[MV & Album Review] Stellar � 'Stellar Into the World/Archangels of the Sephiroth'

AKP STAFF

STELLAR � STELLAR INTO THE WORLD

Track List:

1. Archangels of the Sephiroth
2. Why Me
3. The Wave
4. Twinkle
5. Archangels of the Sephiroth (inst.)

Prepare yourself for an out of this world experience: Stellar has dropped their third mini-album 'Stellar Into the World.' The album has five tracks, and they are coming back with a new concept (angel v witch) as well as a new member: Soyoung.�

The first track is "Archangels of the Sephiroth." Rather than the antagonist from 'Final Fantasy VII,' Sephiroth refers to the sacred tree in the Kabbalah, a set of Jewish esoteric teachings. The lyrics are as odd as the title but still, the track itself is absolute fire. I love the mystical sounds in the beginning�and the absolute stunning power in the chorus. It only resembles a pop song in the pre-chorus. This is so different from anything I've heard from them, and is by far, the best track Stellar has done to date.

"Why Me" is another pretty powerful track, but in a different way. This one has some great vocals to buoy the track�and some nice staccato effects. There are some EDM leanings on this one that I like as well. One of the things I really like is that they sing this one with some guts and feeling�like they really mean it.�

"The Wave" is a departure from much of what we're to hear on this album. It starts out as a ballad, almost a capella considering the spare instrumentation. But when the tune gets started, there's a strange horn that acts as the backing melody for the chorus. But again, there's that vocal power that just blows me away every time I hear it.

The closing song, "Twinkle," is a beautiful, tender ballad. My disappointment that they closed with something this prosaic was alleviated by the fact that they never go too far with it. The powerhouses we've heard so far are muted, quiet, content to be gentle. Their voices mesh wonderfully on the harmonies, and the raps were a nice surprise.

With the addition of a fifth member, they've upped their vocal game. I have never heard Stellar songs as powerful as these. I don't know if it's because of the new concept, new member or what, but they sound more energetic and fierce than they've ever had before. They live up to their name here and that's a good thing. Anything that can keep this band from vanishing under the weight of the endless parade of sexy concepts is a good thing. They showed they were more than just pretty faces with 'Cry,' so I was hoping for more musical goodness. Well, we just got it.

MV REVIEW

The MV is a little confusing. Floating crystals, trees that bleed black ooze, and girls that turn into a gaggle of ravens that quickly scatter is just one indication that this is their angels v witches concept in full swing. Hyoeun appears to be the one caught between good and evil, as she's pampered by girls in white, and the next moment black-garbed girls have her in a tub, candles can be seen, and most everything around is black. Hyoeun looks understandably unsettled.

The dancing is quite good, though, though we don't see much of it. It's entirely based around their concept, with arms akimbo like wings, or branches. The movements are fluid, even as they lay on the floor and stretch their legs. It falls apart a bit when they hit the chorus�because then it becomes just a barely-moving sexy dance, but it's a minor consideration.

The special effects are quite good. There were really no parts where I said "oh come on, that looked fake," which just adds to the slightly disconcerting feel. Yes, the girls are lovely, but there's an unearthly quality, a look in their eyes that says we're not looking at this the way they are. There are all sorts of artistic shots too that make this thing really pop.

The MV continues the ever-increasing trend of supernatural sexy videos. We started to see this at the beginning of the year with Dreamcatcher. Now Stellar has caught onto it, and they do a stellar job. This is a fantastic song and a fantastic video.