SUPER JUNIOR - DEVIL
Track List:
1. Devil
2. Simply Beautiful
3. Stars Appear…
4. Good Love
5. We Can
6. Don't Wake Me Up
7. Love at First Sight
8. Forever with You
9. Rock'n Shine!
10. Alright
It's Super Junior's 10th anniversary! To celebrate this, they've released a special album, 'Devil.' The album contains 10 new tracks not just by the full band but by their subunits as well. Not to mention they worked with some of the top names in the industry to bring this to us. And it's just in time for summer, too! How cool is that?
We start off with the pop-dance track "Devil." Guitar-driven, it takes dance-pop to the next level. With easy hooks ("hey hey hey hey") and a catchy chorus, we're off to a great start here. The boys are describing an encounter with a bad girl, a "devil," and how they'd like to get with her.
Next up is "Simply Beautiful," a mid-tempo R&B piece where the boys are telling the girl how hot she is, just the way she is, "simply beautiful." Smooth croons by SuJu drive this song more than any of the instruments. And hooks like "Simply, It's simply, Baby simply, You're simply beautiful," and "yay ay ee ayyy" really make this song pop.
"Stars Appear..." is the Epitone Project-penned soft rock song. It reminds me a bit of "Growing Pains," but I don't mind -- I love that song. The boys manage this song well, strong vocals and sincere emotion coming through clearly. The lyrics are about the last 10 years, where Super Junior has met many people, and this is dedicated to the ones who supported them.
The next song is "Good Love," an R&B track where the boys channel their inner Prince, driving their voices (in their words) "higher and higher." It's a body-moving track, with playful raps and slightly naughty lyrics. They handle it well, though. The boys are telling their girl to relax and just think of them tonight.
Super Junior K.R.Y. brings us a quiet, meditative track -- the ballad "We Can." Veteran producer-singer-songwriter Lee Seung Hwan wrote and composed this one. Emotional and poignant, the lyrics talk of the decade-long friendship between the band members, and the hopes they have going forward. Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, and Yesung's skillful vocals milk your tear ducts here.
They kick it up for the next track, Super Junior D&E's "Don't wake Me Up." Donghae got his writing team together from Team One Sound for this one. A great mid-tempo soft rock track driven by guitar, Donghae's smooth vocals and Eunhyuk's on-point raps make for a great jam. Most of what I hear out of D&E I love. D&E are telling the girl they don't want to wake up, to get out of bed and end these perfect moments with her.
Next we have a trot offering from (who else?) Super Junior-T, "Love at First Sight." This is firmly in the trot realm (or "acid pop," if you prefer), a little bit retro and a little bit modern. Eunhyuk, Heechul, Kangin, leader Leeteuk, Shindong and Sungmin all kill it here, and combine to make a tune that happily bounces along. The lyrics themselves are humorous and sweet: "A guy who is prettier than a girl, that's me."
The next song is a piece of discofied Mandopop, courtesy of Super Junior-M. Sung in Chinese (naturally), "Forever With You" not only borrows from disco but also gets back to the funk roots of the style in places. Evocative lyrics by member Zhoumi set the tone: "Only you can understand the language of my heart/The music of sadness and joy." The song is written for the fans, who stayed with them all these years.
"Rock 'n Shine" gets the band back together again, for this bluesy rocker. Blistering guitars blare over a powerful chorus. This is far and away my favorite track on the album. At times it reminds me of Styx, which is a good thing. This really showcases Super Junior's vocal talents. The message of the song is courage: "Break down all the walls of the world that trap you/destroy it all / fly towards the dreams that you wanted."
Donghae gets together with Team One Sound again and composes the song while he and Eunhyuk contribute lyrics. "Alright" is a playful tune while the lyrics themselves are hilarious; one verse is a play on the member's names. While witty, this song is also written for the fans, about friendship and staying true to yourself.
This album crosses a lot of genres. A lot. But this album also is a loveletter to fans. It contains not just one but several songs that speak directly to E.L.F.s. To let you know that they're there for you, through all the good times and the hard times too. The songs also let us inside the hearts and minds of the band members. Not only that, but it's also a collection of polished, high-quality material. If all that doesn't sell you on this LP, I don't know what will.
MV REVIEW
This casts the members of Super Junior in different roles, Eunhyuk as a thrillseeking speedster; Siwon as a playboy; Kyuhyun as a loan officer; Yesung, Siwon, and Heechul as gamblers; and practically all of them as thugs planning their next heist and counting their money. In each case, they're thwarted by a gorgeous woman, and don't see the devil's tail until it's too late.
The costumes are all awesome. I didn't see any fashion-don'ts in the bunch. They were entirely appropriate to the situations they found themselves in. No polka dots or animal prints to be found.
And the dances were all on point. I can't contest their skill. No one looked awkward, and all the movements were deliberate, and eerily in sync. If there's one thing boy bands do well, it's synchronized dancing. It's like synchronized swimming, only cooler.
This MV is beautifully realized, with pretty good special effects, cinematic tricks, and stunts -- the title sequences are a particularly nice touch. The drama sequences are incredible, when they're not high-octane, they're dripping with attitude. If you're a fan of Super Junior -- and even if you're not -- you owe it to yourself to see this.
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