2 posts tagged “kpop”

Beautiful smile is K's second, and what would be the last released in Korea, album released on 2006.01.20- two years after his first self titled debut.

The album starts with a short but beautiful Intro which consists mainly of a gorgeous piano part and K wordlessly singing over the top. It's amazing how emotional and haunting just a short introduction can be. I love music like this, so this intro to me is just the perfect way to start this album (starting on a good note)

The intro kind of flows into the next track 웃어요(Laughing) which starts with piano before introducing the sweeping, over the top strings, before quietening down for the first soft verses  then becoming louder and introducing the bass and a nice acoustic guitar part as the song builds up for the epic chorus. The track continues to build up and down throughout the song and really it's a pretty standard ballad, but I'll give it to K that he does sound amazing and the track is very pretty. The way the song changes all the time as well as K's vocals also saves it from becoming too boring.

Time for a change with 눈물은 차가울 때 아나봐(Tears As Cold As Ice) which at first reminds of those ballads done in like the nineties?  It's a lot like the previous track with the standard changes of dynamics, the build up and build down to create the ballad atmosphere and throw emotion in your face. There is something a bit different about this song though... it has an interesting sound/feeling to it. I like K's vocals, especially in the chorus, and there is also a really nice section towards the end. This sounds like something that should play in the angsty scenes in the dramas where the main character is forced to let go of his love. There's nothing that sad about this song, it feels rather hopeful in a way. So overall It's an over the top, but beautiful song. I'm just glad it doesn't sound too much like 웃어요.

Beautiful piano introduces the third track 너는 내 운명(You Are My Destiny). The song stays quiet and reserved, almost but not quite carrying that same haunting atmosphere that the intro did. As the song builds up it loses any traces of that, although it does sound very tender and at times, romantic.  The strings are prevalent, but they aren't so overdone like in 웃어요 and actually sound rather nice, blended with the piano and all. As always K's vocals make the song, filled with tender emotion and really moving the song forward with a subtle power. This song unlike the others never really makes the OTT build up to a super loud part, although by the end it has slowly become louder it is still quite quiet and holding back- staying gentle and tender. I like that about this song. It's different and it's very pretty and not too overdone/throwing emotion in your face.

The cheesy strings mean 이별도 사랑처럼(Byebye Like Love) starts on a bad note for me, although I love the piano that follows as well as K's vocals (caus' I always love K's vocals). It's another standard ballad in a way, but like 눈물은 차가울 때 아나봐 there is something about it that sounds kind of different and interesting. The ballad has a very strong beat, and once it gets going the instrumentation is quite nice (and less cheesy dominating strings). Compared to the track before it it's a very strong, louder ballad even with the different dynamics of the actual song.  I guess I've grown to like this song (although again like 눈물은 차가울 때 아나봐 it sounds like it should belong to some drama OST) And wow, K really doesn't hold back in this song: his voice is pretty powerful here especially with at one point some adlibbing he does.

The next track 기다릴께요(Wait) has a bit of an RnB feeling going on which is like a breathe of fresh air on this album. It's still a very mellow, laid-back song that isn't quite RnB but it's not quite a ballad either. There is a very strong, prominent beat which kind of drowns out K's vocals for the a while before he finally puts a bit more power into his voice and well, I love how he then uses his higher register at some point too. K's vocals really shine here. The saxophone introduced again is unique and pretty gorgeous.   This is a lovely, relaxing but not boring song and I'm glad that K has introduced something a little different here.

그대 날 보면(If You Look at Me) also has a very strong beat and some synth that lend it that RnB feeling like기다릴께요.  I think you can hear K's gospel influence here too with the backing vocals (that aren't annoying nor cheesy) and some of the effects. It's a very lively, up tempo track with quite a romantic, almost sexy, feel that immediately grabs my attention back to this album (I was growing so bored, I nearly gave up on this review). This is what I like K to do ^^

Yes, not back to the ballad yet!! Everything is also a pretty up-tempo song with a strong beat and interesting synth effects. It's so romantic and beautiful- yet there is a darker edge, something bittersweet about it which is interesting. The instrumentation is pretty simple, allowing K to dominate with his strong vocals.. K just sounds gorgeous like always- and again he shows how powerful his voice is with some lovely adlibbing.  This song is interesting and different.  I love how this album has changed. These past few tracks have been really good. 

Ok no need to get too excited about the new sound. It is back to ballads with track 9- 사랑하긴 했을까(Do We Love). I'm feeling more enthusiastic about this album though, which maybe will affect this review from now on. I quite like this song. It's a standard ballad but it's pretty with good vocals. OK, maybe I would have preferred K to continue as he was instead of going back to the songs like at the beginning of the album...but it's not bad. It’s very pretty- both the instrumentation and K's vocals.

Unfortunately the rest of the tracks, 고개 숙여 걸어야 하는 이유(The Reason I Have to Walk), 빈병을 걷어 차버렸죠 (Filled The Empty Bottles) and 사랑을 해요(Loving)  are also these standard ballads that I'm sorry, for fear of repeating myself too much I'm just not going to go into detail about. They are pretty much different versions of the same old thing.

Overall rating: 7/10 (let down alot by weaker tracks)
Favourite tracks: 너는 내 운명, 기다릴께요, 그대 날 보면, Everything

As a person not a fan of ballads, it takes something amazing to really impress me. I remember being bored with K's last album (first album, technically) and this time around…well it is still killing me reviewing these albums (I don't know why I impulsively decided it was a good idea to review K's Korean discography).  I do prefer this album in a way (not that I can remember the other one) because although these ballads are still something you'd put on in the background when you want to relax, most of them remain reasonably unique from each other even if not to the genre. It's nice. However it doesn't go beyond that unfortunately. And then it's worth mentioning that although I grew a bit bored the sudden change that happened after wait really changed my view about this album. Those are the sort of tracks worth listening to!  It’s a shame that there weren’t more tracks like this on the album. Lastly, I think K gave up too easily leaving it at just two albums in Korea. He should have tried a third album, bringing out that RnB sound found in some of the later tracks of the album. I guess that is what he chose to do in Japan instead…I think (maybe I'll give his J discography a listen because of that)

It's an album review! Yep. It really is. I'd not heard of GUMMY before but a load of people were reccomending "I'm sorry" (and Big bang fans were on about it because of ToP) so I thought I better check her, and this album, out. It turned out pretty good. Gummy (gumi) is an artist under YG entertainment,  and her name albit strange means Spider in Korean (which is also odd- why call yourself spider of all things?). This is her fourth album, released on 2008.03.12 two years after her last album.  The album features many collabrations with artists G-dragon and Top from Big bang, and some others like Perry and some dude calling himself "Skull". The PV for I'm sorry also featured both Top and Sandara park. There was also a PV released for "whilst looking in the mirror" which depicts a women breaking down after catching her husband cheating.

1. Intro ? Work it now (Feat. G-Dragon)
2. Clap your hands (Feat. Ferry)
3. I'm Sorry  (Feat. T.O.P)
4. Don't love
5. Whilst looking in the Mirror (Feat. Red Roc)
6. Let’s get it party (Feat. 45rpm)
7. Last Party
8. Ouch
9. Hoping it's not a breakup
10. I’m gonna miss u (Feat Ji Eun)
11. Just up to here (Feat. Skull)
12. Hallucination
    
13. Before the music ends
    
14. I'm Sorry (Hare trance remix)

The album opens with a decent fast paced little intro, "work it now", but the backing distorted vocals are a little annoying. Gummy immediatly hits you with her  powerful voice though, and she sounds great. After the intro there is another RnB tinged song featuring the rapper Perry (who is known for working with Big Bang right?).   However his part if really annoying, as is the instrumentation in the background. This is a pretty weak track, that features great vocals from Gummy and is quite catchy but nothing more.

However- the album immeditatly becomes awesome with "I'm sorry". A jazzy sounding RnB track which makes good use of piano and synth. It opens with the piano before Gummy comes in, and though the chorus is very flat due to the nature of the words it somehow works. Top also is awesome, and his rap is actually relevant to the song which makes me happy.  It's a catchy tune, and I really like the emotion both Top and Gummy put in, as well as how they overlap their parts and work together. The lyrics are also very good , even if  I don't have much clue what they are on about - "i'm sorry for hurting you/ i'm sorry for doing nothing for you". The only flaw is that if you listen to much, the "I'm sorry" can get annoying and I also wish there was a more definite ending instead of just repeating "I'm sorry" for ages.

Track 4 "Don't love" is a ballad. Gummy sounds wonderful and puts alot of emotion in, however I personally find it a little boring. Things pick up again with  the beautiful "whilst looking in the mirror" which I've totally fallen in love with after seeing the PV. It opens with a sad guitar part and Gummy elevates her voice with some wonderful ad libbing, showing she manage both high and low notes.  However in the chorus, totally contrasting her voice becomes low and husky- totally different to the first  word-less notes so much so you wonder if it's the same person(!).  The chorus is good, however I really don't like the backing vocals- though they have grown on me. This is a ballad, however it's much more interesting than "Don't love"- due to gummy's  vocals and the fantastic instrumentation. Once again- Gummy puts in ALOT of emotion- even sounding like she's going to or is crying at points. The rap also is very inplace, and I like how Gummy overlaps her voice and works with the rapper- making it all sound very "complete". Highly reccomend you watch this with the PV first!

After that awesome track things go a little downhill with the average "let's get it party".  It's got strong synth and RnB beat, but I don't like the overall sound and Gummy's vocals go a bit wierd sometime. I think this is the one where Gummy herself raps, and I'm not a fan of it (sorry). There is then an upbeat pop tune "Last Party"  with a strange disco beat to it. Gummy's vocals sound quite strange in this one, and it's quite offputting. There is another ballad, simply title "Ouch". Hmm...yeah.  Gummy goes back to her nice vocals, using the upper register of her voice. Her voice is quite and subdued in the verses before elevating for the chorus. The istrumentation is nice, Gummy sounds nice so overall it's "nice" but nothing more. I like how they gradually build up the instrumentation.  Another ballad follows with "Hoping it's not a breakup" which is bit less upbeat than "Ouch". Gummy sounds very sad, and the instrumentaion is also good. Another "nice" track but nothing more.

There is then the very strange opening for "I think I'm gonna miss you" which turns out to be quite nice. It has a good RnB beat and a laidback feel, and Gummy sounds good (as usual). I actually find Ji Eun to be the downfall of the song, as her vocals don't really match Gummy and her english isn't as good as Gummy's- making the "Think I'm gonna miss you" sound strange (they are pronouncing it differently!).  It has a really nice rythmn to it though, very laid back. The high pitched keyboard-violin bit is a bit strange.

Then there is the odd "Just up to here", where the rapper sounds like he smokes about 50 a day but somehow he and Gummy come togetrher really well. There's a nice beat and rythmn to the song, though I swear it has a reggae feel at points- especially with the tone of the rapper. I't's a great track this one. I tell you- it's catchy too and for once the backing vocals work well with the "cry cry cry" (that really get stuck in ones' head). This is an awesome track! Love the guitar bit at the end, overall it all sounds complete and is great to listen to.

Then the ballad returns with "Hallucination" which opens with nice piano and thumping beat, Gummy changes the tone of her voice again (man, she's got a versatile voice!) to sounds quite restrained and husky. It sounds quite nice, especially when she goes up to the higher register whilst retaining that huskiness. It's quite uptempo ballad with beautiful vocals, nice istrumentation and a relaxing feel.   There is also another ballad after that "Before the music ends" which is another nice song with good vocals, good instrumentation and alot of emotion. The rythmn of this one is quite standout, and it's not bad to listen to.

The last track is the Hare Trance version of "I'm sorry"- which is good, better in some ways, than the orginal. The trance beat, though typical, gives a airy feel to the song and I love the breathy "Ah" thingy at the beginning. The thumping beat is distracting if listening with headphones, but makes the song sound heavier. I really like the instrumentation, and also the fact they sped the song up a bit to give it a totally different feel to the original.

Overall? I'd say this is a good album. There are some good tracks, some "meh" tracks and then some bad ones too. However Gummy has a really good, strong voice, and she knows how to put alot of emotion into her songs too. There's alot of ballads you might have noticed, but  thankfully all the songs  have a different sound to one another and present a different feel, and often a different tone to Gummy's voice. This album is nice to put on in the background, just easy listening really. Gummy has a stunning voice- which is very versatile  and I also like how she works with her rappers, overlapping there parts etc.