It is a blessed day, because MAMAMOO has just released their new album ‘reality in BLACK’. I have been looking forward to this release like crazy. So of course I’m writing a review about it.
I’ll take any excuse to gush over these rockin’, talented ladies. We might have something special cooked up that’ll be released on Saturday, so stay tuned for that.
‘reality in BLACK’
The album starts off with their song ‘Destiny’. They performed that song on the show ‘Queendom’ and that gave them their win! I was so happy for them. I love how it feels like a blend of all of their different eras. Like the twangy guitar reminds me a little bit of ‘Egotistic’, Solar’s vocals remind me of ‘Starry Night’.
The second track is ‘Universe’. A very catchy bop produced by Cosmic Boy. Honestly I can’t wait to find an English translation for this song.
‘Ten Nights’ is up next. It’s a straight up ballad. They’re putting their beautiful vocals on full display, and even Moonbyul gets a chance to shine. There’s no rap in this song, but Moonbyul’s belting makes everything alright in the world.
‘HIP’ is the title track of ‘reality in BLACK’.
They have a stunning music video with ALL of the looks. Total goals as usual. The stylist needs a raise!
The track is a huge middle finger to the haters. I can’t tell you how much I love ‘HIP’. The funky pre-chorus, the rap, the sass, the vocals. It’s a huge yes from me.
‘4x4ever’ should have totally been the fourth song, but for some reason they made it the fifth. This is such a hype song. Moonbyul rapping in her deep voice had me shook. There’s some really interesting stuff happening in the background, it helps make the sound broader. This is totally one of my favorite tracks of the album.
Next up is ‘Better’. It’s a happy break-up song. It feels light and floaty and just happy in general. I needed this in my life. Because not every break-up is going to leave you in parts, sometimes you’re really just better off without that person. ‘Better’ and ‘Ten Nights’ are two different sides of the same coin. Happy and sad break-up songs. I’m loving the balance here.
Now prepare for tear lane, because ‘Hello Mama’ is the seventh track. The soft strings, the soft vocals and the jazzy feel makes for a guaranteed tearjerker.
The next song should cheer you right back up though. ‘ZzZz’ is a happy, funky pop song. With the lyrics ‘I just need some fun’, I can guarantee this is going straight to my happy K-pop playlist. This is the equivalent of a car ride next to the ocean on a sunny, lazy Sunday with some friends. There’s this one moment at the end of the bridge where I think Moonbyul is blowing a raspberry. It’s beyond adorable.
‘rEALITY’ is a soft b-side. I totally dig the intro and the little guitar plays spread throughout the track. Hwa Sa’s ‘I’m fine’ has me a little wrecked to be honest.
‘High Tension’ starts with a really really cool intro that reminds me a lot of the lo-fi Hip Hop songs I was listening to. It’s a laid back song with a lot of old school vibes. There’s the nineties DJ scratching that just makes it very fun.
The last song of the album was written and composed by Solar. ‘I’m Your Fan’ is the perfect, happy feel-good song to end this album with. The high-pitched ‘I’m your fan’ caught me off guard, but I started laughing out loud. I love it.
What a gorgeous album! It didn’t disappoint at all. There’s something for every mood and as with every MAMAMOO album, there are no bad songs.
Don’t mind me, I’ll be streaming this for a while.
