AOA – ‘Heart Attack’ Album Review

AOA suddenly popped up on everyone’s radar in 2014 with several hit songs in a row. Needless to say, their comeback mini-album Heart Attack had many fans dying to give it a try. But they also set a high bar for themselves, and I wondered if they would be able to continue their winning streak. Overall, Heart Attack met my expectations in maintaining AOA’s music flavor while showing signs of wanting to try new things, though some attempts worked out better than others.

Track 1 – 심쿵해 (Heart Attack)

Pounding beats, zippy synths, and even stadium cheering noises join hands to make this super boisterous EDM dance track. Heart Attack is an interesting exploration for AOA as it’s much more upbeat and hard-hitting compared to their usual style. It’s got a lot going on in the background — likely intentionally so to jolt awake the listeners’ hearts ears. But luckily, it leverages a simple and catchy melody to balance out the intensity. True to its title, Heart Attack is not meant for the weak hearted.

Track 2 – Luv Me

Luv Me is yet another bumpin’ danceable song but with a sugary retro disco beat instead. The girls’ vocals also match the feeling of the song well with a more cutesy and playful tone, making this bubblegum pop number even more fun and addictive to listen to.

Track 3 – 들어와 (Come to Me)

The piano chord beat in the background and groovy musical progression of Come to Me is remarkably similar to Sistar‘s Alone. Compared to a mature woman’s sultriness and sexiness in Alone, Come to Me is like a younger woman’s version of it — more upbeat with a brighter tone. Overall it’s a nice sounding track, but I feel compelled to deduct some points for lack of creativity.

Track 4 – 한 개 (One Thing)

One Thing is a pop rock ballad that alternates between soft verses backed by acoustic guitar or piano and energetic chorus complete with weighty drums and electric guitar. It’s a pleasant tune to listen to and is closer to their labelmates CNBLUE and F.T. Island‘s rock band music style. But unlike the boys, AOA’s vocals feel thin and lack the power to complement the thumping music. Perhaps that’s why they haven’t been promoting much as a band even though that’s part of their debut concept.

Track 5 – 진짜 (Really Really)

Really Really is an interestingly evocative mid-tempo pop ballad song that seems a bit odd at first. The composition is quite unique and doesn’t follow the standard music progress you’d expected. The arrangement is even quirkier with peculiar and mysterious sounding synths. This strange mix of sounds somehow work well together to evoke my curiosity and keep me want to listen on.

Track 6 – Chocolate

This is a full on seductive and sultry track infused with hint of jazz and R&B. The girls’ vocals are extremely smooth and sweet just like chocolate, which is nice at first but quickly becomes too much for me. I want to applaud AOA for trying something so different compared to the album, but unfortunately the narrow vocal range of Chocolate makes it sound boring over time.

What Do You Think?

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