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.
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.
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.
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.
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! :)
