[MV & Album Review] BP RaNia - 'Start A Fire'

BP RaNia (formerly known as RaNia) are back with a brand new sound and brand new members in their comeback track "Start a Fire" off their mini album of the same name. Setting the stage ablaze with their jazzy sound, will the girls light things up or will their flame burn out?

TRACKLIST:

1. Start a Fire

2. Make Me Ah

3. Killer (Remix)

4. Start a Fire (Eng Ver.)

The song is jazzy, fun, and uplifting with an edgy instrumental to add a little more power to this mid-tempo track. Lyrically, I'm impressed by how badass this song is. The song starts off with some deep rapping from Alexandra and breaks out into some mature-sounding vocals. Check out the fun song in the MV below!

The bridge and main instrumental have a unique horn and trumpet combo that stands out nicely, but the chorus does little for it. Despite the fact that "Start A Fire" really isn't that catchy and the refrain is lacking a solid hook, the lyrics speak some real truth.

With lines like, "Everyone knows that you're lying, But blowing smoke is a dangerous game," and,"Ya gotta big mouth, rumor has it, Spitting lies cause u got a bad habit, Heat it up I'm a show u what happens, Getcha ass out the kitchen," you can tell the girls mean business and have no time for any man's silly mind games.

Although Alexandra has a goal of being a singer, she is one hell of a rapper! Her lyrics were dope, her flow was flawless, and she maintained a great charisma to back up her sassy lines. I still find it odd that Alexandra isn't given any small parts to try in Korean, since the other members do sing in English, but she definitely helps carry the song in more ways than one.

The MV isn't terribly low budget, which leads me to believe the company still has enough money to try and push this newly revamped RaNia forward without it being a complete waste, but it was far from impressive. The MV doesn't have much of a story or contains anything revolutionary or new. The girls simply strut their stuff around Seoul and give off a light-hearted vibe while doing it. Nothing special. However, I dig the fashion sense with the short skirts, fur coats, and funky patterns - similar to RaNia's "Style."

The MV did a great job of introducing some of the new visuals but I felt like Alexandra Reed was a mere prop. She appears in the beginning, saying, "The new generation legends are back" - which makes me laugh because they are not legends, and from that moment on, she is nowhere to be seen except for her rap break in the end!

Alexandra is completely absent throughout a majority of the MV as she is nowhere to be seen during the dance breaks, throughout Seoul, or even in the multi-colored rooms. She appears for her rap and briefly in the end when the ladies bond over a glass of champagne. I'd be pretty embarrassed and annoyed if I were her.

The rest of the album doesn't offer anything different from their promotional track. "Make Me Ah" is upbeat and another mid-tempo track that boasts some sass. While the refrain is a bit more catchy, the song doesn't offer any different element or variety to spark our interest. Sadly, the song keeps to the same structure as the previous song with Alexandra simply rapping here and there, and the other members don't switch up their style much, either.

I did enjoy hearing the remixed version of "She's a Killer." Although it was great to hear, nothing beats the original and simply has me wanting to play that track more than the remix. The only impact it had was me saying, "Oh yeah - I forgot about this song!"

One delightful bit about the album is that it does feature a killer English version of "Start A Fire" that fans will enjoy very easily. Alexandra shines on both versions of the track either way.

Overall, 'Start A Fire' wasn't a big hit as BP RaNia would've liked it to be. The album was good and showcased the new member's vocals but it definitely isn't something original RaNia fans will welcome in so easily. The promotional track is the best track out of the album but BP RaNia will need to come back stronger and more revamped if they really want a new start. Maybe it was better the other members of RaNia left and joined EL8TE instead.

SCORE:

MV Production.......5
MV Concept............4
MV Relevance........4

Album Production..5

Album Concept.......5
Tracklisting..............5