Album Review: E-Girls' "E.G. TIME"

Now that there are a whole slew of Johnny's Entertainment and 48 Project groups repping each agency, it's a rare week when one or the other isn't topping Japan's Oricon chart. I don't have too much of a problem with this set-up: both agencies are excellent at what they do, and Johnny's at least has a decent amount of variety among their line-up. On the downside, competing agencies with equally talented groups don't have much of a shot in the spotlight in comparison as far as taking a huge cut of physical sales for singles goes.

LDH, a co-ed performance geared agency, has been shaking things up by making a credible dent in the charts this year with their stronger-than-ever line-up of performers: their top group EXILE, EXILE's sub-unit J Soul Brothers, GENERATIONS, E-Girls and its many sub-units (Dream, Flower, Happiness), and the all-encompassing EXILE TRIBE. The massive female idol collective E-Girls has yet to reach the sales level of any 48 project group-- unfortunately, in my book, since they bring a fresh EDM flair and vocal talent that I think rivals several of the 48 groups-- but they've had a solid year with several excellent singles both within E-Girls and within their sub-units, particularly Flower, capped off by the release of their third album, E.G. TIME.

Did they bring the beats with their latest release? Let's check it out!

-Introduction-: Though it's one of the shortest intros I've ever heard, this one still manages to get the listener into a concert mind-set with the pumped up cheering and "E.G!" chants from the audience. Of course, you expect a good anthem to follow, so thankfully, the next track is...

E.G. Anthem -We Are Venus-: This single came out early this summer as a sort of character song for the different divisions of E-Girls to celebrate their girl power and many charms, from their fierce electro-pop vibes to their flowery girl group sweetness. This song also saw increased international attention for the group among J-Fans, and for a good reason, too: even if you can't see the visuals and breath taking dancing present in the MV, it also happens to be a powerful, feel good listen, which brings out the best in the lead singers' vocals while still delivering a fun, poppy tune. I think a common misconception is that all female J-Pop is of the school-girl-and-bathing-suits variety, but E-Girls brings something new to the table by presenting a sound that's a little more edgy and self-empowering. "We are Venus" is the perfect kind of anthem to broaden J-Pop's horizons and kick off the album on the right note.

Mr. Snowman: The album's second track is also a familiar single, one we've heard more recently as their holiday release this November. It's a more upbeat number compared to Flower's seasonal offerings-- Koibito ga Santa Clause and Shirayukihime-- but better suits the happy spirit of E-Girls, even though it doesn't sound particularly Christmasy other than the snowman-themed chorus and occasional sparkly snowflake sound effects. Aya in particular gets plenty of time to shine on this track, so it's vocally on-point, and is all-in-all a much better danceable winter song than some of the classics. Why not take "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" off rotation and put this on instead?

Music Flyer: This track was one of my favorites from the new numbers on this album, namely because it takes what I love from J-Pop artists such as Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu including the electro-beats and dance-ready sound and peels off most of the electronic vocal frills we generally get from that brand of J-Performer in order to let the vocals do as much as work as the instrumentation. I honestly don't mind the vocoders, autotune, and Vocoloid-esque quirks in that branch of mainstream J-Pop since it's used in a way which makes it fun to listen to, but I also appreciate how E-Girls leaves most of their electronic tricks to their backing track and EDM breaks, since as Happiness, Dream, and Flower have all shown us, there's real vocal talent in their ranks. "Music Flyer" is an overall appealing electro-pop track, and I just can't help but love how LDH groups boost these kinds of tracks with their vocal power as well.


Move It! -Dream & E-Girls TIME-: Since Dream was the center unit for this song, I was almost expecting a "Darling"-esque slow number, up until I saw the E-Girls was also mentioned in the title, as well as the dance single indicator of "Move It!" And move it they do! Dream showcases their dance vibe as adeptly as they perform their ballads, and "Move It" makes for yet another dance track you'll want to jam along with. E-Girls' energy levels have taken a huge step up even from their Lesson 1 and Colorful Pop days-- though singles like "Gomenasai no Kissing You" and "Follow Me" had infectious beats, the vocal powers in tracks like this one have also been amped up to their max.

Rock and Roll Widow: The cover of E.G. TIME features a girl wearing a 50s style Varsity jacket, and the classic rock and roll vibe of the era is echoed in this track, a cover of Japanese vocalist Ryudo Uzaki, which kicks off a "Revolution" reminiscent guitar opening and continues on with several throwback features including some Motown-esques harmonized "ooh oohs" and hookyness that could give "Let's Twist Again" a run for its money. All the same, there's still a very modern vibe to the song to keep it from sounding campy, and it instead comes across as a fun nod to the era while still keeping E-Girls true to their trademark contemporary style, and not borrowing too much from how Uzaki originally performed it.


High School Love: This summer single is one of E-Girls' most relatable numbers since it tackles remembering young love, old friends from school, and having a blast reuniting with all the people who used to take up such a big part of your life. I hit my own five year reunion this year, and while I never considered high school to be the best years of my life as many say, I think you have a new appreciation for the people you met and time you spent there with a little maturity. This song managed to speak to me in that way, so I really enjoyed that it was slower paced and less dance-y than their previous tracks. It's great for nostalgia, and very well sung to boot.

Odoru Ponpokorin: This cover of B.B. Queens' hit from the 90s children's anime Chibi Maruko-chan is a love it or hate it type song. On one hand, it's super catchy, fun, and spirited, which is what appealed it to many Japanese fans when the original was first released. On the other hand, it's a bit repetitive and kind of kitschy for a group with a more mature sound than other female idol groups. I am actually in the love it camp on this one. I loved the B.B. Queens' version, and since the song has remained beloved through the years, I'm not at all surprised that there was a revival. E-Girls' did a great job of keeping its original cute style while bringing a few modern touches, and while I do prefer their EDM style, this kind of track also fits into their catalog for me.

Jiyuu no Megami ~Yuvuraia~: This song was used as a commercial background track, and like many songs written specifically for commercials, it- um- has lyrics that call to mind the plot of a commercial. The girls sing it well and it has a nice beat, but it didn't interest me as much as their earlier tracks, other than wondering what the heck "Yuvuraia" meant. Any ideas?

Ureshii! Tanoshii! Daisuki!: The girls move back into cover territory with their updated version of Dreams Come True's classic B-Side from their "Ureshii Hazukashi Asagaeri" single release. There's a reason why this song is consistently chosen for their greatest hits collections: it's as great of a feel good falling in love hit as they come. E-Girls does a good job of bringing the classic appeal of the song (and the divine sax solos) to a modern audience and giving it a more feminine sound. It's not exactly a song as suited for such a quick revival as "Odoru Ponpokorin," but since it's a good cover, there's little reason to complain.

Again: "Again" is a more relaxed number that would be right at home on any of the sub-units' albums, but having all three unit's main vocalists working on it polishes it just right. It's not as exciting as the E-Girls' dance tracks or as breathtaking as some of the ballads that have come from these singers, but it makes for a relaxing listen and falls at just the right place on the album.

Chocolat: I won't lie, I'm a sucker for these kinds of songs about longing for a lost love, so this was completely up my alley. Comparing such a feeling to chocolate sounds a bit weird, but the lyrics make it work, so I'll share some bits of it that I liked the most:

"The feeling of being in love is exactly like chocolate
Though it is a little bittersweet, it melts
Sweet and painful, missin' you...

Our meeting and our separation is just like chocolate
A flavour which never disappears,even if we cannot meet
Sweet and painful, missin' you"

Kibou no Hikari ~Mirai wo Shinjite~ (Dream and E-Girls Version): This track is the album's closer and the one pure ballad of the album, so it makes sense to put the Dream unit at the center (not to say that Flower and Happiness don't also slay their ballads, but this track in particular is well suited to the foursome's vocal style. It's a beautiful track, and it's nice and long so you get a lot out of it. Once again, this is what I love about E-Girls and their units: their singing is always on-point, and they're not just young pretty faces in uniforms. Their talent is strong, and their emotional delivery on songs like these are just as amazing as their electro-pop numbers.

E.G. TIME also includes newly arranged versions of "Gomenasai no Kissing You" and "Follow Me". They aren't huge shake-ups from the originals, but are still worth a listen if you like those singles, since there are a few nicely done new twists to them.

Overall, E.G. TIME is a worth a high B+ ranking, the downsides being that they released so many songs this year that almost the entire tracklist was already familiar, and what wasn't a pre-release single typically fell into cover territory if it wasn't a re-arrange of an earlier song. That being said, all of their singles this year were excellent and held up for multiple listens, and the energy of their dance songs have definitely taken a step up from their previous releases, and their sound is better than it has ever been. It's one of their best albums to-date, and once again, these girls deserve major props for bringing new freshness to the female idol genre and absolutely killing it with their dancing and vocals.

Album Review: Da-iCE's "Fight Back"

Asian music tends to follow an agency model, where the biggest players in music host auditions, build trainee teams, and assemble groups to debut rather than the artists themselves pairing up with who they want to work with and auditioning at a label together. South Korea has its Big 3 (SM, YG, JYP), but still, idol groups tend to be more spread out around other rival labels that also have significant talent to their name (Cube, Nega Network, FNC, Pledis, etc). In Japan, Johnny's Entertainment is responsible for almost all of the popular male idol groups, while 48-project and Hello! Project dominate on the female side, with LDH representing both genders. Outliers do exist, but they don't have the exact same level of influence on the market.

Japan's major label avex is also a player, but in a unique way. As a label they represent some of the biggest names in J-Pop, including several groups from the agencies mentioned above, but they are also an agency of their own, fostering groups such as top co-ed act AAA. Male dance and vocal group Da-iCE is one of their latest additions to their a-nation, and a personal favorite of mine. The group follows a format similar to EXILE's where only a few of the members are actually vocalists-- in Da-iCE's case, Sota and Yudai-- while the other members-- Taiki, Toru, and Hayate-- lead dance performance. Their style is also very strong for both the Japanese and international markets. Unlike many Japanese performers, they do have videos available on Youtube, including dance practice shots and live previews, and they sing in a broader style meant to appeal to various audiences. They also have some pretty neat English versions of some of their singles, which you can check out if you invest in the hard copies of their music.

I've been a fan of this group since their pre-debut EP, and I've been eagerly awaiting a full-length album ever since. How did these talented rookies do? Let's take a look:

Fight Back: The album starts off with the title track, which in my opinion, is probably the catchiest new track off the album. Yudai's traditionally smooth delivery pairs perfectly with Sota's high and unique vocal tone, so no matter how different they are in nature, their vocals still sound like they belong in the same group together. One of my favorite aspects of Da-iCE's music is how energizing it is, so this song kicks off their first album perfectly and is well-worthy of being the title track.

Shout it Out: As this was released as the group's first official single, most listeners are probably already familiar with it, but it's still worth plenty more listens when you pick up the album. It's a fun and enjoyable dance single that's catchy and incredibly hooky, so even if you aren't a native speaker, there's still plenty of parts to sing along with, especially the infectious background "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh." Yudai and Sota are both fantastic at hitting high notes, too, so even in their more poppy singles, there are still plenty of moments to be impressed by their skills as singers.

BOMB: BOMB is another dance number, one that I could actually imagine playing in an actual club, if clubs in America actually played Asian music (I can dream, can't I?) The slight dubstep and pulsing electro beats make it very simply to groove to, and though I have a greater fondness for their more lyrically meaningful songs like "FIVE" and "TOKI," this one is still a personal favorite from the album given how well they pull of the club style in their performance. It's a talent AAA also shares, so it makes perfect sense the Da-iCE got their start touring as performers with their sempai labelmates.

Noise: Noise immediately starts off on a different note with some smooth funk-style elements, already making it a fresh stretch from the earlier tracks. Yudai and Sota accordingly get to showcase different styles as singers in this track, with a smoother and cleaner delivery (and some delicious falsetto). I really enjoyed the chill instrumentation of this track as well, which made it an overall relaxing number to listen to.

TOKI: This is the song that took me from a casual listener of Da-iCE to a dedicated fan, so I honestly don't feel like I can say enough about the track. Lyrically, it's one of Da-iCE's best, and it perfectly blends ballad-like sensibilities to showcase the vocal line's talents while at the same time sneaking in dance beats for Taiki, Toru, and Hayate to perform to (and how!). Whenever Yudai or Sota hits their "stand up" lines in the pre-chorus, I get shivers all over. Their level of control is fantastic, and I enjoy the way they divide their lines so the songs is almost perfectly shared between the two and they both have plenty of high notes of their own. The English version of this song is also well done, and though I prefer the Japanese version, they arguably have a good grasp on pronunciation, which may very well come in handy if they work to become global performers.

Hush Hush: As "TOKI" was what fueled my obsession for this group, I had very high expectations when "Hush Hush" came out as their next single, and it quickly sealed the deal regarding my love for this group (other than when they said the artist they most wanted to work with was Tohoshinki, my everlasting love). Like "Shout it Out," "Hush Hush" is incredibly infectious, plus it has a lot of fun moments-- the pre-chorus, the "Hush Hush" part of the chorus, and of course the "dan-di-dan-dan-di-dan" which is hard not to sing along to. There's also a very nice dance break for the performance line, so be sure to watch the video so you can remind yourself of the visuals when listening to the track.

Did you know: From here, Da-iCE shifts into a more R&B style song. Vocally, it's a great listen, but it isn't quite as memorable as their other tracks (perhaps because the "did you know, did you know" part calls to mind "Digital digital get down" by NSYNC, and that gets stuck in my head instead... which is probably a stretch, I know, but that's how my brain works). It's a pretty song and I like the lyrics, but it's not one of the top songs from the album.

Stay: For a slower paced number, I much prefer "Stay," which is a memorable listen and also does very well vocally. I would argue that they don't really need as many back-beats as the song has, and that the piano instrumentation with minimal support could have carried the song, but at the same time I understand that the number is choreographed for their live stages, and the dance beats give Taiki, Toru, and Hayate room to showcase their own abilities. All the same, it's a beautiful song and very flattering to Yudai and Sota's style.

I still love you: This song moves onto full-fledged ballad territory by factoring out the dance back beats we've been hearing thus far, and it falls around right where it should on the album, before things pump back up for the finale. If I have any complaint, I would have preferred there to be more moments when Yudai and Sota are actually harmonizing with each other, but other than that, it's a strong ballad track for a largely dance album.

Startin' Up: Here we have another familiar track with one of the B-Sides from "Hush Hush," which I was initially a bit miffed to see since B-Sides to me are the main incentive to buy singles instead of only purchasing albums, but since "Hush Hush" also had the vocally flawless "You & I," I suppose that still remains incentive enough. "You & I" was the song I technically preferred of the two, but "Startin' Up" is also a strong dance number. Compared to many of their other dance tracks, the dance beats are understated during the verses, making this song a fair blend of vocals and get-you-pumped-up elements that will have you dancing.

LOST LOVE: Talk about a great closer! "LOST LOVE" pumps up the vocals for a track that it diverse and shows just how much this group has to offer. You've got power vocals, instrumentation that opens up for a short guitar break (which I love), and passionate message that will touch your heart. It's a beautiful piece, and a great way to end the album on the right note.

Given that this was a debut album, I'm going to put this in the A range. It's a fun listen with both stand out dance tracks and beautiful ballad, and Yudai and Sota's voices are simply a joy to listen. Of course, you can't get much out of the remaining members on the album because they take purely performance roles, so I can only hope that avex is serious about using Da-iCE to branch out to a broad audience. Thus far, their live DVD is region locked, so I'm eager for there to be an alternate version so listeners can better familiarize themselves with Hayate, Toru, and Taiki as well. Overall? A great album and a must-buy for fans of male Japanese pop.

Album Review: VIXX's ERROR

Oh, how K-Pop be killin me these days. I started out with the steady bias groups of TVXQ-SHINee-U-KISS-Big Bang, and the cozy sub-biases of 2PM, Teen Top, Infinite, B1A4, 2NE1, and miss A, and then the past few years came by and catapulted NU'EST, 100%, MYNAME, and JJCC into my life, and now VIXX and BTS are also trying to snuggle right into my ulti-bias roster. Needless to say, I was eagerly waiting on ERROR to see if VIXX would further their standing in my fangirl heart, and sure enough, the boys didn't fail to deliver.

Let's take a closer look at the overall mini!

Steel Heart-- Intro: This is the lead in to title single "Error," and features some of the mechanical noises of the steel heart from the "Error" video being created, as well as some dub step to pump you up if you like dub step (which I usually don't, but hey, I'm a NU'EST fan and I liked DBSK's "Catch Me," so apparently I'm not as picky as I think). It's a decent intro, intense VIXX style, but am I the only who thinks it sounds like someone is saying "FART!" before the dub-step breakdown? I can only hope they are really saying "Heart."

ERROR: The real slayage starts with "Error," which stays true to VIXX's taste for dark concepts with a breathtaking video featuring a tragic romance between Hongbin and KARA's Youngji where Hongbin resurrects his lost love as a cyborg, but still struggles to hold onto her in a world that won't accept his actions. The whole video is goosebump-inducing (other than Ravi's hat -shudders-) and is as well worth the watch as all of VIXX's other efforts so far. You also get an extended instrumental break that isn't in the CD single, so give that video a watch!

The song itself shows a lot of polish. Ken and Leo of course have rangy vocals well suited to VIXX's often moody concepts, and every high note they hit is beyond glorious. N, to me, has also been impressive. He excels the most at dance, but his sub-vocal support is quality enough that he never gets overshadowed, and he always has memorable parts in VIXX's catalog. Hongbin also sneaks in some pretty deep voice lines in, and though he is dominantly a visual, his vocals are improving nicely from his MyDol days. Hyuk takes on the more traditional support role with more minor parts in the song, and I would have liked to hear more from him since he is one of my bias members. Ravi doesn't let his hat get him down, and delivers his unique rap style in a clearer way than is usual for him-- he isn't always the best at enunciating, but here he does a much better job.

Overall, it's one of their best singles when you pair the vocals with the atmospherics, and shows the level of skill level that has managed to launch VIXX past some their other 2012-debut competitors. 

After Dark: This track is has the more traditional electro/dance sounds of K-Pop and is in particular flattering to Ravi, though technically Ken and Leo get the most show off moments since they perform the chorus and have plenty of support moments on the verses. It's an enjoyable song, and probably could have also served as a title single, but the overall nature of "ERROR" strikes me more as the kind of style only VIXX excels at. 


Youth Hurts: Truthfully, Leo and Ken's falsetto slay the life out of this slower paced track, but it's well-balanced to give Hyuk, Hongbin, and N their chances to shine vocally, too. I liked Hyuk's part in the second verse in particular, which is nicely followed up by a killer high note by Leo in the same verse. I loved the lyrics in this one, too: "Everyone looks at us and says/We're at our best age/That there's so much to experience in the world... Don't speak too easily/Don't envy us/Our youth hurts so much". Preach, VIXX, preach.

Time Machine: Perhaps VIXX did take a time machine, because this one hits a little too close to their overall sound on "GR8U" for comfort. They sound great, of course, but production should have been a little bit more careful in reusing such a similar tone-- that's Brave Brothers' job! Still, I'm not going to say no to Ken/Leo high notes, and fans do seem to be into time machine concepts after the hell of 2014 (not that a lot of the years they want to go back to were any better for K-Pop. JYJ and Hangeng... how soon we forget).

What U Waiting For: This one is a Ravi original, and I sincerely compliment Ravi on having a good grasp on his group-- this song embraces the standout VIXX aesthetic, gives everyone their chance to show off, and is super catchy to boot. I hope he continues to build his role as a writer in the group, because this shows a lot of promise and is fairly infectious for a composing debut!

Overall, I'd put VIXX in the A-/B+ range with this. "ERROR" was phenomenal, as was "Youth Hurts" for me, and "After Dark" and "What U Waiting For" are both solid upbeat tracks to round out the album. "Time Machine was the only one I was disappointed by, namely because it pulled too much off of "GR8U" and other current songs. Overall? A job very, very well done. VIXX's ascent to the top of my list continues.

Single Review: Battle of the Comeback Kids-- KARA vs T-ARA

The amount of anticipation surrounding a KARA and T-ARA release is to be expected, considering that both groups are very well-known within the K-Pop scene. However, unless you closely follow the ins-and-outs of the K-Pop social sphere, you may be surprised at all the talk of 'will they win or won't they win?' for both these groups. Doesn't it get to a point where you expect certain groups to win when they come out with a new single? Wouldn't it be odd, for example, if TVXQ, Big Bang, or SNSD released something and didn't pick up a single win for it?

Of course, as your average up-to-date K-Pop fan knows, KARA and T-ARA are two special cases. KARA, for one, recently wrapped up dealing with the departure of veteran members Nicole and Jiyoung and phasing in new member Youngji, the victor of a reality project DSP devised to fill up the group line-up (time and effort that could have been spent marketing DSP's oft ignored groups Rainbow and A-JAX, but that's a whole other story). But even before these changes, KARA hadn't been winning on music shows up to their usual standard with single "Damaged Lady," which didn't manage to score wins on either Inkigayo or M! Countdown following its release.

T-ARA also had their share of setbacks since the departure of member Hwayoung in 2012, when it was speculated that she had been bullied by the other members of T-ARA. Details on the truthfulness of that situation aren't very clear (I for one would be very surprised if there were no cases of a member being isolated within a group in K-Pop, but I don't know to what extent this happened to Hwayoung, though it did seem negative feeling were there), but the group has paid for it among netizens ever since with the group failing to take home any wins for "Number 9" last year after they dominated the charts with "Lovey Dovey" in 2012.

But where do their most recent efforts put them? Let's check out their fresh starts with "Mamma Mia" and "Sugar Free"

KARA's "MAMMA MIA"
I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't overly excited about the intro of new member Youngji. For one, DSP shouldn't go around draining resources into a reality show like "KARA Project" when they can barely promote the groups they do have properly. DSP was the label behind SS501 and should have their act and reputation together enough to the point where Rainbow and A-JAX could have been launched as top groups. But they don't, so they continue to throw money at KARA, even though the fans and members didn't necessarily want a new member initially. Secondly, out of all the members of the KARA Project, Youngji was one of the weakest vocally. KARA already has a visual and dance member who can't contribute much in the way of vocals (Goo Hara), so adding another such member seemed rather pointless.

On the other hand, KARA did still manage to keep their trademark dance sound strong on new single "Mamma Mia," so their new line-up does show promise. While not being quite a blow-your-mind number, "Mamma Mia" is fun, dance-able, and super catchy, and shows that the group is not going down in flames just because they lost two of their former members. Vocally, Youngji still didn't wow me in the song, but Gyuri and Seungyeon were enough to carry the more powerful parts of the song, while Hara and Youngji provided support. The "hit the lights let's go" line did get me pumped up every time they hit it, which gives me hope that one day they'll be able to do the same with an entire song for me, like they did with "STEP."

The music video was also a great watch, and for having a line-up that hasn't been together that long, they had good chemistry together during the performance.

However, the line-up change does put them in the position of feeling somewhat like a new debut to more casual fans, and unfortunately they were only able to get a win from Show Champion on their first go-round with the new team. If they keep at it, though, they'll probably be able to regain some of their old impact, but it doesn't seem like they're starting at their old popularity level automatically.

T-ARA's "Sugar Free"
To be frank, I've never been a huge T-ARA fan, as much as I love their stage performances and dances for songs like "Lovey Dovey" and "Cry Cry." I'm not big into their electropop singles, and simply hearing the instrumentation of "Bo Peep Bo Peep" can get on my nerves. All the same, I like their ballads and enjoy their concepts as performers, so I don't dislike them per se-- they're just not a top bias group, and I usually skip their singles in favor for the more toned down side tracks on their albums.

However, as much as I usually don't favor this style from them, T-ARA did do a good job on "Sugar Free" as far as making it a solid club track to put you in the mood for dancing goes. Even the back up music didn't bother me as much as "Bo Peep Bo Peep," making it hold up nicely for multiple replays. If I do have any complaint, it's that EXID's LE was clearly doing the rap parts for the group but wasn't credited as a featured artist (unless T-ARA has gotten really good at copying her delivery, which I doubt) and that the sound effects made it sound like a Pepsi ad. Other than that, it was a solid EDM song, and it has a fair shot of pulling them out of their bullying scandal slump.

The video, on the other hand, I didn't like. Why, you may ask? Because I couldn't watch a single second of it. Like WINNER's Mino and "I'm Him," the group went ahead with an overload of flashing lights throughout the MV. I personally don't suffer from epilepsy, but flashing lights do trigger migraines for me, and it annoys me when groups don't consider the potential conditions of their fans when releasing their videos. I've tuned into their live stages, and I don't think their dance is as good as some of their earlier routines, but I do like the energy with which they perform the track as well as their styling. If only I could see how they portrayed it in their MV :( I'm sorry that I won't be contributing views to it, but I honestly don't want artists to continue using that kind of lighting in their releases for the sake of other fans like me. 

Final verdict: As a song, "Sugar Free" is more memorable to me, but KARA has the better video and dance. I don't think either group has reached the same momentum as their "glory days," but the potential is still there. Both groups can and should claw their way back up to the top and keep fighting! KARA needs stronger vocal power (other groups have had their weaker vocals improve, so I have faith in Youngji... Hara should probably just focus on visuals and dance since her level really hasn't risen vocally over the years), and T-ARA either needs to improve the rap line of their team, be more clear about featuring LE, or -gasp- not rap at all. Honestly, I don't think rap contributes much to their style, and they should just bring more of their electropop flair to the table.

Album Review: Johnny's WEST's "go WEST Yoi don!"

I was pretty darn proud of Kansai Jr.'s having their first major debut since Kanjani8, so I was very eager to check out Johnny's WEST when they came out with "Ee ja nai ka," especially since it carried on some of the fun spirit of their Kanjani sempai. I was a bit surprised but pleased to get a debut album out of them so soon so I could get a better feel for their overall sound, so let's, in the words of KAT-TUN's Taguchi, "Check it out, yo!"

Ee ja nai ka: This is a fairly standard Johnny's pep anthem with the loud "EE JA NAI KA" at the beginning, hooky chorus, and call-and-response fun in the verses, but it's fun and catchy in the same way a lot of Kanjani songs are. I like it for the same reason I've always liked "weeeek" by NEWS: it's just so much fun to listen to! It's not my favorite Johnny's debut, but it's charming, and will probably do more for older listeners than Sexy Zone, for example.

Summer Dreamer: "Ee ja nai ka" is a little bit hammy, but "Summer Dreamer" shows the group can still do fantastic power pop that's a little bit less silly (in case you didn't already know that from following them in Johnny's Jr.). I'm not always a fan of a lot of Johnny's synth-y backbeats, but it actually works quite well in this style of pumped up summer anthem. These guys have some solid vocals, and the high notes don't sound as chipmunky as some Johnny's artists are accused of being. A very good way to keep the energy from "Ee ja nai ka" going strong on the first half of the album.

Komon: This song moves back into the group's hammier sound, and though I'm usually not a huge fan of these kinds of songs as much as tracks like "Summer Dream," I did find the chorus pretty catchy. It lost me on the instrumentation, though: I can tolerate synth, but synth paired with dubstep is not my thing. If you understand Japanese, this song will also increase your cravings for Japanese food as a side effect, so be warned.

Wake up!: Just as the title suggests, this is another pep anthem of the "get-out-of-bed-and-do-something" variety (need a new alarm track? Here you go!). It's not one of the more memorable tracks off the album, but it's likable and will fit very well into their style of lives. Let's get touring, boys!

LET'S GO WEST ~K A N S A I!!~: Okay, so being the first group to debut from Kansai Jr.'s in awhile is a big deal, so our boys take this short little break to celebrate and say banzai to Kansai and their group together. Time to get crazy! I'm proud of them, too, so I liked this song being featured on their debut album, though I may have put it as the lead off instead of sticking it where it is on the album. Regardless, I am most definitely singing those "na na na na"s with them. Let's go WEST, indeed!

P & P: Oh, Johnny's and your mysterious acronyms. I think one of the Ps has to do with "perfect," but the meaning of the title isn't immediately coming to me, although it doesn't sound as shady as NEWS's "DTF," where I honestly thought they meant the dirty meaning until I looked up the lyrics. This track has a lot in common with "Summer Dreamer" as far as it being a fun summer-y anthem goes, and it's very feel good. Once again, I have to say that I love the vocals in this group. They do get bonus points from me for not doing the vocal split that Kis-my-ft2 and now Sexy Zone has been engaging in. I like hearing everyone sing.

Break Out!: Here we finally get a break from the peppier songs in favor of something more rock based. Fans of this group are already familiar with the live stages of this song, but the album version is even better. Though their growling at the beginning could use a little bit more polish, they're not half bad at delivering the rock-type sound, and I really enjoyed their performance on this track. I also liked the music box type instrumentation in the background, although I wasn't a huge fan of the explosion type sounds randomly thrown into the melody. Overall, though, it's a very good shake up for them on the album.

Criminal: This track keeps some of the rock-based elements from the earlier track while mixing in dance beats to keep their sound edgier and dancefloor ready. Once again, I could do without the dubstep, but overall, I was very impressed by the maturity of their sound in this track. It's a personal favorite, and it does a good job of showing the diversity of the group. They do their upbeat "Ee ja nai ka" songs in true Kansai style, but they definitely aren't a one trick pony. I'm so happy that the group was so firm about bringing the 7 WEST boys into the debut, since it really rounded out their sound perfectly.

Chaunen!: Latin flair? Looks like Johnny's WEST can do a little bit of that, too. I'm a fan of Hispanic pop like Belanova and Juanes, so I'm picky about artists jacking the style, but that being said, Johnny's WEST actually did a credible job of keeping the spirit of those kinds of songs alive, although of course they don't really have the same kind of smoking accent that Juanes has. Not so sure about that random "boing" sound effect at the end of the track, though.

Ban Ban: If you haven't kept up with WEST stages, this one might try and trick you, since it starts off with a ballad-type opening, but then again, the fact that "Ban Ban" is equivalent to "bang bang" in English should clue you into the energetic nature of this track so it won't surprise you. I've liked the group's performances of this song thus far, particularly the slower parts sprinkled throughout the song to shift up the pace, but this one I think comes across better as a live song than as an album version.

Ole Ole Carnival: Another solid summer track that's fun spirited and very Johnny's in style. I prefer "Summer Dreamer" and "P & P" overall, but the dialogue bits and occasional random exclamations in this song are pretty cute thanks to their Kansai accents. Not my favorite, but not bad.

Naniwa Ichitosho: This is another track fans of this group should be familiar with from their stage performances, and though it's one of their sillier style songs, I would be completely lying if I said I didn't sometimes prance around when this song comes on chanting "DANCING NUMBER ONE! SINGING NUMBER ONE! NUMBER ONE ONE ONE!" even though I completely stink at both dancing and singing. It's just too good of a self-anthem to ignore, so even though I'm a bigger fan of their more serious tracks, I still love this song. BECAUSE I AM NUMBER ONE ONE ONE!

Sono Saki e...: This album was in sore need of a ballad at this point, and "Sono Saki e..." is just the ballad to fill that missing spot. The piano instrumentation is beautiful and soothing, and their vocals remain solid. I usually get annoyed when all the B-sides from a single show up on the album, but I wasn't too bothered to see this track again. It's a good ballad, and I hope this group continues to release more in the future.

Banzai Yume Mansai!: Another "Ee ja nai ka" B-side appears, so if you haven't checked out Johnny's WEST's debut single, you don't really need to make a special trip-- just give this album a listen. The track is pretty much ideally styled as an album closer, the placing of it is good, and the "thank you thank you"s are well received. 

Overall? I'd put this album in the B range. Minus points for reusing all their B-sides and for only including one ballad, but plus points for showing some diversity with tracks like "Break Out!", "Criminal", and "Chaunen." Johnny's vocalists can be hit and miss sometimes, but I like these guy's vocals, and their Kansai flavor gives them a lot of the entertaining spirit of Kanjani8, though their overall sound is unique. I'm looking forward to these guys making their dome tour debut, since I have a feeling the footage will be killer with this kind of tracklist. I'm very proud of this group, and will be continuing to watch over their career with excitement!

Album Review: NU'EST's "Re:Birth"

Bias groups can hit you unexpectedly. By time 2012 rolled around, I was already flush with favorites-- TVXQ/JYJ, SHINee, U-KISS, Teen Top, B1A4, Infinite, etc, and out of the crop of newbies, I wasn't exactly expecting to pick up a brand new top group because the age issue was beginning to hit-- I was little by little becoming a noona fan to the upcoming groups. Even loving Teen Top felt a bit weird, since I'm a year older than the oldest member and four years older than the youngest, but with the even newer groups, it felt like even more of a stretch. I felt okay liking their music and supporting them, but I wasn't exactly fangirling on the same level I would for TVXQ, for example.

In spite of the fact that I'm a noona to all the members of NU'EST, they still managed to snag me with their debut single "FACE" back in 2012. There were plenty of tough competitors out that year, but watching them on their variety shows and following their mini-album releases warmed my heart with how exciting and refreshing they were. Every one of their singles stuck out to me, and it wasn't long before they crept to the top five of my bias list.

Of course, I was thrilled when they released a full-length album (in spite of the repeat song tactics, thanks Pledis), but did it wind up winning me over? Check out my take:

Judgement: It's not often that an intro slays as hard as a full-length song, but NU'EST has a history of making it happen, such as they did with "NU, Establish, Style, Tempo" on their debut single. Their trick? Bring the hard pulsing beats they are known for and unleash the rap line! This time around, Aron and JR throw down their raps with some background Latin chanting and alarm sounds, which makes the video concept for the track come across as even more epic. A promising start, and very evocative of their blow-up beginnings with "FACE".

Big Deal: From there, the boys move onto another a hard driving number with "Big Deal," which starts off pulling on the eerie chanting from "Judgement," keeping the flow of songs cohesive. This song was one of my favorites from the album: it's musically diverse, is powerful and dance-able without losing the vocals, and allows for plenty of time for JR to show off his unique rap delivery. The instrumentation on this one is also fantastic, particularly the piano line used at the end of the chorus. The "say my name" lines actually sounds a little bit like it belongs on a MYNAME album (as MYNAME fan, I would totally be down with them covering this), but it still manages to fit for NU'EST, who are clearly using this album as a launching pad for more musical maturity, which I'm all about!

Good Bye Bye: The title track from this album was unexpected, but in the best way possible. The teasers NU'EST released for this album were for "Judgement," so many people were expecting them to lead off with a dance single like "FACE" or "Action," but while "Good Bye Bye" has a fantastic dance routine, it is actually quite a softer and more sophisticated K-Pop single, and carries on NU'EST's tradition of imparting a greater message with their music. Baekho has been suffering from a throat condition, so this track actually gives an opening for Ren, Minhyun, and even Aron to try out greater vocal roles than on previous albums, and all three rise to the challenge brilliantly. The MV for this track also shows something I'm sure most fans were not anticipating: our beautiful baby Ren with ABS (and live fish consumption, but yeah, I think the abs shocked me more). The track may not be the most energetic track on the radio, but it's smart and polished and good new step for NU'EST.

사랑 없는 사랑 (Love Without Love): The group continues to keep things slower with "Love Without Love." Lyrically, it's one of my favorites from the album, and is a strong slower pace number for the vocal line, which quite honestly has never sounded better together than on this album. NU'EST deserves props for spacing the vocal parts out nicely on the album, which some of their sunbae groups could stand to learn, in my opinion. Some artists are guilty of straying into filler territory at this part of the album, but Re:Birth is still going strong.

Storybook: I feel like this track could have gone either way for me, as the subject matter is a bit more cheesy than the rest of the album with all of the fairy tale references, but the way the second half of the chorus is done instrumentally and vocally won me over. Not my favorite by far, but for fans of cute and sincere tracks, this one should do well.

CLIMAX: This one is more up my alley from the midway point, and is what I think of as a sneaky track-- it's somewhat buried in the album, and can get lost in the shuffle for people who focus in more on the singles and start off tracks, but has a lot of charm points that will make it your secret favorite. It's short and sweet and to the point, but the chorus is simply infectious and the sound is likable. A good track for this part of the album, and once again it keeps the album from feeling like the group is indulging in filler to round it out, which is a relief for fans since quite a bit of the album already contains singles from previous albums, so every new track should count.

어깨빌려줘 (Feat. 계범주) (Lend Me Your Shoulder feat. Kye Bumjoo): When I saw a feature vocalist song on the line-up, I was at first assuming it would be a ballad-y number with some female vocalist support, but this one is a swanky R&B number with some additional hip-hop vocal support from Superstar K4's Kye Bumjoo. This song is especially special to me because it talks about NU'EST's recent growth, with Aron's rap in particular discussing his journeys from LA to Seoul to become a K-Pop star. As an Aron bias (he's only two years younger than me, so it's okayyyy), I loved hearing that part of his story, and I really admire his strength. This a beautiful track, and a strong finish to NU'EST's fresh material (minus the bonus track we'll hit later)

FACE: This track, as well as the rest of the album other than the bonus track, has been out for awhile, so I'll touch on them briefly. This was the group's debut single, an electropop dance track tackling issues of school violence. An overall epic and positive start for NU'EST when compared to some of the more inane concepts groups get saddled with, and even tolerable for people who don't like the dubstep that was very in when NU'EST got their start.

Action: Like "FACE," "Action" was a strong starter single for NU'EST with plenty of drive and energy, and was a fun self-confidence anthem to boot. The dubstep break I could have done without, but I think this song did a great job of showcasing JR and Aron's unique rap deliveries, and I absolutely love Ren's part (just remember: HE HAS ABS NOW).

여보세요 (Hello): I'm a fan of groups who occasionally choose ballads for singles, because, you know, not everything in this world needs to be an electro dance number to be good. The vocals on this are glorious, though the cheating GF video can be a bit odd if you 1) don't want to see JR's kiss scene 2) are weirded out by the fact that Ren is supposed to be one of the guys the girl is cheating on considering his visuals at the time.

잠꼬대 (Sleep Talking): Though not as strong as "FACE" or "Action," "Sleep Talking" was a fun-spirited and catchy single, that was actually pretty easy to sing along to, which is an added bonus for international fans. The video on this one was also very clever, and is one of my favorite MVs from them.

Bonus Track- Hey, Love: Our very own fandom gift! This track is CD only, so if you are a L.O.Λ.E, stop fooling around and buy the damn album-- it's so good! Like most songs of this kind, it's a cuter love ode to their fans. It's a fairly standard fan number, but is a very sweet treat if you've stood by this group so far!

Overall? I'm not going to lie about the fact that I was a little bit ticked by the repeat tracks since I wanted a whole new album, but the new tracks were all good, so it made it easier to forgive them. "Big Deal" and "Good Bye Bye" were my two favorites, but I didn't get the "filler" feeling from any of their new tracks, which made me proud to be a fan. They've matured nicely (I REPEAT: REN HAS ABS), and their new sound is definitely something to get excited about. I'd bump them down to a B+ because I wanted more new tracks, but a great album all the same!