[UPDATED] BEAST's "Fiction and Fact" is a journey of the heart...

The boys of BEAST --- (L to R): Doo Joon, Dong Woon, Yoseob, Kikwang,
Hyun Seung and Jun Hyung

May 19, 2011 9:05 a.m. MNL (GMT +8)
Again, my head going for a spin right now since there's a ton of new stuff that just went online a while ago, and I didn't know where to begin! Since I already have a review for BEAST's new album, I thought it would be best to post the newly released MV for "Fiction" first. It's a great follow-up to the initial release of "The Fact" --- both songs meant, of course, to bridge each other to create a story (you can read more after the jump!). 


Original post date: May 17, 2011 5:34 p.m.MNL (GMT +8)

I've been looking forward to May 17 for a week or so, since today is the day BEAST releases their first full album "Fiction and Fact". I was a little surprised to learn that since their debut in 2009, BEAST has never released a full album. This isn't unusual though in Korea, where the concept of  a "mini-album" is predominant.  Mini-albums are easier to produce and to scale up, and it allows for multiple releases in a year (making a band more predominant in terms of presence in TV shows like Inkigayo and Music Bank).

I'm glad though that BEAST came out with a full album this time around. What I'm even happier about is that this album isn't filled with rehashed music (which, based on my recent observation, has been a trend with full albums for lots of idol groups. It becomes sort of a compilation of hits --- sure fire seller, right?)... almost all of the songs are brand spankin' new! 

I've published earlier in my blog that BEAST announced their comeback album's release as early as last week, and built anticipation for that by releasing an MV of one of their songs as teaser, "The Fact" (which is part of the title of the album). The song is a pop ballad dealing with another common theme in Kpop --- break-ups and loss. It's a melancholy track expressing the disbelief and the hope of returning a relationship to the way it was before, but faced with the awfully painful reality of a love lost. I'm not surprised that the boys did well in executing a flawless delivery of the song, considering pop ballads are one of their specialties. They have strong vocal range, owing to Yoseob, Dongwoon and Kikwang, but Doo Joon and Hyun Seung are able to deliver as well to complete the package. Jun Hyung, as usual, provides a strong rap base to contrast the relatively slow pace of the ballad. The song itself was a refreshing respite from their usual dance-centered repertoire, characterized by smooth acoustic guitar and drum accompaniment.

The MV itself was relatively simple. It was a simple two-tone setting (brown / sepia tones mixed with black), evoking an old film quality, with the boys singing the song in relatively stationary positions. Not a wink of dancing here since it's a pop ballad. I think the director was gunning for the "memory lane" theme in this MV, since there were a lot of memory flashback-type cut scenes. Matches well with the theme of the song, but I guess I was looking for a more mature and  provocative look for this MV since the song had a darker, fuller groove to it. Well, it's formulaic and safe --- doesn't take away from the fact that it was a great song!

"The Fact" by BEAST (Album Teaser MV with Eng Subs)

What's surprising though at the end of the MV is that it seems to bridge into another song. Apparently the MV of "The Fact" is supposed to be the first part of a longer MV that includes "Fiction", the second track of the album. Although the complete MV hasn't come out yet (which I think will within the next few days... will post an update when that happens), that hasn't really stopped people from posting vids in YouTube with translations (Kpop fans are the best... hehehe!).  

UPDATE!!! "Fiction" by BEAST (MV with Eng Subs)
Awesome new vid! I like the contrast between the futuristic
and the retro scenes, and that desperate last scene in the 
desert... it was epic! You gotta love how these guys are able
to give a great vocal performance, and ham it up big time
in a video! 

The song essentially bridges the theme of "The Fact",  continuing the story of love lost, but focusing on a spirit fighting to gain that love back. It's interesting how the word "Fiction" is interpreted as a person wanting to rewrite the story of his love. Coming from a pop ballad in "The Fact", the song builds on its pace and pretty much becomes a dance ballad, expressing a sense of desperation aligned with the theme. The song has strong electronica elements, which add to the feel of the music, although you won't notice it right away (the background synthesizers establish a slow regular rhythm that contrast with the quick bass beats --- its an interesting approach for this song). 

Going through the entire album, I was amazed that pretty much every song in the album is an interesting  interpretation of the theme of love lost, loneliness and the journey to regain that love. It's impressive to see how BEAST has come up with such a strong collection of tracks for this album. 

My personal favorites? (apart from "The Fact" and "Fiction" of course... I was sold with those two from the beginning! hahaha!)

I'm partial towards songs that play around with acoustic accompaniment and show a strong Latin influence. I'm not surprised then that I found a sweet spot with tracks 8 and 9, "On Rainy Days" (the track earlier released by CUBE Entertainment), and the new version of "Lightless". Both have a laid back vibe, and are extreme cool because it makes the most use of BEAST's great vocals!

"On Rainy Days" by BEAST (Audio with Eng Subs)

"Lightless" by BEAST 

Another song that caught my attention was "Though I Call", track 7 in the album. The song is reminiscent of the love songs sung by boy bands in the 90's, albeit with a modern electronic vibe.

"Though I Call" by BEAST

It's a well done album, and I'm pretty sure you'll have your own favorites since most of the songs were very well done, and offer a wonderful variety of genres --- from dance to ballads. BEAST definitely hit gold with this album! I downloaded the entire album into my iPod, since some of the other songs tend to grow on you the longer you listen to them! Hehehe!