[Album and MV Review] EXID - 'Ah Yeah'

AKP STAFF

EXID - 'AH YEAH' ALBUM AND MV REVIEW

Tracklisting:

1. Ah Yeah
2. Dangerous
3. Pat Pat
4. WITHOUT U
5. 1M
6. Up & Down
7. Every Night 2

After an underrated debut with their first album 'Hippity Hop,' EXID shot to well-deserved fame last year with the viral fancam of member Hani shaking her money-maker to "Up & Down" with the group last October -- proving to the entertainment industry that sometimes luck gets you noticed more than millions of dollars worth of promotions. Hey, if they get more fans, who am I to argue? They had me at "Every Night." EXID is back in the spotlight again with their EP 'Ah Yeah.'

The album launches into the title track with gusto. The hooks come early with "Where do you live? Do you live alone? Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah..." There's a sassy horn in there almost reminiscent of "Up & Down," but understated this time. Solji is their strongest singer, and it shows here. An undeniably catchy track, this is definitely one of the disc's high points. The song is about trying to attract a man and getting frustrated: "Everyone can see this signal but you."

"Dangerous" reminded me of "Every Night," but that's not a bad thing at all.. Except that I think "Dangerous" is even stronger, showcasing a more fully realized sound. One of the hooks, "It's dangerous," is sung rather than chanted. If I thought Solji was pretty amazing in the opening track, I hadn't heard anything yet. The lyrics talk of a relationship that's falling apart, and the guy keeps talking about leaving.

Next we have "Pat Pat," a downtempo smooth track, turning down a bit on the album. It's a soothing number that's easy on the ears with LE providing the raps and Solji and Hani providing the croons. The lyrics are about cuddling with a guy. The "pat pat" is used to represent a reassuring touch.

"WITHOUT U" almost starts ballad-like, but quickly switches up the tempo to full, bubblegum beats. Upbeat and catchy and also bold and bratty. The girls bring attitude to this song with lyrics like, "I'm OK baby, I'm freaking good good good without U." There is a slyly inserted line, though, that hints not everything is okay.

A mellow, expressive ballad checks in at number 5. A breezy ode to lost love, "1M" is a definitive tear-jerker. The girls put in pretty stellar performances to make this work. LE's raps are dialed back and more emotional, providing a good backdrop for the whole thing and explaining more of the situation and how the singer feels.

The last two tracks are ones you've doubtlessly heard by now.

What can I say about "Up & Down" that hasn't already been said? Hooky and repetitive, maddeningly catchy... In the press for this album, the girls said it was this type of song they were going for with "Ah Yeah." I think they may have topped it.

"Every Night vol.2" is a reworking of their single "Every Night," which itself is a re-arrangement of the song "Telephone" that appeared on 'Hippity Hop.' Not sure why it was released a second time since all I can detect is that they added rainfall and mournful violin sound effects to the beginning of the track.

LE's lent her songwriting/composing skills to every track on this mini-album, which just adds to the awesomeness. It explains why she had a larger part on this release. The only thing I could have asked for was something similar to the body-moving energy of "I Feel Good," but I think we got something better, despite the inclusion of a previously-released track and a remix of another. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it, and I got a couple worthy additions to my gym playlist. :) If you like powerful singers, poppin' beats, and sick rappers, pick this up. It's worth it.

Recommended tracks: "Ah Yeah," "WITHOUT U," "Dangerous"

MV REVIEW

If the song's message was fairly simple, the MV kinda blew that out of the water.

EXID and other bands (4minute comes to mind) have been at the center of controversy with various dance moves, and certain maneuvers have been banned or changed during broadcasts. Several netizens have noticed that there are some bands that get away with everything while others get banned from broadcast with impunity. This was true in the U.S., too, back in the 1980s.

Thus we have this video, which seems to make light of the whole thing. In the MV, they censor this and that, but most of the time, they're not really censoring anything. Which, I think, is part of the point.

Other scenes are just plain funny. After having their butts pixelated in one dance sequence, LE sits on a copy machine, and the photocopies come out pixelated too. The juxtaposition between a demure Hani and an aggressive LE are hilarious. You gotta feel sorry for the news anchor who's pulled this way and that by the girls' antics. There's even footage of a parental advisory sticker on a disc, probably another dig at the puritanical broadcast industry.