Kpop Reviews nr2
B.A.P - COFFEE SHOP
Another fervorous time for kpop fans comes to an end with B.A.P's. Coffee Shop.
After announcing not one but three songs to be released, the kpop world had its eyes on B.A.P with much deserved curiosity and anticipation. And it is here!
The first of the three songs B.A.P prepared for its fans (and anyone who wishes to listen to them) is Coffee Shop.
The teaser, 51 seconds long, showed random images of B.A.P in cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C., being totally relaxed and/or wondering around at a mellow pace. The music is only instrumental; a smooth jazzy-bluesy tone,which I considered quite innovative since most teasers show the highlight of a song in order to capture the viewer/listener's interest.
Moving on to the full MV; I was more than pleasantly surprised by this song. It wasn't what B.A.P had got me used to but at the same time I thought it fitted them perfectly. This to show how versatile they are.
MUSIC
The very talented Song Young Joo delivers an impressive jazz-blues backing piano line that builds and leads the song, becoming the backbone that holds it all together. While being the key-note of the song, Song Young Joo's piano does not overwhelm but mildly surrounds like a delicate bubble of soap in which the voices, the percussion and all the other instruments blend marvelously together.
The singing is (yet again) mellow; on low(er) keys making it easier for the listener's ear. All of the members, except Bang Yong Guk, sing in this song,and might I add, are doing a wonderful job.
Yong Guk's rap part is soft and calm integrating itself perfectly in the song, showing that he can be a versatile rapper.
Dae Hyun's strong voice also surprises with his soft tone and mild, almost whispered pronunciation, giving us a relaxed dreamy melodic line.
Young Jae's voice delivers the most nostalgia in this song, followed closely by Him Chan's soft husky voice (a killer effect if you ask me). Going a bit into musical voice terms, their timbres are surprisingly fit for such a song (they should sing more in this genre). Also, their phrasing, tonality and interpretation are very good, making them a strong focal point of this song.
The only reproach I have here is that I wish Him Chan should've had more parts to sing. Knowing B.A.P and having heard Him Chan before I, once again, stand tall to my conviction that he should get more singing parts. He has a wonderful voice that, I suspect, is capable of transmitting more emotion (whatever that emotion may be) than what he is allowed to show. He has proven, not once, that he can rise up to the challenge.
Jong Up's singing is very good and his pronunciation really accurate. His lighter, higher tone makes his voice seem all the more softer in this song and coupled with Him Chan and Young Jae is creating a pleasant melange that does not let the listener get bored even in the slightest.
What really surprised me were Zelo's parts. I did not expect him to sing. Knowing that he is a rapper, his singing took me by surprise and it was quite a pleasant one at that. His child-like singing voice combined with the rapping parts was done marvelously. The dynamic always shifting between singing and rapping is not easy for a voice, the singer having to re-adapt his technique every time he/she changes from one to the other. I must say, Zelo amazes me once again with his capabilities and talents, even more when I realize he is only 17 (18 in Korean age).
DANCE
Since there is no dancing, I shall not waste any more time here and move to the next part.
IMAGE, FASHION, STYLE
Well, here is a part worth chatting about.
B.A.P's fashion here pleased me beyond expectations. I was really excited with how they all looked.
A laid-back image, simple, manly, an image that would put emphasis on them as individuals and not an image set to shock and divert the eyes away from the singers.
The image they went for was a normal man's one, a down to earth kind of guy with no fuss, an honest manly image.
Fashion wise, the colors chosen for their clothes were white, black, grey, blue and earthy tones. Simple colors proving once again that sometimes simple is better.
The only hints of korean fashion was Yong Guk's attire in the sequence in the square leaning against a black upright piano, Jong Up's black and white striped skinny pants and Young Jae's brimmed black and red hats.
Other than that, the fashion was very well chosen for this song, not taking the focus away from the song, but complimenting it, completing it, adding to the feeling and the story of the song. Very well chosen clothes, even Young Jae's brimmed hats (quirky but cute).
The style B.A.P showed in this MV is a more mature style, also concentrating on each of the members with their individuality. It seemed to me that each member was left to choose what they wanted to wear, thus putting an emphasis on their individual personalities rather than their personality as a group (I'm sure they weren't left alone though). Yet, the colors chosen brought them together giving the viewer the feeling of a group, of a whole. There weren't any dissonances between the members' styles yet each had their own distinctive mark, their own say.
The style chosen in this MV made B.A.P more humane, more reachable, simpler. They did not appear as the rising stars they are but as simple men that one could meet on the street.
LYRICS
The story told in this song is about a guy reminiscing a past relationship while coping with day to day life.A rather simple story with no twists and turns. A man and a woman broke up. What turns it up is the way this simple story is told. We don't know whether it's a letter to the girl or simply his thoughts about what he would say to her. He's imagining how a conversation with her would go as he would tell her he is ok, his life is good and he is moving on (he can eat greasy pasta now...?) and ask her how her life is and if she still doesn't like pickles(these are really nice details that bring the listener closer to the song, giving the impression of being in on something very personal and intimate making the song even more likable).
What he can't understand is, how, even though even he moves on as time goes by, he still can't forget her and is still caught in the same habits that he had when they were still together.
From the familiar buildings to the coffee shop they used to go and the smell of caramel coming from her body, he is nostalgically remembering their relationship.
Even though he is able to laugh now with his friends and even though he dreams of her, he no longer feels his heart rushing at the thought of her. He mearly notices that the hardest part of ending something is the habit that comes with it. The habit of going into the coffee shop or the habit of thinking of her when smelling caramel are reminiscing habits of their relationship. But all these will also fade with time.
ENGLISH - the English used in this song is almost unnoticeable. The few words used (Monday, Tuesday, everyday, spring, summer, fall and winter, coffee shop) are well pronounced and well, logically inserted and used withing the phrasing of the full lyrics giving the song continuity and ease of understanding (non korean speakers still need translations. A huge THANK YOU! to all the translators out there that took the time to translate there lyrics). I give them a 5 out of 5 for their use of English in this song.
MUSIC VIDEO
This music video is, for me, one of the most appropriate and well connected to the music and lyrics kpop video I've seen.
From the showing of the boys walking around the city, the staying in one place while all the other people are moving around to the, finally, meeting at the coffee shop, it all makes sense to me.
I'd go even as far as considering the part where they sing in that big empty hall a metaphor for the interiorized and nostalgic feelings that are shown in the lyrics and letting it slide instead of adding a huge question mark to it and wondering what is it doing there in the middle of the song with no connection to it.
The yellow-brown and blue filters used for the different scenes create an intimate feeling, delivering the nostalgia to the viewer on a silver plate. Very well chosen, elegantly and distinguished.
I loved the simplicity of this video. As I said before, simple is sometimes better. It doesn't need more than what it is.
The music video is directed by Hong Won Ki of Zanybros and I must say he did an amazingly wonderful job. I am still at awe because of this video. I didn't expect to like it so much but, the more I look at it (at first for reviewing issues, but now...) the more I like it and I discover even more details that make this an amazing video.
The simple attitudes of the boys, the non smiling (until the end when they all meet at the coffee shop) faces and the dazed looks they display make this a wonderfully crafted video that excels in every and any part. The attention put into all these details, from the wide shots of the city, the walking around the streets, the clothes to their gazing views and mellow body postures makes it a strong video and shows how professionalism really works. B.A.P delivers really good acting skills (yeah, some would ask what acting skills when all they do is walk around or sit and look sad...while I say they do have to express some emotions of nostalgia mixed with a little surprise of how hard it is to get rid of habits <- mentioned this before, I know) and bring it all together.
All in all, COFFEE SHOP is a great song with an awesomely wonderful video and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone!
It's a MUST SEE!
Thank you for reading!
