1. Friend
2. Like It
3. Butterfly
4. Climax
5. Beautiful Pain
6. Beautiful Pain (Inst.)

BTOB has released their special album 'Hour Moment.' The EP features five new tracks, with an instrumental of the title track. Most of the members got together to write and compose the title track, so it should be worth a listen.

"Friend" is a billowy ballad, but it has some nice techno effects. The vocals are very tender and earnest, and there's this stratospheric chorus, very uplifting. "Like It" starts out in much the same way as "Friend," very quiet. Soon, it launches into a full-on modern R&B track, and a danceable one to boot. The rap is cute and playful -- it's good if you don't take yourself too seriously. Besides they kill it later on. Catchy and hooky, yes I like it. If you couldn't guess from the title, "Butterfly" is a guitar-driven ballad. Again, we have the ultra-expressive vocals that bring their ballads over the top. The acoustic guitar is a folksy nod to pop's origins.

"Climax" is a soft-pop number, a power-ballad that wrings every bit of emotion out of you. Sometimes, the singers sound like they're in pain and pleading. Yeah, it's affecting. Finally, the title track "Beautiful Pain" is a power ballad too, and it's different than the other one. It's charming, as songs go, but the raps really seem tacked on and out of place with the rest of it. It's a standard lost love song, but one line stood out to me: "The pain will disappear but the scars are forever/that's why it's called beautiful pain."

Overall, if you're a BTOB fan, this is the album you have waited for. It's pretty emotional, even if the songs aren't entirely vocally my bag. If you're hurting from a breakup, put this on and have a good cry. It's a special album for the fans, and one of the better gifts you'll get for the holidays.

MV REVIEW

If I thought the song was emotional, the MV is very, very emotional. The shots of the boys crying and singing alone are all representative of isolation and loneliness. These are interspersed with cute moments with the leading lady in the MV, laughing and carrying on like nothing is wrong, and nothing would be. Of course, if my girl was shining a light in my eyes when I was trying to sleep, we would have words.

There's no dancing here, nor probably should there be (though I've seen some modern dance set to ballads). I think dancing would distract from what's going on, and set a very different tone.



They were going for despondency, and they got it. Mood lighting, expressive faces, and some interesting shots (like being covered in a translucent sheet) give you all you need to know about this MV. Combined with the vocals, the whole scene is almost heartbreaking. I didn't cry, but I was pushed to the edge. I know what they were going for, and I think they succeeded quite well.

Score

MV Relevance...........8
MV Production..........8
MV Concept..............8
MV SCORE: 8.0

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

OVERALL................8.0

SEE ALSO: BTOB celebrates 13th anniversary with 3-day fan concert '3,2,1 GO! MELympic'