B1A4 --- Be The One, All For One (at last... a new guy group!)

Presenting the boys of B1A4 --- Jinyoung, Baro, Gongchan, Sandeul and CNU

I've seen quite a number of group debuts since I started listening to Kpop (which is around a year and a half), and what I've noticed is that it seems easier to form a girl group than a guy group. Seriously --- no sexist mumbo jumbo intended.

It does make sense though. When it comes to pop and dance, girl groups tend to find a larger audience since it's easier to create chemistry and vocal harmony between women (although it's just as easily feigned than real... hehehe!). For men, it's harder due to a couple of things --- One - not too many men have tenor or falsetto baritone voices that have an ear to blend with their bassists. Second point - Putting just good looking men together doesn't necessarily mean that they will sell in the long term. Chemistry is key both in voice and image.

B1A4 is a group that, in my own humble opinion, fits the bill.

They made a splash in Kpop-dom when they made a media debut without even showing their real faces. They were initially launched through a webtoon / manga-esque online comic. It was a refreshing marketing strategy, and it sold the boys pretty well (considering that, just like the Japanese, Koreans love to read comics!). You can read the webtoon with translations in the vids below.

After the webtoon, WM Entertainment slowly revealed the individual members of the group through online releases in their website (b1a4.com). My first reaction when I saw their pictures was "damn, they're so young!" Their maknae (most junior member), Gongchan, is only 18 years old; and their oldest members, Leader Jinyoung and CNU, are both 20. Considering that most pop idols in Korea

train for the job at least 2-3 years before they actually debut, that means that they've worked with their agency as early as when they were around 15-16 years old. I find the entire system fascinating since they turn out to be all-around entertainers who are skilled at the trifecta of showbiz talents --- singing, dancing and acting (or hosting). They aren't just pretty faces (which is such a plus hahaha!) - they've got the chops to really get people to notice them.

And oh yeah... I did mention that they're unbelievably cute, right? Hahaha!

I guess because of their age and the fact they're new, their management company has opted to focus on their "freshness". Bright, colorful, playful and youthful --- that's what B1A4 (or "Be The One, All For One") is all about. Watching the video for their launch track, "O.K.", pretty much summed up that observation. What better theme to launch a young guy group than a bunch of cute guys going after the same girl, right? It fits the song just right (since the song is your basic anthem of a guy falling in love with his ideal girl), and it features the boys doing usual guy stuff --- rocking it out in a garage, basketball, and dancing it out to impress their girl. I liked the idea that the video ended with a few cute NGs ("no-good", or cut out scenes with mistakes, as they refer to it in Korea) that show how playful the guys are with each other.

The song "O.K." pretty much characterizes their general style of music --- pop mixed with a good amount of rock elements such as eletric guitar riffs and heavy drum work. Some parts of the song reminded me of a little bit of the Gin Blossoms and No Doubt (both groups having had playful melodies; it makes some sense to make at least a slight comparison). But then again, the theme of the song itself is very attuned to the Kpop world. The song gave a chance for all of us to have a look-see at each of the vocal talents of the boys of B1A4 --- vocal range from their main singers Sandeul, Jinyoung and Gongchan, and their rappers CNU and Baro were great (both have different styles - CNU's the playful rapper, while Baro's a bit more like TOP of Big Bang or Kibum of Super Junior --- dark, and a bit hulkish).

Apart from "O.K.", their debut album "Let's Fly", also has other stand out tracks as well. Their 3rd track, "Only Learned Bad Things", has a strong pop-rock and R&B flavor, which points out to the strong influence of groups like Big Bang on these kids. I like the arrangement and the electronic stops / "bangs" (I honestly don't know how to call them hahaha!) that added tension to the song. What made it different from "O.K." is that their vocal range was tested more with this song, and allowed them to blend together as a group (as opposed to showcasing their individual talents).

"Only One", their last track, is a ballad. I didn't really expect a group that's being marketed the way they are to include one. Then again, they should be able to show more range and variety as newbies, so throwing in a ballad was a good idea I guess. Again, it's got a strong pop-rock inclination with electronic guitar and drums forming the basic underbelly of the rhythm. I was surprised that some of the parts were sung in English (impressed me a lot), and the vocal blending was pretty smooth. Wish I knew what they were saying though since there isn't any translation available yet online (since it's a new album --- gotta wait until somebody finds the time and interest to do that hehehe!).

Overall, it's an impressive initial foray. 3 out of 5 tracks in my iPod is not bad at all. Hehehe!

B1A4 Webtoon with English Subs

"O.K." by B1A4

"Only Learned Bad Things" by B1A4

"Only One" by B1A4