HABEMUS COMEBACK!!!🔥🔥🔥 I usually use Instagram to share with my friends —who don't care at all— my opinions about the guys' new albums, but this time I decided to set them free and use this account for what I created it for: to give my honest opinions.
I'm neither a producer nor an artist, and I have very little knowledge about music, but this is the moment when I play music critic, even if it's only based on my personal tastes hehe
So here are my opinions about KARMA! They almost always change after a while —for example, with ATE, at first I didn't like JJAM and now it's one of my favorite songs on the album— so, probably, the top will be updated in a few weeks.
Clarifications for this point:
a) The scale is eight (💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙) blue hearts , with 8 being the top score (small heart, half point).
b) I listened to the album as soon as it came out (it was 12am and I was very sleepy) and wrote my first impressions, but to publish this I listened to it again, so it's the combination of both.
c) I haven't seen the translated lyrics, so they may influence (if I understand them) as well as they may not (because my Korean is not that good yet).
d) I don't count the "X(version)" in these lists. And, in fact, the unpopular opinion today is that they should stop putting them on albums, but wtv.
Without further clarification, here I go:
1- BLEEP: 💙💙💙💙 💙
The initial scream scared me, to be honest, and then I was in shock cause' WHAT THE ****. It feels like an intro —CHEESE vibes, as they said— and I like that vibe. My favorite part is definitely Felix's voice.
2- CEREMONY: 💙💙💙💙💙💙
It's a fun song. I really like the instrumental track, the topline and the wordplay. Now I won't be able to watch Bluey without thinking of Chan and the "Hooray!". I got a good laugh out of Han being athletic and Lee Know's hand dancing in the video. It's not my style in MV, but I like the choreography, especially the "karma, karma, karma" step in Felix's part.
3- CREED: 💙💙💙💙💙💙
SKRRRT. I can see a dark but elegant color, if that makes sense, like a matte black. I feel like they're telling something kinda rude, but I can't focus on that cause' I like the vibe and the vocals. I feel like it's like a classic gang movie song — I hope I don't offend, it's not a bad comment, it's just the image that comes to my head—. I think the vocal effects were very well done.
4- MESS: 💙💙💙💙💙
From the beginning I said "This is Han's song", and I didn't even remember if he was the composer, but I didn't doubt it for a second. The rhythm, the vocal effects, the structure, the tone — everything screams "Han Jisung". I think it's the first song with more Korean than English, and I like that. I like Bangchan and Lee Know's voices in this kind of song, they're very expressive in the feeling that Han wants to convey.
5- In My Head: 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
This song sounds like my adolescence, AND I LOVE IT. THE EMO-POP-ROCK ERA IS BACK. It reminds me of 5SOS, or 1D, or further back, some Paramore, Simple Plan or Blink-182 songs. Did you hear that laugh? It's very characteristic of this style. You guys did your homework very well, I love you. It's definitely going to be In My Head.
6- Half Time: 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
It has very interesting rhythms and unexpected changes. At least until the "UNO, DOS, TRES, CUATRO" part —mi gente latino—, it gives you the feeling that you don't know what's coming. It feels like waiting for something really big to come, but only something totally unexpected but pleasing comes along. It's fun in a weird way. It's totally my style too.
7- Phoenix: 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
I WAS THERE WHEN CHAN USED THE BEAT AT THE VLIVE! Omaigosh, this feels nostalgic, like seeing an old friend in the best part of his life. It's very structured and prototypical EDM, very 2012-2016 era. It's definitely the festival kind of song. It's strange that that track has lyrics hahaha I like it.
8- Ghost: 💙💙💙💙💙
This is one of those songs that gives you the impression of being happy and cute, but the lyrics are the opposite. It's like when you first hear "I Like It" and enjoy it, only to find out that it's a song about affective irresponsibility hahaha The beat and the vocal tones are too flirty for the lyrics.
9- 0801: 💙💙💙💙💙
In general I don't like songs that are for STAY, they make me cringe, but this one is fine —I'm not sure if Youtiful falls into that category, but it doesn't for me, so I'm not considering it in that group at the moment—. I think the video will make me like it a bit more. I like the way they say "here" haha
Conclusions: This album has many elements that take me back to my teenage years, and that's a nice feeling. Overall, it met my expectations, but didn't exceed them —there's still no album I like more than NOEASY, which I think is their best—. I like how they experimented with rhythms and, although I don't feel they took a lot of risks —mostly because they followed very prototypical patterns for those songs without "skz" flair—, I think they did so in a very satisfying way.
Final album score (for now): 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
If you made it this far, thanks for reading my review hahaha
You guys are sunshine for giving me a bit of your time.
Have a good day/afternoon/evening and STAY hydrated ❤️
P.S.: These guys recruit celebrities like they're pokemon (Tiger JK, Tablo, Ryan and Hugh, LiSA and now Faker).
