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Kmusic Review: K.Will’s “The 3rd Album Part 1”

December 20, 2012

After a series of hit songs that he contributed to the OSTs of many dramas as well as the release of two extended plays, K.Will finally came back with his third studio album titled “The 3^rd Album Part 1”. The album comprises of seven innovative tracks that will surely delight fans upon their first listen. His soulfully expressive voice never fails to enchant.

The first song is “Closing My Eyes” and it opens with K.Will’s beautifully controlled falsetto. There is a soft and airy piano piece that accompanies his voice, making this short intro seem like slice of heaven.

The second track in the album is a song that I tend to listen to more often because of K.Will’s awesome vocalizations. “Butterfly” is an emotion filled ballad that is delivered almost effortlessly by K.Will. Even though it is a ballad, the beat has its influences from Hip Hop. When the song transitions into the chorus, K.Will’s voice carries the song to new heights, and then he ends it perfectly in the middle of his pitch. There’s a short pause at that point, allowing listeners to reflect on the first verse which talks about how a man became so easily infatuated and in love with a woman before she disappeared out of his life. The bridge mellows out nicely with him singing in a softer tone before he displayed his extremely wonderful vocal capabilities by picking up the pace of the song once more.

The next track is also the title song called “Please Don’t”. This song incorporates Indie melodies and Hip Hop beats into its arrangement; it is sort of jazzy too in a way. The interesting and distinct melody in the background is also very intriguing, being prevalent throughout the entire song. Many people will probably remember that part of the song the most, as well as the line “Don’t know why, don’t know why~”. The mv for this song is extremely fascinating. It features fellow idols, Seo In Guk and Dasom of Sistar along with model Ahn Jaehyun. At first the plot unfolding within the music video seemed like a typical storyline that involves a love triangle between two men who are best friends and a woman; having a lot of similarities to the Taeyang’s “Wedding Dress” mv. However, the twist at the end reveals that Seo In Guk’s character is actually in love with his best friend played by Ahn Jaehyun and not Dasom! It is interesting that the director casted In Guk to play this character in the music video because he basically took on Hoya’s role in “Reply 1997”, a character role that was deeply in love with Seo In Guk’s role in the drama. Of course the issue of homosexuality is still hush-hush but the fact that it is being displayed here means that South Korea is really opening up towards social changes. The whole aspect of this is amazing because it shows how fast South Korea is becoming an open minded country instead of one that is so conservative.

“Come to My Crib” features Beenzino and has a faster tempo compared to the others. It opens with a bubbly piano melody that soon incorporates a high bass into the music. This song is definitely one you would put on replay all the time. It has a great beat arrangement that is not too overpowering due to the continuous piano in the background, causing the feel of the song to be very laid back. Kwill doesn’t fully use his voice in here too; it is more subtle and quiet which adds to the deliverance of the message that is present within this song.

“Hey You” features Dynamic Dou’s Choiza and since it features such an iconic MC in the song, it’s obvious that the song has Jazz/Hip Hop influences. The fluidity of K.will’s vocals blends perfectly with Choiza’s R&B flow. This song is appealing, not the best but it is memorable and interesting. It has a lighter feel compared to the other songs as well, probably due to the fact that its arrangement is more cheerful. Lyrically, the song depicts the beauty that a woman has when she first steps into a relationship and then goes further on to explain how this beauty fades and she changes into a lazy slob as she and her boyfriend advances into the relationship. Essentially, this song is a plea from K.Will where he begs for this girl to put in some effort into looking pretty again. This song is probably what all guys must be feeling once that initial spark is gone. So ladies, remember to occasionally be your best in front of your men. That way, your relationship can go on smoothly; of course don’t expect anything less from your men either!

This next song is called “You Are So Beautiful”. Just like the confession that takes place in the song, it is smooth and refreshing. It definitely has another Hip Hop based beat. However the tempo is lower and the rhythm is slower paced. Although there isn’t much to the song’ it is actually quite pleasant and you’ll find yourself humming the tune all day long.

The last song is called “Bluffing” and this track has a bass that is more prevalent than the rest of the songs. In opposition to the previous song, the tempo for “Bluffing” is a lot higher. The song is about essentially about the awkwardness of having to initiate a break up. It is particularly difficult to do so because of the time that this couple has spent together. Nevertheless, it is something that must be done or the people involved will continue to go on trapped in misery together, just bluffing and faking to still be in love.

Overall, this album was well put together and did not fail to entertain or enlighten its listeners. It also proves that K.Will doesn’t just successfully convey emotions through ballads but songs that are Hip Hop and Jazz too. I hope to see more of that side in the next album that he comes out with. Until then, enjoy listening to K.Will’S “The Third Album Part 1”.