IMFACT � 'LOLLIPOP'

Track List:

1. I'M FACT
2. Lollipop
3. Shine
4. Trouble Maker



Star Empire has debuted their newest boy band, five member group IMFACT! The band is made of members Jian, Jeup, Taeho, Ungjae, and Leesang. They apparently have a sweet tooth, because their first album is titled 'Lollipop.' The title track is written and composed by none other than their very own maknae, Ungjae.

"I'M FACT"
A playful, synth-driven intro song, the refrain being: "I like to party." It's serviceable. Not the best intro, but hardly the worst. Each member had a hand in this song, and it sets the tone for the album well.


"Lollipop"
This song is probably not what I would have led with. It frankly doesn't hang together as well as I like; there's no flow. It lurches from one melody to the next, though I like the chorus. The band has pretty good pipes, though. If they'd kept to just one tune it would have been a lot better. As it is, there are some fun moments, and the brass gives it a unique sound, but the song as a whole is a mess. The message is they want her to be their lollipop.

"Shine"
This song is a softer pop number, the raps written by leader Jian and Ungjae. It's got silky harmonies over a piping synth, and they manage to sound smooth and slick at the same time. The raps have a nice flow to them and work well with the overall tone. They're telling you they will be your shining star, watching over you, shining on you.


"Trouble Maker"
This song is the outlier, sounding a little different from the other songs. It could be best characterized as a rap ballad with piano. It does the alternating croons and raps thing, but the chorus sounds noticeably different, highlighting the vocal strengths of the different members, and the main verses are raps. Jian, Ungjae, and Leesang had a hand in the composition here. It's a lonely song, contemplative, talking about how people are afraid to look at them, and how they want to cry because of it.

I like how this album holds together overall. They manage to do a great job of varying the compositions without straying from the pop structure.  The only thing I could ask is that the hooks be more prominent, something to chant at live shows would be nice. They've got potential -- it's obvious the boys have talent, and should be proud of what they penned.

MV REVIEW

The boys of IMFACT go crazy in their newest MV, "Lollipop!"

Essentially a high-school hijinks MV, the boys are doing all sorts of things, from playing pranks in the bathroom to disrupting music class by putting on a record. All the while we cue the dance sequences, them in schoolboy uniforms nearly the whole time. It's hardly the most original thing I've seen.

The wardrobe itself is okay. You have a traditional suit-and-tie arrangement, and it's fairly authentic, down to the patches on the blazers. The socks and shoes are a little out there, but I think that's the point. But the hair color is a no-no. Pinks and blues? They just look out of place. The high-color, high-contrast clothes they wear sometimes in this MV nearly match the hair.



The choreography is, frankly, ugh. The "nae nae dance" went out awhile ago, though apparently K-pop MVs want to keep it alive and well. Let's find some original compositions, rather than slapping something together that everyone else has done. They did a great job polishing this album, and then they do this.  

I'm not enthused with the overused tropes here. And, in trying to be trendy, they end up with a predictable, shopworn concept, from dancing to drama. It's not that I don't like fun (and the chorus is a lot of fun), it's just that it's been done before. A lot. Since their debut was announced almost 10 months ago, I was hoping they'd have something better put together for the occasion. At least it doesn't look cheap.

Reviewer's take: Pretty good album, not so great MV. 

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