iKON is ready to rise in 2018! On Thursday 25th January
2018, they released a new album called Return.
It consists of 12 songs, which eight of them were new and the rest were old
songs.
Return is a test for iKON. People are curious to see if iKON
manages to get up and cover last year’s underwhelming results. Both of their
songs, Bling Bling and B’Day failed to crack top charts in
2017. This is a huge blow since iKON has impressive debut two years before.
So how is Return result? Will iKON back on top again? Check out my
review for Return here………….
PS: I will
only review the eight new songs. I already quite familiar with the rest and I
am afraid it will affect my judgment on the review.
No more party anthem like last year’s release, iKON brings us back
straight to their debut era. Love
Scenario is another medium tempo hip-hop song from iKON. It has memorable
bass line accompanied by vocal and rap exchange. It sounds laid back, which suits
iKON carefree and youthful image. This is a fresh start for them although there
is repetitiveness because of constant beat.
The youthful theme also represents on Love Scenario music video. iKON deals with young adult problem.
They try to move on after breaking up. We see the boys wander around in
loneliness then remember sweet moments with their girlfriend. It looks
relatable through the usage of simple setting such as street or apartment. The
boys styling also looks more casual compared to their previous single.
Although it has simple theme, Love
Scenario music video does not become monotone. It plays out with solid
color tone such as red and green through styling and properties. The
cinematography is unique too.
The second track, Beautiful describes
different theme from Love Scenario.
This time, iKON expresses how much they fall in love with a girl. They keep
complimenting her.
The music itself sounds far from Love Scenario. Beautiful has
more upbeat tempo and does not stick to one type of music. It starts with funk
genre through the usage of piano and bass at verses. Then tropical house beat
comes during refrain part. The combination does not sound jarring. In fact, it
provides great dynamic to Beautiful.
One of the standout tracks on Return!
As the main producer of Return and leader of iKON, it’s quite
fitting to see B.I. got a solo track
called One and Only. This is a
hip-hop song with old school touch. It has strong beat and addition of
synthesizer. There is not much going on in terms of music, which allows B.I. to
express himself more in rapping.
One and Only does not full of bragging. Instead it describes B.I. journey as a
musician. He starts the song humbly about how he does not sure could become
success. But then he achieves it and his confidence goes up. That is the time
where the lyrics talk about showing off.
Jerk shows emotional side of iKON. It tells their regretful feeling
after breaking up. They wish not taking their girlfriend for granted. Now, the
girl is leaving them.
Jerk accompanied by sleek production. The flow is enjoyable while the
dynamic between vocal and rap part is solid. It also has old school vibe just
like previous tracks. Those strong beat, electric guitar riff, and beautiful
harmonization emphasize that.
Best Friend lifts up our mood again after the melancholy Jerk. This is a cheerful hip-hop/R&B track. Although it is
light, Best Friend never sounds too
cute. The arrangement is strong with unique beat and chanting like bridge. It
also has synthesizer and electric guitar addition to spice up the dynamic.
Behind those cheerful tones, Best
Friend apparently has sad lyrics. iKON seems frustrated since they are
being friend zoned. The girl does not realize the boys’ feeling. But at the
same time, iKON is afraid to show it. iKON desperation represents through their
singing and rapping. It’s tragic yet funny at the same time because many people
experienced it too.
The moment Everything
starts, it is easy to recognize this as PSY’s
song. The melancholy piano melody often appears on his songs. It also
represents Beautiful theme where iKON
want to talk with their past lover again, but does not have courage to do that.
The melancholy piano followed by percussion. This combination is
effective to give more punch for Everything.
Unfortunately, the refrain part could not keep the build up. The electronic
dance music breakdown sounds outdated and dull.
Aside from PSY, Tablo also
helps composing the song in Return. He writes lyrics for Hug Me, which shows complicated friendship. iKON falls in love with
their friend, but she already have a boyfriend. It has similar theme with Best Friend. However, the approach is
quite different. Hug Me tells about
longing feeling.
Since longing becomes main focus, the music seems more emotional. It
mixes hip-hop sound with rock. The combination comes from strong beat and
electric guitar riff. Hug Me emotional
theme emphasizes through its vocal part. Junhoe
and Donghyuck shine the most in
the song because of their falsettos.
iKON closes Return album with another ballad called Don’t Forget. We finally hear the boys’
vocal (minus Bobby) while they sing
about not forgetting them after separating. Each member vocal suits his part
well. If I have to choose, it’s Junhoe and Donghyuck’s vocal again who stands
out along with Jinhwan.
Similar with other ballad songs, Don’t Forget only use minimal instrumental in order to emphasizes
the boys’ vocal. Piano and guitar sound take a front part throughout the song.
However, iKON put a little twist in order to make Don’t Forget does not become boring and more dramatic. They add
drum sound starting from the second verse.
With Return, iKON is back stronger than ever. This is a solid
album that has cohesive tracks (including the old one). I love how iKON takes
different approach compare to last year’s releases. They definitely fit chill
hip-hop track and youthful image instead of the flashy one. This tone also sets
them apart from their peer groups.
The lyrics are another interesting point since it is simple and
straightforward. It really describes young adults feeling about love. Still,
Return is not a perfect album. iKON needs to work on more their line
distribution. Glad to see Donghyuck shine, but Yunhyeong and Chanwoo kind
of being left out here.
Rating: 4/5
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