One of the new boy bands from talent agency JYP, 7-member group 2PM have followed in the footsteps of their related group, 2AM, and have released their debut single. As with most releases from JYP it has received a lot of interest from fans, especially after theyd already whet their appetites with 2AM's single.
The single kicks off with 10 Jeom Manjeome 10 Jeom (better known by international fans as 10 Points Out Of 10 Points), which has been receiving a lot of airplay due to its video. The song itself is a catchy piece of r'n'b music combined with a rocky edge in the form of a guitar part. The chorus has an almost chant of "10 jeom manjeome 10 jeom", which is easy for even non-Korean speakers to pick up and sing along with. It is also evident that all of the members of the group have a very high level of vocal abilities, which makes it a pleasure to listen to. As an opening track, it works very well. It's very memorable so is the perfect introduction to the group.
Only You is a mid-tempo ballad, which contains sweet vocals from the members as well as rap section. The song is a slight disappointment compared to 10 Jeom Manjeome 10 Jeom as it lacks the same kick and sing-a-long qualities. The recording quality itself is not the best either, making the song sound a bit rushed.
For the last new song on the single, the group get back to the upbeat r'n'b sound with Angel. The song features more rap than the other two songs and even bares resemblances to Big Bang's music. The chorus features some pretty impressive harmonies, which have a lot of depth due to the number of members taking part in it. It is a very good song and proves to some extent that this group's strengths definitely lie in their more dancey songs.
The next song is an "old school" version of 10 Jeom Manjeome 10 Jeom. While it is unclear (even from listening to it) what this is supposed to mean, it simply sounds like a lo-fi version of the original song with much more sparse music and less powerful vocals. Considering how good the original song is, it seems a little superfluous to have this song included on the single. After this, the single closes with the instrumentals for 10 Jeom Manjeome 10 Jeom and Only You.
While the single is not completely perfect, it is a very strong debut single. The lead song in itself is worth giving this single a listen, especially if you're not afraid of getting it stuck in your head! If the group continue like this, then doubtless we'll be hearing a lot more from them in the future. On the other hand, the music industry is fickle so only time will tell.
