Girls' Generation - 'Lion Heart'

Track List:

1.  Lion Heart
3.  PARTY
6.  Fire Alarm
8.  Green Light
9.  Paradise
12. Bump It



It's been just a month since Girls' Generation's "Party," and now we have a full fifth album from the girls -- in a sense. The album is a two-parter, with 'Lion Heart' released first, and 'You Think' the following day. Each has 5 songs as well as the title track. Not all the tracks are brand spanking new, though; this disc contains their last single "PARTY." The songs are numbered according to where they appear on the album. Trust me, they're not just random tracks that I plucked out of the aether.  

The first tune on here is the retro-inspired "Lion Heart." Full disclosure: I'm not a fan of retro, particularly anything that's made to sound as if it were made before the 1960's. It's rare when it's done right to my ears and most often fails to meet my expectations (MAMAMOO being the notable exception). Happily, "Lion Heart" is another one of those exceptions. A piece of nicely-crafted sugary pop that easily stands with any of their previous hits. A line from the song should explain the title:

"I wanna tame your heart that jumps around
From here to there, Lion heart."

"PARTY" has already been reviewed here.



"Fire Alarm" reminds me more of an f(x) song than one from Girls' Generation. Vocals give way to a pulsing bass line that eventually is abandoned for fuller instrumentation. Rinse, repeat. The girls' vocals are pretty awesome here, at times undulating like a serpent responding to a fakir's flute. A sweet and cool dance tune that describes the conflicting emotions about a guy.

"Green Light" sounds really, really familiar, but I can't place it. Regardless, it is pure Girls' Generation: hooky and repetitive lyrics, very accessible tune, all the girls on point. Nothing not to like here. Using Korean word play they equate green and red lights with stopping them in love, not just in traffic.  



They slow it down a bit for the next song, "Paradise," a nice smooth, fluffy tune. It's very smooth and relaxing, at the same time it is no way a ballad, with rapid synth washes and a pounding beat.  Relating time with a lover to paradise, they're saying they want to stay in the guy's arms forever.

"Bump It" starts out soft, but quickly progresses into a dance tune with synth slams and kickin' tempo. The girls begin by chanting the main verses, but soon, it turns into more of bluesy tune, continuing where the chorus left off. It's a pretty unique arrangement, but extremely catchy, and the girls really belt out their parts.



Wrapping up, 'Lion Heart' has a lot to recommend it. They cross some genres here, and it works well. They've flirted around the edges of techno for some time now, and here they fully embrace it. These are solid, catchy, hooky tunes that don't wear out easily.  There's a reason these girls are on top, and 'Lion Heart' is another jewel they can place on their crowns.

MV REVIEW - LION HEART

The girls cavort around with a leonine suitor in "Lion Heart."

The members of Girl's Generation sit down to watch a TV show. (How you can get 8 people to agree on what to watch without fighting over the remote is beyond the scope of this review). In the show, each girl is being courted (separately) by a guy with a huge lion head. The great cat soon turns out to be a great playah, as he goes from girl to girl wooing them with good deeds and an undeniable predator charm. I guess that would make him an 8-timer? They get him back, though, in "Chapter 3" of the MV. No, I'm not telling you how. It's funny, and you'll have to watch.



The dancing is pretty good. They bring the clean, clear moves that we're used to seeing, but um...it looks like they're hiding Hyoyeon in the back. I'm not sure why you'd do that, other than to annoy her fans.

The costumes are completely awesome. During the dance sequences, the girls look radiant and elegant, and in the drama shots, the costumes are period, somewhere in the '30s or '40s. The girls totally look like the movie queens of the past with lace gloves, hair style, the whole 9 yards. 



Um, lion heads. Giant lion heads. With human bodies. When I first saw that I rubbed my eyes and thought, "No more caffeine for me!"  It's totally appropriate, and they use the lion concept in more than one way (a lion's roar a la MGM introduces the show they're watching). Here they flash some signature aegyo as they succumb to the lion's charms. It's a fun concept, and fun to watch. I love comedy skits in MVs (in case you hadn't guessed), and this one is pretty good. I think the lion-headed dude steals the show, though, as easily as he stole their hearts.

SEE ALSO: 'Gee' becomes Girls' Generation's first track to surpass 100 million Spotify streams