GOT7 - FLIGHT LOG: DEPARTURE

Track List:

1. Fly
2. Can't
3. See The Light
4. Fish
5. Rewind
6. Beggin on my Knees
7. Something Good



GOT7 show off their songwriting talents on their newest EP, 'Flight Log: Departure.' This album includes 7 tracks, with the 8th track, "Home Run," to be released later. JB and Junior co-composed and co-wrote the lyrics for the title track "Fly," and other members helped with the other tracks on the album. Young K from labelmate DAY6 wrote the lyrics for "Beggin on my Knees."  

"Fly"
Opening with distorted piping synths, the title track starts out slow and picks up momentum. When the boys all join in, we have a serious powerhouse of a song that managed to impress even these jaded ears. Not a fan of the falsetto snaps, however. Hook-filled and catchy, it's not hard to see why this became a fan favorite so quickly.

"Can't"
There's some understated horns here, which works really well with the song. There's rapid-fire raps and some sweet harmonies, as well as Jackson's signature vocals out there in front for all to hear. It sounds like everyone had a part here, which is refreshing. The song itself is about being flustered in front of a woman.



"See The Light"
Probably the closest thing to a ballad on this disc, "See The Light" starts a bit slow, and seems to almost have a current of regret running through it. I like the flow of the raps here -- there's almost a street-smart sound to them that I enjoy. The lyrics talk of seeing 'the light of her beauty' and of longing.

"Fish"
This track starts out with a mostly hip-hop sensibility, and seems to continue that through most of the song. There's some crooning here that I feel don't quite fit with the rest of the song. The insistent synth and drum combo don't lend themselves readily to melody. Regardless, it's not a bad song at all. It's playful, as are the lyrics: "Lalala I fall into your fish tank/Lalala you put your arm around mine and I flounder."



"Rewind"
This track has an almost sing-song melody, but they lift it out of that rut, by a cornucopia of different sounds. It starts with a piping synth, and as the vocals join we have what almost sounds like bottles being hit, and the synth changes keys, I love how this all comes together, and the dance breakdown at 2:18 is absolutely sick. The very end of the song is a sample from "Galvanize" by the Chemical Brothers, a nice nod to the innovators. The song is saying they want to rewind the time, so they can relive seeing her again and again.

"Beggin on my Knees"
Here's where the tempo kicks up and gives me that high-energy danceable groove that I crave. It starts with a somewhat grandiose organ riff and quickly turns into a high-tempo club banger. Everything comes together here just right. There's no real surprises here, but at the same time this song comes in at just the right time. The song is about a woman who tortures them by giving them false hope. 



"Something Good"
The boys split the difference between urban and smooth on this track, offering us rapped main verses and silky croons in the chorus. The rapping here is pretty melodic, so it doesn't jar us out of the main melody. The boys have got a feeling about her, and that feeling is something good.

GOT7 usually has my vote for a highly listenable experiences. This time they've gone in a somewhat experimental direction, changing up song styles and trying new things. It is definitely signature GOT7, but at the same time there are brand new sounds here. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that the members are more involved than they have been. I like it. It's different from their usual output, and different from the standard output of K-Pop in general. This album does more than sit around at the airport, it's not just taxiiing down the runway, it's already flying.

MV REVIEW

If there was a plot here, it got lost in editing. The boys dance their way from once scene to the next, treating us to some mature looks and choreography and sweet dance moves. The last half of the video is where they blow their special effects budget, showing scenes of all the members flying.

There are 3 costume changes here; two of these involve suits and blazers, and the third is just random street clothing. They rock the styles as only k-poppers can, and as much as I complained about it back in the day, I almost miss the crazy styles that characterized 2010. It's almost like there's a backlash...

The dancing is absolutely on point. And I've said it before: these boys can dance.  The choreo is always red hot, and they kill it in this MV too. The moves look like they have some meat to them, so I'm betting they were a challenge to put together.

This MV is all about fun. They don't try to be terribly artsy, but the end result isn't bad. JYP has kind of a hit and miss record when it comes to their MVs, and this falls somewhere in the middle. It's not a great video, but it was fun to watch a couple times. Queue it up -- you won't get bored, that's for certain. 

SEE ALSO: GOT7 releases 【WINTER HEPTAGON】 Highlight Medley

Score

MV Relevance.........8
MV Production........9
MV Concept............8
Album Production..9
Album Concept......9
Tracklisting............9

OVERALL...............8.7