The Queens have just received an all kill for be My Baby and it looks like these girls are going straight to the top! This is the girls first full length album since 2007 and it certainly incorporates a lot of what they learned in the states.
The album opens up with the Yenny composed G.N.O. which she herself described as a club song done right… in Korean. I completely agree this song screams for the world to get on the dance floor, jump up and down and sing along!
Be My Baby is the second track. This song should do extremely well in Korea as it brings back the familiarity of catchy kpop choruses. It features a lot of Sohee, which is probably an effort to show how she has improved. She sounds very strong and confident. The beat is superb as well.
Next is a smoother Girls Girls. This is definitely a nod your head track with superb production brought to us by JYP. Yubin tears it up with her rap so effortlessly over this very catchy song. They also show off vocally on this song too.
Me In is the next track and is once again composed by Yenny. This song really catches the ears of westerners with it’s rock undertones and in your face style. The vocals in this are also superb. Yubin also shows us why she is one of the best rappers in kpop owning the track. At one point the instrumental fades leaving just the girls and the snare to show us their matured vocals. I love this style so much and am extremely excited to see this full video.
Sweet Dreams is the next track and is my personal favorite on the album. It has a very upbeat tempo and great harmonizations throughout the track. The beat sort of reminds me of an 80′s theme meets Techno. The track is extremely catchy and once again miss Yubin comes in with a sort of whispered rap that matches the beat so well.
The awesome ride does not stop with Stop! As the girls belt out the stop thinkin about me chorus, but girls how is that possible when y’all are owning our ears?? I think this track may be Yubin’s best performance as she switches her flow up so effortlessly throughout the verse starting out just feeling the beat out and switching to a doubly syllabled rap toward the end of the verse. Absolutely superb…rappers take notes.
Dear. Boy is a slow paced track where you really get to hear some emotional sound in their voice. Vocally this may be the best track on the album as the girls sound so strong. The hook consists of more superb harmonization and wonderful high notes.
Next is a duet between Yenny & Sun that just send chills up the spine. It is a great slow beat which allow these natural vocalists to have fun with each other and own this track. You can really hear maturity in their voices and remember what set these girls apart from many other groups. They sound superb together!
The next track is SuperB and it certainly lives up to it’s name. This one is a Yubin and Sohee duet over an uptempo beat that is a head bobber. Yubin actually showcases some good singing herself and reminds people that she is not just a rapper. Sohee really shuts up her haters with her maturity in vocals!
Act Cool is my second favorite track on the album and it definitely brings the rapper out in me! I would love to rap over this beat. Jyp just sounds like he was having a blast producing this. Lim goes solo on this and absolutely has some fun. I’ve always admired Lim’s rapping skills and her attitude. The attitude is definitely present on this track as the tiger is let out of her cage and is sprung upon the world of Kpop.
Next is a remix of Be My Baby which is a lot slower paced than the original, but still holds it’s own!
Nu Shoes is another club track that makes you wants to get up and start dancing. This song is also a great example of how the west has influenced the girls’ new sound. It includes the catchy kpopness with the attitude and beats of the west. This one is sure to be bumped from Seoul to NYC!
The album ends with an English version of Be My Baby and this is where the girls really show that the English training has not gone to waste! You can hardly hear any accent on Sohee, which was a main criticism of her. They all sound so superb and are very easy for anyone in the English speaking world to understand. Not only can you understand them, but their verses actually make sense and flow very well together.
All this being said the Wonder Girls have put together an East meets West masterpiece that is not going away anytime soon! Congratulations to the girls and Wonderfuls be sure to go pick up the album if you haven’t yet!
