Artist: KARA

Album: “In Love” EP

Label: DSP Media

Year: 2015

Intro

As a KARA fan boy, I feel obligated to keep supporting them even though I know in my heart that they’re a shell of their former selves especially with this album being the second one without both Jiyoung and Nicole. This album also marks the second album for Youngji. For this EP, KARA worked with a brand new team of writers, producers, etc. to create a new sound as Sweet Tune no longer worked with them.

Good

Some of the songs are pretty catchy. “Starlight” and “I Luv Me” are stand out tracks that could have been singles had they chosen those songs to promote them. I also liked that the two longest reigning members Gyuri and Seungyeon made a song together.

Bad

Youngji’s rapping just feels out of place especially on “I Luv Me” and “Peek-A-Boo”. In “Peek-A-Boo”, Youngji allows Gyuri to carry the entire song by herself.

“Cupid” wasn’t as strong as a lead single as some of their previous works. It just didn’t hold weight compared to the past.

Overview

I still personally can’t warm up to Youngi. It also bugged me that she took Nicole’s role as the “rapper” of the group. The old team dynamic is also not what it used to be as Youngji is still the outsider trying to find her way within the group. It kind of showed in the Korean charts as it didn’t do well their previous albums.

Overall rating: 3/5

Reviewed by: Timtastic