Their debut single may not have been particularly strong, but it was solid and set the tone for what fans could expect in the future.
SS501 is a five member boyband from DSP Entertainment, the same label that launched successful groups such as FinKL and Sechkies. Pronounced as "Double S 501" it stands for Singer Songwriter 5 (members) until eternity... or something similarly corny although they have also used Super Star 501 and simply Double S in their songs. From just their name you can tell this is a rather odd group.
SS501 made their debut in June 2005 with their self-titled single which contained 6 tracks (5 vocal and 1 instrumental). The first track on the album is Gyeonggo (Warning) which is the first song and music video they promoted. It's a dance track with a catchy refrain that fit their image of being kinda cool without being over the top. They don't sing together as a group much in this song; rather, each member gets a nice amount of lines to themselves. It's a good strategy to help new fans get familiar with the members and which voice belongs to whom.
Switching it up with a ballad is Never Again, a mellow song about not wanting to love again after being hurt by a cheating lover. This is probably one of the best songs of the single because their voices shine as they convey feelings of pain and regret. The music video was set to a simple montage of professional group photos and candid images of the members. Then there is Everything which is the kind of sweet love song you'd expect from a boyband with lyrics such as "I'm thinking of you whatever you do". It's surprisingly nice though and has a music video too, this time comprised of various candid footage of the members.
There were a couple of songs that weren't bad but weren't particularly memorable either. Passion has the sound of an experiment in style that doesn't quite fit with the rest of the songs on the single, while Take U High is easier to listen to than Passion with a better beat but still not something worth pressing repeat for.
Overall it may not have been a particularly strong debut single, but the majority of it was solid, securing SS501's place at the top of the music charts. Although they dabble with various genres like ballads, Gyeonggo defined the group's musical style or niche as SS501 continued to rise to stardom with successful dance hits.
