RYEOWOOK - 'The Little Prince'
Track List:
1. Like a Star
2. The Little Prince
3. Hello
4. People you may know
5. Foxy Girl (Feat. Din Din)
6. POOM
Ryeowook, arguably part of K-Pop royalty himself, has released his long-awaited debut solo album 'The Little Prince.' He's one of four lead vocalists for Super Junior, as well as a member of subunits Super Junior K.R.Y and Super Junior-M. He also has the distinction of having his face on a Chinese postage stamp (along with Kyuhyun, Siwon, and Donghae). This is the first release on the group's newly launched label SJ.
"Like A Star"
Opening with a tender number, it sets the tone for much of the rest of the album. It's a little more stripped down than the other ballads on this disc, with only a touch of orchestral grandeur near the end. It showcases Ryewook's voice rather nicely and is a pleasant listen. The lyrics explain to a girl that she is his light in the world.
"The Little Prince"
is a reference to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book of the same name. He places himself inside the narrative, and sings about talking to the Little Prince. It's a lovely ode to a breakup, using some of the imagery from the book, like the flower. The SuJu singer unleashes his voice about 3 mins in, and his pitch soars high. You can almost feel him crying as he sings, giving this tune plenty of emotional punch.
"Hello"
cranks things up quite a bit, and offers up a bit of jazzy R&B for your listening pleasure. There's some Prince influence here, but it's distinctly K-pop, with guitars and a mid-tempo beat that is guaranteed to have your head nodding. This has a distinct retro feel to the song structure, and it works well. The lyrics are about being happy that he's together with her.
"People You May Know"
Ryeowook dials it back down here to deliver a ballad swaddled in sweetness. Thankfully, it holds off on the excess production until the end, and at that point the backup singers come in to avoid drowning the tune. The song itself is clever, tied to being online, and seeing the pictures of someone you broke up with on social media, as sadness casts a dark pall over your day.
"Foxy Girl"
Another R&B offering, this time with the assist of rapper Din Din. His rapping gives this tune a distinctly modern feel, and he does a pretty good job, if not amazing. Sometimes I felt like I was listening to 70s era funk (not a bad thing!), a testament to Ryeowook's songwriting and composing skills. Three guesses what this song is about.
"POOM"
A pretty ballad, starting out reflectively and reaching orchestral critical mass in the chorus, where his voice soars into falsetto. Piano is what drives the melody during the main verses. The song itself is about motherhood as well as childhood, thanking his mother. The lyrics are steeped in symbolism as well as sincerity.
This EP was a study in contrasts. At once mellifluous and melancholy, soul-baring and silky, yet at other times it could be fun and funky. Ryeowook has a gorgeous voice, and this solo EP was the perfect showcase for his vocal abilities. Highly enjoyable, the songs caress you and wash over you, leaving you warm inside. This debut slays!
MV REVIEW
This MV has some striking imagery and stunning scenes. Floating objects, rooms with Escherian stairways, and the objects he interacts with end in surprising results (like pouring wine on a rose that quickly turns red or finding sand in a camping flask). The video has much to draw the eye, and it's quite artistic.
The wardrobe is pretty classy, as befits a MV of this type. About the only change I see is the sweater, where he goes from one normal crew neck to a full-on turtleneck, and his jacket is always red.
He doesn't really have that much of expressive range here, but the song itself doesn't lend itself to a variety of expressions in any case, being that it's about a man in pain. He explores the world well, not surprised by anything, like the landscape was carved from his psyche. Entirely appropriate, given the themes in the story that inspired the song.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that while I enjoyed it greatly, we don't need more MVs like this. The only reason is because I want this kind of tour de force to be treasured. I hope Ryeowook had some input into this, because this fantastic spectacle felt personal. Two thumbs up, and if I had a third that one would be raised as well.
Track List:
1. Like a Star
2. The Little Prince
3. Hello
4. People you may know
5. Foxy Girl (Feat. Din Din)
6. POOM
Ryeowook, arguably part of K-Pop royalty himself, has released his long-awaited debut solo album 'The Little Prince.' He's one of four lead vocalists for Super Junior, as well as a member of subunits Super Junior K.R.Y and Super Junior-M. He also has the distinction of having his face on a Chinese postage stamp (along with Kyuhyun, Siwon, and Donghae). This is the first release on the group's newly launched label SJ.
"Like A Star"
Opening with a tender number, it sets the tone for much of the rest of the album. It's a little more stripped down than the other ballads on this disc, with only a touch of orchestral grandeur near the end. It showcases Ryewook's voice rather nicely and is a pleasant listen. The lyrics explain to a girl that she is his light in the world.
"The Little Prince"
is a reference to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book of the same name. He places himself inside the narrative, and sings about talking to the Little Prince. It's a lovely ode to a breakup, using some of the imagery from the book, like the flower. The SuJu singer unleashes his voice about 3 mins in, and his pitch soars high. You can almost feel him crying as he sings, giving this tune plenty of emotional punch.
"Hello"
cranks things up quite a bit, and offers up a bit of jazzy R&B for your listening pleasure. There's some Prince influence here, but it's distinctly K-pop, with guitars and a mid-tempo beat that is guaranteed to have your head nodding. This has a distinct retro feel to the song structure, and it works well. The lyrics are about being happy that he's together with her.
"People You May Know"
Ryeowook dials it back down here to deliver a ballad swaddled in sweetness. Thankfully, it holds off on the excess production until the end, and at that point the backup singers come in to avoid drowning the tune. The song itself is clever, tied to being online, and seeing the pictures of someone you broke up with on social media, as sadness casts a dark pall over your day.
"Foxy Girl"
Another R&B offering, this time with the assist of rapper Din Din. His rapping gives this tune a distinctly modern feel, and he does a pretty good job, if not amazing. Sometimes I felt like I was listening to 70s era funk (not a bad thing!), a testament to Ryeowook's songwriting and composing skills. Three guesses what this song is about.
"POOM"
A pretty ballad, starting out reflectively and reaching orchestral critical mass in the chorus, where his voice soars into falsetto. Piano is what drives the melody during the main verses. The song itself is about motherhood as well as childhood, thanking his mother. The lyrics are steeped in symbolism as well as sincerity.
This EP was a study in contrasts. At once mellifluous and melancholy, soul-baring and silky, yet at other times it could be fun and funky. Ryeowook has a gorgeous voice, and this solo EP was the perfect showcase for his vocal abilities. Highly enjoyable, the songs caress you and wash over you, leaving you warm inside. This debut slays!
MV REVIEW
This MV has some striking imagery and stunning scenes. Floating objects, rooms with Escherian stairways, and the objects he interacts with end in surprising results (like pouring wine on a rose that quickly turns red or finding sand in a camping flask). The video has much to draw the eye, and it's quite artistic.
The wardrobe is pretty classy, as befits a MV of this type. About the only change I see is the sweater, where he goes from one normal crew neck to a full-on turtleneck, and his jacket is always red.
He doesn't really have that much of expressive range here, but the song itself doesn't lend itself to a variety of expressions in any case, being that it's about a man in pain. He explores the world well, not surprised by anything, like the landscape was carved from his psyche. Entirely appropriate, given the themes in the story that inspired the song.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that while I enjoyed it greatly, we don't need more MVs like this. The only reason is because I want this kind of tour de force to be treasured. I hope Ryeowook had some input into this, because this fantastic spectacle felt personal. Two thumbs up, and if I had a third that one would be raised as well.
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