O-TOWN - SKYDIVE
This must be the mother of all pop comebacks. After disappearing for over a decade, US boy band O-Town, formed in 2000 on reality TV show Making The Band, are back as a quartet (minus Ashley Parker Angel). Good news for diehard fans: Skydive, their first single in 12 years, is fantastic. Unlike breakthrough bubblegum number Liquid Dreams, Skydive is poignant and dramatic, starting with a simple piano arrangement and ending with a 70-piece orchestra. Perfect for a triumphant return.
JUSTIN BIEBER FEAT. MIGOS - LOOKING FOR YOU
I'm amazed that the Biebs can still squeeze in time to make new music, what with his legal troubles, racist boo-boos and penchant for hard partying.
That said, the 20-year-old Canadian pop star's latest single, featuring guest vocals by US hip-hop trio Migos, is nothing to shout about. A run-of-the-mill club banger, it's predictable and uninventive. Looks like he desperately needs an overhaul - on both the image and creative front.
BEAST - ADRENALINE
Listening to their new Japanese single, I almost forgot that these six guys make a K-pop boy band.
Chock-full of groovy rock elements, Adrenaline's punchy melody reminds me of 90s J-rock outfit Mr. Children, while the song's effortless inclusion of hip-hop elements is somewhat reminiscent of Beast's Korean pop-rock peers FTIsland and CNBlue. Not bad at all for an idol group
This article was first published on June 04, 2014.
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