2ne1: To Anyone CD Review

Well, I've done reviews of Se7en's and Taeyang's recent comeback cds, so it's only fair that I complete the YG circle by doing a review of 2ne1's album too. Now, let me be clear, I like Taeyang and Se7en more than 2ne1 so those reviews were really biased. I still really like 2ne1, but I think this cd review will be my least biased.

Also, I will be posting up the lyrics to all the songs on the album by the end of next week on www.reallykpop.com Check that out for Korean and Romanji lyrics (and hopefully English before September is out, but I can't make any promises).

To Anyone Album Review


I'll start with a review of the overall packaging and image of the cd, because that is an extremely important aspect of the cd here in Korea. Packaging is usually over the top and larger than just a standard square plastic case. The cd came in a silver reflective rectangular case. It's pretty bold and shiny, but maintains a certain class with only the word 2NE1 emblazoned across the front in a sort of 반짝반짝 print. The cd case opens like a book and on the right is the cd, printed with some beautiful flowers. I really really like the actual cd. I've seen some really cool cds (Taeyang's deluxe edition cd is really good) but this one takes the cake. It's beautiful and it's a bit of too-infrequently shown soft side of the girls. On the left side is the photo book which doubles as the cd insert and contains all the lyrics. The pictures are bold and brazen, like the group. CL sports some intense red leather & metal platform heels. Minji wears a Jeremy Scott exclusive bright blue sweatsuit, with 2 inch spikes protruding all over the hood. In this picture, Minji is also wearing some intensely blue contacts. Other notable fashion pics: Minji's leather spikes corset-dress. It's super-provocative and hard as shit. The girls all wear pink haz-mat type suits with CL in the font wearing another Jeremy Scott exclusive: Black pants with white zippers on the shins, and a black top with some intense white piping through the neckline and shoulders. Sandara park in a black feather collar and smoky sexy eye make-up, Bommie is a green military style jacked and red red red hair. It also came with a 2ne1 family card.


1. Can't Nobody
The intro of this song is very very bass thumping like a 80's club hit. I like the end of the first verse, and the chorus is undeniably catchy with the combination of Minzy's English and Bom's voice. 2ne1 probably has the best English in the kpop industry as far as lyrics go (and up there in general english skills as a group). This song is heavily auto-tuned, with the strict exception of Bom's portion of the chorus. I also think CL's first 5 lines of the second verse are dooooope. The rest of the song (Dara's parts) are pretty much forgettable, in my opinion. Sad but true.

2. Go Away
Another song that is heavily auto-tuned. This will turn a lot of people away as people viciously attack the use of auto-tune as a crutch. I am of the opinion that some artists use it as a tool instead of a crutch. 2ne1's producers are one of them. T-pain and Kanye West are also among the people who use it as a tool to create a certain mood or theme. This album of 2ne1's is based on an idea of being extremely futuristic (something 2ne1 has always embodied) and the robotic auto-tune fits that. Plus, we already know they can sing. They have beautiful voices. Other groups like Kara, SNSD or even Son Dam Bi or Lee Hyori have infamously used the auto-tune to alter their artist's voices to make them perfect tonally when there are imperfections. That is not the intention in Go Away. Anyways, this is a slower song, which CL calls an upgraded version of I Don't Care. Frankly, I'm not crazy about this song. It's just kind of mediocre to me. There are points where you can see tremendous potential, but the lyrics and melodies fall just short. It's not an upgrade (except in tempo) from I Don't Care, which is the perfect moving on song. However, the video for this song is a huge huge upgrade from I Don't Care. It's a story video and holy shit, it's awesome.

3. 박수쳐 (Clap your Hands)
This song is my favorite of the three title tracks they are promoting. It's also probably the least favorite of my students. It's super interesting. The intro is club ready with the heavy bass beat, and the repetitive chorus commanding you to clap your hands. Minzy's line: 오늘 하루는 잠시 미미미쳐봐 욕심 따위는 모두 이이잊어봐 우리 신나면 ayo Walk Like a Champion 모두 준비 됐어 is a freaking perfect lead-in to the clappy chorus.  Again, heavily auto-tuned, I think it's perfect for the club. My only complaint is the weird tempo change in the middle right before CL's rap. I don't like the tempo change, I don't like that weird racing sound that djs use so much. I don't like the rap very much. I don't like that scene in the m/v. It's just weird to me. However, I do fucking love the shit out of the second tempo change right after the rap where Dara says "I wanna rock your body, I wanna make some noise" It's so sexy and brings the song to a different level. Also, the "eh eh eh eh" part at the end is dope and it has an easy dance move in the m/v

4. 난 바빠 (I'm Busy)
My favorite song on the album. If you're looking for the electronic side of 2ne1, here it is. HOLY SHIT THIS SONG IS FIRE. Some people hate it like the author of the www.allkpop.com review, who said, "If the HAL 9000 computer from "2011: A Space Odyssey" decided to quit his day job, get a sex change and become a pop star, this would be the result." So some people don't like it? Well, fuck em, I love this shit. The electronic feel of this song is thorough and freaking awesome as hell. This is the one song that I cannot get out of me head. From the first word to the last one. SHIT IS FIRE.


5. 아파 (It Hurts)
This is a nice change of pace from the electronic feel. This song is nice. It's a said song about love. I really like this song, but I don't love it. It isn't edgy enough for 2ne1. I just look for a different level of showmanship from them and this doesn't quite cut it. This is most of my Korean student's favorite song. Granted, their voices are across the bored, beautiful here. I can appreciate this. I just don't think this will be the song I'll be singing it two weeks from now.


6. 사랑은 아야야 (Ouch Love is pain)
This is my preferred slow song off the album. Really this song is freaking perfect. The chorus picks up tempo just enough to make it really catchy, but their voices are really great. The song is auto-tuned  in the chorus, but the verses are not clearly auto-tuned (although I'm sure it's used) and so the majority of their voices are clear and beautiful and I love love love love love this song. It's sad, but it's the song I'd listen to if my boyfriend broke up with me (oh god, please don't) but it's also still a song I can listen to when I'm happy and my relationship is fine. Again, the English, however infrequent is also impeccable.


7-9. You & I (Park Bom), Please don't go (CL&Minji), Kiss (Dara)
These songs were released a long time ago so I'm going to group them together. You & I is sugary sweet and cutesy, not unlike Bommie herself. The singing is lovely and the chorus is catchy. Please Don't Go is harder, fast tempo and intense, not unlike CL & Minji. There is no hiding the fact that Please Don't Go is easily one of my favorite songs of 2009. So, obviously I like this one. Kiss by Dara has one of the catchiest choruses of 2009. However, Dara is easily the least talented in 2ne1, so what her song lacks in raw singing talent is made up for in over-production of the song. The chorus is infectious, but aside from that, totally forgettable. 


10. 날 따라해봐요 (Try to Follow Me)
It's unfortunate that the rest of this album isn't as perfect as this song. Seriously, this song is the best written, and best produced song on the album. It's obvious why this one was chosen to be released so much earlier than the album. It's got so many quotable lines, from "I got that bang bang if you know what I mean. It's goes bang a bang a bang a bang" and the chorus itself, plus like a zillion others. This song is audio perfection. Eh eh eh eh eh eh brrrap.


11.  I Don't Care (Reggae Remix)
This song also came out a long time ago after fans requested a remake with G-Dragon and the girls collaborated with him and it became a super hit last fall. It was released digitally back then and it got tweaked a bit in the studio and was released for this album. I had heard this version of the song a long time ago when it was first released almost a year ago. It was change a fair amount. It's now a little less reggae-ish (if memory serves, I don't have the actual mp3 on hand to compare), and a bit more bluesy with the occasional steel drum. But still, it's great.


12. Can't Nobody (English Version)
HOLY SHIT I haven't heard an English version of a Korean song as good as this one ever in my whole life. Most times when an artist remakes a song into English, it gets completely changed (see Taeyang's Wedding Dress for the perfect example) and the English is pretty mediocre. However, whoever did the English writing for this song (I don't have the cd insert at the coffee place where I'm writing this) did an impeccable job. The lyrics fit the tempo and the feel of the song perfectly. Really, this competes with 날 따라 해봐요 as far as production and quality goes.


All in all, I'd say that the cd is pretty decent. On a scale of 1 to 5 (one being BahaMen's Who Let the Dogs Out and 5 being Michael Jackson's Bad) I'd give it a 3.5 It's not the best cd YG has put out this year (I think Taeyang's Solar blows this cd out of the water, but I am biased) but it's not the worst cd to come out in Korea this year. A lot of people are disappointed, but keep in mind this is easily the most highly anticipated album of the year. I think the expectations were for the girls to release an album where every single song was as good as Fire. I think very few cds have ever lived up to those kinds of expectations. My recommendations: If you can't afford the 14-16 bucks this cd will run you, at least download 난 바빠, Can't Nobody (Eng & Korean), 사랑은 아야야, and 날 따라 해봐요 on itunes and support the group. They are extremely talented. Also, I recommend watching the videos for their three singles. They are dooooooope. Well, at least the first two are. The third one got pushed back until Sunday at 10 a.m. I can't read the whole letter because it's long and all in Korean, but I got that much from their website: www.yg-2ne1.com


xoxo,
A