![]() With tracks packaged tightly around a renewed identity (“Mago,” “GRWM”) and an empowered self (“Better Me,” “Wheel of the Year”), the album stands out for its thematic cohesion-and with a theme particularly resonant in a year when isolation has perhaps created more space for personal reflection. In one year, the nearly six-year-old group released three albums of varied lengths for the series “回”-a Sino-Korean word meaning to “turn around” or to “return.” But instead of going backward, the six members forge a new path forward with the magical and mystical Walpurgis Night. The pandemic certainly did not halt GFRIEND’s musical progress. But Super One’s high point is the energetic, springy “Wish You Were Here,” whose catchy refrain that begins with “Ba-ba, ba-ra”echoes in the memory long after the album’s final notes have played. The range of songs provide accompaniment to every activity one might do in isolation: the hard-hitting title track, “One (Monster & Infinity),” and pre-release single (“100”) can heat up a solo dance party the ballad (“Better Days”) about this “world full of uncertainty” can inspire a cathartic quarantine cry. While SuperM’s first track “Jopping” raised questions about the group’s sonic direction as the song was arguably more embraced for its contribution to memes (“jopping,” a portmanteau of “jumping” and “popping,” is now a part of K-pop vernacular) than to music, Super One proves that this group of artists is here to leave a musical legacy. In 2019, supergroup SuperM debuted to much pomp and circumstance-the act brought together seven of SM Entertainment’s star idols from the groups SHINee, EXO, NCT 127 and WayV. What’s captivating about Twice is that even as they sing about inner turmoil, the words are expressed through sweet-toned voices and upbeat tunes-giving the listener a reassuring, revitalizing hug. ![]() The songs are less about love than they are about feeling torn between the angel and the devil perched on one’s shoulders. The concept begins in “I Can’t Stop Me” as the chorus says, “I’m surrounded by that spot, spot spotlight/ As it shines on me, I’m swept into the darkness.” This idea extends into “Up No More” which describes spending dark nights alone, to “Say Something,” which paints a picture of waiting for someone under the moonlight. But it appears on the Best Albums section of this round-up rather than the Best Songs section for a reason: the 12 other tracks from this release, connected by a running theme of light versus darkness, are just as strong. The nine-member group combined retro influences from the ‘80s with its signature cheery sound for this lead single that is an instant earworm. The introduction of “I Can’t Stop Me” alone makes TWICE’s Eyes Wide Open album one of the most remarkable of the year. The other additions, which include both group songs and sub-unit releases that create more space to highlight each member’s vocal color, see a narrative weaved across cutting off old ties (“Ex,” “B Me”) and strengthening new bonds (“My Universe.”) Both Go Live and In Life offer a feast of dynamic hooks and festive vibes, but In Life has the slight upper hand in no small part because it introduced the lead single “Back Door”-a high-energy track brimming with pizzazz (and one of TIME’s 10 Best Songs of 2020). This rate of output is made all the more impressive by Stray Kids’ heavy involvement in songwriting, which three members-Bang Chan, Changbin and Han, who produce music under the sub-unit name 3RACHA-have taken part in since the act’s pre-debut songs. Theatrical and hypnotic, "Criminal" is pure genius.To get an idea of Stray Kids’ nascent but prolific career, look no further than the group’s two 2020 Korean albums: Go Live, released in June and consisting of 14 tracks, and the repackaged version, titled In Life, released three months later with eight new tracks. ![]() I try and shake my head, but I'm only getting dragged in more deeply." The slick newtro song offers no resolution to the end of his plight, but perfectly sets the tone for the first album and makes his redemption arc in Act 2 that much sweeter. "So elegant, the criminal who destroys me," he sings. It is Taemin at his most vulnerable, controlled entirely by someone else and yet thriving off the negative attention. Act 1's lead single, "Criminal," pulls you headfirst into Taemin's world of darkness and destruction. Split into two parts, the concept album allows Taemin to redefine his career as a solo artist on his own terms. The soloist and member of K-pop groups SHINee and SuperM has had a jam-packed year filled with group promotions, yet still found the time to originate his own complex, poignant storyline of love, loss, and re-birth that would be the backbone for his third solo album Never Gonna Dance Again. As a matter of fact, no one in any genre is doing it like Taemin.
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