DIA � DO IT AMAZING (1st Album)

Track List:
1. I Want to Listen to Music
2. Lean on Me (Feat. Microdot)
3. Somehow
4. My Friend's Boyfriend
5. One Star In My Heart
6. Like Yesterday
7. Same Place
8. Say Hello
9. Somehow (Chinese Ver.)
10. Somehow (Acoustic Ver.)
11. Somehow (Inst.)



MBK's new girl group DIA has dropped their first album. The LP has 11 brand new tracks for your listening pleasure, 3 of them being remixes of "Somehow." DIA consists of Chaeyeon, Eunice, Jenny, and Yebin, rappers Cathy and Eunjin, as well as their leader (and former F-ve Dolls member) Seunghee. The group's name comes from "diamond," and is pronounced "dye-uh" (or "dahy-uh," if you prefer) in the song "Lean on Me."  

The first track is "I Want to Listen to Music," a lively tune sung to an acoustic guitar. When the angelic voices come together in silky harmony, that's when the track really picks up. I also really enjoy the fierceness in the vocals.  The lyrics describe meeting and being with a boy while music plays.



"Lean on Me" starts out with a pounding hip-hop beat, and then launches into a pretty, bubblegum pop refrain. Rapper Microdot (fresh from his comeback after a 9-year hiatus) also features on the track, and injects something different into it, as he shows up in the beginning. The bridges and verses at this point are both familiar to fans of girl groups, and fresh at the same time. The song is about how lovers should support each other.

Coming in fierce and brilliant with sampled scratches and backbeats, "Somehow" is their title track. It's beautifully crafted, cheerful pop, but it has a sensibility that sets it apart. Thank you, Shinsadong Tiger! They manage to fuse several elements together here without falling into the trap of sounding like they did exactly that. The raps here are mercifully short, as they are too sing-song and add little to the tune. The song itself is all about spending time with a guy. 



"My Friend's Boyfriend" is a bratty, playful tune with a frenetic, bendy synth. It has a lot of repetitive, delectable hooks to sing along with and this sense of "whatever, I do what I want" that I love and laugh along with. Obviously, it's about stepping out, looking hot, and stealing a guy from someone else.

"One Star In My Heart," if you couldn't guess from the title, is a pretty ballad. Singing to piano accompaniment, the girls' voices are cotton-candy-sweet, and this song showcases their vocal strengths. The talent doesn't get drowned in overproduction, which is a good thing. It's very soothing and you can hear the emotion in their voices. The star is a metaphor for their emotions, and they're saying you have to be careful with those feelings.



"Like Yesterday" is a sweetly sung acoustic guitar piece that almost emulates indie folk, except for a gusty chorus. These girls definitely have pipes and know how to use them. Like the previous track, it doesn't get bogged down and uses the girls' voices well. The song concerns a man who lied, and, even through the seasons, the resulting breakup seems "like yesterday" and is just as painful.

The seventh track, "Same Place," starts from a 'different place' than the previous two tunes. While there is acoustic guitar, there are some other synth offerings, and autotuned effects at the beginning and ending. This song is where the raps seem to be better served up, as well. The tune evokes a place that reminds both the boy and girl of their breakup.



"Say Hello" shares some characteristics with ballads, but turns quickly into mid-tempo soft pop. There's an interesting string instrument that I can't quite place that clearly stands out at times during the track. It's got some sweet layering effects, and the girls' angelic voices really come through nicely here. The track has to do with spending time with a lover.

I'll be honest: when I first heard "Somehow" I was underwhelmed. It's a fine track on its own, and stands up to much of what's being released these days, but it's not all that. I was glad to hear more depth out of the girls than that. And despite having two rappers, the raps seem to be a bit lacking; their flow is off a bit, but they're not hip-hop, so this can be overlooked somewhat.  

This LP is a very satisfying piece of pop. The fact that Seunghee and Cathy also helped write and compose some of the tracks is pretty cool, and will likely help distinguish them from other girl groups. I like that there are some different tunes on here than what you might expect, and that there are clever production touches on more than a few. This is a band to watch. DIA fighting!

MV REVIEW

The girls of DIA take a tour of various cities in "Somehow!"

Check out MBK's newest girl group as they tool around to various cities on foot, cable car and bus. Not only that, but we see them dance around in various public squares, and see them take in the sights as well, hitting shops, sunbathing, swimming, and eating ice cream together.

Despite the tourist-y scenes, we also get a lot of dance sequences. They dance pretty well, I didn't see any awkwardness or egregious missteps. The moves looked fairly challenging -- you'd have to be in shape to pull some of that off.



The costumes range from jerseys, to pink skirts, to summer clothing with short shorts, etc. The Rangers jerseys were a nice touch. The stylist did a good job here -- even the dye jobs were appropriate and well-done.

Overall, it appeared to be a video where they were just having fun. They weren't trying to be experimental or artistic, and sometimes that's a good thing. It's always interesting to see different places you might want to hit yourself, and the different skylines and sightseeing kept my interest. The costumes plus the fading hues of summer were bright and colorful. The girls were by turns lovely and adorable. I enjoyed the song, too, which doubtless helped fuel my enjoyment. Thumbs up!

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