AILEE – VIVID

Track List:

1. Mind Your Own Business
2. Insane
3. I Love You, I Hate You
4. Second Chance
5. Symphony (Feat. Chancellor)
6. Why Are People Like This
7. Letting Go (Feat. Amber)
8. Love Recipe
9. Fill Your Glass
10. One More Step

Three years after her debut, Korean-American singer Ailee has dropped her first full-length album, 'Vivid.' She's got ten new tracks for us, and not an instrumental or remix in the bunch. She had a hand in writing and composing several songs on this LP.

She puts her powerhouse vocals to good use on the Duble Sidekick-penned "Mind Your Own Business." A sassy sax starts out the song, which soon transitions to sassy vocals. It's obvious from her tone she's had enough. It's catchy and body-moving, ready-made to dance to. The lyrics talk about a breakup.



The next track is "Insane," a slower, R&B-inspired tune. There's a pretty awesome main verse with her backup singers and the chorus is quite catchy. One standout thing about this track: it uses the sound of water dripping to help it keep time. I've already written about my enjoyment of sound effects as music, and this just further cements my opinion. The lyrics are lovelorn, about how she's going nuts without the guy.

"I Love You, I Hate You" is a ballad that perfectly showcases her skyscraper vocals. It moves slowly, seductively, her voice drawing you in. Her masterful pipes go high and low again. In the lyrics she apologizes, even though her lover has already moved on.  
 

 
"Second Chance" bears some resemblance to the first track, but quickly forges its own identity when she hits the chorus. It starts slowly, smoothly, and then Ailee's vox come in and shatter the calm and demand your attention. It's got sort of a stop-start sensibility, married to some soul, Korean style. In this song, she's giving a 'second chance' to a guy she has her eye on.

The pop track "Symphony" uses some organ style keyboards and features Chancellor of the Channels. He has a softer style, which, paradoxically meshes well with her piercing vocals. I love the way her voice shifts from low to high. This girl definitely has a range! The lyrics are asking her lover to sing a song for her, but she wants more than music.   


   
The bluesy ballad "Why Are People Like This" is sung to an acoustic guitar. There's some faux-symphonic effects later in the song, but they don't drown out her voice, so that can be forgiven. The emotion here is raw and palpable, describing how the tears are flowing after a breakup.
   
"Letting Go" is probably the poppiest track on the album, but that doesn't diminish what's done here. It's sweetly sung and shows you what she can do when she reins in her voice and gives you a sweet taste. On the chorus she unleashes it again and goes back and forth between belts and sweetness. Amber does what she does best on this track: rap. And it adds an awesome vibe to an already excellent song.  



The funky "Love Recipe" contains the same sass as some of her other tracks. Bold, brassy, and full of fire, her voice positively sizzles on this track. There's more guitar than anything else as accompaniment, just adding to the excitement. It's a bit naughty, as well, anticipating a hot time with a lover. "I'll never melt in your hand."

"Fill Your Glass" is an interesting ballad, starting as it does with military marching drums in the background. As on "Letting Go," it's a slow burn, with beautiful vocals giving way to soaring belts. Electrifying guitars only enhance what she does here. The lyrics basically describe the aftermath of a breakup, tears filling the glass.  

"One More Step" is anthemic and sweeping, buoyed by the impressive pipes on this girl. It reminds me of a lullaby for a couple reasons, not the least of which is she says "keep it together my child" in the beginning. It's also quite soothing. There's sweetness in the lyrics, and also hope, talking about how sadness is gone.  

Following in the footsteps of divas before her, Ailee has carved out her own niche with genuine talent and a penchant for gusty ballads. This LP is an impressive achievement, and is an emotional roller coaster ride through everything from seduction to sadness. And you know? At the end of the ride I don't want off. Definitely one to check out, whether you're a fan or not.

MV REVIEW

Ailee cuts loose on an ex's car in "Mind Your Own Business."

Vandalism has been a trend in Kpop MVs lately, and even the sultry singer Ailee is not immune. Thrill as a chainsaw, baseball bat, and spray can pass final judgement on a gentleman's vehicle. Watch as one of her entourage films this on her cellphone. Try to guess exactly why they're in orange jumpsuits.

The outfits are interesting. All of the street clothes show a generous amount of leg. And there's this one on Ailee with thigh high boots of dubious utility, though she looks smashing in it. The prison garb is actually sexy, some of it open down the front, other outfits have the sleeves cut off, etc. And I never thought I'd put "sexy" and "prison garb" in the same sentence.



The dance moves mirror aggression from thrown punches to just the way the body is carried. I love it -- it perfectly matches the mood of the song. We don't see a whole lot of dancing, but what we do see of it is dynamic at the least.



So what do we make of this? Well, it's a lot better than a pink box, that's for certain, and a lot more interesting. We get location shifts, good dancing, and at least a tiny bit of plot (the end wraps things up). And for some reason it's fun to watch beautiful ladies destroy a car. Well done. 

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