SISTAR are back with their 5th release and their first ever mini album - Alone. As the follow-up to 2011's massive hit SO COOL, a lot was riding on Alone. But has it delivered? SISTAR have definately evolved as a group and their style is a lot different from their previous releases - but is this change for the better?
For my track-by-track review of SISTAR's first mini album ALONE.... click the "read more" link below!
1. Come Closer
Just like their other releases, this album begins with an introduction. Just under 1 minute long, Come Closer doesn't really add any value to the album at all. As I discussed in my review for 4minute's Volume Up, sometimes an introduction really sets an album up well. But Come Closer is a little weak and, for me, it has no purpose at all.
2. 나혼자 (Alone)
나혼자 (Alone) is SISTAR's title track and it's a song that completely differs from their previous releases. Although I completely welcome change and I love to see my favourite groups evolve and change over the years, I feel like this is too big of a departure for SISTAR and it doesn't quite work. For me, this song would've worked brilliantly for miss A who demonstrated with their Touch mini album that they can tackle this style. But for SISTAR, I feel like it's an odd direction for them to go in. They're known for their huge dance songs (SO COOL, Push Push, How Dare You) and this song doesn't fit with their previous hits. But regardless of whether the song actually fits with SISTAR's style, it is still a great song. It's highly addictive (the chorus is very catchy) and the whole vibe of the song is very sophisticated and classy. The piano and the drumbeat really make this song unique in the dance heavy world of K-Pop. Additionally, the music video was a great watch too. But, again, they've let me down. I found the choreography for Alone completely unexciting and overall, I've found watching their live performances a little boring.
3. No Mercy
Although Alone may not have been typical for SISTAR, No Mercy definately has their own stamp on it. This is a good uptempo song that wouldn't have sounded out of place on their SO COOL album. I really love the funky guitar which is throughout the song - and surprisingly, it totally fits with the dance beat. This track may not blow me away or make me want to get up and dance, it's still a great addition. The middle section of the song - which features Bora's rap - is the highlight of the whole song for me.
4. Lead Me
Lead Me is my favourite track on the whole mini album. It may not be the most ground-breaking track around, but it's a fantastic R&B ballad which shows off the strengths of each member. Hyorin takes the chorus and sounds fantastic, Soyou and Dasom deliver some really strong verses and Bora's raps give this standard R&B track the edge that it needs. It may sound like a R&B track from an American singer but it totally fits SISTAR's modern and contemporary style.
5. Girls On Top
Girls On Top is arguably the biggest 'pop' track of the album and consequently, it doesn't quite fit with SISTAR's "cool" image. This could've been sung by any other K-Pop act around but it's still a good song nonetheless, I must say. This is my least favourite song on the album because I have a feeling that's it's just "there" for the sake of it - album filler, if you will. But hey, it's a fun pop song and it's as inoffesnive as candy floss - sugary and sweet, but a bit underwhelming.
6. 널 사랑하겠어 (I Choose To Love You)
Back to the ballads and 널 사랑하겠어 (I Choose To Love You) is the last track on Alone. This is a really strong song and reinforces that SISTAR can tackle R&B ballads with ease. Just like Lead Me, I Choose To Love You is a wonderfully simple R&B ballad - but it totally works. There is no autotune or electronic trickery on this song - and once again, the vocals of SISTAR shine here. We all know that Soyou and Hyorin (especially) can be great powerhouse vocalists if required. But I Choose To Love You is a very soft song and the girls do not oversing it at all - just the right amount of vocal power is used. A great end to a somewhat mediocre mini album.
Truth be told, I was a little dissapointed in SISTAR's return. Ever since their debut, they've continued to release big uptempo songs with exciting choreography and fun videos. And although Alone can be seen as an evolution of SISTAR (which is good - I don't want any band to rehash old material and never grow as a group or change style), I just feel that this comeback was just a little lacklustre. The uptempos on Alone quite simply do not hold a candle to their previous songs. Nevertheless, their ballads are truly fantastic and therefore this mini album still has its moments of brilliance. As for the title song - I really like it - but maybe it just doesn't fit with SISTAR's style?
Tell me what you think - do you agree with me or are you totally won over for SISTAR's change in style? I'd love to read and respond to your comments!
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