This is my review of SNSD's recently released sekunde Japanese album.
Disappointment was my first impression with this album, perhaps because I was so impressed with their first album. ujumla, jumla this new album sounds zaidi like their releases in Korea, very bubblegum/soft pop-oriented. I know people probably like this album zaidi as it's much less processed than the electronic/techno heavy first album. However I find it way too "poppy" and not mature enough for my taste.
maua, ua Power: a quite underwhelming open song (especially if wewe compared it with Mr. Taxi from the awali album). The song sounded bizzarre at first but it's quite catchy the zaidi I listen to it. 4/5
Animal: an okay song but nothing special. 2.5/5
I'm a Diamond: it sounds like a detective song, it starts out quite interesting but gets boring toward the end. 3/5
Reflection: I'm not sure what this song is about but the few English words are kind of dirty haha. It sounds mysterious and a bit dark, which is a good match with maua, ua Power. It however also gets boring toward the end. 3.5/5
Stay Girls: I'm sure middle school girls will like this song but I clearly don't. It sounds so cheesy and childish. I give it some credit for exposing the girls' voice though. 3/5
T.O.P: Sounds like The Boys, probably a bit better. The melody is quite nice but I have to say I hate the adlibs (I suppose sung kwa Sooyoung/Tiffany/Yuri) 3/5
Boomerang: This song has a retro, contemporary feeling, which I really enjoy. The badly mixed autotune bridge kills the song though. 3.5/5
Oh!: I'm gonna skip this one :)
All My upendo Is For You: it sounds like a recycled ballad song, the chorus is pretty but the song ujumla, jumla is nothing special. 3.5/5
Paparazzi: very catchy lead single (not quite as catchy as Genie, Mr Taxi au Gee in the awali album though). I think the in-sync choreography in the video makes me like this song even more. 5/5
Girls & Peace: its very bubbly melody can be annoying but the ujumla, jumla song is quite catchy. It's probably easy to make a dance out of this song too so I think they will soon come out with a video for this title track. 4/5
Not Alone: an okay ballad, a bit too slow, sounds like a movie soundtrack 2.5/5
^ This above is just a track-on-track review but if wewe look at the album overall, it's quite a messy mixture of bila mpangilio songs. I don't see how Not Alone and Stay Girls, 2 very slow (teen-oriented) ballads can go in an album with mature sounding songs like maua, ua Power, I'm a Diamond au Reflection (with the last one apparently talking about sex). This is also how I prefer the awali album a lot more, even the only ballad Born to Be a Lady sounds very contemporary with some techno elements.
Girls' Generation II: Girls & Peace: 2.5/5
Disappointment was my first impression with this album, perhaps because I was so impressed with their first album. ujumla, jumla this new album sounds zaidi like their releases in Korea, very bubblegum/soft pop-oriented. I know people probably like this album zaidi as it's much less processed than the electronic/techno heavy first album. However I find it way too "poppy" and not mature enough for my taste.
maua, ua Power: a quite underwhelming open song (especially if wewe compared it with Mr. Taxi from the awali album). The song sounded bizzarre at first but it's quite catchy the zaidi I listen to it. 4/5
Animal: an okay song but nothing special. 2.5/5
I'm a Diamond: it sounds like a detective song, it starts out quite interesting but gets boring toward the end. 3/5
Reflection: I'm not sure what this song is about but the few English words are kind of dirty haha. It sounds mysterious and a bit dark, which is a good match with maua, ua Power. It however also gets boring toward the end. 3.5/5
Stay Girls: I'm sure middle school girls will like this song but I clearly don't. It sounds so cheesy and childish. I give it some credit for exposing the girls' voice though. 3/5
T.O.P: Sounds like The Boys, probably a bit better. The melody is quite nice but I have to say I hate the adlibs (I suppose sung kwa Sooyoung/Tiffany/Yuri) 3/5
Boomerang: This song has a retro, contemporary feeling, which I really enjoy. The badly mixed autotune bridge kills the song though. 3.5/5
Oh!: I'm gonna skip this one :)
All My upendo Is For You: it sounds like a recycled ballad song, the chorus is pretty but the song ujumla, jumla is nothing special. 3.5/5
Paparazzi: very catchy lead single (not quite as catchy as Genie, Mr Taxi au Gee in the awali album though). I think the in-sync choreography in the video makes me like this song even more. 5/5
Girls & Peace: its very bubbly melody can be annoying but the ujumla, jumla song is quite catchy. It's probably easy to make a dance out of this song too so I think they will soon come out with a video for this title track. 4/5
Not Alone: an okay ballad, a bit too slow, sounds like a movie soundtrack 2.5/5
^ This above is just a track-on-track review but if wewe look at the album overall, it's quite a messy mixture of bila mpangilio songs. I don't see how Not Alone and Stay Girls, 2 very slow (teen-oriented) ballads can go in an album with mature sounding songs like maua, ua Power, I'm a Diamond au Reflection (with the last one apparently talking about sex). This is also how I prefer the awali album a lot more, even the only ballad Born to Be a Lady sounds very contemporary with some techno elements.
Girls' Generation II: Girls & Peace: 2.5/5