SONAMOO - CUSHION

Track List:

1. Cushion
2. Round N Round
3. Deeply Love
4. Ok
5. Liar
6. Let's Make A Movie




Rookie group Sonamoo is back with their new album, 'Cushion.' Debuting at the tail end of December with "Deja Vu," they started with mixed reviews. I rather enjoyed the release and was eager to see what they'd come out with next.

"Cushion" starts out as a pretty cool club banger, catchy and danceable. There's one part I had an issue with, the odd-sounding bridge: "Your white skin/your half-moon eye smile/What do I do?/I'll confidently face you/As your senorita."
It just sounded sing-songy to me and very out of place. Also, the
The lyrics are odd, too. I'm guessing they're trying to say that they're comfortable around the guy "like a cushion." The song isn't a bad one, though, and it grew on me the more I listened.



Less surreal than the previous track is "Round N Round." It has a disco beat and is hooky and body-moving. It's got some funk elements to it, but it's clearly modern, with fine rapping by New Sun and D.ana. The lyrics are about dancing and how they feel reborn while doing it. I can totally relate.
 
"Deeply Love," the only ballad on the album, falls a bit flat, with an uninspired too-simple melody and awkward English "l wanna be love?" Now while the tune, frankly, bored me, the lyrics were actually pretty cool, saying their love is "deep as the Pacific Ocean" and making references to 'Thelma and Louise.'



And this is where the album really picks up, with the track "Ok," and we hear echoes of the sound on their previous record.  Earwormy hooks, fiery rapping, and strong beats really put this song head and shoulders above of the rest of this EP. The song is has the fierceness and brattiness that I relish. It's about a guy who knows they're crazy for him.

"Liar" starts out very ballad-like with emotional vocals and it soon gives way to a bouncy, upbeat, club banger. The music itself is sort of retro/EDM fusion that is interesting. It's actually a pretty catchy piece. It's bright, but also impertinent, and the lyrics reflect pain: "All love is a lie." Indeed.



Coy and playful, "Let's Make A Movie" sees the girls wanting a bit more than popcorn and movie passes. There's some humorous lyrics here, making reference to the stars of today; lines like "great and dandy as Kim Soo Hyun" and "as fun as Song Jae Rim" made me laugh. That's a good ending song for an EP, not too fast or slow, and it left me with a smile on my face.

Sonamoo debuted with a fierce concept. TS Entertainment billed them as something different. They gave them hip-hop clothing and props and a boy band setting for the video, and it sort of worked. With this album they've dialed it back a little, though there's a still quite a bit of tomboy in the music. Barring a couple duds (like the weird title track) I think largely this album is a pretty good sophomore effort for the rookie group.

MV REVIEW

The MV is a bit strange, appearing to be nothing less than a few vaguely-connected vignettes.

We have the girls in a room strung up like some bizarro "cat's cradle" game. Then a cup is revealed, which they listen to. Meanwhile, in a cramped hallway, they have their solo shots, and in another room, they're all dancing together. Eventually, they fall, and land on a pile of cushions, which they proceed to pound one another with, feathers floating everywhere.



The fashion is actually more sweet and brightly colored than "Deja Vu" (except during the dance sequences). The baggy pants have been exchanged for short skirts. In some ways I think that was a good move. As fetching as they were in "Deja Vu," they look better here. The cute concept fits much better because, well, they're not hip-hop.

The video is actually pretty fun. The girls look like they're having fun, too, despite the disjointed storyline. And there are few things more fun than watching a pillow fight. One of them is participating in a pillow fight. Still, they've taken a different tack than the beach video or summer fun MV. Kinda risky, but I think it works well. I give it a thumbs up.   

SEE ALSO: Actress Kim So Eun writes heartfelt message after death of former 'We Got Married' co-star Song Jae Rim