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Kmusic Review: Ailee’s First Mini Album “Invitation”

November 22, 2012

Since her debut in February, Ailee has gone from being an unknown Korean American talent to a sensational and extremely gifted idol in the Kpop scene. From variety shows to being a participant in “Immortal Song 2” and even acting in “Dream High 2”, the girl is doing it all! Fans were thrilled when she finally returned with her first mini album entitled “Invitation”. The album contains six songs; one being her previously released digital single “Heaven”. It’s exciting to note that three of her songs each feature an amazing rapper; all able to skillfully compliment her vocals with their smooth verses.

The first track is the title song called “I Will Show You”. The song slowly opens with piano and string instruments assisting one another as Ailee chimes in with her soulful voice, singing in a gloomy tone about the heartaches of having to forget a past love but not being able to. The song quickly picks up as she maneuvers her way through the first verse to the chorus, where her voice gains depth and the mood suddenly changes into hope, confidence, and power. The real meaning of the song deals with being alone with high self esteem, self respect, and acknowledging self worth. The music video illustrates this very well, though it was a bit corny. Ailee is depicted as a girl with no confidence who is still in love with the man who has left her, played by Mblaq’s G.O, because she wasn’t the diamond he was hoping for. Instead of crying about him leaving her, she transformed into her better self, showing him that she is so much more amazing than what he had thought. Many people go through this phase of lacking confidence and self esteem but I think that once we get pass the metamorphosis of becoming an all around better person, anything is possible to achieve. If Ailee can get her man back, so can any of you out there!

This next song is by far my favorite song because it’s so inspirational to the point where I even shed a bit of tears listening to it. “Into the Storm” features the almighty Verbal Jint who opens the song for listeners by saying miracles are when you’re able to fly freely through a raging storm. The song is about withstanding the storm that arises from difficulties faced in and after love. It’s a simple message but the way Ailee delivers it is phenomenal! Her voice is able to carry the story within the lyrics of the song and projects it into the hearts of all listeners because of all the emotion she puts into singing. It also fits perfectly as the theme for many of Hayao Miyazaki movies like Kiki’s Delivery Service and Castle in the Sky! Just listen to it. You’ll love it, trust me!

“Evening Sky” has more of a relaxed and soft acoustic feel to it. Ailee reduces the power of her voice by singing in a lighter tone, making the song very pretty and easy to listen to. However don’t be fooled by this melodic symphony, it’s actually a very despondent song. The song compares the night sky to the loneliness people feel when they find themselves not being able to fully trust others. This sadness that is conveyed through Ailee’s voice is like an ache weighing heavily deep within people’s hearts. Since this kind of loneliness can only be understood and overcome by the individual who is experiencing it, I offer this track as an aide to those who are going through this type of pain and wish for you to soon become happy once more. After reflecting upon this song, I’d say the real message is that life is too short to limit the amount of people we meet and become close to.

“My Love” follows up with an R&B filled arrangement and features another Brand New Music MC, Swings. The song is groovy and laid back, easy to sway to and the line “You’re going to be my love” will probably be stuck in the minds of many listeners. Ailee’s voice is displayed nicely in here because she fully uses it unlike the last two songs where her vocals were used in a more restrained way. This is a type of song that is great to sing along with because it doesn’t require people to strain their voices.

Since the last track is “Heaven”, I won’t be commenting on it but the last new track is called “Shut Up” and features Simon D of Supreme Team. I was so excited to listen to this song because I haven’t heard from Simon D since his solo album came out and of course he didn’t fail to make me laugh by opening up the song with his unique narrations. This is also a R&B song that is extremely fun to sing along with. I would have to say that the “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah~” line is the best part of the song because it’s just so damn catchy.

I love this album, every song just has something that is able to immediately grab and push me to spontaneously sing and even dance. I’m positive other listeners felt the same. Ailee is an astonishing singer and her voice is flawless. She has got to be one of the strongest rookies that debuted this year and “Invitation” is the perfect example of the unstoppable talent she has. With this sort of first mini album, there’s no doubt that she will continue to have further success in the future. Purchase this album, you’ll be doing yourself a favor!