[Album & MV Review] BTOB - 'New Men'

AKP STAFF

BTOB -- NEW MEN

Track List:

1. New Men (intro)
2. I'll Be Your Man
3. Drunk
4. To Me
5. Yes I Am
6. Come Over
7. Front of the Room

The boys of BTOB are 'New Men' with the release of their ninth mini-album. After releasing a slew of successful healing ballads, they are coming back with a dance track for the first time in 2 years and 2 months. The band members also took an active hand, having writing credits on all 7 tracks.

The title track "I'll Be Your Man" is a sort of hybrid between ballad and dance track. It's a modern-day power-ballad with more powerful vocals and beats than they've laid down in a long time. Which is welcome. It's got a great epic feel to it, and everything is perfectly packaged, from the billowy vocals to the sick raps. Ilhoon and Minhyuk drop some awesome raps here, absolutely fierce and laced with rage.

"To Me" was one of the ones I really didn't like (cue the comments about me being extremely biased and needing to be open to more styles of music). That's not to say that they didn't do it well, just that it's entirely not my style. It's got a show tune groove to it, with big horns and a beat that should see them in tuxes and top hats, kicking while they perform it. Yes, it's that kind of tune. They do a convincing Broadway song, for what it's worth.

Having some things in common with "I'll Be Your Man," "Yes I Am" actually is a combo. The chorus is fairly epic. With the overdubs, it sounds like an army of BTOBs are singing here, and it really makes it pop. There's an aura of hope surrounding it, as the rappers sound more hopeful and upbeat during their lines, so there's a happy vibe to this one. That goes right along with the lyrics, where the boys promise to always be there.

"Come Over" is a dance track in direct contrast to the title track. Where "I'll Be Your Man" was more serious, this song is all about fun. It's almost made for a sing-along, with accessible lyrics and a more sing-songy tone. It's definitely a pick-me-up. And just because it's easy doesn't mean there's less talent here -- the vocals are more on display and not buried by production. The rappers certainly sound like they're enjoying themselves. It's fun and definitely deserves your ear.

There are few ballads on this disc, and it seems like that was deliberate. I also like the fact that they took part in the lyrics on this one. It's nice to see a band invested in their music and image. True to their concept, are they new men? Well, everyone grows and changes, and departing from their ballad trilogy is a start. They also seemed to dabble here in more genres than pop, an indication of future directions? We'll see when their next comeback happens. For now, I'll think you'll be happy when you hear what they have in store for you on this EP.

MV REVIEW

To go along with the song, they've crafted an MV that has an even more epic feel to it than the song, if that's possible.

Apparently, the boys are part of some kind of resistance against an occupying force, judging by the extent of the military hardware arrayed against them. They meet the girl in a church, who might well be part of the whole resistance theme. The boys are seen hanging from cables, stashed in cells, or clutching chain-link fences. And no, I'm not going to give away the twist ending.

I love how this one plays out, though this is not the first MV I've seen with this kind of plot. Is there something in the national psyche I'm unaware of? Perhaps, or maybe it's all coincidence. These are the kinds of dramas I watch in my spare time, so an intrigue/action thriller is something I'm down with.

There is no shortage of eye candy here, and I'm not talking about the boys. The church scenes (with different rooms even), the town in a shambles, the guns, everything here comes together to form a seamless, if not exactly upbeat story. It's extremely dramatic, and I'm hoping to see more of these kinds of MVs.

This one definitely gets my vote as an awesome MV.