빅뱅 미니앨범 4집 BIG BANG MINI ALBUM #4

It's a great time to be a Big Bang fan. Luckily, over the past several months, I've become one.
And now Big Bang is back with a mini album after two years apart working on solo projects. So maybe I should rephrase that. It's a good time to be a new Big Bang fan, because you get all of the excitement and breathless anticipation without the 2 year long wait.

I was all over TOP and GD's double combo album they put out in December, but I feel like I came to that right as it was being released, I don't remember counting the days until it came out. So this was really my first experience waiting with a big Kpop release.

And let me say, they really know how to do it. For the past week, every day there's been a video teaser released each morning, and a batch of promo pics released each evening, heightening our excitement until we didn't think we could stand it anymore.

And now, the moment has arrived. The mini-album is out.

THANK YOU AND YOU (INTRO)

I have to admit, I don't think this is the best intro they've ever done. Maybe because I feel like we heard most of it with the teaser. Maybe because as an english speaker, I still think 'I'm fine thank you, and you?' is a silly thing to sing once let alone many times. Also, there's too much auto-tune. That said, I LOVE the actually singing,and also the spoken English bits other than the title line. Okay, actually, I think I love every part of it except that part. Hahah. (Only it took me way too long to figure out that they were spelling 'BIG BANG IS THE BEST'. That's what they're spelling, right?)

HANDS UP

This is not a new track, it's a Korean version of the B-side from their last Japanese single, but since I haven't heard that, it's new to me. Even if I had heard it, I think I would have been psyched, because I'm really loving it. It caught me with G-dragon's opening shout of had me dancing in my seat from the first few beats, HEY! HO! HEY! HO! The vocals are that kind of bitter-sweet melody that I love so much. The chorus is so catchy! Hands up high, high and low! GD is a little too autotuned, I'm okay with it because he plays with auto-tune on his solo stuff a bit too. I can't tell Taeyang, Daesung and Baby Seungri apart yet. (I know, I'm a bad fan!) but I love their vocals in this.That deep growl of T.O.P! that prefixes TOP's raps will never fail to get me excited! (Even if he sounds weirdly like Lil'Wayne in this song? Enough with the auto-tune!)Love the Baby just 1 2 3 Gooooooo. (I think that's Taeyang). Love the end of 'Now put your hands up!', the way G-dragon and TOP's voices melt together as they shout. I just love everything about it. (Except the electric drumming/key change at 3:03, it hurts my ears - but then they get back to HEY, HO-ing, so it's all good).

TONIGHT

The title track, which they'll be promoting. I already love it and I've only heard the first 15 seconds. The mellow sound, the clapping that sounds almost like rain until the cheers kick in, the way the juxtaposition somehow combines to get you really pumped up, even before G-dragon comes in to declare "It's such a beautiful night." It segues into GD's rap and TOP's rap (and how sexy does he sound on this song?) and it's really their song - until Taeyang starts up and makes me think it's his. It segues from the pumping, dancebeat into the soulful ending, only to explode again at the end.It finally mellows out until it ends with TOP declaring in his deepest most chocolatey tones, "It's a beautiful night. Good night."

SOMEBODY TO LOVE

The second song that's a Korean version of a Japanese b-side, which had fans accusing BB's label, YG, of trolling, after what was originally called a full album became a mini-album became 4 new songs and 2 Korean remakes of Japanese songs. Unlike 'hands up', I'm familiar with 'Somebody to love', because it's the b-side on my favorite of BB's Japanese singles. But I also love it, so I don't care if it's not new. TOP's rap is different, but he sounds SO hot and we get Two raps from him! My fav part is still GD's 'When I say somebody, you say to love!" Overall, I'm happy with the Korean version, and I think it really fits with the rest of the songs on here.

WHAT IS RIGHT

Immediately, this song songs totally different than any of the others. It's another song that really showcases GD (and also TOP). It's very clear, especially the singing vocals of Taeyang, Seungri and Daesung.

CAFE

I've got expectations for this track, since it seems to be everyone fav. It starts out with a crackling static like an old record, and actual piano. The comes TOP's crackling deep voice, "I remember when you walked through that door, sat down in that chair, all the times we've shared..." The chorus is mostly falsetto, I'm going to assume that's GD, since his falsetto is legendary. Then we've got more of TOP's rapping. Then amazingly high falsetto. Is that GD? Damn.
Ah, here comes (maybe) Taeyang with some nice strong soulful vocals. And TOP 'Oh my god!'. And some kind of horns. Wow. So smooth and sultry.