[Album & MV Review] Crayon Pop - 'Evolution Pop Vol. 1'

AKP STAFF

CRAYON POP -- EVOLUTION POP VOL.1

Tracklist:

1. Vroom Vroom
2. Too Much
3. Doo Doom Chit
4. Boogie Woogie
5. Tonight
6. Get it Here
7. Sketch Book
8. Love Couple (ft. The Zoo)
9. Vroom Vroom (inst.)
10. Doo Doom Chit (inst.)

Crayon Pop is scribbling their name on the charts again with 'Evolution Pop Vol.1.' Apparently, this is a DIY project, with the girls in charge of just about everything. According to Chrome Entertainment (via Naver), "The members will participate in the direction for the pre-release video and the overall album production." This includes promotion, marketing, costumes, hair, makeup, even the artwork and logo design. Soyul did an awesome job, frankly, on the artwork. As a bonus, there's a second disc with 7 of their previous hits.

The pre-release single "Vroom Vroom" is interesting. It's still got that fun, peppy feel to it, like all Crayon Pop tunes, but this one feels more filled out than previous entries. There is a little more production thrown at this song. They also use their lower registers when singing. There's even a little hip-hop styling here. It all works well, though the chanting is slightly jarring at first. I really like the way this one's put together. It's catchy, danceable, and definitely had me singing along.

Coming down from the first track, I immediately encountered the infectious energy of "Too Much." This song has sweet and catchy in equal measure, and it turns this song into a fun, cheerful tune. I think the cute, the soft, and the smooth complement one another well. It's like they had two tunes, but meshed them skillfully.

If I liked "Vroom Vroom," then I loved "Doo Doom Chit." This is full-on dance pop, with skirling horns and more than one awesome hook. It's breathless and frantic and beautiful all at once, and just what you need to get the blood pumping again. It's a bold choice to abandon the higher pitched vocals, but it paid off here. Ellin's raps are fierce and fire. This song was still rattling around in my skull long after the song was over.

Of particular note is "Love Couple," which is the closest you'll get to a ballad here. It features someone called The Zoo, who raps and sings his way through this soft pop piece. While I don't recall Crayon Pop doing this sort of thing before (another first), the song seems like it's The Zoo featuring Crayon Pop, which defeats the purpose entirely. It's alright, but I would have liked to hear much less of him.

"Get It Here" is a more mature-sounding tune, standing easily with other pop tunes and surpassing some of them. The raps are fun fast and go very well with the song and just one of the best tracks on here. It's got the easy hooks in the chorus, and the vocals hit that sweet spot during the main verses.

Crayon Pop songs have been hit and miss for me. "Bar Bar Bar" was fun, "F.M" was truly killer down to the sentai MV, and "Uh-ee" was dog's dinner. But the girls have done well on this one, especially for a DIY project. In an industry where everything is largely decided for you, it's refreshing to see them take the reins, even if it might be because of financial hardship. Each of these songs are very different from what Crayon Pop has offered us in the past, in a good way. Truly an evolution as the title suggests. I'm hoping these girls continue to wow us well into the future. I think this album raised the bar (bar bar).

MV REVIEW

Watch the girls of Crayon Pop bounce from one environment to the next in "Doo Doom Chit!" From a classroom to a living room, a tennis court, a playground, an office and beyond. Rather than stay in one area, they decided to adopt multiple locations.

However, it's not all as it seems, as they're cheap sets built in the same room. With an inexplicable stuffed animal tooting away on the saxophone. But they seem to have an awareness of all that, that it's all just a facade because the sets are really small, often times smaller than the girls!

The choreo wasn't bad, but I think I wanted a bit more. Some of the moves seemed less than challenging, but I haven't really heard anyone rave about Crayon Pop's dancing, so that may be expected. It was hardly the focus of the video.

The costumes are pretty well done, but I do have to sort of take issue with the schoolgirl outfits -- what are they now, 26? Still, it just seems like it's a zany romp from one set to the next and it looks like they are having tons of fun.

It was fun to watch. Lacking any kind of symbolism or gravitas, it turned the tropes on their ear and just realized that fun was the name of the game. And I think they won this round.

Score

MV Relevance..........7
MV Production.........6
MV Concept.............8
Album Production...8
Album Concept........7
Tracklisting..............7