Album Review: MYNAME's "Five Stars"

I often forget how much I enjoy listening to MYNAME, not through any fault of theirs, but because they end up so sparingly marketed in Korea. When a worthy band winds up being more appreciated in Japan with their overseas releases, I tend to gain more of a taste for their foreign language albums since I not only want to support the band, but also the fans who serve as the backbone of their popularity. In the case of MYNAME, I also think their Japanese albums are legitimately better than Korean ones, though I do enjoy both.

Needless to say, I was quite pleased to hear a new Japanese album was in the works following their overseas debut record WE ARE MYNAME. “We are the Night,” “(If You Wanna) Be My Baby,” and “Anonymous” are some of my favorite tracks by the group, and I was looking for that same blend of mature dance tracks and breathtaking ballads as that album delivered.

Here's my takeaway from MYNAME's second Japanese album, Five Stars:

Klick: Now this is how you start off an album! Upbeat and chic, “Klick” is a strong self-anthem that captures the same edgy flair the boys brought to the starter tracks of their previous Japanese release. Much like the similarly themed “Paparazzi” by Girls' Generation, this track is hooky in all the right places and starts the album off on the right note.

Hocus Pocus: The second track keeps the pace going strong, and while not quite as catchy or engaging as “Klick,” its beats are enjoyably hypnotic and-- dare I say it?-- magical. MYNAME has pulled better tricks out of their hat, but it's a fairly solid track nonetheless.

F.F.Y: “F.F.Y”, or Fight For You, was the lead off single from the album, and since the video has been out since February, it has the benefit of being the track fans are already most familiar with. As a J-Popper, I'd argue that this track is one that does the best job of reflecting the trademark Japanese sound. I could completely see a Johnny's group working with a track like this, though naturally I'm thrilled that MYNAME is the one behind it given how well their voices suit the throwback melody and dynamic pacing. I prefer “Klick” overall as a track, but this is still one heck of a single for the group, and serves as an excellent representation of their Japan-specific sound.

Baby I'm Sorry (Japanese version): It takes a lot to get me to enjoy a Japanese version more after I'm used to listening to the Korean version, but “Baby I'm Sorry” happens to be a great track no matter what language it's sung in, and I ended up enjoying this rendition as much as the original. It also brings back fond memories of Gunwoo and JunQ's “SORRY” high note battle on After School Club, which resulted in JunQ repeatedly yelling “Saw-ry” in his delightful low voice that of course didn't want to go much higher.

Interlude: Nice instrumentation, I guess?

STARS: “STARS” is the first original ballad off the album, and also the first nod to the album title itself. Insoo and Gunwoo's vocals are killer, but it does get a little bit sleepy in places due to the lack of variety in the pacing. A soothing track, but not particularly memorable.

Shirayuki: This ballad did a better job with me, once again because of how well they captured the Japanese style of music while still putting their own spin on it. I prefer the vocal line in “STARS,” but I feel the story of this track more based on the emotionally delivery alone without even having to look up the lyrics. A great track for this year's never-ending winter!

We Made It: I usually like their upbeat tracks quite a bit, but this one was a bit lukewarm for me. I did enjoy the rap parts, but the overall melody wasn't anything special. It's not bad, simply meh.

Guilty as Charged: “Guilty as Charged,” on the other hand, is everything I like about their faster paced songs. It's not their most complex song ever, but it's delightfully dark and moody. I'd rave to this in a heartbeat if I could find a club in New York that would play this kind of song.

Sha la la: I was wary after seeing the title of this track, since I don't like songs that sub a lot of la las and na nas as legitimate lyrics, but then I heard the violins and cheered up a bit because violins far outweigh all the sha las on the planet. I'm glad I opened my mind to this song, because I did end up enjoying it. I'm not quite sure what they mean by “you are my sha la la,” but I still have a weakness for first love songs for nostalgia reasons.

No Joke: In spite of a moment of confusion where I was convinced they said “F**k the light,” this smooth jam won me over courtesy of rap line of Seyong and JunQ, who haven't had as much of a chance to show off as the vocals. That being said, the vocals are still pretty dang sexy on the chorus, although they could use a little bit of enunciation to avoid the f-word issue.

Robot Boy: After “Klick,” this is my second favorite from the album, particularly when it comes to the lyrics. Comparing living with a damaged heart to being like a broken robot not only rings true, but the message is also delivered in the English-language chorus, which makes it easy to pick up for international fans. The vocals and raps are both on point, and the “fix me, can you come and fix me?” line is the most memorable of the album.

Your Answer: I was expecting another ballad here, but “Your Answer” ended up being a mid-tempo track brimming with nicely done harmonized back-up vocals and lots of romantic optimism. Not a bad wrap up number!

Girlfriend (Japanese version): Like with “Baby I'm Sorry,” I did like their Japanese rendition of the song quite a bit, but was a wee bit disappointed that the album didn't close off with an original number. I would have traded this track's position with “Your Answer,” which had the makings of a good closer. Whenever I hear this song, I'm not expecting the album to end, I'm expecting the Hwanhee outro to follow it up! Still a good track, however, as was the original version. 

Overall, this album earns a solid B. I prefer their WE ARE MYNAME album, but Five Stars has plenty to offer fans of their Japanese work. The groups remains frustratingly underrated in Korea, but if it means more quality J-Pop releases like this, I can hardly complain!