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1. Let's Step Up!
The album begins with the fierce intro Let's Step Up!, which was also part of their promotions for their comeback single Shampoo. If you know After School, then you'll know their intro Let's Do It! from their 3rd single - Bang! (which is very similar!) After School are probably the best dancers in K-Pop (although they do have a few weak links) and their choreography is always fantastic. And Let's Step Up! really shows their talented dance skills as this intro is basically a tap dancing fest! The intro has an urban flair, tap-dancing beats and raps from the girls - and for an intro, it's pretty awesome.
2. Shampoo
As soon as the fun intro is over, in comes Shampoo - the song that After School promoted the album with. Shampoo completely differs to Let's Step Up! It's a heart-wrenching dance ballad and really struck a chord with me. Shampoo was one of my favourite songs of 2011 - along with tracks from f(x), Girls' Generation and Super Junior - but why do I love it so much? I love it because I think it's the perfect pop song that combines so many different elements. Whilst being an uptempo song that you can dance too, it's also very ballad-like and has a sadness to it. Not only does it feature beautiful singing parts, there are lots of rapping parts to the song which give the song an added edge. Quite simply, I think Shampoo doesn't concentrate on one style of music - for pop, dance or R&B lovers, you're bound to find something you like in this song.
3. Virgin
This is the title track but unfortunately, Virgin was never promoted and - to my knowledge - has never been performed live. This song is very slick and well-produced and it's an upbeat song that we've come to expect from After School. Although it's not quite as good as Shampoo, I still think they could've released this as a subsequent single to be promoted on the music shows just to show an extra side to them. It's a great club song and a highlight on the album.
4. Bang!
Bang! is an old single from After School but it's such a classic and it just had to be included on their first full-length album. The song is so unique and their drummer concept had never been done before. What's more, the song is so addictive that it's impossible not to keep playing over and over. The drum beat is awesome - I love the military drum sound and the drum rolls throughout the song. Bekah's English rap is so cool and the breakdown of the track is superb - particuarly showing off Raina's powerful vocals. After the breakdown is over, the chorus explodes back into action and seems bigger than ever. Once again, After School proved that their choreography is second to none with the fantastic moves to the song!
5. Play Ur Love
The title may make little sense in English, but this song makes perfect sense as a R&B ballad - it's simple, led by a piano and has that standard R&B beat to it. Although not groundbreaking, the song is a sweet ballad and shows off the great vocal abilities of the members (some of them, anyway...). This is by no means their best ballad to date, but I think it's a good addition to the Virgin album nonetheless.
6. Dream
Unlike most other girl groups who begin with a cute concept, After School have always been grown-up, sophisticated, fierce and rather daring with their choreography and stage outfits. But Dream seems to be the first song which has gone down the 'cute route' - Dream Dream Beverley Hills.... It's all very cutesy and the use of the saxaphone is a little cheesey perhaps - but that's not much of a problem. I still think it's a fantastic song - it's really fun and bubbly and I played it alot during last summer's heat wave. But I can't help but think that this should've been on an Orange Caramel album, rather than an After School album.
7. 너 때문에 / Because Of You
너 때문에 is by far After School's biggest hit to date and has become their signature song it seems. And it's easy to see why. This song begins as a heart-wrenching ballad that features Kahi's wonderful vocals - and what's interesting is that Kahi (who is perhaps one of the most confident and self-assured ladies in K-Pop) sounds hurt and vulernable. However, After School - being the powerful group that they are - transform this ballad into a stomping R&B song. Kahi's vulernable singing turns into a strong and angsty rap and she tells the listener about the ways she's been hurt. The chorus is very anthemic and easy to sing along to (even for non-Korean speakers) and overall, I think the song is an emotional rollercoaster. Just like Shampoo, 너 때문에 combines rap and singing to dislay their raw emotions.
8. 시간에 기대어
시간에 기대어 is a bit of a shock after the raw and emotional 너 때문에 - this song is very relaxed and is the first solo track on the album. Raina - one of the main vocalists in After School - shows off her fantastic vocal skills here and proves that she could easiy be a solo singer. The track sounds very sweet and I like the softness of the beat and the acoustic guitar - and although it's not the most exciting moment on the album, it fits in well with the other tracks.
9. 잘 지내고 있죠
Admittedly, 잘 지내고 있죠 is the song that I listen to the least and is my least favourite song on Virgin. Although After School aren't known for their ballads, they've had a few throughout the years which are truly great. This, however, sounds like it was straight from the 90s and doesn't evoke any excitement in me whatsoever.
10. Funky Man
Funky Man is a welcome return to the uptempo tracks and this time it's a duet track between Lizzy and Nana. Although this song may just be a bit of fluff, it's a good listen and is totally fun. The chorus is really catchy but - just like Dream - this could've been an Orange Caramel track.
11. My Bell
Raina has had a solo, Nana and Lizzy have had a duet, and now it's Jungah's turn for a chance in the spotlight. Her solo track - My Bell - is another big ballad and although it does sound a little dated, it's a really solid song. Jungah (along with Kahi and Raina) is the best vocalist in the group and she can totally carry this ballad on her own.
12. When I Fall
When I Fall featued on their 2009 single Because Of You and but it's my favourite ballad on the whole album. It's been re-recorded just for the Virgin album, too. I think the chorus is really strong and unlike the previous ballads 잘 지내고 있죠 and My Bell, this song doesn't sound old-fashioned or straight from a 1990's Mariah Carey album. The song sounds fresh in 2009 and with it's 2011 revamp, and is a wonderful way to round off this strong and diverse album.
Virgin is a fantastic album because it's diverse and ecclectic - just like the member's of After School themselves. Virgin showcases their dance songs (Bang!, Virgin), their rap skills (Shampoo, 너 때문에) and their ability to tackle vocal-demanding ballads (When I Fall, Play Ur Love). Although there may be a touch too many ballads for my liking, I still find it difficult to really fault this album. For After School's next round of promotions, I'd love another full-length album with more hot uptempos and less dreary ballads, though!
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