AMBER - BORDERS
Amber is back with a new solo single! Amber probably needs no introduction, but for the newbie she's the rapper and one-fourth of the group f(x). The song "Borders" is part of SM Entertainment's digital music project SM Station. It's an English language track, composed and written by Amber.
"Borders" is a rap ballad, though the chorus is sung. It starts out melancholy, almost bittersweet, talking about her mom, and this part we find out later is the chorus. The second verse is where it picks up and she spits fire. She's always been a good rapper, and here she sounds more authentic than ever.
Despite having two different styles, she handles both adroitly, both with the singing and rapping. I think it only helped this song that it wasn't a collaboration. Amber has proven herself a capable songwriter, able to handle diverse genres. She deserved the chance to solo on this one.
The song is about believing in yourself and never giving up. This apparently is something near and dear to her heart. This is raw emotion that she poured into the song, all with the idea that you never give up on your dreams, no matter who or what stands in your way. It's a message worth heeding and a highly enjoyable, catchy tune besides.
MV REVIEW
The MV starts out quite simply -- there's a scene of a little girl and her mom (the girl is most likely meant to be Amber), and some people who are in pain and on the verge of giving up by the end of the video. The whole thing, while I've just summarized it briefly, is very poignant and meaningful.
Everyone played their parts well. We've got Amber, performing yet not performing, just sitting, rapping, gesturing. And we've got the players -- a girl who may not think she's pretty enough, tearing pictures off the wall. A guy who can't seem to get a break and considers jumping from a bridge. It's refreshingly absent of cheese or overacting, letting the camera tell much of the story.
The cinematography is pretty cool, too. There's some mystery to what's going on at times, although Amber in neon was a little off-putting. Still, I found myself paying more attention to the message, and the trials these people were going through -- which got me through. There are some nice slo-mo effects, like the girl taking a handful of pills and having a single pill drop and bounce. There's some gravitas to the images and the meaning behind them, which helps this thing pop. I have to give this a definite thumbs up.
Score
MV Relevance.......10
MV Production.......9
MV Concept..........9
Album Production..9
Album Concept.....10
Tracklisting..........9
OVERALL.............9.3
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