1. Take My Hand
2. Tting
3. Magic In Love
4. Hey Yo Hey
5. Zzi Rit Zzi Rit
6. Shall We Love



Just in time for autumn, April has dropped their fourth mini-album 'Eternity.' A followup to their single album 'Mayday,' the EP has six new songs for your perusal.



I have to admit, I wasn't the biggest fan of the title track "Take My Hand." But the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. Sometimes it's just that simple. It's an unrepentant summer bop, bouncy and ebullient and full of life.  that's not a bad thing at all.  It's fall, so we're probably going to get slower and slower tracks. So far as I'm concerned, I'll happily take all the cheerful jams I can get.





"Tting" takes its cues more from rock n' roll than from pop. It opens with electric guitars, which immediately perked my ears up. It's got somewhat of a defiant tone which helps. At least in the beginning. After that, the girls get coy, which is only appropriate -- the song is about being shy and trying to get up the courage to ask a boy out. It's not the best song on the album, but hardly the worst. And it's undeniably catchy and cute.



"Magic In Love" has one of those unique beginnings, with the melody sampled in reverse. The song doesn't really pick up steam until the chorus, and that's where the girls shine. Not only is "you are my baby" a sweet hook, it also has that confidence behind it, albeit in a higher register. I love the tune and the tone.

"Hey Yo Hey" is the tune I probably would have promoted with. While the title track is adorable, this particular song has some attitude to it. Not to mention it's hella danceable. I'd love to hear them promoting this alongside their title track as a B-side.  A club-banger through and through, it's a fun song and is likely to stay on my playlist.



"Zzi Rit Zzi Rit" sounds a lot like they've been listening to the competition. And it's unfortunate because there's nothing wrong with the song overall, but it sounds a lot like Momoland's "Freeze," and a zillion other songs just like it. I think I'd prefer that they try to come up with something unique and experimental, rather than just filler.

"Shall We Love" is a quiet, sweet, and unassuming pop song. Its definitely as soft as they get on this EP, and that's refreshing in some ways. It's cute, in the same way walking home holding hands with your crush is cute. And there's some self-reflection there as well -- the lyrics pretty much reinforce that feeling. There's an innocence to the song that just grabs you and carries you along to the end.

So, if you haven't got your fill of sugary sweet songs, then you're in luck. The lyrics may not be anything to write home about, but nearly all the songs maintain the level of quality we're used to. They're still adorable, and still cranking out quality material.

MV REVIEW

The narrative focus of the MV is that the girls are trying to get the attention of a guy. Since we don't see his face, he may well be several different guys (which would be a switch, since most MVs see the girls pursuing one guy simultaneously). Cue the anxiety when it comes time to actually talk to their crush. Regardless, they go through the motions looking at him with longing in their eyes, and finally at the end give him something, whether a card or coffee.
 
The dancing was also quite well done. These days, it seems like the girl groups are stepping up their dancing game, with leaps and leg lift all designed to set the skirts flaring. It was dynamic and seriously lit.



As a fun aside, when they're together and depressed because they can't approach their crush, they read a book together, also called "Hold My Hand" (even though the 1theK translation is "Take My Hand.")

So, this was a fun video. I liked the narrative, and the girls played their parts convincingly. It also had some nice framing techniques. Enjoyable and cute.

Score

MV Relevance...........8
MV Production..........8
MV Concept..............8

Album Production.....8
Album Concept.........8
Tracklisting...............8