1. REALLY REALLY
2. FOOL



After Tae Hyun's departure, WINNER continues as a foursome for their new release 'Fate Number For.' The single contains two tracks, both of them title tracks. The boys team up with J-Bird and AIRPLAY and crank out two songs: "FOOL," written and composed by Seung Yoon, and lyrics duties were handled by Seung Yoon, Mino, and Seung Hoon on "REALLY REALLY" (Seung Yoon and Mino also composed this one).�

The song with the repetitive title "REALLY REALLY" turns out to be kind of nice chill track. It's not an energetic club banger, despite the faux-tropical house beat. It's a low-key dance track, and the boys' voices mesh with it nicely.� I love the pulsing synths and how the chorus builds, but blends in with the rest of the song. I guess you can say I 'Really Really' like this tune.

"FOOL" is a soft pop song that could be played almost entirely on a piano. The nice thing is that they remembered their pop sensibilities and wisely included a synth. I think that raises the bar somewhat and elevates it above the standard ballad. Seung Yoon's vocals here are pretty poignant, pointing out that he "was a fool" in a fairly deep register. Jin Woo's role here is to provide some smooth softness to the piece, which he does seemingly effortlessly. It's a sweet ballad, and the boys manage to skillfully convey a sense of regret.� �

These tunes are distinctly different from previous ones such as Mino's "Body" and WINNER's "Immature." This shows how they've grown as songwriters, as the tracks on this EP sound more mature and filled out. Frankly, I'm excited by the direction these four boys are taking, and can't wait to see what they come up with next.

MV REVIEW -- "REALLY REALLY"

While it may appear plotless, there is a slight thread connecting the events in this video together. Initially, the boys are alone, before leaving the bleachers to end up on a city street. Women dance around them as they dance and sing. The boys ignore them. Not to be rebuffed, the girls attempt to keep them away from their getaway car, but the boys are not to be denied. Soon, they're off, playing with bouncing hydraulic lift-kitted cars, which takes me back to 90's gangsta rap (Dr. Dre "Let Me Ride"), while the girls dance again and cheer.

Well, okay, maybe not.

One of the things that WINNER has always seemed to excel at is dancing, and this video demonstrates that. In some cases, they seem to be going for a hip hop vibe as they move, which is good when done well. And believe me: it is.



The wardrobe was pretty well done. I didn't see any awkward looking styles, and WINNER looked super-stylish in their suits in the beginning. And at least they were in street clothes during the car scenes. I'd hate to see suits like that get grease stains.

Frankly, this video was fun to watch. The director (Dave Meyers) has an eye for imagery that I like, and he knows how to make each and every shot dynamic. Is it deep? Not really. But it's engaging, and that's the important part. Of course, it helps that I like the song, too.

MV REVIEW -- "FOOL"

In contrast to "REALLY REALLY," the MV for "FOOL" is baroque and stylized. There are some beautiful shots in here, from spending time with a lover�to some gorgeous sunny day backgrounds, to the slight glimpse of city lights at night. The bulk of the video explores the loneliness you feel after a breakup. But it does this extremely well.

I like the slow-mo effect and the soft light filters, the helmet that was thrown down in anger, flames licking at it as it rolls and bounces. The religious imagery along with some ornate cathedral interiors really make this MV pop. The flaming contraptions, like some homage to Burning Man, also are great to look at.



There's no dancing in here, only the boys treading the fine line between love and loss, with symbolism I can only begin to guess at.� But when you watch an MV, you're not really supposed to turn your brain on. It's� enough to say that this particular MV is absolutely intense, even if the song is a tad slow for my tastes.

Score

MV scores are averaged across both MVs

MV Relevance.......8
MV Production......8
MV Concept..........9
Songwriting..........9
Composition.........8
Impression............9

OVERALL............8.5

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