Album Review - Lee Hyori - Vol. 4 - H-Logic

Lee Hyori Vol. 4 – H-Logic

01 I’m Back
02 Love Sign – feat. SangChu of Mighty Mouth
03 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang feat. Ceejay of Freshboyz
04 Feel the Same
05 Bring it Back feat. Bekkah of After School, Jeon Ji Yun of 4 Minute
06 Highlight feat. By Bizzy
07 Swing feat. Gary of Leessang
08 Scandal
09 100 Percent
10 Want Me Back
11 How Did We Get – Duet by Daesung of Big Bang
12 So Cold
13 Get 2 Know feat. Double K
14 Memory feat By Bizzy

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Korea’s top pop icon and fashionista, Lee Hyori had created a buzz in the music scene early this year with news of an upcoming album. It’s been two years since we’ve last seen her with hit songs like, “U-Go-Girl” and “Hey Mr. Big” and this past April, Korea’s diva has finally returned with her full length fourth album titled H-Logic. There has been much hype as well as plagiarism accusations floating around as composers Ryan Jhun and Bahnus, who has made his name known in Europe as well as in the United States, teamed up to bring out “real sound” in this album. However, as shown through music shows and charts, we can see that Hyori’s album has continued to gain popularity from the masses.

Prior to the full album release, “Swing” had been released for listeners to taste a bit of the album. Contrary to those from her past singles, this song is slow-paced with what one might say has a Spanish tinge, due to the guitar and brass arrangements. Initially, the song was too slow and monotone for my liking, but after listening to it a bit more, I saw potential in the song as it was different from most K-pop releases. However, if it was not for Gary of Leessang’s rap featuring, the song would have been too bland and sleep inducing. Overall, I liked how Hyori decided to try out different styles, but “Swing” is not something I would listen to on a daily basis.

On the other hand, the title track, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, is what Hyori fans are most familiar with – an upbeat number that will get the crowd moving on its feet. (Trust me; I have witnessed this on a first hand basis through my roommate haha). This dance track is energy-filled and listeners can feel Hyori’s bold attitude on first listen.

The rest of the album consists of generic heavy beat, hip-hop influenced numbers such as “I’m Back,” “Bring it Back” and “100 Percent,” none of which caught my interest. “I’m Back” actually was very reminiscent of “Invincible Lee Hyori” included in Hyori’s third album in the sense that it talks about how unrivaled she is in terms of style and so forth. Eh, not my cup of tea. I feel most people were anticipating “Bring It Back” as it featured rappers Bekka and Ji-Yun of idol groups After School and 4-Minute, respectively. The song sounded more like a Bekka and Ji-Yun song, featuring Lee Hyori.

However, there were some songs that were definitely noteworthy, such as duet track, “How Did We Get” featuring DaeSung of idol group, Big Bang. Although I needed to listen to it a couple of times before getting used to Hyori’s vocals, I was able to overlook it due to the beautiful melody and harmonization the two were able to bring forth through this number. I also enjoyed “So Cold” a slick dance number with catchy beats. Hyori’s vocals flowed exceptionally well with the arrangements, solidifying the track.

Taking the album as a whole, I must say it was an average product. There were some memorable tracks worth noting and I was glad that Lee Hyori was brave enough to try out different styles (ie. “Swing” and “How Did We Get”). However, sadly to say, there were way more generic songs than not, which made me give H-Logic a lower score.

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