy more than a talented one so the companies tend to make danceable songs so the hot ones would show off. However,  this year brought a lot of truthfully good songs. The older bands improved a lot and the rookies have done a great job. There are just 5 albums in my top and I asked more than just a few people for an opinion. I also asked non-k-fans who have been very helpful.

On the first place, in my point of view, is Blockbuster. No matter how you look at it, the album has everything it needs, from bad ass rap songs to melancholic ballads. Also, fans have been very receptive mostly because this album was long awaited for. Every song makes a deep impression and that's been proved. So Block B's Blockbuster is definitely the best album of 2012.

Second place goes to Big Bang's Still Alive. Besides the fact that I'm a VIP, their comeback came like a serious bang. Every song comes from their own experience and it's obvious they've grown very much since their début  which was a few long years ago. Their vocals also improved and eve if TOP's dance moves are bad, like always, they know now how to make them funny and attractive. Daesung's voice is amazing and he has a lot more parts now where he shows a cool side of him. They've done something more emotional, more personal and it sounds good.

On the third place is SISTAR. I'm not such a big fan but Hyorin's voice always attracts my attention. She's also really pretty and the dance moves these girls pull off aren't that easy as they look. Their mini-album, Alone, is one of my favourites. Their voices bring something different to the songs mostly because of their different tones. But in the end they're very good entertainers and they have professionalism. That's an important factor and they are pretty famous because they do an awesome job.

The fourth place is taken by B1A4. Why? Because the latest album is so cool and sounds so different and bohemian and has some melancholy in there, some piano, a few soft female voices and overall it's a pleasure to listen to it. In the Wind wasn't on my list but after I listened to it I realized I'm stupid. It has everything it needs, it sounds classy but at the same time very new. It's definitely a good album.

The fifth place would be GaIn's Talk about S. Her mini-album captivated me simply because it breaks the barriers. There's sexuality, there's seriousness too but overall everything comes together and it sounds very good. It's not necessarily the gender I listen to a lot but her album was much better than others.  I also like her style when it comes to singing. She's not a bad ass but she's not some princess either you know. She's a woman and I like that she expresses her feminism and sensuality so well without being too much.

Other good albums which haven't been included here are:

BAP's No Mercy

Yoseob's The First Collage

Exo-K (and Exo-M)'s Mama

and others that I seriously can't remember right now :)

B1A4- In the Wind

Ok so I seriously couldn't stop myself from doing this. The new B1A4 album is really awesome and surprisingly well made. It has some female voices here and there and Jinyoung's solo sounds very good, though for me it is a little bit boring. However, it's one of the best albums I listened this year. I'm really proud of these young guys. They really worked a lot since their début and tried to take any image they could master in order to captivate their fans and even the non fans. Now, the fact that the badass concept doesn't work at all on them well...let's say this new bohemian aspect and very stylish and classy clothes and hairstyles really suit them well.

The whole album, for me, is quite a pleasure listening to. It has some melancholic rhythms and also there are some catchy melodic phrases which really captivates me. I'm really curious who composed the songs because they are kind of my style.

The intro of the album is nice. It has some orchestra on the back but what I like the most is that it creates a fantasy world where you can imagine yourself in a garden full of red roses, simply swaying with the wind. For me, since I'm quite the melancholic type, gets me into a truthfully wonderful atmosphere. That's some great way of introducing the next song.

The second track is actually their title song, Tried to Walk. For me, the transition from the Intro and into this sad song is wonderful and perfectly made. I already explained why this song seems so deep and bohemian for me. It's not just the song itself that attracts the listener but the lyrics also are different. It's not a story necessarily but more like a soul which is torn apart by reality.

The next song is  너만 있으면  or more commonly know as If... Well now, this song is one of my favourites so far. I love their voices and the whole aspect of the song. It's exactly how they express it, you know. When you fall in love with someone and sometimes don't want to recognize your feelings or don't even recognize them at all. I haven't fallen in love until now, sadly, but it still touches me somehow. For me, this is the perfect way of characterizing a first love.

Now, now, the fourth track on the album has a narration by Suzy from Miss A. I really like how she changes the song, making it more significant. This is my favourite song of In the Wind and I seriously can't stop listening to it. It has something that catches your attention (blame that awesome composer) and there are some parts that intrigue me. For example, the chorus. It's so addictive! And I love how Baro begins the song smoothly with a soft deep voice. It sounds warm but hurt at the same time. The whole songs is like that and the lyrics just complete everything. If previously there was a first love, the guy was willing to wait for her, she was the reason of his life, now she left and there's so much resentment into the song. I love it.

The fifth track is 뭐 할래요 which caught my attention very fast. It's a song that doesn't have special lyrics with extraordinary story behind or something bohemian, poetic to them. They're very simple. However, the melody gets you more interested in the song. It's smooth and calm. The way the song starts already gives a hint of what the song will sound. It's quite an interesting song for me. 

Now, next is Jinyoung's solo which features Jea from Brown Eyed Girls (I like Brown Eyed Girls, as a side note). Why I said this song seems boring? Because Jinyoung's voice is very smooth and very good for slow songs but it also has this sleepy effect. Being so calming makes you relax and slowly fall asleep. It's a good song for your night playlist and after a hard day at school or at work, it's quite good but if you are, for example, on the street and it comes up in your playlist, it provokes sleepiness or gets you bored and you automatically change it to something more upbeat.. But the song overall is good.

In the Air is an awesome song! I swear I'm addicted to it. It sounds more like B1A4 than the rest of the 

album. It reminds me of Beautiful Target and Baby Goodnight but also, it's unique into the whole picture because the other songs are so sad and resentful and here comes the brighter part of the situation. It reminds me a lot of Dancing in the Rain from BAP's album. It was exactly the same situation. The song seemed as if it had been placed there as a side note or I don't know, simply because they wanted to. But it's awesome and fun.

The last song is the instrumental of Tried to Walk, which I listened a few times for my personal interest. There's nothing to add and nothing to complain about. This album is a surprise for me because it sounds different somewhat and I like the new image they want to go for. 

Music to the Ears(B1A4's Tried to Walk)

Well, let me say that this MV is amazingly well made and surprisingly artistic. I saw the teaser and was a little sceptic because I didn't understand the concept but now, after seeing the full music video, I find it quite interesting. The background changes from member to member but the initial one is kept. If you look closer, it's exactly the same thing but caught in different perspectives by the camera and depends on how the members stay. What I really liked was the parallel Universe/relationship that happened in the whole video. There are two worlds and in each one the girl chooses to leave and the boy practically remain heartbroken and disappointed. However, as the situation goes on, in one world the boy dies and in the other one the girl comes back yet he doesn't seem happy about it. It's like one relationship can't happen because of the other and so one story has to die and one gets the right to live. It's really deep if you watch it closer. It may as well be the two sides of a heart, when practically he's torn apart. I'm sure you've seen how he looks completely lonely when the girl hugs him. I giess that wasn't the point of the music video anyway.

Now, B1A4 are usually young boys who give this innocent feeling. Mostly because they have pretty faces and are very mature in thinking next to other bands who seem more laid back. They came up with very prince-like image throughout time and also they tried something cute in music videos like Beautiful Target and Baby Goodnight. They also tried a more mature and stylish image through Baby I'm Sorry which was an epic fail and made them return to their original concept. This song expresses more than just words, at least that's what they wanted. The concept is somehow abstract and more stylish but in a way they can actually fit in. Personally, the surprise was Baro. He looks somehow mature but at the same time so cute and innocent. He gives me the vibe of a man who has a sensitive heart. But it's obvious he's not a young boy any more and that  itself is a fact for every member. However, his looks reminded me a lot of Zelo's image with that pink hair and his voice reminded me of TOP. His acting throughout the video also really intrigued me because it's good. I was very surprised how good it was. And his personality seems to go really well with this new concept. I'm very proud of him as a fan and also a fellow artist. Now, Jinyoung looks very handsome but he didn't surprise me as much as Baro did.  His new hair colour really suits him. He also has the most  close ups. His voice sounds really soothing in the whole album, not just this song. Sandeul's voice, to me, sounds better. Either he worked harder for this album, either he worked his voice more. But anyway, he looks good with black hair even if I do preferred him brown haired. What got me surprised, again, were CNU and Gongchan. ShinWoo looks very.....interesting. Somehow, his face looks bigger with that hairstyle but some part of me likes it like that. He definitely looks his age like that. On the other way, Gongchan looks amazing. He looks older, manlier than ever and well still ahs that glimpse of innocence. I'm was all mushy mushy over him when I saw his parts, I recognize. But, still, Baro was the best in the MV.

The song is good. Like I said, I listened the whole album and somehow it strongly reminded me of a few songs from Big Bang. They sound like that a lot but still have their own thing which makes them original. They are also very relaxing. I listened to them a lot while doing my homework and it helped me concentrate more. That's really good. And I like how the lyrics are somewhat more than what they seem and have a whole story behind which even if you understand them or not, you still feel it through the song itself.

Happy Birthday, Cha Seon Woo!

Today...what's left of it in my own country and well, yesterday for Asians, was/is Baro's birthday. It's party time for B1A4 (or not, if they are busy) but anyway, I just want to wish him a happy birthday here too and if you didn't, well better later than never. He's just such an awesome rapper and tries really hard to be a good daddy in Hello Babie's season 6. Also, he's a hard working young man and I hope he'll be even better now that he's 20 (or 21 in Korean age).

Happy Birthday, Baro!

생일 축하합니다!

Joyeux Anniversaire!

Feliz cumpleaños!

Feliz Aniversário!

Felix dies natalis!

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

Buon compleanno!

お誕生日おめでとうございます!

La Multi Ani!

Baro

and these are the languages I know or understand. That's all. If you want you can add to the list.  

'What I Like About...' B1A4

Aigoo, when I saw how I completely forgot about them, my heart sank. They are the cutest band out there, I swear. I first listened a while ago to Baby I'm Sorry and sincerely, Gongchan caught my eye instantly (and still does). Of course. the MV is completely a failure and the song itself says nonsense if we would look at it closer but if it wouldn't have been for that song, I wouldn't have found B1A4 so, thank you Jinyoung, even thought the song you wrote has no sense whatsoever. Anyway, their English improved and I'm proud to see they also improved as a whole.

Beautiful Target was the peak of their cuteness, or that's what I thought before seeing Baby Goodnight. I though I will die from so much adorableness. Since they look good I though I should really check out their live performances to see if they worth my attention or not. Surprisingly (and I was very surprised), they do sing well. Baro's voice is husky and deep and it attracts a lot of listeners. His voice is somehow the opposite of his looks (kind of like Chanyeol from Exo). I can say easily that Sandeul is the voice in the band because his vocal timbre is the best and the most worked, if you get understand me. Of course, this band still surprises me and I bet there's going to be more to them than they let to show. I do appreciate their prince and nice guys looks and idea but they need to grow up and be men so I'm definitely waiting for that to happen.

Now, I started B1A4's Hello Baby and I have to say I was right. I knew they wouldn't make good fathers because they are too innocent themselves. They are not kids anymore but they are definitely not mature men. I'm a fan of them but they tend to take the easy path in the show and that is to concentrate more on the easiest child. But, they are indeed really funny to watch. It is entertaining and I really appreciate how they try to be good appa. Of course, my eyes went often after Gongchan (I can't stop it. I also have something for maknae's) but out of them all, I thought CNU would be the best appa, since he seems to be the most mature out of them, but it seems Baro is better. I believe he surprised me the most in the show.

Anyway, with all their goods and bad, we love and appreciate what they do and I will always support these young and talented (and still innocent in my opinion) guys. B1A4 fighting! :)