Look out K-divas-
Ailee's coming for your title! It's easy to forget that this solo star is only barely out of rookie-dom, having debuted in early 2012. "U&I" (Kupa, Shinsadong Tiger... where has this talented guy been?) is only her third single, and leaves no question that Ailee plans on sticking around for a while.
"U&I" ignores current K-Pop trends, instead giving us the blaring, modern funk of mixed with a little SECRET during their "Magic" / "Madonna" era. As expected, Ailee totally delivers on the vocals, her low, rich tone a welcome break from the higher, more shrill vocals that most female idol groups tend to favor.
We can't ignore the fact that her two previous title tracks were almost carbon copies of popular American songs. Ailee's debut, "Heaven", sounds very similar to Beyonce's "Halo" that it seems as if Ryan Tedder wrote both tracks himself. Her second single "I Will Show You" literally syncs frame by frame with The Pussycat Dolls "Hush Hush (Remix)". And her current single "U&I" is no different. It bares a strong resemblance toanother one of Beyonce's singles "Crazy In Love". From the brass section to the identical cymbal-crashing breakdown, we're left with another uninspired hit. And just to get this out of the way, the chorus' vocal melody sounds a lot like the one found in T-ARA andSupernova's past hit "TTL (Time To Love)", but it's a melody that's been recycled numerous times in Korea, so we can let this one slide.
This isn't to discredit Ailee in any way. The songs mentioned are clearly safe from being labeled as being plagiarized in a technical sense. But had this comeback been something completely new and fresh, perhaps her music could be recognized by American radio. Yes, Ailee's popularity and star quality continues to shine with "U&I", but as an artist with this amount of talent and versatility (and English speaking skill), Ailee shouldn't be limited to songs that sound like other people's iconic songs. She needs her own.
Beyond that, however, Ailee's shamelessly fun personality and total commitment to not only the musicality, but the inherent over-the-top showmanship that sells the song in a way that few others can. This song shows a big improvement over her last single, "I'll Show You", which was good, but quite shouty at parts. "U&I" makes much better use of dynamics, making for a much more listenable song. Factor in more solid lyrics and Ailee's got a real winner on her hands here.
"No No No" (Heo Seong Jin, Ha Hyeong Joo) is a bright, eurodance song with just enough little surprises in the arrangement (such as some buried electric guitar riffs, layered with progressive house pluck synths and a change-up in the beat on the second verse) to keep it from being boring.
"Rainy Day" (Double K, DJ R2, Blacc Hole, Ha Hyeong Joo, Heo Seong Jin) gets off to a cheesy start with actual rainstorm sounds, but all is forgiven when the sound effects give way to a Demi Lovato-esque pop-rock ballad. This song is the closest we get to Ailee's debut sound from "Heaven" and gives her a chance to show off all sides of her vocal range. If Ailee decides to release a second single, this would be one to release.
"How Could You Do This to Me?" (Rhymer, Heo In Chang, MasterKey) is the obligatory mournful ballad of the album, and could easily be a drama OST. While these kinds of songs tend to kind of all sound alike and merit little note outside of showing the singer's vocal prowess, Ailee brings just enough soul to "How Could You Do This to Me?" to keep things interesting.
If there was ever a song that could be described as a disco tango ballad, it's "Scandal" (Kim Eana, KZ, Brown Eyed Girls' JeA). It has a sinister, creepy undertone wrapped in a clean, pop sheen, similar to songs like miss A's "Touch", SISTAR's "Alone", and Ivy's "I Dance", but with a cinematic edge to it that it's predecessors don't share.
The album ends with mid-tempo ballad "I'll Be Okay" (Yang Seung Wook, Bigtone, Shin Jeong Eun), which bounces easily between simple guitar verses and an synthy chorus. While it's not the most exciting thing ever, the lightness is a nice break from the strength and heaviness of most of the rest of the album, and the male guest vocal helps keep things grounded.
'A's Doll House' isn't the most original album, but it's a perfect platform to remind us not just how good Ailee is, but how much she's grown in the last year and a half. She may still be a rookie, but this girl's well on her way to becoming a K-Pop legend. Let's all take a moment to soak in all of Ailee's greatness.
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A's Doll House
RELEASED
JULY 12TH, 2013
LABEL
YMC ENTERTAINMENT
SINGLES
U&I
