Jewelry Vol. 5 - Kitchi Island

Jewelry (쥬얼리) – Vol. 5 Kitchi Island

01 . 나는 나 너는 너 (I Am Me And You Are You)
02 . ..Holic
03 . One More Time
04 . 모를까봐서 (Might Not Know)
05 . The Cradle Song
06 . Black Diamond
07 . 모를까봐서! (Everybody Shh!)
08 . Stay With Me
09 . Don’t Know Why
10 . 모를까봐서 (Instrumental)
11 . One More Time (Instrumental)

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Debuting in 2001, Jewelry never really hit it big until their third album with the hit, I Like You. Since then, they’ve done a very good job keeping themselves in the spotlight. With the 2004 hit Super Star, they cemented themselves as one of Kpop’s big acts. Since then, there have been quite a few things that have happened. First, they had a few girls drop out of the group, as well as solo activities by the veterans, Seo In Young and Park Jung Ah. Jewelry were known to be a group with a fairly clean image, but each member was able to show her own distinct style. Now, returning from the events that had stopped their group comeback since 2005, the group is returning with a brand new sound and two brand new members. Kitchi Island is Jewelry’s fifth album and their first in 4 years.

The title track to Kitchi Island is the "interesting" One More Time. People will either be disgusted or enjoy the funky new style that Jewelry have shown in this song. Maybe it’s the annoying beats, awkward synths or strange vocal arrangement, but it definitely worked and allowed the song to shoot to #1 on numerous charts. The song is reminiscent of the 2007 hit, Tell Me, though they still have quite a few differences. The mellow dance track uses exciting synths as well as odd ones, to give a silly, yet catchy edge to it. If you’re looking for some real instruments, you won’t be finding many in this song besides a barely noticeable guitar. With that said, the programmed and groovy sound fits nicely with Jewelry’s vocals. Jung Ah and In Young lead the song through its many ups and downs and both do a great job complementing each other. Ha Joo Yeon provides a mature and sexy feel to the song through her rapping and though Kim Eun Jung has few parts, her voice feels like a mix between the other two vocalists. One More Time is a good song, but it depends on the listener.

If the dance track One More Time doesn’t catch your attention, there are a few other songs that might spark your interest. Track 7, Everybody Shh!, is an upbeat and just plain fun pop song. It’s very hard to describe the song, but compared to One More Time, it has a rockier edge to it. The guitar riffs with the cheerleader cheers definitely provide a clash that works out surprisingly well. Another interesting song is Black Diamond, which once again switches the mood. The beginning has a slightly R&B feel to it, while the chorus sounds like a mix of Jewelry’s past hits, Passion and Superstar. Once again, the song isn’t amazing, but it’s definitely an entertaining one.

Jewelry’s fifth album is a pretty entertaining album. Those who are looking for ballads or just some mid-tempo jams should stay away, as the majority of the songs here are upbeat, combining dance, rock, pop and a few other genres into one. Still, while entertaining, the album doesn’t really blow your mind away and for some, it might just come off as silly or awkward.

3/5

5/5 – Even if you’re not a fan of this artist/group this album is a must buy.
4/5 – If you’re a fan of this artist/group, you must buy this album.
3/5 – If you’re a fan of this artist/group, you might want to add this one to your collection.
2/5 – I don’t think a fan would even buy this.
1/5 – You might as well just flush your money down the toilet.