[MV & Album Review] GOT7 - 'FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL / Never Ever'

Prepare to scream and shout and let it all out as the beloved boys of K-Pop are back! GOT7 dropped their latest track "Never Ever" off of their album 'FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL' and are ruling the skies as well as the K-Pop scene.

"Never Ever" is a romantic song (despite that sick beat making you think otherwise) that portrays a guys' confusing but raw feelings towards starting a relationship.

With lyrics like "You waited so long, I'm so sorry. Now I made up my mind, are you ready?" and "It has started, our romance. You're ready and I'm ready. There's no need to be afraid, no need to hesitate, Let's go up up, our love," it is easy to see the boys are ready to drop the games and start to commit. Check out the MV below!

While the lyrics are sentimental, the instrumental is distinct with a lot of individual characteristics. It seems GOT7, like most groups today, are following the trending footsteps of creating zany instrumentals that have a quirky influence of trap and club beats all fused into one. "Never Ever" is loud, obnoxious and all over the place but it somehow comes together to create an enjoyable track. Perhaps it is due to the catchy lyrics and the boys vocals?

The refrain is catchy and fun in a simple way. There is just something addicting about shouting "Never, ever" as loud as you can with them that gives the song a catchy quality. The vocals are also clean, nice and charming - as they usually sing in most of their songs. However, I will say Jackson's vocals sound a bit try-hard this time around as he really deepens and emulates voices that are deemed as "a rapper's voice."

The MV isn't anything out of the ordinary as the boys simple showcase their intricate dance routines and flawless beauty in a lot of slow motion frames. As expected, the visuals are expensive and thought-provoking as the boys can be seen encased in water capsules, a car filled with flowers sinking into the ocean and then lying on an operating table towards the end. Does it match the story? No. Is it still interesting, somehow, yes. Sadly it doesn't add up well with the lyrics and that feels like a missed opportunity.

The 'FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL' album continues to impress as it follows up with "Shopping Mall." The upbeat track is uplifting and energetic as the boys rap along to the fine beat. The instrumental is really addictive and makes this song easy to fall in love with.

However, "Shopping Mall" isn't any different and panders to today's trends in many aspects and I find it rather ridiculous that they are comparing someone they are feeling to the likelihood of a shopping mall. This track is a real hit or miss.

Soon after comes the energetic track "Paradise." Like the other songs, it contains a very funky beat but this time with some tribal influence. The rapping is enhanced by this lively beat and the song offers a lot more of a drum-line instrumental in comparison to the others. The boys vocals are a bit deeper and smooth which showcases something a little more different.

"Sign" is another synthetic track with a charming sound. This time, the main vocalists stand out more than the rapping, which is refreshing after a majority of rap tracks from the beginning. "Sign" has a steady pace which makes the track easier on the ears and offers some stability after the more chaotic tracks. This track's mellow, mid-tempo instrumental is easily more enjoyable and less obnoxious.

After the moment of relaxation from "Sign," the album suddenly pumps things up again with "Go Higher." Like being in a Zumba class, this track is the energizer that picks the pace up again. Like before, there is a lot of rapping, echoing auto-tuned instrumentals, and more deep rapping from Jackson. "Go Higher" is entertaining but nothing special from the rest.

Finally, something calming and more joyous! "Q" is a charming, delicate track that really highlights the boy's sweet vocals. While I enjoy the fun and fierce rapping and trap-influenced songs, variety is nice and needed. GOT7 have a talented set of vocals that are effortlessly shown through "Q's" sweet melody and lyrics. The song is a delightful addition to the album that no one can hate.

Things get a little more moody as GOT7 drop a bomb with "Don't Care." The song, like the rest of the album, has a major trap-influence but isn't as similar as the rest. The instrumental is very synthetic but mystifying as it echos in and out alongside the boys slow-paced vocals. "Don't Care" is less about noise and more about the vocals and lyrics, which makes the song more appealing and less disorganized. Because this song has limited distractions and is more centered on the vocals "Don't Care" becomes a real quality piece on the album.

Sadly, the ''FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL' album comes to an end and not in a good way. "OUT" is another zany track with a random beat and noisy backtrack. Unfortunately, the boys appear a bit try-hard in this track too and the song lacks anything really appealing. Most albums end with a nice relaxing ballad, but the boys keep the partying going. However, "OUT" is messy and an unsatisfying way to end the album.

Overall, The album keeps a lot of uniformity in regards to sound and instrumental. The boys really dug deep into the rap genre with their various trap and hip hop tracks. Although the album showcased some variety (and quite sparingly), there wasn't much that would suit many listener's tastes.

The concept is quite specific and caters to the trends rather than crafting anything original or different. Fortunately, the title track "Never Ever" is still addicting and the few additional tracks that showcased their vocals on the 'FLIGHT LOG: ARRIVAL' album helped GOT7 score higher in the end.