TRIPLE H -- '199X'
Tracklist:
1. Sunflower
2. 365 Fresh
3. What's Going On?
4. Girl Girl Girl
5. 365 Fresh (Instrumental)
Triple H (the band, not the wrestler) has finally debuted with their very first mini-album '199X.' In case you've been hiding in a hole, the band consists of HyunA (of 4minute and solo fame), as well as Hui and E'Dawn from Pentagon. Each member contributed lyrics for the album, and they teamed up with Devine Channel for their title track.
The first song is "Sunflower," with HyunA teasing the intro, but it immediately gives the others a turn in this stomping, catchy hip-hop fusion. It's bright and happy and gives plenty of attitude. What's unusual about this one is its extremely short running time. It's way too long for an intro track, but at 2:29 there's not enough of it for my tastes. I like it a lot.
"365 Fresh" almost picks up where "Only You" leaves off. It's got a funky melody to it. HyunA is again given the top of the tune, and Hui takes it and runs with it, and E'Dawn gives an absolutely kick ass rap (HyunA does that at the end, too, but her part is much smaller). There are some beautiful hip-hop nods here, as well as some killer hooks. I can easily see why they made this the title track. It totally rocks, even if it sometimes feels like they're trying to teach me how 'fresh' is spelled.
"What's Going On?" is the 3rd track on this EP. It's not bad, but the raps on here are not as good as they could be, slowed down as they are to match the tempo of the song. It's still snappy and has some nice hooks to it, but the rap threatens to ruin it. It's got a neat groove to the whole tune and throws off this absolutely chill vibe.
"Girl Girl Girl" is probably the most 'traditional' tune on here. It's also the weakest song in the collection. There are some things that redeem it. The chorus probably is not it. It's not a bad song, but if you've heard a hundred others like it, how much more do you want? The good thing about it is some of the raps, and HyunA's are particularly nice: a sort of a whispery delivery that goes right along with it. Other than that, not a fan.
I'll be honest, when listening to the teasers I was underwhelmed. It sounded bland, and just like any other boy band out there. But when you take the whole album into consideration, it actually works well. They manage to be pretty original in the end and deliver some particularly lit tunes. If they can keep up the quality, I think Triple H's future is secure.
Apparently, people have some issues with the new MV. The content isn't all that explicit, and while one might argue with a "15" rating they slapped on it, the group doesn't go into too much detail with the dark concepts they show here.
The plot is that Hui gets chased by some thugs and then beaten to a pulp. At a bar, he absconds with some car keys and takes a joyride. On the way he almost hits HyunA, who is running away from the scene of a murder, her would-be rapist hit his head on a counter when she fought off his unwanted advances. Cruising down the road, they hit E'Dawn, who is suicidal and stepped in front of the car. After Hui pops him a few times, HyunA grabs him and the unlikely trio stop at a gas station. Finding a ton of money in the trunk, they go to bars, eat, and get a motel. After that, hijinks! Eventually, all three are in the same bed, which brings up all kinds of uncomfortable assertions.
Regardless of your feelings, you can't deny that this MV is actually gripping. I think there's a certain kind of attraction to villainy, and they make it look attractive, from Hui's confidence and blue silk shirt, to HyunA's sexiness, and E'Dawn's quirky off-kilter-ness. Being bad rarely looks this good.
They all play their parts well. From HyunA's worried looks about what she's done, to Hui's rage at E'Dawn's initial appearance, everyone does what they're supposed to, and it looks way better than just going through the motions. It was not only cut well, it was nicely acted and directed adroitly.
So, moral issues aside, yeah, I enjoyed watching this. Would I ever do this? Nope. Is it admirable? Negative. But is it fun to watch? You bet.
MV Relevance...........8
MV Production..........8
MV Concept..............8
I'll be honest, when listening to the teasers I was underwhelmed. It sounded bland, and just like any other boy band out there. But when you take the whole album into consideration, it actually works well. They manage to be pretty original in the end and deliver some particularly lit tunes. If they can keep up the quality, I think Triple H's future is secure.
MV REVIEW
Apparently, people have some issues with the new MV. The content isn't all that explicit, and while one might argue with a "15" rating they slapped on it, the group doesn't go into too much detail with the dark concepts they show here.
The plot is that Hui gets chased by some thugs and then beaten to a pulp. At a bar, he absconds with some car keys and takes a joyride. On the way he almost hits HyunA, who is running away from the scene of a murder, her would-be rapist hit his head on a counter when she fought off his unwanted advances. Cruising down the road, they hit E'Dawn, who is suicidal and stepped in front of the car. After Hui pops him a few times, HyunA grabs him and the unlikely trio stop at a gas station. Finding a ton of money in the trunk, they go to bars, eat, and get a motel. After that, hijinks! Eventually, all three are in the same bed, which brings up all kinds of uncomfortable assertions.
Regardless of your feelings, you can't deny that this MV is actually gripping. I think there's a certain kind of attraction to villainy, and they make it look attractive, from Hui's confidence and blue silk shirt, to HyunA's sexiness, and E'Dawn's quirky off-kilter-ness. Being bad rarely looks this good.
They all play their parts well. From HyunA's worried looks about what she's done, to Hui's rage at E'Dawn's initial appearance, everyone does what they're supposed to, and it looks way better than just going through the motions. It was not only cut well, it was nicely acted and directed adroitly.
So, moral issues aside, yeah, I enjoyed watching this. Would I ever do this? Nope. Is it admirable? Negative. But is it fun to watch? You bet.
Score
MV Production..........8
MV Concept..............8
MV Score: 8
Album Production.....8
Album Concept.........8
Tracklisting...............8
Mini Album Score: 8
OVERALL................8.0
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