[MV & Album Review] Pentagon � 'Demo_02 / Runaway'

AKP STAFF

PENTAGON � DEMO_02

Track List:

1. VIOLET
2. RUNAWAY *Title
3. All Right
4. Pretty Boys (Rap Unit)
5. Stay (Vocal Unit)

Pentagon is back with the follow-up to 'Demo_01,' 'Demo_02.' This one contains 5 tracks, two of them pre-release singles done by their rap and vocal units. As usual, the boys were involved in the lyrics and composition.

"VIOLET" is a soft pop tune. They trot out their trademark smooth vocals, spiced with a bit of falsetto. The raps here are okay�but slightly sing-song. It's not bad, but not really my kind of song. "RUNAWAY" is much more my speed. It's the title track, and I can see why they promoted with it. The raps are much more aggressive, and the singing is bolder and more fierce. And they have some cool techno breakdowns in the chorus. All in all, an awesome tune.

What "All Right" lacks in tempo, it makes up for with the beat and chorus. The chorus is loud and in-your-face, and the beat is stomping. I really like this one. "Pretty Boys" is a pre-release track, and done by their rap unit: E'Dawn, Yuto, and Wooseok. As much as I like the idea of a rap track, I wasn't a fan. It was way too repetitive and awkward in some parts. They close the album with another pre-release tune, "Stay," performed by their vocal unit (Jinho, Hui, Hongseok, Shinwon, Yeo One, Yan An, and Kino). These boys really know how to sing, hitting those emotional highs and lows all through the track, with a generous amount of vibrato.

Okay, they can't all be golden. I enjoyed 'Demo_01' a lot more than this release. I was disappointed by the rap unit, and the only exceptional songs were the title track and "All Right." Which made for kind of a flat EP. It wasn't bad, but it was a bit bland. �

MV REVIEW

The best thing about this MV is the song that accompanies it.

It's a bit disjointed and incoherent. Like you can tell what's going on, but not why. And I have a feeling it may not be about why. The different aspects such as the camera-crazy member hell-bent on documenting everything, to the welding scene, to the sneakers under glass, all that is meant to draw the eye, not necessarily to engage your logic.

The dancing, at least what we see of it, is not bad at all. There are some nice flourishes like the boys reaching to the sky. We don't really see enough to make anything more than a snap judgment,�however.

I like the lighting, the framing, and the way it was filmed. I also like the fact that the MV was just flooded with bright colors. It was fun to watch, especially with a killer bop in the background. Did it make that much sense? No. But I don't think it has to in order to be a good MV.� �