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THOUGHTS ON PINK TAPE

Can’t believe I actually have a physical copy of this legendary album. I say legendary because a lot of people say Pink Tape is a gem of a pop album. Considering that this was released way back 2013, the only chances I could get to have this is either to wait for SM to restock or find those who are selling their used albums. I got mine on everyone’s favorite app: Shopee 😂 This isn’t a new one but now I have a rare album with me.

Is this as good as everyone says? Let me walk you through each track.

These are my opinions and you don’t have to agree with everything I say. [ LONG POST AHEAD]

1. Rum Pum Pum Pum

I love this title track. Honestly I’m not the type to listen to a whole album so at the time, this is the only song I know. It’s tune can easily stay in your head, at least in mine. Even for the first time I listened to this years ago, I liked it right away. I have an inclination to Sulli’s rap parts because she’s my bias and It’s refreshing to hear her rap. 10/10

2. Shadow

I honestly thought this was a sweet song. Just listening to it gives it a cheery, sweet feel. Reading the translations though, I get why people say this is creepy. What I thought was sweet and cheery started to sound like creepy whispering. Let’s just say that the lyrics are in the perspective of a stalker. I’ll still rate this a 10/10 because its charm is in its chilling vibe and I still like how it sounds.

3. Pretty Girl

Not a very memorable track for me. I think the main catch is Amber’s rap but I still don’t have a particular liking to this song. It’s just okay to me. I understand that it may take a long time to warm up to a song but I’m unsure about this. All I could comment is that it’s okay. 6/10

4. Kick

This is a fun upbeat pop song but it didn’t tug much excitement to me. It’s repetitive so it can have that element of a last song syndrome. Just like the previous one, it’s an okay song to me. One that would familiarize me with the kind of sound f(x) would have but it wouldn’t stand out in their discography. Filler songs exist, that’s what this is to me. 5/10

5. Signal

I’ve got a signal~ I am loving this retro style for f(x). The sound is really funky and matches well with their delicate voices. That combination makes this track alluring. I don’t know what else to say other than it fits them well and I hope they would have more tracks like this. 8/10

6. Step

About this one, I can’t tell if I like it or not. To me it’s really somewhat likeable because the sound is addictive but when it comes down to what makes it special, it’s really just the sound for me. Luna’s main vocal was was definitely highlighted nearing the end of the song. It’s fun to listen to and it has an energetic tone that makes you wanna dance. 7/10

7. Goodbye Summer

Out of everything in this album, Goodbye Summer sounds the most mellow. I think this can be part of an OST. Luna and Krystal’s voice can really mesh well with Kyung Soo’s vocals. Along with Amber’s rap everything worked well together. Overall, this is a well balanced song. 9/10

8. Airplane

Airplane has that electronic music that reminds me of video games. This track is one of those that shows f(x)‘s uniqueness with the quirky and odd sound but at the same time it works. Listening to it seems like it could be a ballad that breaks into EDM. I think I was a bit confused at first, but this is also why I took a liking with f(x) because it’s THEM. It’s their style. 8/10

9. Toy

Like the title says, this is indeed a playful song. Another EDM-ish and electronic sounding track. I couldn’t pinpoint anything special about it but it would be good to note that the lyrics has that air of feeling powerful and fierce. I would count this as another filler track. Sorry. 5/10

10. No More

One of my favorites from this album. This was said to be a song SM bought from Ariana Grande and I could see how the sound is similar to Ariana’s style in her Yours Truly album, released the same year as Pink Tape (Ariana’s song is actually “Boyfriend Material”). I like how the lyrics was rearranged to f(x)’s style and image but both songs are good. I’ll just be biased with f(x) on this one. Every member’s vocal shined in this song. 10/10

11. Snapshot

Not entirely sure if the intro part was jazz then it transitioned to pop. Throughout the song, it does shift from those two genres. You may imagine that this is another odd and quirky song and you’re right. Another one that I’m not sure if I like right away although it doesn’t sound bad. 6/10

12. Ending Page

Up until recently, I didn’t have much appreciation regarding the flow of a tracklist. I only knew that somehow a style would be incorporated in each song to fit one album without much care about how it starts and ends. Now that I can listen to full albums, I understand how a concluding track makes an impact. Ending Page serves as a bittersweet ending with its sad lyrics. 9/10

To summarize, I agree that this is a good album although not every track is a hit for me. As I said, there are filler tracks and I’m not sure if they add harmony to the songs altogether. These tracks are clearly outshone by the better songs so I can’t qualify Pink Tape as a no-skip album.

Was it worthy buying anyway?

YES. I am very much into f(x)’s music even from way before and I got excited to finally get my hands on their album and my first one! I love the packaging, the concept and design. It’s not in its perfect condition since I bought a used album, but it’s still good enough that I could appreciate it in its entirety. SM’s creative team comes up with the coolest designs even until now.