I remember my first encounter with MBLAQ and their music when I was merely at the tender age of eighteen. I don't quite remember how I stumbled upon the music video for the group's debut single "Oh Yeah." Perhaps it was from an article on this website? What I do remember are Lee Joon's abs (they looked like chocolate). As for the song, it was just alright. And every other single the group has released thus far didn't leave much of an impression—except maybe "Cry." That is, until now. MBLAQ recently returned with a brand-spanking new mini album after their letdown of a single "Smoky Girl" back in June. The mini album, titled 'Broken,' dropped this past Monday on the 24^th. I was a bit wary of hearing another single like "Smoky Girl" on this album, but thankfully my fear proved unfounded.

The first full song after the intro is the title track, "Be a Man." Can I just say, yes, yes, yes, a thousand times, yes?  Wheesung, thank you for composing this song!  "Be a Man" reeked of déjà vu for some reason, inducing a sense of familiarity. At the chorus, I knew exactly why I felt like I heard the song before. It sounds just like a JT song. Okay, maybe not exactly the same, but the elements are there. The falsettos, the string instruments, the beat, and the overall mood of the song sound like they would be the perfect ingredients to a Justin Timberlake tune. Mind you, I love JT so hearing this song was like aural euphoria. "Be a Man" is just so flavorful, a delightful release in K-Pop that should be receiving more attention. If you are a fan of JT or R&B in general, you are bound to like this track.

The second track, "Between Us," starts out with forlorn whistling. Acoustic guitar and a heavy bass kicks in soon thereafter, playing out as a soulful ballad easy on the ears. Other tidbits of sound chime in near the chorus, befitting for the doleful melody of the song. The track's lyrics explore a near-broken relationship that is hanging by a thread. Both parties in the relationship are burnt out, yet at the same time, neither party wants to end it; hence, the lyrics that go: "What do we do about us? / You no longer laugh when you see me / I no longer laugh when I see you / I don't know what to do."

"Twelve Months" is yet another lugubrious acoustic ballad agonizing over the deep pains of heartbreak. By the third track I couldn't help but decode a pattern. All three songs use acoustic guitar. All songs express some sort of sorrow over love that was but is no more. And, of course, all three are sung by the boys (men?) of MBLAQ. After meticulous mathematical modeling and many a failed educated guesses, I devised a new breakthrough formula: broken hearts + MBLAQ = amazing acoustic ballads. Several eons from now, in a K-Pop history textbook, you will see a picture of MBLAQ under this equation. In all seriousness, the song wasn't as colorful as the first two but maybe that's because I don't much favor slow ballads.

"Key" didn't follow the equation above. Instead, I was surprised with a piano ballad with a slightly more upbeat—yet still a lyrically sad—song. Why all the gloom and doom? I recalled an interview I watched of the members, explaining the 'concept' for this mini album. Turns out, the concept is supposed to be overly sentimental. That is the main reason why MBLAQ members got in touch with their 'soft' side for this album. I believe G.O even said they studied how to be more emotional. I also noticed that Mir, G.O, and Thunder all took part in composing the songs, with the exception of this track. Maybe the members were better able to channel their emotions since they conveyed their own experiences through the songs.

With the final non-instrumental track "Two of Us," we're back to the equation of broken hearts + MBLAQ = acoustic ballad. The blue-ness of the song is amplified by the subtle patter of rain in the background. This is the perfect song to listen to on a dark, dank day while you feel particularly moody. The soppy lyrics almost made me cringe, but that means MBLAQ has successfully achieved their objective of imbuing in their more sentimental side.

With some inspiration from JT and a lot of acoustic guitar, the members of MBLAQ successfully expressed heartbreak through a mature and classy concept. It is not in any way an original or even a fresh concept for that matter, but MBLAQ did it right this time around.