Jyongri – Love Forever
I just got Jyongri’s album “Love Forever”. After giving it a spin, I decided to share some of my impressions.
"Love Forever" CD Only Edition
Overall
I was pretty disappointed with this album. Jyongri’s first album was no masterpiece, but it showed that she was very talented and held a lot of potential. Thus, my expectations for her second album were very high. However this album suggests very little growth or maturity in her songwriting since having recorded the first. I just don’t get it…it’s like a step backward. It’s not that this album is horrible; I liked a few of the tracks. It’s just a feeling of general underdevelopment on all of them, especially because the choruses of many of the songs felt pretty lackluster to me even when the rest of the song was perfectly fine. And I must say, there is quite the overdose of ballads. Jyongri has a lot of talent, but she has a long way to go if she’s ever going get the kind of sales she deserves. Out of all the tracks, I like You’re the One, Unchanging Love and Lullaby For You (in that order) the best.
Track by Track Review
1. Love Forever
Ummm….I was a little taken aback by this intro. The vocals are very nice but the lyrics seemed a little out of place with the tune.
***
2. Tender Touch
The transition between Love Forever and this song is good, I almost didn’t notice this song start. The problem with this song is that I couldn’t wait for it to end. It was boring as heck. Perhaps it would mean more to me if I understand the lyrics but, I think even then I would have had a lot of trouble keeping my hand off the ‘next’ button.
***
3. Kissing Me
This song has a lot more momentum than the first, and I love the opening chords. The chorus, however, is disappointing. The verses and the climb leading up to the chorus are possibly the best parts of the song; they feature her characteristic harmonies and are actually very sweet. But then the chorus starts and I’m just like, ehhhhhhh. They had me expecting a lot more than Jyongri actually ended up delivering. Disappointing, especially since it was a single.
***
4. Unchanging Love ～君がいれば～ (with Whisper)
Possibly my favorite song on this album behind “You’re the One”. It’s a ballad, that’s certain, but it lacks all the draggy uninteresting quality of “Tender Touch”. I’m not fond of the chorus of this song either. I find the way she hits the notes on the words “Unchanging Love” kind of weird. (Maybe I’m just weird myself O_o) But the build up to the chorus, when she sings:
でもね 一言で 少し勇気が湧く
ありのままでいいんだね I wanna hold on
That part, as well as its counterpart in the second verse, are both lovely.
****
5. Catch Me
Holy Moley. This song is just downright annoying. I have no idea what she was trying to do with it, and the chorus is just, irritating. She’s practically wailing in it. Then it just ends out of nowhere. At least it seems to, which is unusual, seeing as its a whole 3 minutes and 57 seconds long. I think I was too busy cringing to notice the time passing.
**
6. Lullaby For You
On first listen, this song served its purpose – it put me straight to sleep. A second listen, however, has raised my initial opinion. It’s a actually a very beautiful ballad, and catchy if you listen to it often enough. I love the short piano solo after the first chorus.
****
7. 私の太陽 (Watashi No Taiyou)
What is with that string sounding thing at the beginning? And the electric guitar throughout? The whole thing reminds me of a Celine Dion song from the 90’s. Not that I don’t like Celine Dion, but it happens to be 2008 now and not even Celine uses those old tricks anymore. And then the electric guitar in the chorus – so out of place. I do not like at all.
**
8. 泣いてもいいよ (Naitemo Ii Yo)
This song combines more of that annoying 90’s thing with another boring ballad.
***
9. You’re the One
I love the way Jyongri sings “You are the ooooone” in the background, it’s adorable! The song is upbeat and catchy, much more on the pop side than all the throwback ballad tracks that precede it. Once again, however, I think a lackluster chorus ruins what is otherwise very well done. Why does nothing else she’s done have a chorus as good as Possession? That song has, so far, proved a tough act to follow even for herself.
****
10. Lovers DRIVE
“Come on take the lover’s drive with me?” Jyongri, did you really run out of serviceable lyrics that fast? As if that strange beginning wasn’t enough, the rest of the song itself is a cheese-fest. For some songs this kitchen-sink cute approach works, but here it’s just downright annoying. What the hell is a ‘lover’s drive’ anyway?
**
11. The Chills
That whole weird repeaty, monotone verse is irritating. The beat is okay, but the song itself is not at all memorable. Shouldn’t a song about “the chills” give me chills?
**
12. Still in Love
A quiet piano ballad. It’s actually quite pretty, but I feel that as a listener, by the time you’ve gotten here you’re just tired. There is very little momentum on the CD leading to this point, and normally it takes a few good upbeat songs to help me get ready for a quiet transition to the end. Here, I find myself ill-prepared.
***
13. STARS
Okay, by this song I’ve pretty much given up. A mid-tempo ballad that can’t quite get me to care. And the whole “in the sky” repeated in the background later in the song is annoying.
**
You can learn more about Jyongri using her article on Wiki.theppn.
Leave a Reply