AMBER - 'BEAUTIFUL'

ALBUM REVIEW:

Track List:


Amber is shaking that brass with her new release 'Beautiful.' She's the first f(x) member to go solo, joining the ranks of other SM artists like Jonghyun and Taemin (SHINee), Kyuhyun (Super Junior), as well as Henry and Zhou Mi (Super Junior-M). Not only is the tomboy a rapper but also a singer-composer, so it's natural she had a hand in the songs on her first solo album.



The title track "Beautiful" lives up to its name with Amber proving that she can sing elegantly. It honestly surprised me as I mainly knew her husky raps. Her lower-octave vox are recognizable here, but she uses them to good effect, infusing a sort of subtle power to the song. The ballad is sung to an acoustic guitar with an aggressive rap coming in near the end. The end result is a pretty tune with more than a little attitude to it. The lyrics portray pain here:

Those bitter words
deeply engraved on my mind
It hurts but I have to pull through
I know I'm gonna heal
and I'm always looking up
Even if it's dark in front of my eyes, I can find the light

"SHAKE THAT BRASS" is the first single off the album and is playful and fun. The "na na nas" are a bit uneven compared to the rest of the tune and threw me out of the groove for a bit. This is definitely hip-hop writ large, and I love the rapid-fire nature of the main verses. It's a party and dance song, and the tune is definitely appropriate here. Taeyeon's vocals give the song a softness and a melody to balance out the hip hop. I thought the use of "brass" was funny, and it's used as instrumentation in the song to continue the joke.  



The third track, "Love Run," is a straight-ahead pop song. Again her voice adopts a softer register than what we're used to. It's definitely her, but it's also definitely different. It doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the tune -- it's well put together, but the song is very different from "Shake That Brass." The lyrics are quite expressive here:

I remember what you used to call me
I loved it even after listening to it hundreds of times a day
So much that I couldn't even express it
I sat on an empty street, an alleyway without you
Looking at the busy people passing by
In case I see you and come hold you tight

It's obvious the singer is lonely and in pain and misses more than her pet name.

"Heights" is redolent with insistent beats and a chuffing synth line, and this song seems more fully-developed than other songs on the album. Amber gets a chance to showcase the power in her vocals on this track, too, which is nice. She gets to unchain her voice here and deliver with the heart and soul we know that she has.



"I Just Wanna" has Eric Nam's tenor lending a smooth groove to the song. The duet works really well; their voices complement each other and blend fluidly in the chorus. Amber has a small rap part, as well, which, while unnecessary, is not extraneous. "I Just Wanna" is another well-packaged offering and delivered masterfully.

Unexpectedly, after the first two songs, rap is almost absent from the album. I think, perhaps because of her performances with f(x), I expected much more of a hip-hop album than a K-Pop one. It's not a bad thing, just unanticipated.



My problem is the overall tone of the album. The single that was released has a wild and crazy energy, a not-so-serious look at our Amber. But the rest of the songs on the album are slower and more measured, mature and pensive. She shies well away from the dance-pop that f(x) is known for. The second track is out of place. Because of this, it gives the album as a whole an uneven effect. The songs, by themselves, are pretty good. I didn't dislike a single one of them. But varying the concept mid-album throws things a bit out of whack.

Still, it's a high-quality album, it just seems bi-polar. What I would do (I know: no one asked me) is to have an album of more danceable hip-hop and label it Volume 1. Volume 2 could be the mature soft-rock that she favors on this disc. But the lyrics are all quite evocative and fairly poetic, which is a testament to her skills as a songwriter.  She's produced a sweet disc full of longing and sincerity without trespassing into schmaltzy ballad territory. Make no mistake: warts and all, this a strong debut.

Recommended tracks: "Shake That Brass," "Heights"

MV REVIEW

The video is just as good as the song, IMHO, if not better.

The dancing requires a little less footwork from Amber than I'm used to. It's not bad, but I've become accustomed to fairly challenging moves as befits a dancer of her caliber. I am thankful she doesn't twerk. :)

The costuming for her and everyone is a good choice. Everything is brightly colored and they're not too over-the-top while still drawing the eye. There's not much in this video I'd wear out in public, but nothing looks like it needs wires and a crew of 10 to keep the clothing functional (or that would rip if you moved wrong). Kudos to the stylist.

Taeyeon's turn in here is fun. She's somewhat underused, which also makes me ask why they used her at all for both song and MV. I don't dislike her feature or anything, but judging from the other songs on the mini-album, Amber has a fair amount of vocal skill and could sing the softer parts herself. Ah well, Taeyeon's parts were fun to watch and it looked like she was enjoying herself.

The funny thing is there's even a plot. At the laundromat, Amber tries on a pair of crazy-looking specs. When she has them on, everyone's dancing and having a good time. She takes them off, and people do what they normally do at a laundromat. Then, she decides to take the plunge, put the glasses on, and start dancing around (good choice!). Of course, we see the other laundry patrons (who are not getting down) staring at her like she's nuts. When she notices this, she simply shrugs, pushes the glasses back up, and continues -- but this time the whole joint is hopping. If that happened at my laundromat, I'd regret having my own washer and dryer at home!

This video has more than a few cameos, as well. Right off the bat I recognized a bevy of stars including Min and Jia (Miss A), Crayon Pop's Ellin, GOT7's Jackson , Rainbow's Woori, and Busker Busker's Brad. I know there are a few I'm missing, but that's just whom I recognized. I'm sure there's a master list somewhere.

The great thing about this MV is that you don't get bored. Between the dancing, the humorous scenes, and the music, there's not much breathing room. The scene transitions are clean and easy to follow. The whole thing is slick and high quality, which, barring a few misses, you've come to expect from SM Entertainment. It's fun and zany and semi-random in the same way "Gangnam Style" was. We need more of these. 

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