REVIEW OF BIG BANG’S NEWEST MINI-ALBUM!!!

Feb 23, 2011 by zerohundred    11 Comments    Posted under: Korea, music, opinion, review

HURRAH! This moment has been long anticipated. I feel like I should give some kind of massively long speech about how excited I am, but that’s not happening. I’M TOO EXCITED! I will, however, give you reviews for each song as I listen to them, per my usual style.

I can tell from my site stats that you’ve been waiting for this so I hope I don’t disappoint! As normal, I’m being completely and honestly my fangirl self. You can’t stop that… ever, probably.

OKAYNOWWELISTEN.

1. (Thank You & You): I’ve already heard the part they gave us in the teaser (30 seconds, basically), and I liked the feel. I still feel so into it! It definitely sounds like Big Bang except that it’s NEW! DSlfdslfdjs. And I’m once again reminded that everyone has gotten so much stronger in the time they were apart and doing their own promotions. CUTE: “From the top/TOP.” THANK YOU AND YOU, BIG BANG~ I’M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW. I’ve been having an off day but things are turning around at this very moment.

2. Hands Up: At this point, I ain’t even mad that they’re giving us old material. BUT LOL, I forgot that I had iTunes on shuffle and it skipped right from the intro to “Tonight.” NOT SO FAST! Even if “Hands Up” isn’t new, it’s in Korean and as decent as I think their Japanese stuff is, it never has the exact charm of their Korean music. It might be due to the fact that they are speaking in their native language and that’s always going to be better.

   This has never been a particular favorite of mine but I’m into the energy of it and it definitely has a cleaner and more natural sound in Korean. DEFINITELY. It could even be because I’m more familiar with Korean. OH MY GOODNESS, TOP sounds about three thousand times better in this. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY BUT I’LL ACCEPT IT AND LOVE IT AND ADORE IT. (I’m finding myself almost weirded out that Taeyang is actually a member of Big Bang because I’ve listened to his solo album to the point that if it was a CD, it would be ruined. It’s like, “WAIT, HE’S NOT JUST A SOLO ARTIST?!” Lol, it seems like his parts are so miniscule here but Daesung and Seungri have even less, so…).

3. Tonight:

   When I saw the teaser for “Tonight,” HOMG. I could only let out a little, “meep,” when it was over. IS THIS LOVE?!?!?! IS IT?! Now that I’m actually about to listen to it, things seem unreal. THIS IS BIG BANG’S NEW TITLE TRACK. It will join the ranks of songs such as “Lies,” “Haru Haru,” and “Sunset Glow.” CAN’T EVEN BELIEVE IT. I think “shaking and crying” is my emotional state right now, if not my physical.

   I love how dynamic the song sounds straight off the bat. The energy is SO good. I typically hate fake crowd sounds but it’s kind of working here. AKFLSLDJF SO IN LOVE WITH THE CHORUS PLEASE GIVE ME THE TRANSLATION IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!! And it’s hilarious to pick out the parts that they chose to tease with for each member (which is easy because of the abuse I gave the “repeat” button). AHHHHH, I don’t even know what I’m thinking right now because I’m just thinking about how fun this is. I’ll listen to it twice and give you my SECOND opinion after I finish the mini-album. A SPECIAL BONUS. But for the first listen… I just think it sounds beautiful and it has an expansive feel. I think it’s helped to see the direction they’ve taken for their MV (which is kind of glamorous/road-trip-y).

   Second time around: Still loving it. It kind of reminds me of something, and I remember seeing someone say that they felt that it was a little similar to Seungri’s “What Can I Do.” I kind of get that, although I feel that “Tonight” definitely is its own song. I’m still loving the Taeyang-centric chorus. The guitar is a nice touch. I also like that it’s a dance track. Over all, I guess I need more time to determine what I really think of it in terms of how it stands among their other title tracks, but I love it on its own. NO ONE CAN CHANGE THAT. Haha, I’m sure some people are so disappointed right now, but I’m not one of them.

4. Somebody to Love: OH HI, familiar. Well, sort of. As I mentioned before, I somehow missed the original release of this song and only started listened to it last week. I refused to overplay the Japanese version so that this one would retain some feeling of newness. I have to say that the song still doesn’t scream “amazing” to me, but like “Hands Up,” I think the sound is a lot smoother in Korean. I have a feeling the lyrics (although I don’t even know what the Japanese ones were) are better. I’m not loving all of the autotune on here, but I know some people tend to obsess over its use. I’m not like that. I hardly notice it but I can tell it’s there occasionally. I just find it unnecessary, but I know they’re doing it to get a certain sound.
5. What Is Right: NEWWWWW! Lol the English intro~ That’s so YG. Oh wow, this has a way different feeling compared to most Big Bang music. It has a touch of 80′s and perhaps a little punk influence? A little, mind you. Okay, so I’m not immediately on board (to be perfectly honest), but I’m still grooving. I need more time for it to grow on me. Also, when TOP shows his voice it could be the turning point for me, lol. I NEED HIM. MORE. NOW. I think I’ve gotten spoiled with GD and TOP’s album. Actually, with all of their solo stuff, it seems like they’re not getting any focus at all. WHO WOULD EVER BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN?! Is anyone else having this issue? Anyway, this song sounds promising, but I’m not foaming at the mouth quite yet. “Tonight” is still topping it.
6. Cafe: So curious about this one. AND ALREADY IT’S INTRIGUING ME! The piano… and TOP! sdfldslfjdslifsdl GD’S FALSETTO, THANK YOU AND YOU AND YOU, WHOEVER DECIDED UPON THIS. Oh, this song is making me so happy. Now we’re getting Taeyang falsetto. HOW DID THEY KNOW I AM LOVER OF FALSETTO. IT’S WHAT GOT ME INTO BIG BANG. This song is winning me over so hard. YESYESYES, Daesung!!!!!!!! Finally, he has a long part, YES! I’m in love with the chorus. I’m so into it but also realizing that this is the end of the album. NOOO! At least they’re ending it strongly. Not that “What Is Right” was bad, but I go for this kind of thing so much more. Taeyang sounds so incredible on this album, by the way. I’ve noticed him the most throughout. Again, however, it doesn’t seem like there is enough of him. LOL!

It’s over; I’M SO SAD. But in general, I’m so pleased with what they gave us. Actually, it’s a little difficult to evaluate it as a whole because it’s not enough new music to feel like a complete album. Since it’s a mini-album, I have to get my mind in the right place for it. Each of Big Bang’s past mini-albums have each had a particular flavor, and this isn’t any different in that respect. Three words for it? Exuberant, energetic, dynamic. They’ve all improved so much. The change is subtle, but I can tell its there.

Actually, as I’ve mentioned, I’m almost distracted by the fact that they’re finally together again. They’ve all (aside from Daesung; we need his solo ASAP! We’re reportedly getting in a few months, so that’s very, very good) had such strong solo material that Big Bang almost seems like it can’t hold them anymore. I can see why they had trouble finding something with which to come back.

It’s been so fun to get new music from Big Bang. I can’t believe it’s finally here after such a long wait. Sadly, I didn’t feel the level of excitement I remember when they released stuff like, “Stand Up,” but I don’t know if anything will compare to that. That excitement was back when I was a newer fan, and getting music now (after loving Big Bang for over three years) is a different experience. It’s like meeting with an old friend after a long time.

Now that I’ve talked you ear/eyes off, I want to know what you think! Do you love it? Are you disappointed about anything? What’s your favorite track? THESE ARE IMPORTANT DETAILS. TELL MEEEEEE.