CD Review: Taeyang- Solar

Ok. So this is my first CD Review. I'm gonna go ahead and say it flat out: I'm biased. I love the FUCK out of Taeyang. Sure, I have delusions of Young Bae and myself getting married and producing little Youngbae juniors. Sure, my students call me Donglison (it's a terrible mashing of our names). Sure, I know his height (174 cm), his weight (56 kg = 123 lbs... eff off haters), his blood type (AB) and his birthday (May 18, 1988). So? It doesn't mean my review will be biased. Ok. So my review will be biased. Who the fuck am I kidding? I think YoungBae could literally take a shit, package it and sell it for 25,000 won a pop and I'd buy it and say it's the greatest thing ever.

That being said, this cd is still pretty awesome. Sure, it's not the greatest piece of musical genius created. No, it's not groundbreaking or innovative really. But, in its defense, it is incredibly catchy, with very danceable songs and a few noteworthy cameos (read: G.D., Teddy, Swings). I've fallen in love with it already and I've hardly had a chance to listen to the whole album.

The Deluxe Edition includes a t-shirt, a photobook, a signed pictures, and a YG Family Card. The regular edition includes a shorter photobook, the cd (albeit with 2 fewer songs, since this one doesn't have the re-releases of 나만 바라봐 [Look Only At Me] and 기도 [Prayer]).

The full Tracklist is as follows:

1. Solar (Intro)
2. Superstar
3. I Need a Girl (feat. G-Dragon)
4. Just a Feeling
5. You're My
6. Move (feat. Teddy)
7. Breakdown
8.니가 잠든 후에 [After You Fall Asleep] (feat. Swings)
9. Where U At
10. Wedding Dress
11. 기도 [Prayer]
12.나만 바라봐 [Look Only At Me]
13. Take It Slow

As far as composition goes, the great majority of the songs were composed and written by Teddy. But YoungBae wrote the lyrics from Solar, Just A Feeling and Wedding Dress. He also composed the music for Take It Slow.

Anyways, onward with the actual review:

Solar is just an intro, and in it he speaks only English, although it's mostly him saying yeah, it's still awesome. Just a really epic lead-in to the cd.

The first song, Superstar, starts out super strong with horns in the intro. The song is kind of a mid-tempo pop song. Not very dancy, but something you can just groove to. Taeyang switches expertly between English and Korean in this song. Seriously, parts of the song are a line in Korean, a line in English, a line in Korean, and so forth. Also, part of the lyrics: "So baby let's get it on, get it on, girl" which is something every girl can imagine Taeyang is whispering just to her. At least that's what I did.

The next song, I Need a Girl, which features best bud G-Dragon is the first release (after Wedding Dress and Where U At I guess) off the album. The video was released today and can be found here. The video is as amazing as the song. The verse is mind-bogglingly catchy. A student told me today that this is a remake of an older Korean song. Regardless, it's fucking awesome. A line of G.D.'s: "I love Girls, Girls I do adore," which is a nice little Jay-Z (Girls Girls Girls) reference. I hate Dara in the video (only because I'm totally jealous). Anyways, I didn't like the song that much when I heard it for the very first time, but as I hear it more, I love it more.

The next song is one which Taeyang wrote himself, Just a Feeling. The hook and even more so the bridge is just something that I imagine will be stuck in my head for like days. Taeyang also says he wants to make love to ME in the song. He says it. I'm gonna hold him to it. This song is a great dance song. Not too fast, but just perfect for a dance party in the morning when I'm waking up. You've got me saying yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.

The first slow song on the album is You're My. Frankly, I just don't think anything will ever top Taeyang's 최인, which is the single sexiest slow ballad in the whole world. This song starts out so beautiful, with a little keyboard action However, I think the song is just a little to high and a little slow and lacks the vavoom that Taeyang usually brings to his ballads. Also, it's really unfortunate the metaphors he uses in this song. "You're my chocolate, my sweetest chocolate, I really wanna have you" "You're my ice cream, my sweetest ice cream, I really wanna have you" and "You're my candy, my lollipop candy, I really wanna kiss you, I really wanna love you." Really, Taeyang? You agreed to sing this? And really Teddy, you told Taeyang this was a good idea? I'm sorry. This is the one song that gets a thumbs down from me.

Then comes Move featuring Teddy. I'm gonna say this: the intro is hilarious and AWESOME. "Ay, all my sexy ladies on the floor. I like the girls that know how to move it right... They know what it is now, but don't get this shit twisted. This is for the ladies." Not only is don't get it twisted on of my favorite phrases, but Teddy makes it very clear. Taeyang is for the ladies. And a lady I am. This song is really pretty sounding. I think it caters to Taeyang's style. It offers just the right number of higher notes (unlike You're my which is ALL high notes) and gives us the upbeat R&B Taeyang that we all know and love. Also Teddy's rap is so sexually explicit and it's so funny because Taeyang is famously uber-religious. But hello, these lyrics? "I cock it and unload it call me Mr. BigRocket/I'm so vicious like sid with my sex pistols...Niagra Falls baby girl I got you wetter then." bwahahahaha.

My favorite song on the album is Breakdown. The hook is so damn good. I literally had this song on repeat at work, and I just have this one dance that is so perfect for this song. Plus Taeyang banks on the auto-tune fanaticism going on here. He doesn't over-use it like some other artists we may know (T-Pain) but just a little during a verse. I just wanna take this one to the club and "break it down down break it break it down."

The next song is the only song on the album that is in Korean: 니가 잠든 후에. It means after you fall asleep. It features the rapper Swings. There is very little English in this song compared to the others. Also, this title makes it seem like it will be a slow song, but nope. It's a dance track. It's very dancy, with a very electronic beat in the background, with a lot of echoing reminiscent of a club song. The Swings verse is pretty fresh. His voice is great and really locks you in.

The next two songs are already solidified as classics in Taeyang's repertoire: Where U At and Wedding Dress.  I don't have much to say about these songs because they are so flawless. I love both of these song so effing much. Seriously, Youngbae has excellent writers (except whoever penned you're my... that guy should be fired immediately) and he performs the songs immaculately. Seriously.

Then are the two re-releases of 기도 and 나만 바라봐 which are from his Hot mini-album. Again, bonafied Taeyang classics. I find it pretty unfortunate that the song 최인 (Sinners in English) gets so much less attention. It is easily my favorite song he's made, and in my opinion, the highest quality song he has. It's so beautiful constructed and sung. So passionate and thoughtful. Anyways, that songs not on the cd, so I should leave it out. hah.

Last is Take it Slow, which Taeyang composed himself. I think this is a pretty nice wrap-up to the album. It's nice to see a piece he composed turn out so well. This is the clutch slow jam (besides wedding dress) that Taeyang really needed in the album. Since You're My fell so short of my very high expectations, it's nice that this song is so good. It's a really love ballad. I agree YoungBae, let's take it slow. I will slowly savor every bit of this cd (minus you're my, which is getting skipped consistently), and dream of the day when you and I will be together... *fades into sentimental day dreaming*

Oh, for those of you who are interested, here are two videos I posted on my youtube channel of me opening Solar, and the BigBang Big Show concert CD, which I also picked up today: