All

Kmusic Review: T-ara’s 3rd Repackaged Album “Mirage”

October 6, 2012

Despite the overblown controversy that was nipping at T-ara’s heels a few months back, the release of their repackaged album, “Mirage,” was still able to rake in 50,000 preorders even before the offline orders took place. The repackaged album has two new additions, the title track “Sexy Love” and “Day and Night”. T-ara illustrates a new wind up toy/doll-like image which is significantly different from their previous post apocalyptic concept that they extravagantly pulled off. However with Hwayoung’s absense, will this album be big enough to help pull T-ara out of the antis’ and skeptics’ list?

Since most of the songs were originally released in their 4^th mini album “Day by Day”, I would first like to discuss those.

“Day by Day” was the title song for the original release and consists of a very melodic synth. The music sounds like those from the 60s, quite comparable to the music Simon and Garfunkel made. There’s this amiable and yet somber flute piece in the background that draws you in and bestows within you a melancholy emotion. It is a song that depicts the perfect portrayal of grief and separation. The lyrics speak about the unbearable daily longing one possesses for their old lover. The song was well put together; other idols and even international singers may have not been able to pull off this type of song in this day and age.

The second song is called “Holiday” and also sounds like something you can catch from the past. It reminds me of those old Taiwanese romance films and soaps that would then be released in theaters during the 80s. It also has a close resemblance to New Wave music because of the “ddudu dururu” vocalization that started off the song. Despite the fact that the song is catchy and sweet sounding, it’s actually rather sad. The lyrics begin with statements that entail the busy-like-a-bee life of a girl who is purposely keeping it so in order to not think about anything else. However, holidays are her worst days because she starts to reminisce about her past love. Listen to it and see if you get the same feeling as I did.

“ 떠나지마” (Tteonajima), meaning “Don’t Leave” starts out with an excited electro synth that eventually fades into similar melody to day by day. Even though the R&B tempo in the background is really upbeat, the saxophone segment also set the rhythm meter at a slower pace. It made the song more modern compared to the other ballads. The voices of the main vocalists were also displayed nicely in this song and Hwayoung’s verse clearly rapped. I like this song because of its harmonious elements; they work cohesively together even though most would think of them as being opposing forces.

The next song takes us back to what defines T-ara’s signature sound, it’s upbeat with electronic backups and crazy beats. As oppose to my initial thoughts, “Hue” does not have anything to do with the properties of color. From what I can tell, its meaning has more to do with screaming and howling or clamor. This means that the song is actually about the need to shout out for freedom and change. It’s an ok song; clever idea but it’s something I’ve seen before and the English lyrics were laughable.

“사랑놀이” (Sarangnori) is the last song in the album and keeps the steady with the tone of the album. It is sung in a way that makes you think of those old glam singers performing on stage with the elbow length white gloves. The drum solo in the beginning of the song is a nice start to this high tempo song. The track is another regretful love song but it has more attitude in it. Just the way the music is presented as compared to the others allows listeners to understand the resentment behind the lyrics. It says that those who have been wronged in love have the right to be angry and should speak against being treated like a pushover.

So “Sexy Love”, the title song of Mirage, again brings us back to that distorted bass and electro sound that T-ara has been known for. Although I can’t praise the producers for the lack of originality in this song, the beat gets you right away and catchy beats sell. The chorus is really memorable too and you’ll find yourself singing it all day. The mechanical echo that accompanies Ahreum’s rapping attempts to give the song a cool effect but it was in fact quite distracting because it sounded like she was drowning. I guess it’s a fun song to bop your head along with but I wish they promoted more ballads which actually showcases their true vocal talents.

The second new song in the album is “Day and Night”. Interestingly, this song only features the newest member of T-ara, Ahreum, Shannon, and Gavy NJ’s Gunji as the vocalists. CCM sure is trying hard to get fans to like Ahreum but I guess they can’t help it since she’s a part of the reason for T-ara’s current antis. “Day and Night” is a ballad that creates this forlorn atmosphere, making listeners think about past events that may have been heartbreaking experiences. The song was able to brightly display the girls’ voices, especially Ahreum. “So she can sing” was my first thought upon realizing that is was her voice that was projecting out the lyrics. Her rapping on the other hand is quite disappointing. I don’t understand why she’s made to rap in such a manner that is parallel to Hwayoung’s style. Although she can keep up with the rhythm given to her, there’s no individuality there. Ahreum doesn’t have the spark and power that Hwayoung has during the rap verses which makes Ahreum seem to be just a copy. I actually find her voice very appealing and so hopefully she develops in this area if CCM decides to further her activities as the rapper of T-ara. Overall, this song caught more of my attention than “Sexy Love” even though it is a bit slow.

The idea of “Mirage” is quite clever; it tells a heartrending story through the seven tracks. Each song dealt with the tragedy of failed love and the process of trying to recover from it, saying that love is but a mirage that can never be truly grasped. On the whole, “Mirage” is moderately entertaining, it wasn’t bad. In fact, T-ara performed all of the songs really well. I’m glad that they tried something new by revisiting the styles of the 60s. They did a great job on that part and restore the style into something new that can be enjoyed. I personally love T-ara as a Queen’s, however dissatisfaction is what I felt when I finally heard the two new songs. The album was overhyped and there was no wow factor that made me crazy for it. Still, it’s worth a listen so try out “Mirage” for yourself.