Happy 2013 SONEs!
I believe everyone started their new year with the release of
Girls' Generation's 4th Album - I Got A Boy and also the music video of
"I Got A Boy" itself.
This time around, they switched styles to
hip-hop and many have wondered if they could pull it off. Guess what,
they nailed it!This new image of theirs did
not only prove that they are brave to make a change, but also
good enough to actually succeed.
Girls' Generation have matured in many aspects and they have brought us a whole new sense of music.
I got my albums a little late since there was a delay in shipment, hence the late review.
But no worries! Here I am now, about to review the album with the group cover.
This is how it looks like:
Group cover.
Without the acrylic casing.
The CD at the back.
The case, box and the photobook.
A peep of the photobook.
The packaging is simple, honestly.
The downside to this is when you take the box out, then you try to slide it in again, the edge of the acrylic case might scrape the sides of the box.
Because it's made up of paper-like material, the color will be scraped off. Some tighter cases might scrape off more.
Otherwise, it is all good.
Even the size makes us feel good when we hold it.
I have to say though, there is really nothing too complicated about the packaging except that this time, they have 10 kinds of covers.
And now, we will look at the songs in this album.
This album has only 3 ballads but it's enough. More and we will all melt, maybe, as if we haven't melted enough.
I think all of the songs are really good, and it's a whole new feeling to what we know about Girls' Generation.
Of course, their skills are always present.
I Got A Boy- "Eh?", that's my first listen. My brain couldn't understand the song until I knew what it meant. Then I find it really good and addicting, the rap, chorus, everything. There is a peak to every part of the song and this is a very different song from what our girls have tried before. It's hard to register at first but it sticks after listening to it many times.
Dancing Queen- Remake of Duffy's "Mercy". Back to 2008, the Gee era. I would like to think that this song is dedicated to Hyoyeon. It has a different feeling to the original "Mercy".
Baby Maybe- This is a very sweet song. Written by our very own Yuri, Sooyoung and Seohyun. Easy to sing along to (Put your hands up if you feel like this!). One part though, is very very very finger-curling- Sooyoung's "my boo, na ye jagiya *Jagiya~*. I can't help but smile and go "awwww" everytime that comes on.
Talk To Me- Basically this is the Korean version of "Boomerang" from Girls&Peace album. No more "boom boom loving you" but "let's talk talk about, talk talk about it boy". Let's talk to them, SONEs.
Promise- First ballad of the album. It feels like it's about how they probably feel when they get off the stage. When they feel tired, when they think about normal lives, and maybe, when they think about SONEs and loved ones during times of weariness. Their voices are emotional and the vocals are really good. Breaks my heart every time I listen to this song.
Express 999- An upbeat song. Falling in love and being curious about someone is like getting onto an express, said our girls. The verse and chorus sounds slightly different from other similar songs as the music is somewhat different, but they actually glue! The bridge part with Taeyeon's vocals is always something nice to listen to.
Lost In Love- Second ballad of the album and it is by Taeyeon and Tiffany. About hanging on to love even if it hurts. Their voices are really good and the lower voices during the verses are great. The chorus is projected quite powerfully as the song progresses and the ending is undeniably fantastic. Their vocals just melt into each other perfectly.
Look At Me- The rap is cool. Very cool. An upbeat and fast song. Even the chorus is too fast for me to catch up. But hey, "You look at me, I look at you", at least I got that. I really hope to hear this song live one day.
XYZ- Written by Yuri and Seohyun. It's a song about ending a relationship, saying that XYZ is the end of ABC. And still, they are strong enough to move on and take on reality. The beat is nice to follow to. I really like the way they sang in this song although there is nothing much complex.
Romantic St.- This song is full of love. It gives me a feeling as though the girl in this love story is a shy girl trying to confess through this song. The light-beat music makes it all the more sweeter. Imagine a girl trying to hold pinkies with the boy he likes on a dimly lighted street. Yes, keep that picture in your mind.
Well, that is probably less than half of what I can explain about how I feel about the songs in this albums.
We have waited long enough for this album and they have delivered an awesome and fresh one to us.
Many new sounds, voices and positive changes are obvious in this album.
Personally, I think it is a breakthrough and new standards have been set.
That's all I have for you today!
I hope you SONEs have enjoyed my review so far.
Let's continue supporting them by listening to their music!
Thank you and signing off.
Happy 2013!
