Album Review: Battle 3rd Single - Step By Step

Battle 3rd Single – Step By Step



01 . Big Change (feat. Deegie)
02 . Step By Step
03 . Luv U

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With the members picked up from a reality show hosted by the legendary Korean boyband Shinhwa, six talented guys stood out and were brought together to form Battle. Promoted from the beginning as the next Shinhwa, it’s no doubt that the group started on a good footing. With their formation came their debut, which provided the hit, Crash. Soon after, their second single, Tell Me, further pushed the group into the spotlight. It’s been over a year now since their last release and since then, quite a few things have happened, such as one of the members leaving, overseas work, and other idol-associated acts. Now, it’s time for Battle to show a new side to them. Step By Step is a change from their previous boyband image and it’s no doubt that they are shedding their Shinhwa comparison.

The title track is a frightening fusion of hip-hop and dance. The infectious track combines the expertise of programming, while still retaining the mainstream feel of recent releases in the Korean music industry. Whether it’s the blending of the music with the vocals or the ability for rapping, it’s no doubt that the song has something rather crazy, yet exciting about it. With that said, the song might sound rather very similar to other releases at the moment, which has been performed by numerous other artistes such as Big Bang and Son Dambi. Still, don’t let that stop you from enjoying this interesting song.

When it comes to the other tracks in the album, you’re basically only going to find one and a half songs left. Big Change just feels like an intro and is quite a contrast to the lighter dance feel of the other songs. It’s a pounding hip-hop track that really doesn’t have too much going on. It’s still an interesting way to get one’s attention. The other song is Luv U, which works much in the same way as Step By Step. It’s slightly lighter in the sense that the arrangement doesn’t seem as crowded with different synths working around at the same time. It’s quite catchy, but it just doesn’t stand out as much, lacking in much of the strength of the programming as well as the usage of background vocals.

If you’re looking for another boy band to try out, then why not Battle? You won’t find much originality in their music, but that doesn’t mean the quality isn’t top notch. There isn’t much on this CD, but what is there is definitely something that won’t let you put it down for too long.

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.