Music Review: Amber's Beautiful

Hi everyone. I'm back and this time for another K-Pop music review. Usually I listen to music releases and don't know what to say about them. But this time, I really found an album that I am loving, which is rare. That album is F(x)'s Amber's debut mini-album, "Beautiful."

For all those who are unfamiliar with F(x)'s Amber, she is portrayed as a tomboy and can be seen as such from her clothing choices, husky voice, and boyish personality. She is also in charge of the raps in her group. Trust me when I say that it is rare to hear her vocal voice, as I have heard every F(x) promotional song since their debut. That is why when she was first announced to be doing a solo project, especially a mini-album, I was worried for if she would have the vocal capabilities to make a good debut. But I also had hopes for her because I'm sure she wouldn't throw herself out there as a solo artist unless she felt she would be strong enough to hold her own. Especially in such a competitive industry where so many idols are developing solo careers separately from their groups, such as SHINee's Taemin, CNBlue's Yonghwa, and After School/Orange Caramel's Lizzy.

I was pleasantly surprised when I listened to Amber's debut songs. At first, I tested out the promotional song, "Shake That Brass," when it was pre-released on the SuperStar SMTown game. The sound definitely fit Amber's image perfectly with its fun beats and cool mix between her rapping and Taeyeon's sweet vocals. Then when I saw the music video, it only complemented the song even more with a quirky-styled video of Amber having fun dancing in serious environments and featuring various K-Pop idols, who are close friends of her. They really showcased her extremely social personality and amazing networking within her industry. However, "Shake That Brass" did not showcase the best of her vocal abilities. When I delved further into her album and listened in on the rest of the songs, I especially fell in love with "Heights" and the title track, "Beautiful." I was really shocked to hear how well her vocals have improved, so much that I barely could recognize they were hers because of how soft they were, compared to her usual husky rapping. Although her voice is not amazing in comparison to her fellow singers, she definitely possesses a charming singing voice that balances her strong rapping perfectly. The songs on her mini-album showcase her different colors, hence why the album cover is so bright and colorful without betraying her tomboy image or her hidden potential as a singer. One of the final lines in her title track states, "I'm happy to be myself." I feel like that line truly captivates her entire message of this album, by slamming any criticism that she faces about being caught between the line of being a tomboy with feminine aspects. You rock your brand, Amber!

Check out Amber's amazing debut album on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/1st-mini-album-beautiful-ep/id965780780

Rachel Rostad - "To JK Rowling, from Cho Chang" (CUPSI 2013 Finals)

A wonderful and passionate poem.