Album Review- f(x)'s "Red Light"

f(x)'s third album is here at long last and the phrase "OMG YAAAS SLAY GURLS SLAY" has never been more appropriate.

"Red Light" is the title track of the album and reception of the song has been mixed; some think it's great, others think it's terrible and for some it's been a grower. Personally? I really like it. I'm not even sure why but I really do and it's very different to what they usually release and it's something new. Plus the pre-chorus and bridge is fantastic.

For those who didn't like "Red Light", "Milk" might be more up their alley. "Milk" is much more typical of f(x)'s usual style, and that's by no means bad. It's groovy, smooth and mind-numbingly catchy. It creeps in and sticks and soon even the "hoo-hoo"s in the background of the raps will be ingrained into your brain. I was mortified when I realised I was involuntarily joining in the with the whistle in the chorus, it's just that catchy you have no choice to sing/whistle/hoot along to the infectious tune. And it's absolutely brilliant. Loads of people think this should have been the title track, and whilst I think it might have been slightly underwhelming as a single (it reminds me of Rum Pum Pum Pum a lot, am I the only one who thinks that?) it definitely fulfils the role of "track 2 song that in many ways is better than the title track" which is on every single f(x) album.                                                                                                                                     

Butterfly takes another direction; despite it's title it's quite dark and slightly eerie, which actually fits very well with the promotional photos and atmosphere for the album. It's quite similar to "Shadow" from "Pink Tape" so I'm sure it'll be popular with fans. 

Next up comes "Rainbow" and my god did this one throw me off. After the relatively calm "Butterfly" ended I was greeted with "KONGDAK KONGDAK KONGDAK KONGDAK KONGDAK MUJIGAE" and after turning up the volume for Butterfly I was close to having a heart attack. Unfortunately, trying to look up "kongdak" just comes up with lyrics to this song, so I'll never know what's up with that rainbow. This song is so weird it makes "Red Light" look horribly generic; it goes from a break, to a drop, then the verses, then to a surprisingly smooth and relaxed chorus before going back to the drop. And somehow it works. I don't know how but it does.

Track number 5 is the wonderful "All Night", and if any song should have been the title track instead of "Red Light" it's this one. The retro beat is great and easily appreciated, it's catchy, it's simple and it's nothing short of amazing. This is the song on the album that you'll be singing along to on your own or with friends, and it won't fail to lift the mood. It's nice to see a balance in lyric distribution and Amber's rap isn't even that bad; I can't even think of any negatives for this song. It doesn't even do anything special yet it's definitely one of the strongest songs in this album.

The next two songs, "Vacance" and "Spit It Out", are unfortunately the weakest in the album, especially the latter which was the only song I couldn't remember when I started writing this review. Neither are bad, in fact they're both pretty decent, but they just didn't stand out to me like the others did.

"Boom Bang Boom"'s main draw is definitely the chorus. It may just be "BOOM BANG BOOM" four times, but it works because of the buildup, or should that be lack of buildup. The suddenness makes the chorus a lot more effective, especially since the rest of the song isn't loud or dramatic. Again, it isn't the best but the quirk instrumentation helps it.

"Dracula" THIS IS MORE LIKE IT. Forget Milk, this is where it's at. The verses are intense sing-rapping (okay that sounds really stupid I hope that makes sense) and then transition into a fantastic pre-chorus before going to the deceptively simple chorus. It may just be "do-do-do"s and "Dracula-la-la-la-la" but it works really well and it's a great contrast to the fast verses and the long, drawn-out notes in the pre-chorus. By the end everything piles up and ends magnificently.

"Summer Lover" is the penultimate song on this album. It's nothing remarkable but still pleasant and at least memorable unlike "Spit It Out" thanks to a nice chorus.

Finally comes "Paper Heart". It's not quite a ballad but a more relaxed than the other songs on this album. The song is apparently about someone who acts strong on the outside but is fragile on the inside. The lyrics are sweet and the song itself is charming as well. This is the song on the album that shows their vocals best and it's a lovely ending to the album. Surprisingly it's one of the strongest on the album as well, which doesn't often happen in a kpop album so it's something to note.

Some of the songs on "Red Light" definitely won't be for everyone; don't be surprised if one of the songs I've said is a better track doesn't click. However, there will surely be at least be a few on the album that you find great. is it good as "Pink Tape"? Personally I'd actually say yes because whilst golden tracks like "Signal", "Step" and "Airplane" are hard to beat, some of the tracks on here come awfully close or are on par, whilst even the weaker tracks on here are better than "Kick" and "Snapshot". f(x) can be proud of this one, because "Red Light" well well be one of the best albums of the year