Review – Shoujo Jidai/Girls’ Generation’s first Japanese album!

Hello! I’ve been pretty unwell recently but I really wanted to do this review. So much has happened in my fandoms over the past couple of weeks but I can’t bring myself to write any coherent commentary on the subjects – maybe I’m doomed for reviewing for the rest of eternity? Oh well, I don’t mind! Tonight I’m going to review a very anticipated album, Girls’ Generation’s first full-length Japanese endeavour. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while – mostly for the new songs, as the Japanese versions of their Korean material got old pretty quickly (because I’d played them to death in Korean!). Needless to say I was anything but unimpressed ♥

First off, just look at that cover. It’s so beautiful… it reminds me of a VOGUE or an ELLE shoot they did way back when but I have no idea which one.  They all look so delicate and angelic… the music combats but at the same time compliments this type of image; singing about risqué subjects but still retaining that celestial aesthetic quality. And that is basically a long winded way of saying: these girls are good at what they do. I’m still waiting for my copy to arrive (Limited, not the Deluxe!) but I couldn’t resit listening beforehand. I’m so happy I bought it. To all those that bought the deluxe: I’m insanely jealous and I hope that your little bag produces you many coins of happiness. Or just sits on your shelf proudly, either way I’m coming for it with my grabby hands.

This is going to be  a pretty standard track-by-track thing (you know I’m a lady of tradition), so enjoy!

01. MR.TAXI –  Their first original Japanese song. I’ll be honest – I wasn’t too fond of this until the PV was released. Which I then watched maybe, four times in a row. But it’s a grower and definitely a great opener. The style of music follows this suit as well as the lyrical arrangement: Japanese with splashes of English here and there. Speaking of lyrics, these are kinda cute. My copy is one step away from FLAC and the gritty electronic synth sounds SO GOOD. This gets a solid 9/10 from me. I actually like it much more in the context of an album, but it’s still good as a standalone track.

02. GENIE (Japanese ver.) – Ah, we all know this one. Funnily enough I think I made a post about this when it was first released – I actually couldn’t listen to it more if I tried. I think the Japanese sounds so fluid with the music in the chorus, especially the pronunciation of the vowels. They create this almost relaxing, rolling sound that I think flows so damn good. Now take this with the PV (which is adorable) and you have a perfect single! In an album? It’s equally as good. An early reminder as to why people purchased the album in the first place – there’s a lot of material in the album to match Genie in terms of melody and lyrics. 10/10 for my favourite SoShi single. (or ShoJi?)

03. you-aholic – I loved this from the first time I heard it. Musically, similar to MR.TAXI but there’s something so… daringly Korean about it that transcends into the Japanese lyrics SO WELL. I can’t place it – maybe it’s the “psycho, sexy, super, magics” and Yoona and Hyoyeon’s delivery but it’s so playful and saccharine in all the right ways. Catchy as hell to boot. There must be some kind of genius following this from GENIE, where GENIE has a melancholica about it this brings the tone back to a club-type atmosphere while still retaining the angelic cover image. “You’re the gin inside my tonic…” 9.5/10

04. Run Devil Run (Japanese ver.) – I’ve heard a lot of people say they prefer the Japanese version to the Korean, but I differ. The Korean sounds punchier – or maybe I’m just somewhat neutralised to Japanese now. Either way I still think it’s a faultless track. I always visualise the MV when I hear it: it’s so slick, monochrome, JESSICA’S HAIR, that little running dance… a lot of what worked in this track for me was the “image” of it, but there’s something addictive in the “You better run, run, run, run, run…“. And the vocals after the chorus sound hypnotic.  9/10

05. BAD GIRL – “Kanpeki na BAD GIRL!” Flawless bad girls, indeed. Again while musically similar to MR.TAXI and you-aholic (this comparison will sound old but it never, ever gets tired), the Japanese in this is much more pronounced. A lot of vocal overlapping in the bridge before the chorus. The amalgamation of voices – some deep, some higher pitched – adds an amazing togetherness to the song. Some would describe it as “fierce” (trying to avoid that word in this review) but it IS fierce, in the true SoShi coy, flirtatious style. I love the sprinkling of English, their accents make it much more recognisable. 9/10

06. Beautiful Stranger – This starts off so moody and determined, but as soon as it hits the chorus there’s that amazing sense of yearning dripping from each line. Something about the music gives off this beautiful “falling rain” effect (funny, since there’s a song called Let It Rain later on). The lyrics once again are mainly focused in English (“Are you a good one? Are you a bad one?”) but there’s still the feeling of it being a very “Japanese” pop album. The consistency of the material is akin to a Namie Amuro or Kumi Koda album (more Kingdom era for the latter…) but this song is so nice after BAD GIRL. However, here comes my first and probably only complaint with the whole album: it’s too short! I could easily listen to this twice in a row and not even notice. It clocks in at 2:43, when it could quite easily be 4:43 and I’d still enjoy every second. Probably my favourite of the new tracks. 10/10

07. I’m In Love With The HERO – This has quite an interesting arrangement, but it’s set up in a way that almost feels like it should be an interlude rather than a full song. Another short one (2:49), and the timing of both Beautiful Stranger and this set them apart in the album; like they should be grouped together. Enthusiastic title aside, it took my third listen to fully appreciate this. It’s different, some could say quirky but it’s definitely got Girls’ Generation woven throughout it. This wouldn’t be out of place on their 2nd Korean album. I think if there was more of the pseudo-instrumental that starts around 1:55 it would feel like a fuller song, but I still love it regardless. This gets my lowest score, however by no means demeaning at 8.5/10

08. Let It Rain – This has quite a dramatic opening, but it softens when the singing begins. From what I gather around forums and such, this is one of the favourites. I can see why, it’s a strong song that would fare well as a single and the lyrics are probably the most emotional so far. But what I love here is the harmonising alongside the music. It’s like their voices dilute the throb of the synth, despite the dominating melody. I also want to point out here that I think the production on this album is excellent, probably their best yet. A significant break from the silky, charming pop beforehand this adds impeccable flow. 9.5/10 to the all important SoShi “anthem” – but more of an “anthem” in the uplifting, powerful Into The New World vein.

09. GEE (Japanese ver.) – This was the second Japanese single they released, and the third Korean cover so far on the album. Having this straight after Let It Rain emphasises the  cute and carefree nature of the song, which could be otherwise lost on an album full of songs in a similar style. To not include this would be blasphemy almost; it’s the a defining song in both SoShi’s back catalogue and Korean pop. The snappy, short Japanese also works well in terms of the lyrics in my opinion. There’s not much to say about GEE that hasn’t been said before, so I’ll tag it with a 9/10 for history’s sakes.

10. THE GREAT ESCAPE – With a title like THE GREAT ESCAPE, I had no idea what I thought this was going to sound like. I got a very, very Namie Amuro PAST < FUTURE era vibe from the opening lines. And with this we’re back to the style of the other album songs, but as I stated before I wouldn’t change it at all. The cool, smooth-yet-provocative electronic vogue suits them so well; and corresponds with the image they’re trying to portray with the album. I can’t say much for hard-hitting, genre-defying lyrics but there’s enough to carry the music and vocal delivery without having to rely on a lyrical focus. I actually enjoy this the more I listen to it, so for replayability (?!) I’m giving it a 9/10.

11. HOOT (Japanese ver.) – This song feels like it was thrown in purely because it could, but it would be odd to include all of their “best-selling” Korean hits and neglect this one. Already I’m going to give it an 8.5/10 as the lyrics don’t actually do much for me in Japanese but they don’t in Korean either. I liked this song because of the fun concept and music. Oh, who am I kidding. I liked it for the arrow move, sue me. It was nice to hear this song again, and a pleasant addition for the Japanese fans.

12. BORN TO BE A LADY – Starts off similar to Let It Rain, but takes a much gentler turn. I guess this could be crowned as the faux-ballad instead. I’m a complete sucker for these types of SoShi voices, and when I can understand them it’s even better. This song has a rather Western feel to it, but it works well. It’s such a refreshing finish to the album. Sone’s will be familiar with this style – however again rather than reinforce the typical Korean ballad it takes a modern, slightly more synth-y turn which encapsulates the precious lyrics. And Jessica’s luscious “lady” at the end makes you want to repeat the whole album again – which is always a plus. 9/10

in conclusion…

Reading this might seem like the most biased review in the world, but I can assure you it isn’t. I listened to it with a lot of my favourite Japanese (not Korean) pop albums in mind, and this is definitely up there. It’s concise but consistent, catchy but cogent in it’s message. The lyrics and compositions are fun (as well as unexpected), and it’s not trying to be anything it isn’t. As absurd as this sounds, the music corresponds well with the concept of the cover and girls. It’s feminine, sophisticated and sublime pop music. With basically only MR.TAXI to ride on in terms of original songs, I’m proud of the girls. Treating the songs separately, some stand out more than others but when listened to in succession it makes for a faultless album. This will be difficult to follow up, but I’m certain they can do it.

I give this album a…. 9.5/10, the only discrepancy being Beautiful Stranger and I’m In Love With The HERO too short!

Thank you for reading. ♥