EUNJI – 'SIMPLE'
Track List:
1. Simple is the best
2. AWay *Title*
3. Whoo
4. Stay
5. Moisturising
6. A Slow Child
Jeong Eun Ji (Eunji) of A Pink is making her first comeback in nearly 21 months. Her new EP is called "Simple" and contains six tracks. It's her fourth mini album to date, and she produced every song on the disc.
"Simple is the best" starts with a jazzy piano. Eunji rises to the occasion well. After that, it loses its way a bit. After it finds itself again, it sounds artsy, like something out of those older Disney titles. "AWay" is the title track -- and the outlier on the album. Unlike the other tracks, it sits firmly in the pop realm. I got some old A Pink vibes from this one. It's far and AWay the best song on here.
"Whoo" walks us into the unplugged territory, as Eunji sings to an organ and acoustic guitar. It's refreshing and upbeat. If she was going for comforting in these troubled times (as she said in an interview), she succeeded. She goes back to the piano in "Stay." It's slow and steady like a good ballad should be. It didn't strike me as so much of a ballad as a lullaby. it was gentle and angelic from beginning to end.
With "Moisturising" she sings to an acoustic guitar. She ups the tempo a bit too. The song is playful and fun and is a good example of how you can take an acoustic tune and make it catchy and cute. This is every bit as good as "AWay." "A Slow Child" is every bit as slow as the title might suggest. That doesn't make it bad, however. Eunji's vocals really carry the song. They give her voice a slight echo, and it seriously makes this song pop.
And this is her in top form. She's lost none of the charm that she showed us in her previous solo albums. As a matter of fact, I think she's learned some new tricks. This is Eunji unplugged, and it's a great showing. She knows her way around a song. This album more than proves that. And she also proves that sometimes, simple is the best.
MV REVIEW
In her MV for "AWay," Eunji abandons most pretenses, and puts out a pretty, if formulaic, video.
Let's be honest: there's really nothing you haven't seen before. There's a vast field of tall grass, a beach, and a pop princess at the center of it all. There's even what appears to be a mini music studio in the middle of nowhere. It's all been done before.
But in this case, it's okay.
While she loses points for originality, she gets those points back and more for style. The colors in this music video are bright and vivid. I don't know how much is post-processing, and I really don't care. It all looks real, Eunji is as lovely as she always is, and the outside shots are simply stunning.
As I've said, you've seen most of this before. But if you like the artist, then what does it matter? This definitely gets my thumbs up.
Score
MV Relevance............9
MV Production...........9
MV Concept................8
MV SCORE: 8.6
Album Production......9
Album Concept...........9
Tracklisting.................9
ALBUM SCORE: 9.0
OVERALL.................8.8
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I had to search for this post. Thanks for sharing your review! I appreciate how concise this mini album is. Simply b-e-autiful!! I am disappointed that the mini album is not showing in the K-Pop recent releases section of iTunes. I had to dig to find it. It is such a great work overall that I am seriously considering buying a physical copy as my token of applause and appreciation.
I agree, that "Simple Is The Best" sounds like a piece right out of a movie or Broadway play with how cinematic it is. I had to listen to Apink's "I don't Know (몰라요)" because Eunji's song managed to capture a bit of the same magical quality. "Away" hits you right in the heart, it is the perfect song to open a live set with! I bought this song right away after finding it! "Stay" is such a beautiful song. I have to remember to breathe while listening to it! The intro almost takes me out every time!
Bravo to Eunji and everybody that worked on the project for creating something that will stand well against the test of time.