GIRLS' GENERATION  - 'YOU THINK'

Tracklist:

2. You Think
4. One Afternoon
5. Show Girls
7. Talk Talk
10. Check
11. Sign



Girls' Generation has unleashed their 5th LP, the follow-up to their summer single 'Party.' The album was released in two parts, each with its own title and feel. Part 1 is 'Lion Heart,' and 'You Think' is the second part. The songs are listed in the order they appear on the album.  

"You Think" is the title track, a strong club banger. Fierce and bratty, with some soft bridges, the song absolutely pops. And some of the belts are just what the doctor ordered. The girls are telling a loser to just go away, and they do it well: 

"You think ya real cool
Ya think ya real coo-oo-ool
That's just what you think
Boy, you ain't cooler than me"

"One Afternoon" is a sweetly-sung mid-tempo track. It's sort of neo-retro with multiple influences, primarily Spanish traditional songs (think Spanish guitar, not flamenco). In this song, the girls want to repair a broken relationship. I like the imagery, and that they don't repeat the title:

"Sighs are increasing day by day
Sometimes I think that with no reason
In shattered and scattered time
There is a scene that is I really wanna find
You gave me your hands for the first time"

Probably the prettiest song on the album.

Equal parts catchy and awkward, "Show Girls" almost seems like two very different songs that they fused together. There's a torch-singer like attitude at first, and then it degenerates into some rapid-fire singing and a repetitive "we are the show girls" line. It's a cast-off-your-chains-and-be-free song, but I'm not really sold on it. The contrast between verse and chorus is jarring at best.

"Talk Talk" and "Check" have appeared on other albums, and have already been reviewed. Good songs, just not new.



"Sign" has a low-pitched synth and some sampled horns for melody. It has that f(x) aesthetic that I enjoy -- staccato vocals for the main verses, and a flowing, billowy chorus. But Girls' Generation manages to make it their own. The girls are asking for a "sign" that the guy likes 'em.

A very different disc from 'Lion Heart,' 'You Think' has the same genre-hopping theme, but in a different way. I like the Spanish influence, as well as the more experimental tunes. They still produce breezy pop, and there's still an upbeat tone, but it's a bit more refined, more sly than in-your-face. I like it. Some of this is a different direction for the band, and although there was one dud, that doesn't detract from the rest of this high-quality collection. What they do, they do well.

MV REVIEW - YOU THINK


Girls' Generation shows off their sexy, dancing side in "You Think."

And that's pretty much what it is. The whole time. The girls dancing in sexy outfits, and additional scenes with the individual members doing various things, all while posing and looking hot. No aegyo for these girls here! This is about as far as you can get from some of their other MVs.



The dancing was absolutely on point. These girls are wound up and ready to shake. There's even splits by Sooyoung, and I love Hyoyeon's moves, particularly toward the end. The dancing queens are back.

The costumes aren't anything too risque. There's just enough shown to titillate (though Hyoyeon's shorts during the dance sequences would make Daisy Duke blush). There's a variety of functional hotness in the dance sequences, then a lot of evening wear in the individual shots.



It's not an amazing video. It's fun to watch a couple times here and there, but that's because I'm a guy. I think the song also does it because it's a great, danceable tune. It's an interesting evolution for a group that started out cute and ended up with the sexy concept. It's tasteful, for what that's worth. SM is pretty good at not crossing the line, so let's hope they hold to that with these girls.