The SM gods are back and they have something to prove…
After the infamous split of the five membered group and the massive fall-out, last year’s “Keep Your Head Down” didn’t seem to be the comeback the fans were hoping for.
While the album had its fair share of gems, expectations were outlandishly high and consequently, most fans were disappointed.
Now, over a year and a half later, the dynamic duo has released their album “Catch Me” and I’ve got to say, I’m sold.
When talking K-pop, you must always begin with the title track. “Catch Me” is a certified banger beginning with gorgeous beats than then transform into the most catchy breakdown this year.
Lyrically, the boys sing about wanting to leave a cold girlfriend behind, while retaining hope that she will change her tune. The video starts off a little rough with the choreography coming across as heavy-handed and lacking fluidity.
Luckily, things completely change for the better when the electric arm movements come in to play. The song has numerous dubstep sections, the most notable being the bridge which qualifies as the best K-pop usage of dubstep so far.
Frantic, gorgeous, and sexy are what comes to mind when playing this song.
Yunho and Changmin’s soaring vocals contradict every expectation from the usual monotonous SM style. It’s pretty much perfect.
“Viva” is up next and continues the theme of leaving an old flame behind and charging forward. It also makes quality use of dubstep (can I say how impressed I am, I don’t even like dubstep) and the sexy hip-hop beat makes the song an instant stand out.
After our boys have left their past behind, they are ready to fall in love again. The next four songs all detail a shy coy romance, with “Like a Soap” and “Destiny” being the standouts. R&B is TVXQ’s thing and it really flows into every song they do, no matter the style.
This is something SM as a whole need to pay more attention to, as they have given all their boy bands R&B backgrounds (time to differentiate the company from the group).
A low point comes in the form of “Getaway”. Although the rock instruments and melodies are a nice change of pace, TVXQ don’t have the gruff voices to pull off what this song demands. The lyrics also have nothing to do with the rest of the album’s themes and it just feels out of place. Still, there’s no denying the song is catchy and not a full misstep. Besides, they quickly recover with the final three cuts from the album.
“Good Night” is the closer, and the boys talk about wiping away our sorrows from the day and tucking us into bed. Could anything be so sweet?
Overall, the album is a smash with track after track being undeniably catchy, well-sung, and melodic. With the swarm of recent duos coming out of k-pop (Tasty, JJ Project, the upcoming 15&) it’s nice to see the kings come back and show everyone how it’s done.
Grade: B+
