Miss A aims for the top with their new album, "A Class"!

The girls of Miss A (L to R): Fei, Min, Jia and Suzy

If there's one person who's been waiting impatiently for a comeback by Miss A, that would be me. When Miss A stepped into the scene in 2010, they broke the mold for girl idol groups. They projected a strong independent female image, which was very different from many of the girl groups in the industry.

They make a comeback with their first full-length studio album titled "A Class" which was released on July 18. Based on initial figures from digital sales charts in Korea, their album has quickly risen in the charts after the release of their launching single and MV from the album, "Good Bye Baby".

When Miss A first debuted in July 2010, that was around the same time when I was beginning to explore and listen to other Korean idol groups and artists. Their debut single, "Bad Girl Good Girl" was very different from the usual songs from other girl groups. It was about women knowing who they are and what they want, and that was an entirely refreshing message to convey to a relatively conservative Korean audience. It was as risk that paid off for JYP Entertainment.

Since then, Miss A has been releasing digital singles that have gone on to be hits too. They've won awards for their work too from different bodies such as The MNET Asian Music Awards, The Golden Disk Awards, and the Korean Music Awards. Considering all of this success, it's still a wonder to me why they haven't released a full album any earlier.

Miss A - Bad Girl Good Girl (MV with English Subs)

"A Class" is a culmination of an entire year of hard work for the girls, bringing together their hits plus some new work for their fans and supporters to enjoy. The album has 13 tracks in total, consisting of tracks from their 1st and 2nd mini-albums (tracks 5-12), and 3 brand new singles (the last track being a remix of "Good Bye Baby").

The first single from the album, "Good Bye Baby", is probably the best song I've heard come from Miss A just yet. The song is all about someone deciding to take control of their life after realizing how much they're being taken for granted (hmmm... I think that'll touch a nerve with a whole lot of people... hahaha!). The track has a catchy bass beat with the usual electro-synth work; but what brings everything together is the wonderful vocals of the girls. It's a good mix of their individual singing (I like the fact that I'm hearing more of Jia singing in this album) and harmonization.

Miss A - Good Bye Baby (MV with English Subs)

The first track in the album, "One To Ten", follows the usual kind of songs that Miss A is known for - electro-dance pop. It follows the usual theme of heartbreak in the album. From the look of things if you follow the singles in sequence, it tells a story; the first track focusing on the pain of discovering that the person you love has somebody else.

Miss A - One to Ten (Audio with English Subs)

The third single in the album, "Help Me", is another favorite of mine. Apart from slowing down the pace for the girls to mid-tempo, it incorporates many elements of R&B and hip-hop together with their usual electro-pop instrumentation. I absolutely love the music and vocal arrangement for this track --- it's the kind of song that I'd like to listen to over and over again in my iPod.

Miss A - Help Me (Audio with English Subs)

Although the album is generally a compendium of the first two mini-albums of Miss A, I'd have to give it to JYP Entertainment for taking the time to develop great new tracks for the girls. It adds more flavor to their already interesting song book. This album is definitely going to chart for a pretty long time.