[This review reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of allkpop.]

Track List:

1. Travel

2. AYA

3. Chuck

4. Diamond

5. Good Night

MAMAMOO has made an explosive return with their bold 10th EP, TRAVEL. The group's consistently shown powerful vocal capabilities and good showmanship, and TRAVEL absolutely highlights the foursome's strongest talents. Though the album is named TRAVEL, the chosen title track is actually track 2, "AYA." With a woodwind melody carrying the single, it has the ability to really get stuck in your head. "AYA" seems to leave the listener with a hugely impactful memory that keeps them coming back for more. The song is sure to be a party hit.

The actual song, "Travel," is the album's introductory track that is pleasantly nostalgic and retro in feeling without buying into the funk and disco trend that's been plaguing the mainstream. "Travel" is more '80s pop-influenced than anything and evokes the feeling of riding with friends top down  on the freeway on a sunny day. The song is cute and pleasant on the ears, and MAMAMOO does not fail to deliver vocally.

Track 3, "Chuck," sounds more along the lines of the MAMAMOO I'm familiar with. I saw many comments regarding this song as the song that many wished MAMAMOO chose as the title; however, I do find "AYA" to be a bit more exciting in comparison, as "Chuck" seems to feel lackluster in comparison. "Chuck" uses signature MAMAMOO harmony and ace song production.

Seemingly out of the blue, "Diamond" is sudden a sultry and sexy twist. Wheein and Hwasa own this song as the wispiness in their voices are particularly suited for the song's vibe. The only downfall to this track is the fact that it doesn't necessarily pick up and feels like it would have functioned a bit more usefully as the introductory song. "Good Night" closes out the album- and what a colorful album this has been! It seems that MAMAMOO gave us a bit of every genre on this album, and it's no surprise that "Good Night" is the group's downtempo ballad. I appreciate the vocal performance here but find the song to be on the more positive side of average.

MV REVIEW

Bold, performative, and eyecatching- MAMAMOO has given quite the visual for their new single, "AYA." The MV features tons of animal print, elaborate sets, and dramatic choreography. It's an absolute eyeful to look at, and I have to say they did a great job at focusing on this sort of "Tarzan-esque" theme without stepping over completely cringey and overdone. The dance break's choreography is especially phenomenal, and the clear effort and focus on performance and appearance this comeback shows. The music video as a whole is cohesive in concept and well produced.

SCORE:

MV Relevance…..8

MV Production…..9

MV Concept……..8

MV Score: 8.3

Album Production…...8

Album Concept……...8

Tracklisting…………...6

Album Score: 7.3

Overall: 7.83