A Pink were one of the top rookie groups of 2011 and released a couple of hits during the past year (MY MY and I Don't Know). And now they're back with the first full length album - a short collection of songs that showcase their cute and sweet sides. But is this just more of the same of what we've already seen from A Pink? Is their image becoming a little tiring now? Let's find out.
Click the "read more" link below to read my full review of A Pink's Une Annee:
Quite simply, if you liked A Pink's past two mini albums (Seven Springs of Apink and Snow Pink) then I'm sure that you'll love Une Annee. Concept and music-wise, Une Annee doesn't drift too far away from their first two mini albums. The only difference with this album? It's got more songs.
Initially, I couldn't take to A Pink's style. Although their first mini album was a solid effort, I find it very outdated and somewhat cheesey. Old-school and retro concepts when done right can be fantastic - see T-ARA or Dal★Shabet for instance - but when your sound is still stuck in the 90s, it's not a good thing at all. I feel A Pink have positioned themselves in that 90s girlgroup era, and that's where they've stayed ever since. Admittedly, I became quite the fan of A Pink during their MY MY promotions. I thought MY MY was quite simply a fantastic song - a song which showed some maturity and growth - and their style wasn't as bland as it had been before. In fact, their second album, Snow Pink (which featured MY MY), was truly a fantastic effort - 5 solid tracks (and a big step-up from the first mini album). Therefore, I truthfully did anticipate this album, but Une Annee has been somewhat of a step back for them.
The album intro - Une Annee - is pretty much the same intro as we heard on the first mini album (already showing that the group have not progressed much in a year at all). It's bland, features some dodgy French prononciation and adds little to the concept of the album - in fact, there is absolutely no concept to this album at all. A Pink needed something explosive to kick off their first full length album - an album which could secure their place in the K-Pop industry - but instead produced a weak and dissapointing introduction. Things pick up pace again with the first full song of the album - Hush - which is their title track for this album's promotion. Hush, like their other songs, situates itself in a completely different era and, truthfully, it sounds a little outdated. Nevertheless, Hush is a really pleasant track and fun to listen to. It features some cool beats and explores a disco/electronica sound and is pretty much a perfectly crafted pop song.
Whilst Hush remains the uptempo highlight of Une Annee, the best ballad for me is 4월 19일. Inititally, I really did not like this song at all - it was cheesey and soppy. But then, I really grew to love it - it has some really great vocals and actually made me appreciate A Pink as vocalists a lot more. Uninspired? Perhaps. But it's a really strong ballad and a song that I'm going to keep playing in the near future.
4월 19일 is sandwiched inbetween 고양이 (Cat) and Bububi which are as cute as anything. Cat may be a little more sassy and Bububi may be perfect for a walk in the park with your loved one, but overall - these songs aren't songs that I'll be playing over and over. For die-hard A Pink fans, these songs will no doubt be very appealing. But for me, I'm much more interested in the track 6 - Step. For the first time ever, I can really hear A Pink tackling a mature and contemporary song. Production-wise, Step is very low-key and soft - and reminiscent of a Jordin Sparks kind of song. But being subtle is also the most endearing quality of Step - it's a song that doesn't try to be overly cute and nor does it grate on you. It's a perfectly crafted midtempo R&B song and shows the potential of A Pink's music.
After the brilliant Step comes to a close, there are 3 tracks remaining. For a full-length album, Une Annee is remarkably short - 9 tracks, with the first track being that awful introduction. And the final 3 tracks are actually rather cohesive and similar to one another. Boy, I Got U and 하늘 높이 are much more dance-pop than cutesy-pop. Although each track shares similarties with one another (synth sounds, dance beats, electronic effects), each song is still quite strong. For me, I Got U is the best of the bunch - a song which again shows A Pink tackling a more grown up sound. Sure, it may have been ripped out of T-ARA's back catalogue, but it's a fantastic addition to this album and another highlight for me.
At 9 tracks long, A Pink didn't exactly spoil their fans with a great amount of fans - but for me, the amount of tracks is almost a blessing. A Pink's style can sometimes be rather grating on me - they're like Candy Floss: sugary and exciting to begin with, but too much can make you sick. Yet, despite a few duff tracks, Une Annee is actually quite a nice listen. Short? Sure. But it's got enough strong tracks to outbalance the annoying ones. For their next release, however, if we're served up another portion of bright pink candy floss - I may have to say 'no, thank you'. I'd like to see A Pink explore different sounds and venture out of what they're doing right now.
Key tracks to listen to: Hush, 4월 19일, Step, I Got U
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