2ne1's new album *late* review

Today is kind of a review and analyze day.
After two years of whatever YG was doing, 2ne1 finally released their second full album (almost five years into their careers...that says a lot).

Crush, the title of their album, debuted with great numbers, a good single, and a tour. It did so well, that it even topped the iTunes chart in the US (that is an accomplishment, but don't let it get to you), and debuted at #60 on the Billboard 200 (which is the chart for albums, and that placement is pretty damn high). Regardless of how many wins they get for this comeback on Music Shows...2ne1 came out a winner in this.
When it comes to the album, for me I went through stages to get where I am today. At first I was in love with the album. I thought it was a a great cohesive body of work...but then I listened to it again...and again...and again...
And I found problems. Small ones.
So where do I stand today?
 First off the album starts with Crush, the title track (not the promotional single). For it to be a full song, it works just as good as the opening track. Crush has an energy that reminds you of 2ne1 in a sense. Kind of chaotic, not fully fleshed out, but entertaining. The song is loud and brassy and energetic. It left me excited for what was next. Unfortunately Crush does not really describe the album at all. It doesn't even describe 2ne1 on the album. While I like it, and it does work in a sense musically, eh...we get a 180 immediately.

All that bravada and boss bitch attitude falls so quickly to the way side with "experimental" pop record Come Back Home. Originally I loved it, but had some issues I could not pin point. After a few more listens, I found that Come Back Home was very...ambitious. What this song did right was take sounds that were more solemn in nature, and allowed the girls to sing over that. 2ne1 themselves did everything right, CL specifically gave me a lot, and I was okay with that. And in stand alone sections I appreciate what they did. I won't lie I loved the intro and first verse. The xylophone (I think) just gave off this swaying feel. And then when the beat drops>>>>
Shit. And to top it off, CL comes in and gives off the best part of the song to be honest. The reggae element of the song is played with. We have more cliche/traditional (which ever way you want to assess it) in the verses, the chorus take a more pop lean, and the break down basically breaks it down and then recreates it in this electronic sound. The chorus itself feels like it wants to be epic, but I think the girls don't have the skill vocally for that. The breakdown is nice by itself, but was too much in the song. That second one could have been a bridge or something. The final chorus raises the key only slightly, and then the song ends. The song has nothing epic after CL comes in on the first verse, and it coast for the most part. It's nice, but I kind of wanted a little more. Just a little.

Gotta Be You was supposed to be the other promotional track, but they have only performed it once...sad because this song was obviously meant to be the mainstream pop song. It is very poppy, very dance oriented. In my opinion much more focused sound wise. I think with Come Back Home, they were trying to create this moment, but with Gotta Be You, it came a lot more naturally. I do with 2ne1 could/would step it up vocally. A lot of the times the song could benefit from a little more spark. CL's two verses are nice, the second one being the best. I had trouble identifying Minzy at times in the song. I found that CL, Minzy, and Bom all have slight similarities in tone. Bom would come in, and then Minzy, but it was immediate and I still thought it was Bom, though it was an overall improvement vocally. It's a nice song, that I could see tearing up the charts if given the right promo/video.

If I Were You is the first(technically second if you count Come Back Home) ballad of the album, and it was written by CL. Nice. Dara starts the song off, which is strange. This is one of those songs where I wished more oomph vocally. CL gave it. CL was feeling it. The others sounded good. But it just felt like CL was somewhere else emotionally, and vocally. One thing I don't like are the ad libs in the background during the chorus. They are so choppy, and misplaced, and come off with poor execution. Also the chorus has this slight dramatic feel to it...that I don't think the girls can give just yet. I think CL can, despite being a technically poor vocalist herself. I don't want to sit here and praise CL all day, but she gave levels in this song.

Good To You acts as the sister track to If I Were You. I honestly could not imagine one without the other. If I Were You is the grand ballad for drama, Good To You takes those emotions, and makes you sit in them in the dark. The song in my opinion takes the strengths of the girls and puts them to good use. Dara is on the chorus, which is usually a bad idea always for a weaker vocalist, however she rides through it with her sweeter voice. This song is much more focused in mu opinion, cleaner in sound, and all elements work together. G-Dragon contributed to this song, and honestly it shows the level of mastery over their craft. CL's is nice, but very unfocused in my opinion, it wants to be ambitious and tries for this grand moment, but doesn't get there. Good To You sets limits that 2ne1 can work with, and they all give smooth, sensual deliveries.

Mental Breakdown follows as the next transition in the album. THe CL solo also feels like the end of album (explain later). Essentially, it is a dance track, very electronic, and a rap song. I have to commend CL because, while I prefer her as a singer, and people have been giving her a hard time because she kind of fell off as a rapper, she stepped up to the plate on this album, and Mental Breakdown is a testament to that I think. I essentially have no issues with this song...other than the whole Qur'an scandal. Other than that...nothing. I twerk to this song, and I think it is one of the better solos from their idol rappers in a minute.
*Side note I would love to do a piece on what regional styles of rap do these rappers take influence from. I have yet to see a southern rap influenced Korean Rapper yet...*
After Mental Breakdown, we take a trip to album rejects past...aka Happy.

Happy after Mental Breakdown feels off, for several reasons. First off, the entire first half of the album has a sound to it. While there are many genre shifts (dance pop, R&B, reggae, electronic, etc.), they all work together. Musically they all have this dark, mature feel to them. Comparing to songs from last year even there is such a difference between Falling In Love and Good To You. Even Missing You feels disconnected from their songs. This is mostly likely due to these songs probably being made not too long ago. I do think Missing You was made earlier in 2013, and released later. Most of the first part of Crush had to be late November-early December. So when we get to Happy, essentially we are getting a taste at what was another album. Happy is very vibrant which is off compared to the tracks one through six. However Happy is not a bad song. It is far from it. In fact it ties with Good To You as my favorite off the album overall. It just sticks out to me. For anyone that does not know the song is about accepting a love as over, and while not really happy about it, you don't have ill will over said break up. It's nice and refreshing and the production is cute. It also allows for a happy and brighter 2ne1 on the album, especially after most of the songs leave them in pain, or a craze.

Next we have Scream (Korean version). My overall least favorite song off the album. It sounds exactly like 2ne1 2011/2012. That's not bad, but this song does just like Happy and sticks out. However unlike Happy, it doesn't have that refreshing quality to it. I don't hate the song, but this definitely was meant for another album.

Baby I Miss You is a song a I love. It is breezy and smooth, and once again allows for the girls to sit in comfort and sing without issues. Plus this is another CL creation. In my opinion it does better than If I Were You. The beat is just so sexy and like new wave recreated 90's R&B, but not to the point where it sounds dated. This song is a song I can vibe to without getting sick of it.
Now while I like it, there is one minor thing, that unfortunately becomes an issue for me. Baby I Miss You is a breezy and solid track, but is very fillerish.
When it comes to fillers, I have the personal philosophy that not everything can be a single, and not every song can stand alone. Some songs need assistance. Or work as a way to build up to something greater. The purpose of a filler, for me, is to make sure the album runs smoothly. You can have a lot of great songs on your album, but if they don't make sense together, it just makes the experience wonky for me (*See Beyonce's B'Day album). So what does this have to do with Baby I Miss You?
This song is a filler, that has nothing to live for. That sounds bad, but there is no song that follows for Baby I Miss You to serve a purpose. It feels like a track that you would listen to, like, and then the next track comes in and you get your life. However...what follows is not what BIMY can benefit.  

Come Back Home (Unplugged) feels like that secret bonus track, and feels kind of disconnected for me. Why? Because there is something missing between it and the preceding track. I almost think that if Baby I Miss You had come before Happy then I would be singing a different tune...but alas.
Come Back Home (Unplugged) is the final song on the album, and it is nice. I never got the point of taking up space with tracks like this (or instrumentals). Still the song is more focused in my opinion.
While the reggae vibe was the main point of the original version, it got played with way too much to really be effective in my opinion. Too many genre shifts and mixing to make it work. However here, the song focuses on the acoustic vibe, while adding strings in the chorus (usually strings are like advanced sad instruments or something). CL's rap verse is nice and takes the place of where the electronic breakdown kicks in the original.

The album is nice, but I wish somethings were dealt with better. There was obvious ambition that could have been dealt with better, but overall it is not bad. I think the main thing is that there is a section of this album that was obviously meant for 2012/2013. It just is a noticeable point when listening, that I wish wasn't there. It's really only two songs, but they take the mood of the album and switch it, and I can never really get it back. That being said they are not awful songs, just misplaced.
2ne1 the group did a nice job with what they were given. I wish they had more spark as singers (sans CL, who stood out to me as a singer) when it was needed, but overall I can't really complain beyond what is written here.
Rating: 3.9/5
Faves: Good To You, Mental Breakdown, Happy, Baby I Miss You, Come Back Home (Unplugged)