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Girls’ Generation returns this summer with their highly anticipated album Lion Heart. Many including me are curious to see if they’ll be able to make a bigger splash than Mr. Mr. did in 2014. As the album cover suggests, the girls bring a lot of retro elements and genre diversity this time around, as if determined to demonstrate their extensibility. From vintage pop-soul, to 90’s R&B, to 30’s Broadway music, there is truly a bit of everything. While I applaud them for trying things outside of their usual bubblegum pop comfort zone, Lion Heart ends up being a mixed bag as not every track turned out to be great new venture.
Track 1 – Lion Heart
As the title song of the album, I had high expectations of Lion Heart. I’m happy to find that it did not disappoint. The swingy melody has a hint of 60’s retro vibe to it and is surprisingly catchy. The girls’ sweet voices complement the music perfectly, wittily expressing that they’re going to tame the playboys who have been toying with their hearts.
Track 2 – You Think
This is a vintage pop-soul number most commonly performed by the subgroup TaeTiSeo as it requires quite a bit of vocal talent to pull off. Sure enough, You Think is filled with amazing beltings from those three, adding more layers of richness to the song’s unpredictable groove. You Think would have been near perfect for me if only the girls didn’t rap — it’s really not Girls’ Generation’s forte.
Track 3 – Party
As a previously released single, Party is specifically crafted to be a fresh, happy, summer pool party song. True to its name, the track is fun and primarily electro pop based. It’s even got a bit of auto-tune mixed in to amp up the party nature. The chorus is just a tad borderline repetitive for my taste but only time will tell how long I’d be able to listen to it.
Track 4 – 어떤 오후 (One Afternoon)
One Afternoon embraces relaxing and mellow bossa nova tunes while delivering a fantastic piano instrumental break in the middle. The melody is quite soothing, like something you’d listen to at a lounge bar while sipping on a glass of wine. While it doesn’t immediately peak my interest, I do think One Afternoon has potential of growing on me over time.
Track 5 – Show Girls
If Lion Heart is retro done right, then Show Girls is definitely retro gone wrong. It flip flops between a 1930’s sexy, smoky Broadway vibe and a fast-paced modern beat that completely disrupts the initial aura. I have no better way of describing it other than that it’s a hot mess of tempo and music styles that don’t jive well.
Track 6 – Fire Alarm
Here is a rhythmic, futuristic sounding electro dance tune that reminds me of something you’d find on a SHINee album. Pulsing bass line joins hands with video-game-like synthetic beats to give Fire Alarm quite a bit of intensity and edge. Overall this is one of the more memorable songs of the album.
Track 7 – Talk Talk
Talk Talk belongs to the 90’s R&B genre with piano as the leading instrument — something that I typically gravitate towards. However, it’s on the slower side and the girls sang more gently in this track. In my opinion the chorus of the track is a bit plain and not as good as the verse or the bridge. Talk Talk had potential to be better if there was more of a build up to the chorus.
Track 8 – Green Light
Green Light is another bumpin’ dance tune infused with the Girls’ Generation signature bubblegum pop touch. What I like the most about it is the unexpected change of tempo and rhythm several times during the song, so that the simple melody feels more dynamic and less boring.
Track 9 – Paradise
Unfortunately Paradise falls short of the bliss that the title promises. Despite the high dosage of sugary vocals to paint a beautiful Neverland, Paradise is simply too banal with no noticeable highlights or interesting twists. This mid-tempo dance number sounds rather generic to me and is easily forgettable.
Track 10 – Check
Here we have another 90’s hip hop influenced pop song. To my disappointment, the background synth seems to overpower and contradict the girls’ voices at times and feels out of place. Though I’m a fan of music from that decade and really wanted to like Check, sadly, its melody progression is particularly flat and uninteresting.
Track 11 – Sign
Sign is the Girls’ Generation version of synthpop similar to their labelmates f(x) or Red Velvet. But it’s a measly attempt at best. The entire track from verse to chorus is incredibly monotonous as if composed with a single note, and hardly showcases the girls’ voice talents at all.
Track 12 – 예감 (Bump It)
Bump It starts out with a silky R&B opening then quickly transitions to a kickin’ clapping beat backed pop song. It then goes back to a classic R&B riff with powerful diva vocals to top it off. Honestly, I like both flavors of the song, but it feels a bit inconsistent with them combined together. I think Bump It could have been even stronger without the forced genre crossing.
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