1. Keeping a Straight Face 2. Hands Up 3. When I Grow Up 4. OMG 5. Rock
Pledis' boy band Seventeen is back with their new album 'Boys Be.' The 13-member group, split into three different subunits highlighting the members' talents, have been delighting fans since their debut. Now they're back with five new tracks for your listening pleasure.
The first tune, "Keeping a Straight Face," is by Seventeen's hip-hop unit, leader S.Coups, Mingyu, Vernon, and Wonwoo. The song juxtaposes raps with a sung chorus, but it's no smooth croon (the usual trope), as it has some edge to it. It makes the song better, IMHO. The rappers are explaining how Seventeen is no poser group while at the same time scamming off a girl. The song had a pretty sarcastic tone to it which made for an amusing listen.
"Hands Up" is the title track, written and composed by member Woozi. It starts out seriously upbeat and I love that the raps come early. It is a party song through and through, pure dance pop and pure fun. Harmonies combine with hip-hop elements to make this a kickin' track. The lyrics are clever at times, referencing the movie 'Chulsoo and Younghee,' for example. It's basically an ode to a girl.
"When I Grow Up," by Jeonghan, Joshua, Woozi, DK and Seungkwan (the vocal unit), is a ballad. It sounds a bit lonely and mournful starting out, but the boys' vocals warm it up quickly. Never let it be said they can't sing. The vocals are a bit sad, talking about having to grow up and hoping the girl will wait for him. They almost seem to be looking back in regret.
The next song, "OMG," is my pick out of all the tracks (but that's just my own bias). An EDM/trap monster, it is the contribution of the performance unit: Jun, Hoshi, The8, and Dino. Sampled autotuned vocals, staccato sections, sick raps, awesome bass lines, and a synth that alternates between doppler beats and piping help make this track really pop.
Coming in with an undulating synth, "Rock" is a sweet, crunchy pop song. It's definitely upbeat, and each boy plays his part perfectly. Their vocal talents really come through in this track. Vernon's really on point with his raps here, and combined with the bridge makes a really good hook. Another song written about a girl, she's being asked to "rock my head."
In my humble opinion, this album is even better than their debut EP, '17 Carat.' It's really catchy, and my only quibble is that it is also really short. But at least we get another collection of top-notch tracks by each team, and are treated to another tune from Woozi. So, even if you're back in school, this should help keep your hands up and spirits soaring while you're plugging away at homework. 'Boys Be' making some good music.
MV REVIEW
Catch the boys of Seventeen engaging in high school hijinks in "Hands Up!"
Largely played for laughs, the boys do all sorts of things trying to impress a girl. The same actress appears in every sequence, as Vernon gets slapped, and another boy trying to get her attention (by grabbing her leg) gets kicked, etc. It's actually pretty amusing overall, and they seem to finally win her over at the end.
No idols were harmed (we hope) in the making of this MV
The costumes are school uniforms, and the band members are in these for the bulk of the video. There are some parts where they are wearing the crazy fashions that k-pop is famous for, with dayglo colors and patterns that drive one to drink. Still, they look pretty dashing in blazers and ties.
The dancing is really well done. It probably should come as no surprise, but I was still blown away by some of the moves. There's a scene where a row of them leaps over the row in front! The footwork was pretty sweet, too.
It's good to see more MV makers putting a plot in their MVs, and this was fun to watch. It reminds me a lot of the old school videos, where the band was naturally hot, and they were also able to act out whatever skit the writers cared to stick in there. All of the expressions were well done, and the coy smile the girl sports near the end was a nice tough. A funny video, and I think the dance sequences make it worth watching more than once. Nice job.
