Album Review - Big Bang - Stand Up (Third Mini Album)

Big Bang – 3rd Mini Album – Stand Up

01 INTRO (Stand Up)
02 Haru Haru (Day by Day)
03 Heaven
04 Kind Person
05 LADY
06 OH MY FRIEND feat. No Brain
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Big Bang have had a successful year in 2007 with hit songs, Lie and Last Farewell, included in their first and second mini albums. It’s been a little less than a year since their great achievement and the boys are already up and ready with their third instalment, Stand Up, hyping up fans. For this album, it is said that the members have experimented with different genres, showing a new side of Big Bang. Will this album be up to par for music lovers?

The album begins with INTRO (Stand Up), which was used in the teaser video prior to the album release. In this upbeat song, each member showcases his vocals as they sing about the greatness of their group. Despite the fact that this song is a mere 1:35 minutes, it is one of the better tracks.

The album then leads to the title track, Haru Haru (Day By Day). It starts off with a haunting piano melody that entrances listeners. This upbeat dance track has a pretty catchy chorus that brings out the sad tune of the song. However, I had a problem with this single because it was very reminiscent of their previous hit, Lie. Both songs seemed to have a similar piano melody in the beginning, followed by some whispering, which later leads to the rap and melody. The song was appealing but not unique.

One song I particularly enjoyed was LADY, which was composed by G-Dragon and Teddy. It was very upbeat and had a light mood to it. The lyrics were basically about a guy asking a girl he is attracted to for some time because he wants her to give him a chance. I felt that this song brought out the meaning of young love, which I found cute.

Another song worth mentioning is Oh My Friend, which has garnered mixed opinions among music lovers. Unlike Big Bang’s usual works, this song is of the rock genre and it even features rock band No Brain. However, Big Bang do not fail to incorporate their own style into it by adding in a bit of rap. At first I was appalled by this song, but after a few more listens, I felt that the boys were able to pull it off. However, in the future, I hope they will stick to their usual genres.

As a fan of many of Big Bang’s songs, I can honestly say that I was not impressed by this album. Despite the fact that the boys tried out different genres (ie. Oh My Friend), I felt that some of the songs were a bit generic. There were a few catchy songs here and there, but overall, I think Big Bang could have done better.

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