And so, we patiently waited, until finally last February
12, SM Entertainment officially released Amber's very first mini album,
entitled "Beautiful". So without further ado shall we start?
P.S. This is purely based on my opinion. Either you agree
or disagree, its your own choice, just no hating please :)
First up, Beautiful, when I first heard
of this song, I had goosebumps all over my body. Yes, I've heard Amber sing
beautifully in A Song For You multiple times using her guitar but this song is
different and definitely raise the bar higher. Never did I expect that f(x)'s
resident tomboy rapper can pull off such sweet and soft voice. It was very
surreal. How can SM Entertainment deprived its listeners of these beautiful
voice by just giving her rap parts in all f(x)'s songs (really SM Ent? why so
unfair tsk tsk). Through this song, I've got to see and hear Amber's different
side. Her sweet, soft and fragile side, which I really like by the way, plus
the words she used for this song were beautifully composed and arranged that it
really reflects her. It really is amazingly pleasant to see and hear the quirky
Amber that we all loved and cherish being so delicate like a flower, feminine
and a little fragile.
Next is Shake That Brass, okay folks,
I'll be honest, I know that this song is hella catchy and good. In fact an LSS
worthy track for me, the horn/trot sound, the na na na na, everything. It also
makes me want to sing and dance every time I hear this song, but (Yes, its a
but), this song for me is really out of place in the album, it somehow ruined
the balance of the album a little. It has a very upbeat and dancy tempo which
is very different among the other tracks in this album, plus this song did not
showcased Amber's beautiful and soft voice (which I am addicted to right now).
One more thing is that, I really think featuring Taeyeon for this song didn't
make the song better or more beautiful, in fact Amber singing this track alone
is already ear worthy, so I'm sorry Taeyeon (Taeyeon stans and SONE's as well).
I also have this feeling that Taeyeon was featured here for promotion purposes
only. (I know Amber said she was a fan of Taeyeon thats why she asked her to
sing for this song, but still I'm sticking to what I feel, peace :))
The third and one of my favorites, Love Run. Everytime this song plays, I see
myself, in the middle of the crowd dancing next to the person who is very dear
to me while Amber sings softly with her mic stand and a live band. For some
unknown reason, this song gives me the feeling of attending my very first prom
and my man and I dances cutely and sweet to this song haha ( Am I weird?) It
just feels so romantic to me, like love is definitely in the air feeling.
Hahaha. The lyrics are very beautiful too, she is waiting and longing for
someone, though it may take long or she may feel tired of waiting, still she
will run and chase for that love. It may sound a little sad and empty at first,
still it makes you feel that love gives hope and without a doubt there is hope
in love. And one more thing, the melody and those beautiful words really suit
the song perfectly.
Next is Heights, another upbeat tempo
track, but unlike Shake that Brass, this song gives of a more smooth and relax
vibe to it. It also gives the same feeling I always have when listening to
Ariana Grande's Break Free, the feeling of you want to sing and belt with all
those whispery Ariana notes. And this song certainly had those little Ariana
notes, and kudos to Amber for singing those effortlessly, thumbs up for that
girl! Haha. Well aside from singing it perfectly, I also think the lyrics of
this song are very poetic and has a very optimistic meaning, which I really
really love. Here's my favorite part by the way:
Here I go, I
can’t stop, here I go
I’m starting inside a place where there is
no beginning or end
So here I go, don’t hesitate, have faith
So here I go, fulfill the dreams you want,
climb higher up there
I Just Wanna, a duet with Eric Nam. Truth
is, I've never heard of Eric Nam nor any of his songs before, not until I saw
him as a guest in Running Man. (Man! That episode was deabak! It was super
funny especially during the Mud Party Part Haha) After hearing the first few
seconds of the song, I was taken aback and said, "Wait, I've heard this
before!" and my guts were right, this song is the english version of
f(x)'s Goodbye Summer featuring DO of EXO in their Pink Tape album. Well how
can I really forgot this song, it was my favorite from that album next to
Shadow of course. But this time, the song had more positive tone and lyrics to
it, more like a "love" love song, coz Goodbye Summer was really
heartbreaking. I also like this duet better than the original, Im not hating
Luna and DO, its just that Amber and Eric Nam's version was just so sweet and
relatable, not only because of its cheesy lyrics but their voices were really
perfect and complemented each other. I also like how simple the choice of words
were, everything was written and sung on a very straight forward manner. I
really hope to see them perform this song live on stage or even make a simple
video for it. Please.
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In summary, I'm giving this a 7.5/10. I
still couldn't believe that Amber had that sweet soft voice all along, I'm a
little disappointed in SM Entertainment for taking her talent for granted. It
is indeed a very good debut album for her, it really did show another side of
her which I really think is a bold move and an awesome one. Who could have
thought that quirky and jolly Amber can be delicate and sweet Amber right?? I
also would like to see her promote other songs from this album, not just
"Shake that Brass" which I totally think made this album off. Please
promote I Just Wanna and Love Run too. Though its already given, I'm still
hoping to see more of Amber in the future, an acoustic EP maybe? Hahaha. And
please collaborate with Eric Nam again. Hahaha. And before I forgot, Amber is
certainly a not just a good singer but an awesome songwriter too. I really hope
to hear more of her self composed songs in the future.
A's recommended tracks: "Love
Run", "I Just Wanna"
PS If you like my reviews and want me to
review other artist's album, feel free to leave a comment. Thanks :)
