Super Junior - Sorry, Sorry

Despite their popularity both in Korea and around the world, 13-member boy band/entertainment group Super Junior has been regarded in the past by critics and non-fans as somewhat of a joke. Despite the members' obvious talents and their music being normally very solid, the group's large size and lack of a consistent image have led to much criticism in the past. Comparing some of the group's previous releases (TWINS, Miracle, Don't Don, and the sub-group Super Junior - Happy track COOKING? COOKING!), it is easy to see where some of this criticism is coming from. Up until now, as talented as they are, Super Junior have been somewhat of a mismatched jigsaw puzzle, collecting little bits of everything rather than cementing their own image first.

While they have been aiming to dispel some of this criticism with live performances and genre-focused subgroups, Super Junior told fans from the beginning that Vol. 3 was to be the album that finally cemented the group's image, showing a more mature side of the members. In fact, before the album's release, the group released a statement asking people to ignore the stereotypes of the past and to listen for themselves before judging.

The hype surrounding the album was by all accounts huge, and it seemed that it had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, hype often results in disappointment, but in the case of Super Junior's Vol. 3, there's not a lot to be disappointed about.

As is usually the case with Super Junior albums, the title track doesn't really seem to fit in with the rest of the album. SORRY, SORRY, Vol. 3's title track and its first single, is, in comparison to the rest of the R&B-based album, a jungle-inspired, electronic dance song, completely different to anything the band has released in the past. This is the sort of song you would expect to hear in a club, but at the same time it is strongly melodic, despite a chorus that is comprised almost entirely of one note. It's also notable as their first promotional track since Miracle in 2005 to not feature a rapped bridge.

In fact, as an album, Vol. 3 is a lot more vocally-based than previous efforts, with only a few songs featuring rap vocals. Additionally, this vocal focus has caused a shift in group dynamics; rather than the lead vocals of Vol. 3 being shared relatively equally between all thirteen members, the lead parts are split mainly between between Yesung, Sungmin, Donghae, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun, with other members mainly providing harmonic and back-up vocals. However, for some songs, like the nostalgic HAPPY TOGETHER, the vocals are split up as they have been in the past, featuring a wider selection of the members. Unfortunately, however, neither Heechul nor Kibum seems to feature widely on the album, official reports stating that these members have been busy with acting and personal commitments. This has left a lot of long-time fans of those members particularly disappointed.

Despite being more vocally-focused, Vol. 3 is less ballad-packed than its predecessor Vol. 2. Only three songs on the album are the big, sweeping ballads that Vol. 2 had a few too many of, and while there are other ballad-like pieces, they're often underlaid by a strong beat. Group-favourite RESET is a good example of this type of ballad. Although it maintains the type of sad, nostalgic vocals the group often displays, the strong R&B beat behind makes it a song that can still be danced to. Featuring U-Know and Micky of Dong Bang Shin Ki, the Super Junior - K.R.Y. ballad Heartquake is another of these R&B ballads, mixing the soulful voices of the three-member subgroup with the subdued, soft rap vocals of the featuring members.

The album's standout track though is arguably MONSTER, a cover version of German pop group Monrose's song Just Like That, which itself is sampled from the 1996 hit You're Not Alone by Olive. Perhaps one of the darkest pieces lyrically that Super Junior have recorded so far, this sensuous song maintains a powerful sound throughout, with the members' voices effectively conveying the song's darkness, even for those who don't understand Korean.

The members' emotive voices are evident also on the track that follows immediately after this, the sweeping ballad WHAT IF. Featuring only four of the group members - Yesung, Sungmin, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun - the vocals in this song are powerful and heartbreaking, telling of a painful, one-sided love. Of the ballads on the album, WHAT IF has proven to be a favourite so far among fans, and from even one listen of this song, it's easy to see why.

It's hard to pick a weak spot on this album. Stylistically, HAPPY TOGETHER and SHINING STAR don't work as well as many of the other songs, as they seem to be more of a nod to where Super Junior have come from, as opposed to where they're aiming to go. However, given the drastic change in sound overall, it was a nod that was needed, and the cheerful, poppy tone of SHINING STAR provides perfect closure for the album.

That said, it may take seasoned fans of Super Junior a few listens to truly appreciate the group's latest work. At first listen, the stark maturity of Vol. 3 can be confusing, and it's easy to be dissatisfied after playing the album through just the once. For many older fans of the group, it may take two or even three listens to feel comfortable with the lack of stylistic change every other song or so. After that, though, it's all too easy to claim this album as Super Junior's strongest, most stylistically-coherent effort to date.

If this is a vein that Super Junior as a group wishes to continue in, there's no reason that they shouldn't go from strength to strength with every new album from now. For old fans and new, even for those who haven't enjoyed Super Junior's music in the past, Vol. 3 is an album that more than deserves a chance to be heard. Who knows? It may even change your opinion.