Korean Hip Hop/K-Pop group B.A.P made their explosive comeback into the K-Pop scene with their first full length album First Sensibility in early February this year. It features a track list of 13 songs in which the leader Bang Yongguk helped with composition so that it would be more suited for B.A.P’s style.
B.A.P experiments with a variety of genres that they haven’t had the chance to explore before in previous releases. They have strayed away from their original image of loud and powerful songs during debut to a more matured sound with their current title track “1004”. This transition has worked in their favor as it is considered a more public friendly song and has already won them multiple awards.
The intro track “B.A.P” sounds like the old B.A.P with its loud sound, confident lyrics and the announcing of B.A.P’s return. The lyrics are easy to belt out and the song pumps you up before transitioning into the much softer “1004”.
“1004” is the title track of the album and is easily one of the best songs on the album, a feat which not many K-Pop groups have achieved yet. It showcases a completely new side to B.A.P and it’s pulled off effortlessly. The slower sound is quite soothing and the lyrics convey the emotions of a heartbroken man. This song also features more Himchan and Jongup lines than we’re used to, and it shows just how drastically they have improved over the past few years.
This album features quite a few slower songs than we’re used to with B.A.P. “쉽죠”, “Shady Lady”, “Body & Soul” and “With You” are the token slow tracks in the album, these songs range from slow and sexy to sad and heartfelt. It’s always nice to hear the vocal line go all out with showing their talents. “Body & Soul” showcases their talents the most, with member Jongup belting out his notes which was a pleasant surprise. On the other hand, I find that “쉽죠” is the most forgettable song on the album, it feels slightly lacking and as though it’s missing something.
The more upbeat songs like “Spy”, “Check On”, “Lovesick”, “S.N.S” and “B.A.B.Y” dabble into other genres and have a unique B.A.P twist to them all. “Spy” and “Check On” are throwbacks to old school hip hop and still have that old B.A.P sound lingering amongst them whilst “Lovesick” and “B.A.B.Y” stick to the signature pop sound. “B.A.B.Y” is one of the unique songs on the album as it is dedicated to their fans and features audio of the fans in the background as an added touch. “S.N.S” is one of the sexier and more matured songs on the album; it features a loud bass and is a song you could easily hear in a club. I personally find the English lyrics slightly awkward but the song is still enjoyable nonetheless.
“Bang Bang” and “Save Me” are the songs which dive into new territory for B.A.P. “Bang Bang” is a hybrid of rock and metal, and it’s a song you can easily tell that B.A.P had a lot of fun with. I consider this song to be the climax of the album as the instrumentals feature heavily and it’s the perfect song to head bang along with. “Save Me” is quite the dramatic song as it relies on the instrumentals to help convey the emotion behind the song, it’s not quite as loud as “Bang Bang” but it gets the job done just as well.
B.A.P has surprised everyone this time around with their first album and has left us wondering what will come next for the group. The exploration of different genres in this album has given B.A.P an opportunity to experiment more effectively in the future. First Sensibility was made to showcase their more matured side as a group, not only in talent but as people. It’s not often that I can listen to a full album without growing bored of it but First Sensibility gives the variety that people desire and that is why I find it one of the best releases of 2014 so far.
Album Score: 8 out of 10
First Sensibility is available on iTunes store.
Review written by Amanda Brown
Source: Hello Asia
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