In a scene dominated by girl groups and boy bands, NS Yoon-G is one of few K-Pop solo artists that I really listen to. And although she may stand alone on a stage, she commands the stage like a pro and has produced a great mini album - Neo Spirit.
Check out my track-by-track review of Neo Spirit below:
니가 뭘 알아 (Feat. 버벌진트)
The 5 song mini album begins quite odd, I must say. Most albums tend to start with a bang - with either the first single or a huge uptempo number. But Neo Spirit begins with 니가 뭘 알아, a R&B ballad with a sad feel to it. Not a bad song, by any means, but with her powerful image, the song falls a bit flat for an album introduction. For a simple R&B ballad with a rapper, it does the trick. But for an introduction to an otherwise strong mini album? Not so good.
마녀가 된 이유 (The reason I became a witch)
This is the title track to Neo Spirit and it's the best track by a country mile. It's completely refreshing to what is out there at the moment. It's everything you want from a pop song - it's insanely catchy, it's easy to sing and dance to and it packs a punch. Although NS Yoon-G has previously situated herself in the pure pop lane, The Reason I Became A Witch is a feisty pop/rock song that shows off her fiery attitude. I love how the song begins like a fairy tale, before the drums, guitars and strings kick in. Her vocals are incredible on this track too and it's really anthemic. A+
Shower (Feat. 이단 옆차기)
Track 3 sees NS Yoon-G tackling yet another direction - an electronic, synth mid-tempo track. Not one of my favourite tracks, yet Shower is still an interesting song that is worth a listen. Once again, the track shows off NS Yoon-G's fantastic vocals.
Talk Talk Talk
This is actually my second favourite song on the mini album and it's the polar opposite to The Reason I Became A Witch. It's insanely cute and sugary, the complete opposite to her current image. But as far as cute and kitschy songs go, this is as good as you can get. It's very catchy, very poppy and somewhat dated, but Talk Talk Talk still sounds great!
또 보고 싶어 (Feat. 상추)
The final track of the mini album is shares a similar vibe to Shower and Talk Talk Talk, but doesn't rely on the electro-pop sound as much. Even though it features the word "Loverboy" on several occasions, 또 보고 싶어 is surprisingly less "cute" than the previous two tracks. The whole album seems to rely on a lot of features and I think that 상추 is definately not needed here. It makes a nice ending to a well-rounded 5 track mini album though.
All in all, Neo Spirit is a strong mini album. But if you were expecting other feisty and fiery songs such as 마녀가 된 이유 (The reason I became a witch), I think you'll be dissapointed. The album definately doesn't have any low points but overall it's a good listen that can appeal to every K-Pop fan out there.
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