Review

[MV & Album Review] NU'EST W � 'Who, You'

AKP STAFF

Posted by eric_r_wirsing Friday, July 6, 2018

NU'EST W � WHO, YOU

Track List:

1. Signal
2. Dejavu
3. Polaris
4. ylenoL
5. Gravity & Moon
6. Shadow

NU'EST W has just dropped their new EP, 'Who, You.' The mini-album contains 6 songs, and most of the songs are composed by producer BUMZU along with member Baekho, with the exception of "ylenoL" by BUMZU and Anchor, and the title track, which also features JR as a song creator. This group is getting more recognition, and has two albums, 'Q Is.' and 'Canvas,' on the World Albums chart. We haven't heard from them since December, so this album is much-anticipated.

From out of nowhere comes "Signal," which starts out quietly, fading in.� It has some things in common with tropical house. Pretty soon you get some washes and a beat that propels the chorus. It's a mellow track, and it leaves all of a sudden. "Dejavu" is quite a funky tune, very much inspired by R&B. I'm totally in love with that bass line. In a departure from routine, Aron handles the chorus. There's a Latin groove running through this one, too, though we get only hints of it, particularly with the guitar. "Polaris" is an R&B ballad. It's played on piano, and an orchestra is absent, though they have a string section for support. Baekho and Ren dominate the song. It's alright, but I'm not a huge fan.

Things pick up a bit with "ylenoL," which hearkens back to a more traditional pop structure. The title is "Lonely" spelled in reverse which is a cute way to render it. It's also somewhat repetitive: you won't forget that these boys are lonely anytime soon. I like how sparsely "Gravity & Moon" begins. It's playful and raw at the same time, and I really enjoy the energy here. It soon acquires a beat�and goes more the way of a normal formulaic pop tune. JR's raps liven things up, though. All in that signature NU'EST W style. "Shadow" has a galloping beat, and is a welcome change from "Gravity & Moon." While that last track was a little slow, this one is a low key dance-track that turns out an awesome chorus. There's really nothing not to like about this tune, and it definitely had me wanting to dance along.

This is a very sensual release. There's this seductive, chill kind of feeling when you listen to the EP as a whole. The silky-smooth vocals, along with instrumentation to match, are the main driver behind this feeling. It's a testament to NU'EST W's skills to give a whole EP a consistent vibe. Is it a good mini-album? Yeah, I can confidently say that it is.

MV REVIEW

The MV is one of those bizarre, lush affairs chock full of strange imagery. There's a child princess, cameras, a compass that changes directions automagically, and...a goat?� Couple that with some really mysterious looking environments, low light, and the members dancing, and that only scratches the surface of what you're seeing.

The main focus of the MV is to make the boys look cool. And they are ice cool here, with shadows, transient lighting, and sometimes silhouettes, and the amazing moves they showcase here. I mentioned that the album felt sensual, and that's the vibe here. The camera moves as fast as the song, that is to say, laid-back and languorous.

Fitting that there should be some deja vu as well, like Baekho's sword, and a bathtub (remember their "Hello" MV?). Not sure what the goat is about�unless it's a reference to the acronym "Greatest of All Time?"

So yeah, this MV is definitely eye-candy, and definitely drew my attention.

Score

MV Relevance...........8
MV Production..........9
MV Concept..............9
MV SCORE: 8.6

Album Production.....8
Album Concept.........8
Tracklisting...............8
ALBUM SCORE: 8.0