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Posted by testamentvm0 pt Tuesday, June 26, 2012

[Review] Boyfriend 'Love Style'




Despite a lackluster debut, Boyfriend quickly followed up with a string of singles�that were distinctive enough, and consistent enough in theme to carve out a�successful niche for themselves. The R&B tinged "You&I", the adorably assertive�"Don't Touch My Girl", and most recently "I'll Be There" (their highest performing single to date), though all different, were underpinned by the same wide-eyed innocence that ?rmly put Boyfriend, despite a dearth of releases, in a de?ned niche.

Then, just as it�looked like Boyfriend was gaining traction after "I'll Be There", �they took a break�from January to June, ?nally making their comeback this month with their ?rst mini album (EP), 'Love Style'. �But despite a wonderfully cohesive selection of songs,�in the rush of the May-June comeback season, 'Love Style' got lost in�the mix. �Which is a shame, since it's very good Kpop. �If Starship�waited until the end of the Big Bang/Wonder Girls/f(x)/Busker Busker promotion cycle,� 'Love Style' would have almost certainly�charted higher. �And given Starship's stellar track record so far, especially as a non-Big Three company - this came as a surprise.� They've successfully managed SISTAR's�growth from promising rookies (albeit an awkward debut song title - remember "Push Push", with its admonition for listeners to push, "just like a sistar?") to established girl group, even weathering through a�potentially career-ending online smear campaign.

I mention the above because I want to reiterate how good (and under appreciated) this mini is. �I'm inclined to put most of the blame for its underwhelming chart performance on poor timing than bad music.� Because not only are all the songs catchy -�there are no left-?eld ?ller tracks in this EP - but the concept is (perhaps also to the detriment of the EP's commercial success) consistent with previous Boyfriend releases. �Earlier singles - "Boyfriend",�"Don't Touch My Girl", and "I'll Be There" - were all cutesy and adorable, in the most affectionate way possible. �'Love Style', with its enthusiasm and eagerness to please, fits perfectly in with the rest of Boyfriend's back catalog.� Even "Don't Touch My�Girl" - arguably their most aggressive song - in which they warn potential suitors to back off, has the feel of a younger brother playing dress-up. �Which is only natural - given the stick-thin�pro?le of the boys (especially the Jo twins, who look painfully thin and stretched out), it's hard to take seriously any threat of physical retribution.� Thankfully, for this release, Boyfriend returned with a more dandy-like (think slim ?tted suits epitomized by Lee Min Ho circa Boys Over Flowers) concept that's much more natural and unforced than the aforementioned "Don't Touch My�Girl" era.

And form equals content.� One thing that has characterized the "Boyfriend sound" so far is�the air of fanciful whimsy, the synth-?lled leads that aren't so much instrumentation as much as props in their soft-lit, pastel-toned MVs.� Similarly, in this release,� listening to 'Love Style' is to be transported into an alternate universe, a Boyfriend-reality with no sharp edges.� One that is, upon closer observation, the polar opposite of the post-apocalyptic universe that BAP inhabits, I might add - take that as you will.

Though 'Love Style''s superficial, naive depiction of frictionless love falls flat, it's also this very same quality - an unrestrained eagerness to please - that forms the core of the song's appeal.� As they sing on their lead single, "The love style�you want, I'll change to be it now, now, now/For every time and every situation, I'll�change [my love style] to match it".

Production-wise, Starship once again enlisted super producers Sweetune, who were behind "Don't Touch My Girl" and "I'll Be There", to write 'Love Style'. �This time, though, Sweetune melded their�signature guitar sounds with the soft, pumping pad sound that characterized�Boyfriend's�earlier releases, and mixed things up some more by adding some talking synth�sounds that make the instrumental sound much more of-the-present. �However, other than a few other subtle�production elements, this song lacks the standout "hook" quality of In?nite's�singles. �It's a great pop song that gets better with each listen,�but perhaps not the best lead single.



As mentioned earlier, the rest of the tracks on this EP are surprisingly good.� The surprisingly edgy intro, "I'm In Love", features grungy bass and industrial-sounding synths.�The perfect-for-drama-OST "Superhero" has an its infectiously catchy, piano-driven melody, supported by a cast of sidechained synths and electric guitars.



"One Day" is a lovely pop ballad about two lovers separated as children, and although this could easily be fodder for a tearjerking ballad, in typical�Boyfriend fashion the chord progression leaves the listener feeling uplifted more than anything else. �Instead of regret for love lost, the song implies a fond, nostalgic longing for�the past. Just as in "Don't Touch My Girl", there's not a hard edge to be found anywhere.



"Wonderful Girl", a funky, nu-disco offering, is a romantically cliche confession, with lyrics like, "My heart that trembles with joyful pain, please accept it/A determination rose in my heart/Whatever my heart wants me to do/I'm already not myself/I'll match anything, I'll do anything you want/You wonderful girl".



"Do", another song that could find itself on a drama OST, opens with another style of nu-funk before diving straight back into safe, familiar pop-rock territory (think Avril Lavigne).



Overall, although 'Love Style' is a great, neatly packaged first EP from Boyfriend, in an��ber-competitive market saturated�with rebels cum social critics (BAP), monsters/vampire hunters (Big Bang), demigods�that come out of the box with their own creation story and mythos (EXO), 4D�comic book superheroes (VIXX), and cold city men (Teen Top), it's easy to see why the comparatively no-frills, by-the-book classic kpop sincerity of 'Love Style' didn't resonate with domestic audiences.�The boys genuinely want to�be your boyfriend, but unfortunately - for commercial success at least - that's not enough.

Net Assessment : A hidden gem definitely worth listening to. �If you're nostalgic for�the good old' classic Kpop and some good, squeaky clean fun, give this a listen.

--

TESTAMENTVM writes kpop reviews, but her real calling is making kpop remixes. She's lonely, so talk to her on Twitter (@testamentvm) or on tumblr (testamentvm.tumblr.com). �Or be extra swag and follow both.

  1. BOYFRIEND
  2. REVIEW
  3. LOVE STYLE
  4. TESTAMENTVM
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