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[Exclusive] BIGBANG’s “Bad Boy” Review (by thunderstix)
“Bad Boy” is nostalgic. But it’s not exactly old school. It follows the 90’s new jack swing formula, with a mixture of R&B and hip-hop beats, playing over a good dose of rap. But there’s something more to it. The combination of jazz, piano and auto-tune gives a certain trendy feel to it, which makes “Bad Boy” graceful, brilliantly arranged, and last but not least, sexy.
The song starts off with a jazzy piano tune where G-Dragon whispers “baby come back.” A slow but strong beat follows that leads into G-Dragon’s free-flowing rap. The catchy beat instantly gets your head nodding as it provides plenty of upbeat grooving. The rhythmical rap between G-Dragon and T.O.P – they almost sound like singing—perfectly blends in with the overall slow R&B tone of the song, adding a hip-hop flavor that keeps this song floating.
But what makes “Bad Boy” a truly distinct work of art is Taeyang’s vocals. The recurring chorus part that we’ve seen in the 30-second teaser will repeat through your head after the first hear. The soulful and groovy sound digs deep into Taeyang’s emotions, where he later even brings out his falsetto for a nice fusion of hip-hop and R&B. The pretty tune of the song matches so well with Taeyang’s relaxed voice that you can almost imagine Taeyang dancing to this song.
“Bad Boy” is another R&B track after “Blue,” but it has totally opposite sounds with a more retro and melting tune to it. “Bad Boy” is a step back from the dance and electronica we’ve grown so accustomed to in today’s K-Pop. It gives you relief from all the action-packed beats and makes you appreciate the soul in BIGBANG.
[Exclusive] BIGBANG’s “Fantastic Baby” Review (by melkimx)
Woohoo! BIGBANG is back on the dance floor! As much as everyone loves their forays into R&B, hip-hop, ballads, and goodness knows what else, it's the group’s dance tracks that can really bring down the house, and “Fantastic Baby” definitely earns a top spot among their best. Composed by Teddy and G-Dragon, “Fantastic Baby” is a strong, fast-paced electropop tune. In style, it’s the brother to 2NE1’s “I Am The Best” and GD’s “Oh Yeah” (obviously different, yet clearly all progeny of the masterful parent YG).
“Fantastic Baby” gets right down to business. It begins with a strong electronic beat, sets the melody immediately, and nails it into place by repeating it an octave higher. As you might expect, G-Dragon and T.O.P dominate early on, inviting you to “come here, open your mind, clear your head,” before launching into the song’s infectious refrain: “I wanna dan- dan- dan- dan- dance!” (And you do want to!) But just as you’re starting to think, “Well, this almost could be a track on ‘GD&T.O.P’” – oh snap! There’s Taeyang and his smooth vocals, delivering a wonderful melodic portion with the utmost of ease. This tuneful segment, which repeats throughout the song, elevates a fun dance tune into a tour de force K-Pop smash hit. It also gives Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri a chance to shine, alternating the verse in their own unique voices.
However, make no mistake – this song officially belongs to G-Dragon and T.O.P. A short pause is followed up with an awesomely deadpan, “Wow. Fantastic baby.” Then it's right back to that catchy refrain, which this time finishes with T.O.P intoning, “Boom shaka laka. Boom shaka laka,” increasing the already-present danger of the song being burned into your brain permanently. (Yes, it’s that infectious!) The song wraps up by introducing yet another melody (a refreshing twist common to some YG songs).
[Exclusive] BIGBANG’s “Ain’t No Fun (재미없어)” Review (by jbarky)
“Ain’t No Fun” on the outset is a signature G-Dragon song. G-Dragon combines all the good elements of “90s euro trance,” “disco,” and “Hip-Hop” that give the song a distinctive sound.
“Ain’t No Fun” is retro. The instrumental contains a heavy bass with simplistic “90’s Eurotrance” synth hook. The song is addictive due to that “synth hook” and T.O.P’s repeating line of “Ain’t No Fun.” The song sounds “playful” which matches well with the lyrics.
The distinctive sound of “Ain’t No Fun” goes hand in hand with the lyrics because they are both unique. The BIGBANG members are describing the emotions of a guy who is starting to get sick and tired of his significant other. The song is a statement of this fact and also a plea to the girl, to hurry up and change his mind before it is too late.
“Ain’t No Fun” is reminiscent of GD & T.O.P’s “Don’t Leave (집에가지마),” (Also known as “Don’t Go Home) in terms of a distinctive retro sound. However, all similarities end there. “Ain’t No Fun” reveals that BIGBANG has evolved and matured.
A part of the song that stands out is G-Dragon’s rap. In K-Pop, rappers usually pronounce Korean in a “foreign way.” G-Dragon’s voice in the past was a key part of his rap, because he was not really an exception in the way that his rap flowed. However, G-Dragon’s rap in “Ain’t No Fun” has evolved. Now he sounds very fresh and unique.
Another significant part of the song is in the break. Taeyang has a brief solo where he makes the “plea to the girl.” Taeyang shoots way up high with his falsetto. The resulting combination of his voice and the background music creates a mature and confident sound.
[Exclusive] BIGBANG’s “Love Dust (사랑먼지)” Review (by thunderstix)
Can a boy band with deeply ingrained hip-hop/club sound roots branch out to pop rock music? Of course it can, if it’s BIGBANG. G-Dragon and Teddy, who co-wrote “Love Dust,” are the kind of freethinking songwriters who can think outside of the box. In fact, BIGBANG’s unlikely foray into rock-inspired music began last year with “What Is Right” on its fourth mini album, as well as “Love Song” and “Stupid Liar” from their special edition album.
In their fifth mini album, BIGBANG included yet another rock genre-based single, “Love Dust.” Only this time, it sounds more like a Euro/electro pop song with upbeat vocals. It gives a completely different look to the band that has mostly relied on hip-hop and electronic beats over its five year career. The creamy vocals and soft lyrics almost give a sweet, teen pop feel to “Love Dust.” G-Dragon even lends his singing voice while T.O.P gives a melodic and smooth rap, making “Love Dust” perhaps the most “idol-ish” track of this album.
The part you hear in the 30-second teaser plays predominantly throughout the song. It’s about a breakup and how love is fleeting. Despite the melancholy lyrics, “Love Dust” has a surprisingly upbeat, positive feel to it, suggesting everything will be OK after the breakup. Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri, in particular, really shine in this song because it requires a lot of pretty singing.
However, the song itself follows quite a simple format with repetitive verses and not much dynamics. As most pop rock singles tend to be, “Love Dust” has the potential to quickly wear off on you, despite leaving a strong impression at first with the fun and catchy beats, not to mention its witty lyrics. I’m sure you’ll find this track refreshing and easy to follow, but I can’t help but think that it’s still an experiment for BIGBANG to try rock music.
[Exclusive] BIGBANG Daesung's Solo “Wings (날개)” Review (by jbarky)
If you could send “Wings” back into time into the 90s it would fit in perfectly. However, what happens to a contemporary listener? Nostalgia.
The “feel good” lyrics and music of “Wings” captures the heart of the listener, reminding one of the good times in the past. But, the song also manages to give one a sense that everything will be alright.
“Wings” fits in perfectly with the concept of another single “Blue” which talks about how “winter is gone and spring is coming.” Due to its upbeat sound, “Wings” sounds like a spring or summer celebration song.
The song has elements of Eurodance, House, Techno and Pop Rock. The mixture of rock and violin sounds weave in and out while being supported by a strong but simple bass beat. The simplistic beat and melody aid in accentuating Daesung’s strong vocals. The vocal sound of the track is signature Daesung. Daesung wails with a hint of Korean trot, Bon Jovi, and even Cher. The synergy carries the song and keeps you wanting more. The overall feeling of the song is “uplifting” as if one is looking out across a vista and embracing the new morning.
The teaser of “Wings” showed parts of the chorus which are “You can cry louder, I will hug you, at this moment we will fly up and try to run.” The lyrics of the whole song are upbeat in a similar fashion. The idea is that Daesung will be your wings in times of sadness that will help you get away. However, it is also possibly signifying Daesung’s own liberation as well. The lyrics do not leave much room for conjecture.
“Wings” is more meaningful and deeply personal because of the recent trials that Daesung had to overcome. That is why the song sounds more authentic and honest.
[Exclusive] BIGBANG’s “Blue” Review
Soompi was invited to visit YG Entertainment to bring BIGBANG fans all over the world the written studio preview of “Blue.” After going through some of the toughest moments in the group’s five-year history last year, BIGBANG is back again with their comeback single, “Blue.” This song in itself defines “alive” in every sense of the word (“Alive” is the title of their new album). From the first line that says, “Winter is gone, spring is coming,” to the oxygen mask-themed teaser photos, “Blue” reminds you that BIGBANG is back and alive, stronger than ever.
YG Entertainment has been noted for creating musical trends with uniquely blended sound. Their two main groups, BIGBANG and 2NE1, in particular, are known to change up their styles in order to distinguish themselves from an increasingly homogenous and repetitive K-Pop idol world.
thunderstix’s impression:
“Blue” brings yet another unexpected change of style to BIGBANG’s music. There is a confident, mature, and effortless sound here that goes well beyond their previous singles. In what would be best defined as an “electronic ballad,” “Blue” starts off with soft piano and acoustic guitar sounds that blend surprisingly well with each other. Seungri begins his first verse that leads into the repeating chorus part, “I’m singing my blues, becoming used to the blue tears, blue sorrow. I’m singing my blues, love that I let fly to the cloud.” What stands out is the way BIGBANG stretches the “Blue” in a smooth three step “Bluuuu. . . .uuuuu. . . . uuueeees.” The stretch is the core of the chorus and builds the rhythm of the whole song.
The beat starts to speed up as G-Dragon comes in with a rapping set. Right after G-Dragon’s rap comes Daesung’s verse, which is perhaps the highlight of the song. Daesung’s amazing, melting vocals leave you awestruck, especially considering his resilience to overcome all the hardships from last year. The song follows a similar pattern with TOP and Taeyang rotating, and “singing my blues” repeating throughout.
This is another attempt by BIGBANG to incorporate acoustic guitar sounds to their music since last year’s “Love Song.” 2NE1’s “Lonely” had a similar acoustic feel to it, but “Blue” is more soothing and mellow. It’s a step away from BIGBANG’s previous pop dance tracks that we’ve grown accustomed to, but an equally brilliant track. “Blue” has the elements to appeal to a wider group of audience, which is precisely what BIGBANG needs to establish itself as, heading into their sixth year as a group. G-Dragon mentioned he feels extreme stress to succeed every time he comes out with a new album. But with a combination of maturity and determination on full display, “Blue” should already be considered to have a spot on a “Best of BIGBANG” album.
jvik’s impression:
What I expected going in was a fast upbeat track, but after listening to the song I could only be surprised and smile. Why? 2011 was a tough year for BIGBANG, full of personal reflection and hardships but what I heard in this song was a revitalized, confident, and strengthened BIGBANG. The first two vocal sets after the introduction had a back-to-back GD and Daesung combination. Having GD open the first rap verse really brings him back to what he does so well. His verse was full of rhythm and bite. The highlight for me was hearing Daesung’s voice. It was full of strength, and he hit his high notes flawlessly, giving everything an is-going-well feeling. I liked that the song formats have stayed the same, with each member trading off vocal verses to emphasiz their strengths. Seungri’s intro to the song gave you a slow, smooth feel, setting the tone throughout the song. Taeyang showed his similar strength to Daesung on the second set, finishing the vocal verse on a high powerful note. The deep vocal style of TOP showed in his vocal set, with more of a spoken rap style.
The song’s theme is that spring has arrived, and the styling and artwork show this. It all came together; the frost-like features in the album art, the oxygen masks, and the blue colors took the artistic level up a notch.
