2023 Year-End List Premiering Tomorrow + TVXQ '20&2' Full Review + December's Music I Liked
Next week, January 7, I begin my end-of-year list for 2023 with the honorable mentions for the top albums of 2023. After that list concludes, the next week will see me provide my top songs of the year, and then miscellaneous features.
TVXQ - 20&2 Review
When it comes to my favorite musical acts of all time, TVXQ find themselves quite high. 20&2 is their first Korean LP since 2018 and sees them celebrating their twentieth anniversary. I initially was going to showcase my ranking of all TVXQ albums this month, but I decide to postpone that to February 2024, so 20&2 has time to settle.
Down
Acting both as a pre-release single and the first track on the album, Down has a lot to accomplish when it comes to providing the tone of the album. While I was initially unimpressed, Down's merger of its thundering drop chorus and coffee shop verses has proven oddly addictive. The real highlight, however, is how the climax lets Changmin provide one of his best high notes in years. Simply for the vocals, Down is worth playlisting.
Rebel (Song of the Month)
It has been years since a TVXQ song has amazed me on launch like Rebel. Rebel isn't flawless, but it feels like a perfect successor to TVXQ's OT5 days, particularly the weirdness of Yoo Young-Jin's SMP trilogy, surprising given this is the first Korean TVXQ album without the involvement of Young-Jin. The Carol of the Bells sample draws back to their Christmas special debut, producer Kenzie's previous involvement with them for an excellent Christmas EP, and their usage of classical samples for extra musical dissonance such as in Tri-Angle.
The start-stop structure should derail the melody, instead, it makes the song all the more grander, making Rebel an experience that threatens to derail, but always comes back for another hook. That is another key factor of Rebel, it has hooks in spades. The chorus is a chorus only in name, the song has many even better refrains. Rebel isn't perfect, but I expect it to grow into one of my favorite K-Pop songs this year.
Rodeo
Rodeo feels like a sequel to EXO's Runaway from 2021, which has remained surprisingly memorable over time. Rodeo is fine, the sparse trap-pop hook is catchy, but the song feels like it needs a whistle post-chorus just for the sake of having a whistle post-chorus. Rodeo is nothing special, but it is fun, and does what is supposed to do.
Jungle
Sigh... a spoiler for my TVXQ album ranking in the future, but I love TVXQ's 2018 album Reboot. From it, Jungle is easily my least favorite song, and one of my least favorite TVXQ songs overall. It is one of the few songs of the group that sounds dated... so why remake it in 2023? It wasn't a single, nor a fan favorite, so why?
Oh, this is a new song, not a remake of the Japanese version? Wait why would you do that to me? Anyway, Jungle is a fine song and captures the feel the Japanese song was going for. The drop chorus is still a little lame, but at least it is both listenable and captures a bit of grandeur.
Life's A Dance
Life's A Dance sounds the most like a single from 20&2, which makes me so glad it is a b-side. I will always prefer the weirdness of Rebel compared to a fun little pop ditty. Nonetheless, Life's A Dance might be the smoothest listen from the album, with its fun brass-pop being catchy and instantly repeatable. It isn't breaking new ground, but it isn't trying to.
Fix It
A solo song by Yunho, Fix It just might be my favorite deep cut from the album. Sure, it is repetitive, it sounds like a weaker version of Chancellor's Midnight (with DinDin being Gaeko), and the chord progression is basic to non-existent. But, come on, it's fun, and Yuno performs the hell out of it. Plus, Thomas Troelsen wrote it, and you can feel that.
Take My Breath Away
Take My Breath Away is Changmin's solo, and unfortunately not a remake of the Berlin classic. Thankfully, it is a really solid pop-rock ballad. The melody is nothing to write home about, but Changmin sings circles over the competitions, by tackling every note with an extreme intensity which shows why he is so beloved.
Promise
Future R&B is a weird mix with TVXQ's vocal texture. Their vocals scream grandeur, but Promise feels content to coast around in circles. I am not sure if I will ever play it again unless I am listening to the album in whole, but if you enjoy this genre and sound, it will work as a solid, if average example, for you.
Way U Are (Unplugged Version)
Other than debut year nostalgia, I am not sure what prompted the Way U Are de-mix. It had a semi-popular performance in 2019, but not much after that. That said, 2004 seems to be the year that inspired much of the theming of 20&2, so it somehow makes sense. That said, this flamenco guitar mix fails to elevate Way U Are. The melody is fantastic, but the mild changes just reduce the song. I will always return to the legendary original.
Starlight
Given that 20&2 dragged on after the solo tracks, Starlight feels more like a bonus track, coming in the tracklist after a cover of a debut year song. Nonetheless, it is a classic, 2004-2006 sound TVXQ piano ballad. This sound has always been TVXQ's bread and butter, and Starlight is no different, with some fantastic melodies. It isn't revolutionary, but it is quite good.
Overall Rating: 8/10
In many ways, 20&2 seems like the best and the worst of debut-era TVXQ. Fantastic singles, a few great deep cuts, and many songs that feel like leftovers. It also feels surprisingly short. Nonetheless, its highlights, notably lead single Rebel, are more than worth the cost of entry.
Music I Liked: December
Aditya "Dot" Saigal, Ankur Tewari, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, The Islanders - The Archies
Who thought the best early '60s rock & roll songs of this year would come from a December Bollywood film meant to launch the career of some members of Bollywood's prominent families? Well, as the title would suggest, The Archies is an adaptation of the famous comic of the same name. While the soundtrack is a few songs too long, Va Va Voom and Sunoh are worth a brief listen.
Bhupinder Babbal - Arjan Vailly (Prod. Manan Bhardwaj)
Given the controversies surrounding it, I doubt I will watch the recent action film Animal, the soundtrack does something worth noting, however, it has a Punjabi song that is original and really, really good. Part of that is due to them picking up folk singer-songwriter Bhupinder Babbal, who provides an extraordinary performance. The rest of the song is good, but his performance makes me interested in his future career.
Everything Everything - Cold Reactor
It's Everything Everything. It's deep. It's political. It's catchy. It's awesome in so many ways.
Lucy - Boogie Man
Lucy are one of the bands that I appreciate a lot, but I just don't love. Boogie Man might be my favorite song from them in years, perhaps because it strays away from their established sonic pallet. It is a lot closer to circus rock than what the band normally does, and it makes the melody stick out, I don't expect it to last like Snooze or Flare, though.
Rina Sawayama - Imagining Ft. Amaarae
I never cared much for the original Imagining, but this version sounds a bit better. It certainly isn't Amaarae's feature, which for some reason, does not jibe quite well with Sawayama's style, despite them acting in the same sonic lane. No, the highlight here is the production, which sounds so much more front-faced and aggressive. I hope Sawayama keeps this style going.
Image Source: Reddit
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