[Album & MV Review] SONAMOO - 'I Like U Too Much'

AKP STAFF

SONAMOO -- I LIKE U TOO MUCH

Track List:

1. Closer
2. Sense Man
3. B.F
4. I Like U Too Much
5. Sugar Baby
6. I Do Love You

After scoring hits with "Deja Vu"�and "Cushion,"�SONAMOO is�ready for summer with a cute concept, shedding their hip-hop style for this comeback. 'I Like U Too Much' is their third EP. The mini-album contains six all-new tracks, including "I Like U Too Much" and Newsun's self-penned tune "B.F".

"I Like U Too Much" is their title track. Curiously, it's buried, being the fourth track instead of the first or second. It doesn't detract from it, it's just an odd choice. The pre-chorus is a lot like a cheerleader chant, and they pull it out every once in a while to generate the hooks. It's a little tacked on, I think it would have worked better as the actual chorus.� Still, this song is fun, lively and playful, even if it's no "Deja Vu."

Newsun's song is "B.F, " and she had a hand in composing, arranging, and writing the lyrics for this one. The thing I particularly like is the rap parts. She's included them as part of the song, rather than relegating the raps to one section. Newsun and D.ana get the lion's share of the lyrics, and their duet is adorable. The catchy hook "na na na" sucks you in instantly.

One song that has a lot to recommend it is "Closer." Bearing no resemblance to the Oh My Girl�song, this track has an epic feel to it. I like how it flows -- the harmonies are fire and the raps are awesome, too. It's a pity it's just an intro song -- it's among the best I've heard.

The finisher is "I Do Love You," made with all the sweetness they could muster. I really like this as it's simple yet has some playful elements. This is one of those songs where the concept shines right through. They wanted cute and lovey-dovey, and this fits nicely. The way it's sung just tugs on me 'like strings.'

The first thing you'll notice is that there are no ballads. That seems to be more and more common these days; the dance songs get put on one album and ballads go on another. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but they didn't check with me first. Still, that means they can do more songs that I enjoy, rather than doing a song because it's expected. This isn't the best summer release I've heard, but it's a lovely bit of pop to make your days brighter.

MV REVIEW

The girls play various parts in this MV. One's a boxer, another is a maid, and still another is a mechanic and so forth. They all take turns doing their thing, only hilarity is the aim here.

Now the MV I'm kinda of two minds about. They have their cute concept intact, but the sets look like everyone else's. Like they have roughly the same buildings and they slap one together slightly differently for each stage set. But really it's the parts where dancing and the buildings are in full view that I object to.

But the rest of it is endearing and adorable. The girls are by turns smoking hot or just funny, laughing it up with sight gags and exaggerated aegyo. The costumes are fun, and the dancing isn't bad at all. I like the energy here, and even though some of the backgrounds are not all that, at least the made me smile a few times. And that's worth something.