Kim Hyunjoong and Kim Jun return to singing once more for this Boys Over Flowers mini-album
There are perhaps very few people interested in Korean entertainment that have not at least heard of the TV drama that has recently held the country enthralled - Kkotboda Namja or Boys Over Flowers. Adapted from the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango, Kkotboda Namja has proved to be insanely popular, and amongst the cast are two singer-turned-actors; Kim Hyunjoong from SS501 and Kim Jun from T-Max. The two singers play characters who are part of F4, a group of four friends that play a central role in the drama.
Two full OSTs of the TV drama were released, featuring songs by SS501 and T-Max amongst others, and these two OSTs were shortly followed by the four track mini-album F4 SPECIAL EDITION. The mini-album features Kim Hyunjoong, A&T and T-Max.
F4 SPECIAL EDITION begins with Haengbokiran, sung by SS501 member Kim Hyunjoong, who plays the character of Yoon Jihoo in the TV drama. Haengbokiran is a ballad, accompanied mainly by piano and acoustic guitar, making Kim Hyunjoong's vocals the focal point of the song. Those who are familiar with SS501 will be able to note easily just how much the singer's voice has improved - but while Kim Hyunjoong's voice does the song justice, the song does not do itself justice in return. Slow and meandering, it fails to deliver the emotion one may expect from such a ballad.
Haengbokiran is followed by the more upbeat Gaseumi Eotteohge Dwaettnabwa, sung by A&T, a project group formed between A'ST1's Im Hanbyul and T-Max's Shin Minchul. Gaseumi Eotteohge Dwaettnabwa follows along with the faster paced ballad style that is often heard in Korean TV dramas. Although it has a catchy beat and the vocals are smoothly done, it will fail to stand out to anyone who has listened to other TV drama soundtrack songs that are similar in style.
Depending on your tastes, the highlight of the album may be T-Max's track Nappeun Maeumeul Mokgehae, which is included as two different versions: a ballad version, and a dance version. The ballad version both begins and ends with a spoken monologue by Kim Jun, who also plays the character Song Woobin in the TV drama. Although soft and slow, and including piano and acoustic guitar like Haengbokiran, Nappeun Maeumeul Mokgehae is kept moving forward by the steady beat that the drums provide. Backed faintly in the chorus with strings, this ballad has much more impact than the first track, and T-Max's vocals shine crisp and clear. It is without a doubt the strongest vocally of all the tracks.
The dance version however of Nappeun Maeumeul Mokgehae is, as a whole, weaker than its ballad version. With the exception of Kim Jun's monologue and rap, it sounds as though the ballad version of the song was simply sped up to fit the music. It is without a doubt the weakest track on the entire mini album.
As a whole, F4 SPECIAL EDITION was a nicely put together mini-album that is sure to satisfy Kkotboda viewers, as well as fans of SS501 and T-Max.
