Six girls of A
Pink are back! Their newest album, Pink
Blossom, has been released on March 31st, 2014 with Mr. Chu as the title track. This album
is basically a test for them. People anticipated this album a lot after their
success last year with No No No
(check out the album review here). Will they able to maintain their popularity?
Only time will tell. But right now, let’s listen to the album first and enjoy
the review.
Pink
Blossom opened with Sunday Monday.
This song is a huge surprise because it has the opposite element of the usual
opening song. Opening song usually has an upbeat sound to make people pump up
and continue listen to the whole album. However, Sunday Monday has a medium tempo sound with chilling vibe. This
song is dominated by acoustic guitar, which makes it a perfect song during
leisure time.
Sunday Monday is not a bad song. It has
catchy chorus that makes people want to sing a long with it. It also has violin
sound, which gives strong vibe in contrast to the whole chilling vibe. But, I
think it would be better if this song placed in the middle of this album to
give more dynamic. However, I kind of understand why it being placed in the
beginning. It gives the whole portrayal of how this album goes, which is
dominated by medium tempo.
Sunday Monday continues with Mr. Chu, the title track. There are two
versions of this song, the original and on stage version. Right now, I am going
to discuss about the on stage version first since they will perform with this
version. This version also happens to be what they put on the music video.
Mr. Chu is a medium tempo dance song. It
has slower tempo compared to their previous title tracks. Because of this, this
song will not make you automatically like it during your first listen. But
remember, one of A Pink strongest point is longevity and growing title track.
The more you listen to Mr. Chu, the
more you cannot get it out of your head. At the end, you will realize that it
is actually a good song.
This
song still shows their signature music style, old school music, with the
synthesizer. However, they mixed it with more modern style through electronic
sound. The usage of trumpet and bass during chorus also adds more dynamic and
uniqueness to this song. The best part of this song is during the last chorus
where the vocal and music reach the climax.
About
the music video, this is so far the best music video for A Pink. From the
concept, wardrobe, setting to storyline, all of them are great. This music
video tells a story about how the girls have a crush on a tennis player. They
have consistently approach him and finally at the end of the month, they have a
first kiss with him. Yes, I know it is weird how six of them chase after this
one guy and kiss him, but most K-Pop music video have done this before. Anyway,
it is hilarious to see them fangirl over him on the tennis court and try to fit
their gifts to his locker.
The
music video also portrays the more mature A Pink without losing their
youthfulness. The usage of bold-pink color on the tennis court, wardrobe, and
lipstick able represent both aspects.
This
album continues with Crystal on the
third track. One thing that perfectly described this song is majestic. Both of
violin and string line add the royal element to this song. I honestly like it
because there are not many K-Pop songs that have this type of sound. Although
it sounds majestic, it does not sound too mature for A Pink. There is still
certain playfulness on the beat and their vocal. Also about their vocal, Eunji and Namjoo shine the most throughout this song.
Moving
on to the lyrics, it is very lovely. It is about how A Pink assures the boy
that he is special like crystal. Special in this song does not come in terms of
romantic manner. In fact, it is more into personality matter, which I really
like.
The fourth track 사랑동화 (Fairytale Love) has Chorong to write the lyrics. It is always great to know the group
members contribute to the album process. I think A Pink shows a good indication
and I hope other members could also contribute in the future.
Back to the song, this song is a sad
ballad song. It tells a story about how first love is not as beautiful as in
the fairytale. The music is actually just like typical ballad with acoustic
guitar domination. Still, A Pink does it in an old school way, especially
through the electric guitar on the bridge.
With this song, Eunji once again shows
how effortless and perfect she is when singing ballad song. Meanwhile a surprise
comes from Bomi who sound different
on lower range of voice. It is nice to listen her low range voice since she
used to sing on a higher range.
The
fifth track, So Long, is another
Chorong composition. But it has different theme from the previous track. It
tells a sweet story about how the girls actually love their best friend since
childhood until now. Hmm…I guess Chorong has many experiences in love J
So Long has a strong R&B vibe. It is
a pleasant listening song that you can listen to anywhere. The uniqueness of
this song lies to its classic piano line, which gives contrast to the R&B
vibe.
Finally, we go back to the title track on the last track, Mr. Chu (Original Version). Just like
what I wrote earlier, the differences between two versions lie on the music. The
original version is dominated with piano, guitar, and violin.
In glance, the original version sounds more upbeat. But
actually, it has the same medium beat. It may sounds upbeat because of the
verses, but the chorus actually has slower beat than the on stage version. I
think both versions are great, only that the on stage version sounds more dynamic
because of its flow.
Overall,
I love the direction that A Pink takes on Pink Blossom album. It shows the
mature side of them in terms of music, lyrics, and concept. But, it does not
sound too much since there is still youthful element on it. I also love how
this album gives chance to less popular members such as Namjoo, Hayoung, and
Chorong to shine. Lastly, I love the member’s contribution to the album
process.
My
Favorite Tracks : Mr. Chu, Crystal, So Long
Rating : 3/5
We kind of have the same thoughts on A Pink's latest EP :) my favorite songs would be So Long, Crystal and Mr. Chu :) I still prefer Secret Garden though as an album.
ReplyDeleteThank you, glad we have similar thoughts on their latest EP :)
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