INSOMNIAC SONG
MUSIC REVIEWS
15.01.2014
Seo In Guk - Everlasting Love
Seo In Guk is a South Korean singer/actor. After shooting to fame on a reality tv show, he began his acting and singing career in 2012. Everlasting is his second attempt at conquering the Japanese market after two singles. The album cover lends itself to the thought that he could be a member of Johnny’s Entertainment rather easily. It’s a look that those boys have pulled off smoothly for years. Everlasting Love reminds me of an opening for a romantic drama. His English pronunciation is fairly clear and better than a few of his counterparts. The vocals for the track are nice, but there wasn’t anything that really jumped out at me on this track. Only One has a bit more going for it than the previous song was. It’s another sweet ballad, but with a more upbeat sound. I think this song would have made a better single than Everlasting Love did as it fits in better with the current pop sounds. My Voice continues the lively ballads. There’s something familiar about the sounds on the album. I’m reminded mostly of ballads from groups like 98 Degrees. I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing though. Toxic Girl has a catchy chorus, but reminds me of 'N Sync and quite a few Kpop groups. He needs to find something that to makes him stand out among the crowd. We Can Dance Tonight served as his second Japanese single. Overall, it fits in well with the sounds of the previous track. It just doesn’t stand out against what I’ve heard before. Lovely Girl left me wondering where I’d heard it before. The song is so reminiscent of something from the Backstreet Boys did. I wonder if he’s a fan of 90s boybands. Koishikute (恋しくて) returns to the softer stylings of Everlasting Love. It’s a good sound for his voice. Deep Inside My Heart is another upbeat ballad. It’s going to be a song that fans of sweet pop songs will enjoy. Fly Away was his first Japanese single. The song reminded me quite a bit of listening to Park Hyo Shin. Seo In Guk doesn’t have the same flare that he does, but the song will likely be well received by his fans. Just One Ring, Space de Tour and Hands Up! continue to remind me of those catchy pop tunes from long forgotten boy bands. It’s not a bad thing. The album is very cohesive overall. My biggest doubt is whether he can find a niche in the industry that really makes him stand out.
Rating: 3/5
Recommended tracks: Everlasting Love; Fly Away; Toxic Girl
02.11.2013
G-Dragon - Coup d'etat
I was very reluctant to review this release. G-Dragon had caught my attention back with the release of Heartbreaker. It was an ambitious, catchy release. I missed One of a Kind, but it was a mixed bag from what I heard. When the video for Coup D’etat was released, I gave it a chance thinking that GD would pull off something impressive. Instead, the song ends up as a bit of a puzzler for me. The song just feels a bit as if he threw in everything he thought would sound good into a hat and pulled out random phrases to put together. Niliria featuring Missy Elliott was another odd one for me. I was never a huge fan of Ms. Elliott, but I was aware of her rapping. The lyrics mention that her sound is ‘fresh like a peppermint’, but all I heard was a phoned in appearance. Her track wasn’t the end of the guest stars. The other guests included Lydia Paek, Jennie Kim, Zion T and Boys Noize. None of them really did anything to enhance the work that was laid into the album. There wasn’t really anything that stood out to me as groundbreaking or mindblowing. Crooked was the only song that I found easily listenable or repeatable. It was more like a leftover from Heartbreaker. I’m all for artists growing and expressing themselves. This album just didn’t do it for me even with its guest appearances. I hope that GD goes back to the drawing board and finds something that really makes him stand out on his own merits.
Rating: 1/5
Recommended tracks: Crooked;
19.08.2013
Seungri - Let's Talk About Love
Let's Talk About Love opens with the title track. I don't think G-Dragon and Taeyang did anything to help him out on this one. It sounded pretty much a leftover from a Big Bang release with its repetitive moments. Gotta Talk to U was the song that caught my attention. It's a dance ballad with soft vocals that really remind me of Justin Timberlake. GG Be felt like it was lacking something for me. Jenny's vocals didn't really add anything to the track. It could have just as easily been left out. Come to My picks up where Gotta Talk to U left off. It's a sad sounding ballad that's again very reminiscent of something Justin Timberlake would do. This isn't surprising since Seungri idolizes him. You Hoooo!!! could probably grow on me. The song is catchy enough. Love Box brings us back to the ballads that seem to be Seungri's strong suit. It's a sweet, pretty one that would fit well as the theme of a romantic drama. Gotta Talk to U (Hard Remix Version) brings the mini album to a close. The remix doesn't really elevate the song for me. The vocals seem turned down for it which takes away part of what I liked about the original version.
Rating: 2.5/5
Recommended tracks: Gotta Talk to U; Come to My; Love Box
