[Album and MV Review] 4minute - 'Crazy'

AKP STAFF

Tracklist:

1. Crazy
2. One Verse
3. Tickle
4. Stand Out
5. Show Me
6. Cold Rain

4minute flirts with the lunatic concept with their new mini-album 'Crazy.' For weeks now they've teased us, one video being especially mysterious: "4minute Revamped." Of course that had me curious. I haven't liked much of their output under Brave Brothers, singles like "Is It Poppin'?" and "Only Gained Weight" being the sole exceptions. I really dug their rap rendition of "Whatcha Doin' Today" on 'Gayo Daejun,' so I wasn't surprised to find them taking a more hip-hop/EDM direction.

The first song is the mad-as-a-hatter title track "Crazy." Framed by a frantic melody, the raps come fast and furious. Gayoon's beautiful vox soften the piece. Jihyun really kills it here, belting out the pre-chorus with Jiyoon. This track has incredible energy and found me chanting along: "C-R-A-Z-Y! Michin geotcheoreom geurae michin geotcheoreom (Like you're crazy, yeah, like you're crazy)". I think I just found a new workout song.

The second track is "Stop at the First Verse." This is your basic "let me do what I want" song. Fiercely asserting their independence, the girls are telling us to stop preaching, just play the first verse and end it there. Their brattiness is in full swing here, highlighting what I love about this band. This was the one of the tracks that lets you know the real 4minute is back.

"Tickle," with lyrics by Sohyun, has a melody as playful as its title. Punctuated by a puckish horn, this song takes a decidedly lighter tone than the first two tracks. It's sung coyly, not aggressively. "Tickle" conveys the feeling that lingers after being touched by someone you love. It's pretty obvious from the lyrics she wants more than a tickle.

The bouncy "Stand Out," penned, composed, and produced by Jiyoon, gives a part to 4minute's actual manager. I'm assuming that's Jun Joon Kun (but I could be mistaken). The song includes him in an exchange that should be familiar to K-drama fans. A phone conversation ends up with the manager being yelled at, and I've heard those words more than once. I literally had "that LOL face," and my hat's off to Jiyoon for coming up with the whole thing.

"Show Me," often heard as a spoken part in songs by both HyunA and 4minute, gets its own full musical treatment here. Jihyun and HyunA wrote the rap portions of the track. And all the girls kill it here. It's the got all the right elements in all the right places, singing parts and raps. It's a solid song, and one of my favorites on the album.

Then we come to the pre-release track, "Cold Rain." While a ballad, it's surprisingly engaging. All the girls sing skillfully here, which is just one more example of this quintet's talent. I have to point out that the way the voices are mixed are a really good example of how to do it. All their voices can be heard individually when there's more than one person singing in contrast to the chorus in "Whatcha Doin' Today." Gayoon's angelic voice and HyunA's hearfelt raps are blended masterfully into a delectable sonic dessert.

Having awaited this album with equal parts excitement and trepidation, my worst fears were quashed. This is a top-notch EP and raises the bar for their next release. This is a fantastic comeback. I was hoping for some serious aural candy, and this album does not disappoint. If you're looking for a modern-era 4minute album, this is the one to get.

MV REVIEW

It makes sense that this manic track would have an appropriately manic MV to go with it. The first 20 seconds are dominated by HyunA, which is just as well since she's the one rapping.

This video has zero plot, but somehow manages to make things compelling. It also manages to squeeze a good MV out of many of my pet peeves about videos, which is a interesting trick. The video thrives on unique shots, alternating close-ups and full body shots, and even some cool effects (like when Gayoon walks into other versions of herself and they all rejoin the main body).

The dancing is not bad. 4minute are by far not the best dancers, but they do a pretty capable job. In some cases, it looks like they're freestyling, but if you check the dance practice videos, it's all choreographed.

Also notable to me were the scenes that were all black and white except for certain parts like the hair. I'm a sucker for those kinds of MVs anyway. They use the gimmicks to good effect.