It's finally here! BIG BANG's new release has arrived and I couldn't be more happy with it. I became a huge BIG BANG fan last year when they released their 4th mini album and became obsessed with them after their Love song single. And now, one year later, they've returned with their 5th mini album ALIVE.
Check out my track-by-track review after the break...
INTRO (ALIVE)
First thing.... why isn't this a full song!? For a 48 second track, it's higly addictive! BIG BANG have had amazing intros in the past and they're a great way in introducing the album. But whereas Thank You and You from their last mini album was the right length and wouldn't sound as good as a full-length song, I really think that the ALIVE intro should be made into a full length track. Well, if there's a re-release in the pipeline, I hope this song gets remade into a proper song. However, despite that issue, it's awesome and opens the album perfectly.
BLUE
I've already reviewed BLUE and it's music video in a previous post, but I just want to reiterate how awesome this track is. It's a really refreshing track in the world of K-Pop. I think it's the counterpart to last year's Love song (although not as good, in my opinion) and shows off BIG BANG as the fantastic rappers and vocalists they are. Not a complaint, but it's interesting to see how this slower tempo song is the first full-length song of the album instead of a stomping uptempo track...
사랑먼지 (Love Dust)
This. Is. Brilliant. Absolutely adore the intro with the guy saying 'Dust' in a somehow robotic way. It's a fantastic electro track that has BIG BANG's style written all over it. I think the best part of the song is the chorus where Taeyang sounds incredible with his soaring vocals. Not entirely sure what Love Dust could be a symbol for but I shall use my imagination and suggest that BIG BANG are all magicians and they posess the power to make people fall in love with them with their magical 'love dust'. Just a theory.
BAD BOY
After watching the music video and reviewing the track, you already know how impressed I am with this. It's so funky and fresh and definately a highlight on ALIVE. It's totally non K-Pop with it's soulful beats and swag. G-Dragon totally rules this song for me. I think this might end up becoming my favourite song from the whole release...
재미없어 (Ain't No Fun)
This is a cool song but no doubt my least favourite song on the entire mini album. I still thinks it's a great song and I love the laid-back quality to it. But after hearing the album a few times now, this definately stands out as the weakest moment. I'm sure it'll grow on me in the future but for now, it's not doing much for me. Sorry BB!
FANTASTIC BABY
Although I don't think that this song would exist if it wasn't for LMFAO's shuffle song (which I'm not really a fan of, by the way), I still think this is a really fresh and fun track. It's without a doubt the biggest, most boldest and most electro-inspired song on the album. And it already sounds like an anthem for the dancefloor. It's got everything you need for a night out - nananas, boom shakalakas, robot voices, and incredible dance beats. I think FANTASTIC BABY is where TOP has his best rap as his tone totally suits this style of song. Whereas that LMFAO song was just plain annoying, this song is definately on that next level for me. Good job, BB.
날개 (대성 SOLO) / Wings (Daesang solo)
Daesang's voice is incredible and so unique, so when I heard that he would have a solo on this mini album I was so happy. And this song does not dissapoint on any level. In fact, it totally exceeded my expectations. Alhough a pop song, it has a few rock elements thrown in which show that Daesang is such a commendable vocalist who sounds fantastic on ballads and uptempo numbers. It's really anthemic and an awesome way to close the mini album.
Having waited a long time for this release, expectations were high. And I can safely say, I was not dissapointed. For me, the highlights of the album are the 'slower' moments such as BLUE and BAD BOY. The fact that G-Dragon has composed and written the whole album really shows that he is such a talented writer and producer. Each track is unique (just like each member of BIG BANG) and I am very much looking forward to seeing their comeback performances on the music shows. And with the prospect of a world tour, I hope I'll be seeing these 5 guys in concert very soon.
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