[Review] ‘Mr. Simple’ by Super Junior
by Rowdyruff @ allkpop on August 8, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Super Junior are professionals at melting entire K-Pop communities to bubbling puddles of goo. They hold more power in the palm of their hands than most boy bands combined, and so it comes as no surprise that news of their comeback completely dominated the international K-Pop community. Needless to say, the concept (as wacky as it may be) served its purpose – to grab all eyes and ears towards Super Junior like moths to a neon-colored flame.
With the release of ‘Mr. Simple‘, Super Junior’s fifth studio album, consider yourself jet-packing to the light and getting fried.
Their image was loud and eclectic, bold and bewildering. It left me wondering, how would this album actually sound? Is it as coo-coo bananas as what I’m looking at?
Well, let’s find out.
—
Track List:
01 Mr. Simple
02 오페라 (Opera)
03 라라라라 (Be My Girl)
04 Walkin’
05 폭풍 (Storm)
06 어느새 우린 (Good Friends)
07 결투 (Feels Good)
08 기억을 따라 (Memories)
09 해바라기 (Sunflower)
10 엉뚱한 상상 (White Christmas)
11 Y
12 My Love, My Kiss, My Heart
13 태완미 (太完美: Perfection) (Bonus Track)
SM Entertainment seemed to know that this album would be Super Junior’s last before members Heechul and Leeteuk march into their military service. And so, to help them brave this impending departure, SM cooked up one final single which they could wreak havoc with, just for old time’s sake.
In truth, Super Junior’s title track is hectic and full of frenzy. It features a stu-stu-stu-stuttering instrumental and a pair of verses that are as glitchy. We hear most members chiming in through the first verse – from Siwon biting through his lines to Donghae quacking ever-so-endearingly. Then the chorus hits, hammering all the synths, dings, and vocals together in a synchronized fashion to the eighth notes; it’s resulted in something like controlled chaos.
There’s an unmistakable familiarity to “Mr. Simple” that I’m sure hasn’t gone unnoticed. “Mr. Simple” is at its core, a complete rehashing of “Sorry, Sorry” (2009). It was done with “Bonamana” (2010), which wasn’t that blatant of a copy, but it certainly came from the same archetype. Now you have version no. 3, which may actually contain samples from the two.
It doesn’t quite venture out of what Super Junior have released in the past, and so it’s not as groundbreaking as one would have hoped. But its energy and loudness is right in line with what Super Junior always seem to bring to the stages of K-Pop. “Mr. Simple” is like any other SM lead single, put together to be experienced in a setting where elements like choreography, special effects, and the members themselves are enough to distract from the otherwise recycled aspects of the song.
Elsewhere, the second track, “Opera“, finds its roots in another previously-released SM track.
“Opera” begins by setting speakers ablaze with a set of alarms that have a choppy, robotic feel that sounds vaguely familiar. “Opera” has less extraneous details than the title track, but it sounds like a hybrid of “Perfection” and f(x)’s ”NU ABO“. By the 30-second mark, I found myself waiting for the lines “Hysteric, Hysteric” to kick in, followed by “Na na na na na na na na“.
Something about this song makes me feel claustrophobic. It’s very boxed in, if you will, and just having the whole thing throbbing in time with the tempo is like sitting in a room with the walls caving in – one pulse at a time.
The effect is intensified by the addition of a breath-like nuance that eases closer to the forefront as the song progresses. It’s an interesting effect, albeit a little scary in the sense that “Opera” sounds like it’s spiraling down to eat me. It’s perhaps this meeting of the senses which gives “Opera” a dash of appeal, and lessens the impact of its similarity to f(x)’s track.
The momentum continues with “Be My Girl“.
At first, this song doesn’t come across as particularly outstanding, due to its relatively standard instrumental and melodies. But then I started getting these tiny sparks of deja vu to a style/sound I had experienced before. It hit me later that this sounds and feels at least a little like a Pet Shop Boys song. Of course, having been penned by European and American masterminds (GoodWill & MGI), it was bound to have a Euro-pop feel, and by the second half, that’s all you hear.
The pre-chorus is really where it’s at; it’s slightly eerie, and slightly indulgent. Under an electro-pop production, these pieces – Super Junior’s voices, the minimalistic style, and heavy Euro influence – come together enough to make sense, at least for this song.
Strolling behind “Be My Girl” is “Walkin’“, a pseudo-reggae pop track that marks the point in which we lose sight of any ‘conceptual‘ cohesion and veer off into unrelated styles.
For what it’s worth, “Walkin’” brings a sense of relief from the aggressive energy of the first three tracks. It has traces of the same vibes felt in “No Other” (2010), and to that effect, Super Junior comes off as a boy band singing like a boy band, which is something to be appreciated from time to time. Frequently, Super Junior strive to be the loudest, most provocative thing on the radio, but it’s when they pull back just a tiny bit that they feel more real to me.
On its heels is “Storm“, the first ballad on the album. True to SM’s style, it’s going to sound like it belongs to a fairytale.
Aside from the fact that there was one glorious spot (1:22) where the string section was split right in the middle between the violins and the bass section – staying faithful to an actual orchestral arrangement, and making good use of panning finally – there’s not much to address here. It’s a pretty ballad, but since Super Junior have so many, “Storm” may ironically find itself lost in the fray.
“Good Friends“ probably takes the position as my favorite track on the album, as it delivers all kinds of (relatively) loony ideas in one song. And yet, Super Junior did good in that delivery.
“Good Friends” has a western-ish influence mixed with a spoonful of J-pop that has a quirky bounce to its beat. Super Junior sings beautifully on top of a set of fun guitar riffs and tooting trumpets that come together surprisingly well. It’s these moments of mid-tempo goodness paired with fabulous vocals that Super Junior are at their best. They’re given room to pull back and just as much room to plow through in a stampede.
“Good Friends” embraces Super Junior for everything that this group has to offer, especially through its exhibit of pop-vocal artistry. From awesome singing to snarling whispers, it’s a concise and well-executed blend of all the Super Junior aspects that drives fans crazy.
Of course, they’re still Super Junior, and living up to that name takes work. “Feels Good” shuffles the boys back to a march-down electronica lane. Basically, that’s all this song is – a robotic march with very little dimension. It’s really cool how it becomes somewhat epic-like at the break down, but that only lasts for a few seconds.
Then there’s “Memories“, a ballad that isn’t as forgettable as “Storm”, but one that could still use a kick or two to bring it to full bloom. Nevertheless, “Memories” is really well done. Yesung sounds absolutely gorgeous on this song. And hold the phone – do I hear Shindong singing? That was unexpected…
“Sunflowers” continues this fluffy ambiance with an arrangement commonly heard rotating in the backdrop of Korean dramas (preferable in a bright lit cafe setting). It’s almost too pretty for what this album should be going for.
With that said, “Sunflowers” exemplifies the proficiency of a good production. Pretending like this song wasn’t part of ‘Mr. Simple’ (the album), “Sunflowers” does a lovely job of making Super Junior sound like the suave men we know they are. Their singing is matched well enough with the sparkly instrumental to barely stand out as a keeper.
“White Christmas” enters, and right away there’s something odd about hearing a bunch of guys singing over a rock arrangement, mainly because I’m used to watching live bands rocking out on small stages (and roughly they’re comprised of four members at the most).
In any case, there are moments when the melodies start meshing really well with the instrumental and Super Junior have me bobbing my head, but the steam dies down when the song comes up short from going anywhere. It’s a decent tune, but not memorable like it could have been.
“Y“, composed by Donghae, is a pleasant surprise. Not so much that it is Donghae’s brainchild, but how smooth Super Junior sound under this R&B-pop style. Is it crazy to think that Super Junior may actually know what works best for them? Because “Y” is the clear winner above the rest of the slow tempo songs on this album. This penultimate track easily outshines “Storm” and “Memories” because it doesn’t indulge in these overwhelming sweeps of orchestration and composition. Granted, those styles are amazing, but “Y” doesn’t overthink the idea of a slow song, and that’s what ends up making it a refreshing experience among the rest of these tracks.
Finally, we have the triumphant “My Love, My Kiss, My Heart“. This closing track sounds as poetic through my headphones as it reads on screen. I’m a firm believer that it doesn’t take mind-numbing trends like what you hear in the title track to whip up a song actually worth praising, that is catchy in its own way, and displays a group at the pinnacle of their talent. “My Love, My Kiss, My Heart”, more or less, achieves this difficult feat.
Sure, it’s Super Junior K.R.Y., but the point is that this song comes off believable enough to have an actual place in an archive worth preserving rather than being just another throwaway pop ballad.
Kyuhyun is in his element in this song, belting like nobody’s business, while Ryeowook surprises by not sounding shrill finally, and Yesung can do no wrong, honestly. Hearing them shine in a finely composed song like this is not a bad way to end this album.
‘Mr. Simple’ doesn’t disappoint, but it does underwhelm.
Dividing the songs on this album into separate entities presents a feast of styles and flavors which, on their own, work fairly well. Obviously, that goes for some more than others. But that’s not how we’re intended to embrace this compilation of songs. They’re meant to be experienced as a wholesome piece of work, because that’s basically how an album is supposed to function.
Yet, there’s a clear disconnect among them. It’s something brought upon by SM Entertainment’s habit of focusing all their energy on title tracks, while dropping whatever songs they deem worthy to call it a ‘full album’. It explains why SM artists continuously cycle through a promotional period with one single, return a month later with a repackaged album and another lead single in tow, and completely forget that there’s an actual album chock-full of good songs right in front of them. However, looking at it another way, this is strictly a business move; a bigger album costs more, regardless of its content, and given the fanbase, SM can damn well expect a hefty cash flow.
But I can’t sit here sifting through SM Entertainment’s business decisions without thinking that they’re shamelessly undermining the musical value of an album. Sure, they’re pushing one sound and concept because that’s what’s decided for Super Junior at the moment, but where is the connection with that one song and every other song stacked behind it? Unless it’s written in fineprint that the first quarter of the album is one style, the next quarter is another, and so on and so forth, there really is no continuity within this album to justify why track number one and track number eight sound like they’re from two completely different worlds. There has to be at least a common thread linking them all together.
And then there’s the lead single itself. Yoo Young Jin (SM Entertainment producer of “Sorry, Sorry”, “Bonamana”) is talented beyond what anyone can imagine, but he’s doing himself as well as Super Junior a disservice by sending “Sorry, Sorry” through a food processor and feeding it to Super Junior years later in a different format.
Listen, “Sorry, Sorry” and that whole album had its moment to shine, and boy, did it ever. Super Junior carved their name into the history books with that song and catapulted to stardom of explosive proportions. They were untouchable.
Now, two years later, Super Junior is still trying to live up to (if not re-do) everything from the “Sorry, Sorry” era via crazy concepts and ‘reinvented’ arrangements. More than impress, it translates as a lazy effort on YYJ’s part, and a tired one from Super Junior.
It begs the question, how many more times will they recycle a set of songs before they realize it’s time to move on?
Unfortunately for Super Junior, it resulted in a fifth album that had some great tracks, but poor overall cohesion. Ultimately, it felt like the boys faltered somehow on their way back to the throne as Korea’s K-Pop princes, and the hype just didn’t match up to the finished product.
Overall Rating: 3.4/5 – some songs are fantastic; while others, completely forgettable
What are your thoughts on Super Junior’s new album, ‘Mr. Simple’?
Suggestions for a future review? Hit the author up on Twitter (@rothsresidence) or via e-mail (arnold.arteaga@allkpop.com)!
okay, ni review utk album Mr. Simple dr yg lain pulak!!
Album Review: “Mr. Simple” – Super Junior
Never have I felt so conflicted about a K-pop promotional single, ever. Super Junior recently returned to the K-pop scene with their fifth full-length album, Mr. Simple, after a year-long break. While the release of their teaser photos evoked similar responses from K-pop fans all over (most of them being along the lines of “Who’s been dealing LSD to the SM stylists?”), the album itself has received mixed reviews. This is one of those reviews.
-★-
1. THE CONCEPT.
When the concept photos for Super Junior’s comeback were released, people were confused. Fans everywhere tried to figure out what SM was trying to get at when they put rope around Leeteuk‘s middle and made Ryeowook wear Big Bird’s carcass. SM’s response?
They described the concept as being “ubersexual,” but if SM’s idea of ubersexual involves Siwon wearing nothing but knee socks and neon green underwear, then I’m scared to find out what else SM believes to be aesthetically pleasing.
Thankfully, the members’ performing outfits aren’t nearly as flamboyant as those depicted in the teaser photos. During “Sorry Sorry” promotions, SM figured out that Super Junior’s entire 13-membered existence was bizarre enough, so they balanced things out by allowing the Super Junior members to wear regular-people clothes on stage. What a concept!
I’d argue that the Super Junior members are a lot easier to look at this time, compared to their look last year during “Bonamana” promotions. For one, everyone looks crazy attractive (yes, even Eunhyuk with his bleached blond hair; it doesn’t suit him at all but he works it like no other). On top of that, Super Junior is keeping up with the clean, monochrome looks they had in “Sorry Sorry” and “Bonamana,” but the slight addition of bright colors helps to give the look some character. In terms of artistry, the “Mr. Simple” concept is nothing all too special. But when every other K-pop star seems to be dressed in Halloween costumes rather than age-appropriate stage outfits, I’d be glad to ogle at suit jacket-wearing Suju any day.
-★-
2. THE MUSIC VIDEO & CHOREOGRAPHY.
Credits to smtown @ youtube
Super Junior held a press conference for their fifth album a few days ago, during which the members explained that the music video filming schedule was rather rushed. Ultimately, they were lucky to get all 10 members on set for the MV filming, period; hence the resulting no-frills music video. Which I totally understand, but I am curious about one thing: where did the footage from the second teaser go? Not just the bizarro shots of the crackling skin, but the individual shots of the members didn’t even make it into the actual MV – did those end up as throwaway material, or is it being saved for something else? Hm.
Additionally, what was with that “Blow your mind” part with the flashing text, and could it have been any more tackier? I have a gut feeling that the flashing text effect was probably some sort of new, expensive technology SM recently procured, and they’ll probably be using it in all of their videos for the next year and a half, just like that blasted matrix cam.
I feel like I’m enjoying the choreography a lot more than I should, especially considering the fact that a lot of the moves look ripped off from “Sorry Sorry” and “Bonamana” choreo, as well as the fact that the hook move consists of the members flinging their hands in different directions. I think I’ll call it the “I-Need-To-Dry-My-Hands-But-The-Bathroom’s-Out-Of-Paper-Towels” move:
Apart from that, though, the choreography does some interesting stuff with group formation, which is something I feel Super Junior hasn’t taken enough advantage of until now. With a group that’s as large as Super Junior, it’s easy for their choreography to look more like a circus than a cohesive performance. In terms of broad movement, “Mr. Simple” works the stage very well. But the smaller movements therein seem to be notably less cohesive. I’ve heard a rumor that each member contributed a dance move to the “Mr. Simple” choreography – and I really hope that I’m misinterpreting this rumor, because to me, this sounds like a really terrible way to go about building choreography.
The “Mr. Simple” choreography seems to be a little out of character as far as Suju is concerned. From “Sorry Sorry” onward, Super Junior’s choreography has always been fairly tight, minimal, occasionally ridiculous, but always to the point. “Mr. Simple” works contrary to this standard in that the moves are a lot bigger and more complicated than usual. In all honesty, this choreography reminds me a lot of SHINee‘s “Lucifer” choreo – which is good and fine, because I quite liked the choreography for “Lucifer.” The main difference, though, is that SHINee fares a lot better than Super Junior when it comes to simultaneously singing and doing difficult choreography, and this difference is fairly apparent in the live performances of “Mr. Simple.”
But first, let’s talk about “Superman” for a bit. And by talk, I mean “listen to me squeal about how much I love everything about this song.”
I love this song! It’s so ridiculous but at the same time, it’s got a really compelling beat and that last “the last man standing” line is probably the most badass thing I have ever seen from Super Junior, ever. What I like most about this song, though, is that it shows off each member’s best points to a T. Even Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, and Yesung‘s individual lines don’t just show off their singing ability, but also display the unique points in their singing styles. Same goes for the rap lines. “Superman” shows each of the Super Junior members at their best – and it absolutely baffles me why this song wasn’t included in the full album. I get the impression that SM didn’t spend a ton of time and effort working on “Superman.”, since it’s technically nothing more than an intro song that will only be promoted for a week. However, they probably spent boatloads of time working on the comparative atrocity that is “Mr. Simple.” In the end, which one is the better song? I think this says a lot about SM’s direction (or lack thereof) as a creative base. It frustrates me that SM’s perfectly capable of producing quality artistic work (as reflected in things like “Superman” and the second MV teaser for “Mr. Simple”), but they nonetheless use these capabilities on throwaway material instead of material that can help to actually build an artist’s career.
The live performances of “Mr. Simple” are nothing special. The vocals in the song aren’t all too impressive to begin with, so there’s not a lot to watch for. But three cheers for Kyuhyun participating in a dance break once again, even though he’s not sliding across floors this time. And I am glad to see that Heechul’s giving a little more than two fracks about performing this time. Maybe two and a half fracks, at most.
-★-
4. THE ALBUM.
The sucky thing about becoming a fan of a group right after they’ve released a new album is that you find yourself listening to all of their old material and realizing how good their old songs were in comparison to their new stuff. Such is the case with me and Super Junior’s 5th album. Considering the quality of Bonamana and now Mr. Simple, I think Super Junior’s peak was with the release of Sorry Sorry, and that their subsequent works have been steadily going downhill ever since. It’s a natural phenomenon, but one can’t help but feel a little disappointed when a new album only serves to help one reminisce about the goodness of the past. Overall, I found the B-side tracks on Mr. Simple to be fairly unimpressive. Only one song, “Y,” really stuck out to me, but I think that’s more due to my love for One Way‘s Chance above all else. Apart from that, the album isn’t very strong as a whole. But there are a few bright spots here and there.
-☆-
1. “Mr. Simple”
In all honesty, I really think Yoo Young-jin sat in the studio mulling over Suju’s new lead single for far too long, and the result was this song. Songs like “Mr. Simple,” “Keep Your Head Down,” and “Lucifer” seem to be prime examples of SM trying too hard to make a hit, and not trying hard enough to make music. SM is clearly capable of making music, but lately it seems as if they’re far too hung up on making meme-worthy songs to worry about the musicality of their music. But which is more important in the long run: a song that infects the unwilling brains of many people for no longer than four months at a time, or a song with actual musical integrity that will gain the respect of fans and non-fans alike?
2. “Opera”
This sounds similar to f(x)‘s “NU ABO,” except less memorable. It’s not a bad song by any means, but it’s not particularly inspired and it’s rather forgettable.
3. “LaLaLaLa (Be My Girl)”
The verses to this song are kind of ridiculous, but I really enjoy the chorus, and the chorus is what makes or breaks a song for me.
4. “Walkin’”
It’s a Super Junior album, so a song like “Walkin’” is kind of obligatory at this point. It’s similar to “No Other” and SHINee’s “A-Yo,” except less irritably cutesy than “No Other” and more laid back than “A-Yo.” There’s not a lot to dislike about this song.
5. “Storm”
I don’t pay a lot of attention to Super Junior’s ballads because I think there are groups out there that can do them better, but if you’re into ballads as a whole, “Storm” is a really good song in it of itself. In terms of quality, it’s comparable to “Let’s Not” and “What If” from Suju’s 3rd album. I’ll also bet that this song will make for a really great concert performance.
6. “Good Friends”
Not a tearjerker, as many fans had believed prior to the album’s release. It does suit Super Junior’s onstage personality quite well, though. I don’t think this song was meant for casual listening as much as it is for a live performance, so I’ll be awaiting what antics they have planned for when they perform this in concert.
7. “Feels Good”
On the other hand, “Feels Good” doesn’t sound like a Super Junior song at all. Heck, it doesn’t sound like an SM song, period, which can be a good or a bad thing; take your pick. I don’t have strong feelings about this song on the whole, but it sounds similar to the songs released by the crowd of boybands that debuted in 2009 and 2010. Anyone else get the same feeling?
8. “Memories”
This belongs on a K-drama OST. Any takers?
9. “Sunflower”
This is the “Shining Star” equivalent on this album. “Sunflower” is one of my favorite songs off this album, but there’s something about it (as well as “Shining Star,” at that) that doesn’t seem to fit Super Junior all that well. To be honest, I would’ve loved to give this song to SHINee instead.
10. “White Christmas”
Ten bucks Heechul bribed TRAX‘s Jungmo for the opportunity to do this cover. “White Christmas” was originally released in 1996 by Jinu, and this is a remake of the original. I think the instrumentals could’ve been a bit quieter and condensed, but I enjoyed this song on the whole.
11. “Y”
This was composed by Donghae and One Way‘s Chance, and after hearing the work Chance has done in 2PM‘s “Like A Movie” as well as Eunhyuk and Donghae’s “I Wanna Love You” during Super Show 3, I can say with full confidence that Chance is one of the best pop/R&B composers in K-pop out there right now. Chance also has influenced Donghae’s own compositional style, as evidenced in Donghae’s “A Short Journey” on the Bonamana repackage. That said, I’m really excited to see more budding composers in-house at SM, especially those who have been mentored by talented artists and who have a real ear for music. The way I see it, Donghae is both things. I’m cheering for you, Donghae!
12. “My Love, My Kiss, My Heart”
This is movie trailer music. It’s not K.R.Y‘s usual style at all, but I’m not sure if I like it. The song takes itself a bit too seriously, especially since it’s essentially the last song on the album. It also really doesn’t take full advantage of K.R.Y’s vocal abilities, and there’s no reason why the entire group couldn’t have performed this song together.
13. “Perfection (Korean Ver)”
Zhoumi and Henry finally get their voices on a Super Junior album. Hip hip hooray!
When the album first came out, I was disappointed almost immediately. The lead single, “Mr. Simple,” was, well, kind of terrible. Musically, it was a “Sorry Sorry” and “Bonamana” mutant with the added seizure-inducing feel of SHINee‘s “Lucifer” and the weak song structure of DBSK‘s “Keep Your Head Down.” The song sounds more like noise than it does music, and it’s definitely not something that I would ever unleash upon my non-K-pop friends. All in all, “Mr. Simple” is a bad song, and having to watch a group as likable as Super Junior promote a bad song for two months is akin to watching a puppy limp through a dog show on a bad leg.
But as more promotional material for “Mr. Simple” is released, I find myself drawn more and more to the song. Part of me feels that this is attributed to my recently attained status as a card-carrying Super Junior fangirl, as everything about “Mr. Simple” promotions seems rather lackluster unless they’re seen through the eyes of undying Suju-fangirl devotion. But a bigger part of me also feels that the reason why Super Junior can get away with something as unimpressive as “Mr. Simple” is because of their status within the K-pop industry and the skills and reputation they’ve gained therein.
After Super Junior achieved widespread cultural recognition through Sorry Sorry, it seemed as if Super Junior changed from being a pop group to being a cultural symbol. In that regard, it’s almost as if Super Junior can get away with making crappy music because they’re not primarily known for their music anymore. Rather, they’re known for just…well, existing. Considering this, we must then wonder: does Super Junior’s worth lie in their artistic talent or their symbolic value? If the latter is true, should our perception of their music change accordingly?
Mr. Simple is Leeteuk and Heechul’s last Super Junior album before they enlist in the military. From here on in, I’m not really sure where Super Junior’s future lies. I get the impression that Super Junior will be taking a hiatus from group activities after Leeteuk and Heechul’s enlistment, up until Kyuhyun finishes his own military duties in 2018 or so, but I’m not entirely sure. I won’t say that Mr. Simple isn’t the best example of a ‘last album,’ but it doesn’t close things off for Super Junior all that cleanly. It’s a shame, but what can you do? As aforementioned, however, Super Junior’s legacy doesn’t seem to depend on their music as much as it does their status as a cultural symbol. Seven years from now, Super Junior will probably retain their name and reputation as a cultural symbol, but goodness knows where their musical worth will be. For some, Mr. Simple is the beginning of the end, but in terms of Super Junior’s legacy, it seems to just be the end of the beginning.
Source: seoulbeats.com | Credit: Patricia
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aku ada setuju here & there utk review album ni... tp bg aku album ni yg the best la, just my 2 cents...
Super Junior returns with ‘Mr. Simple’ – From 110809
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Super Junior, the K-pop group leading “hallyu” (the Korean wave of popular culture) across the globe, returned to the local music scene with their fifth studio album, “Mr. Simple,” last week.
“Mr. Simple,” the title of the song as well as the album, is a catchy tune conveying a message of living in a simple way.
Leeteuk, the group leader said “Mr. Simple” maximizes the characteristics of the group.
“Rather than define the genre of the music, we focused on the lyrics. There is so much terrifying, sad news on television and in the newspapers, and we wanted to bring hope with our song,” he said at a press conference last week.
Their fourth album, Bonamana, was a big success. It was the biggest-selling album in Korea last year and drew and audience of some 200,000 people to their “Super Show 3″ concerts in 13 Asian cities. “Bonamana” has topped Taiwan’s KKBOX music chart for 61 consecutive weeks.
However, the new album is ready to break previous records. Their fifth studio album sold more than 60,000 copies in the five days since its release on Aug. 3, a relatively high amount for the local music scene. Some fans bought 10 copies of the new album as there are 10 different album covers featuring photos of each member. The album will be released in 11 countries.
Among the tracks of the new album, members showed affection in songs like “Good Friends,” written by Yoon Jong-shin.
“The song talks about our friendship. Yoon said we have grown up over the years,” Leeteuk said.
The press conference was international and tech-savvy, just like Super Junior. Reporters from Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and China asked questions about concerts in their countries and some overseas fans submitted questions for the group through YouTube and Facebook.
Ira Belyakova, a 23-year-old fan from Russia, asked how the group feels about non-Asian fans. Leeteuk said he feels good as he is proud of being at the center of developing Asian culture.
“I was afraid of foreigners when I was young, but seeing overseas fans often made me overcome such fears,” Eunhyuk said. Ryeowook also shared an experience of meeting fans from Spain seated at Sungmin’s musical.
The K-pop group is eager to hold more overseas concerts as the nation’s leader in hallyu.
“We met more than 500,000 fans through our concerts in Asia. We want to visit South America, Europe and the Middle East to hold Super Junior concerts, not only an SM Town concert,” Leeteuk said. “Personally, I also want to perform in Pyongyang, for a peace exchange between the South and North Korea.”
Elsewhere, the second track, “Opera“, finds its roots in another previously-released SM track. “Opera” begins by setting speakers ablaze with a set of alarms that have a choppy, robotic feel that sounds vaguely familiar. “Opera” has less extraneous details than the title track, but it sounds like a hybrid of “Perfection” and f(x)’s ”NU ABO“. By the 30-second mark, I found myself waiting for the lines “Hysteric, Hysteric” to kick in, followed by “Na na na na na na na na“.
2. “Opera” This sounds similar to f(x)‘s “NU ABO,” except less memorable. It’s not a bad song by any means, but it’s not particularly inspired and it’s rather forgettable.
:@:@:@ geramnya bace komen cam atas ni... opera tu my fav song from album mr simple okeh.. sampai ati hentam lagu tu kaw2...adakah taste me yg plik or taste org yg tulis review tu yg plik...
hahahahaha ~ aku pun mula2 dgr Opera tu, music mula2 tu mmg ada iras2 NU ABO... tp biler dah dgr lama2, lain jer 2-2 lagu tu. and lagu opera tu pun mmg antara fav song aku dlm album ni!!!
aku dok baca kat sup3rjunior.wordpress komen2 org psl review ni (2-2 review yg ditepek oleh ewiks & aku). aku boleh terima la here & there utk review & komen2 fans tu, tp aper pun bg aku mmg 5th jib ni the best from Super Junior... walaupun yg review tu ckp lagu2 dlm album ni langsung tidak berkait antara satu sama lain, bg aku sesuai jer arrangement utk every lagu tu... and mmg kali ni dorg lebih tumpukan utk lirik dlm setiap lagu!!!
sorg K-elf bli album 5jib n dpt sign sume member suju... giler lucky budak tu..
cr: pumpkini ...
nickynisa Post at 10-8-2011 09:52 PM
aku pun jeles giler biler tgk gmbr ni skg... giler daebak la k-ELF ni... kalo la aku dpt 10-10 sign dorg tu, mmg aku frame kan terus album ni & gantung kat hall rumah!!
sorg K-elf bli album 5jib n dpt sign sume member suju... giler lucky budak tu..
cr: pumpkini ...
nickynisa Post at 10-8-2011 21:52
owhhh...ak baru je berangan2 kot2 dalam la sign bdk2 suju nh time dpt album th nnt...tup2 mmg ade ye signature dieorg....so kiranya sape yg bertuah la nh.....owhhh...jeles!!!jeles!!!! nk jugak
owhhh...ak baru je berangan2 kot2 dalam la sign bdk2 suju nh time dpt album th nnt...tup2 m ...
akiraAlisya Post at 11-8-2011 12:14 PM
k-ELF tu bukan lucky sbb dpt album yg dorg dah sign, tp dia sendiri yg mntk. aku baca kat maner ntah, sup3rjunior.wordpress kalo x silap, dia sebenar nyer disuruh PD music show aper ntah utk buat aper ntah, tup2 dia g mntk sign budak2 suju ni kat album dia. tu yg dia boleh dpt signature tu...
k-ELF tu bukan lucky sbb dpt album yg dorg dah sign, tp dia sendiri yg mntk. aku baca kat maner ...
rukiaichigo Post at 11-8-2011 12:24
owh camtu rupanya... kat tumblr tulis die bli album yg da ade sign..
psl opera, sume ade taste masing2.. xkesah la.. yg penting bg aku lagu opera tu best.. org yg ckp xbest tu xpandai nak appreciate lagu tu.. haters to the left.. kekeke
Super Junior Music Video ‘Mr. Simple’ Surpassed 5,000,000 Views on YouTube!
Recorded Over 5,000,000 Views Within a Week! Enough to Realize Their Global Popularity!
The music video of Super Junior’s 5th album title song, ‘Mr. Simple,’ received over 5,000,000 views on YouTube.
The music video of ‘Mr. Simple,’ which was released through YouTube on the 4th, has exceeded 5,000,000 views in a week of its release and received about 5,170,000 views as of 10 a.m. today. Moreover, the music video ranked in 1st place for this week’s (August 3 ~ August 10) ‘The Most Viewed Video,’ and this month’s (July 11 ~ August 10) ‘The Most Commented Video,’ ‘The Most Favorited Video.’ These records are showing music fans’ intense interest in Super Junior.
In addition, the music video of ‘Mr. Simple’ has been top-ranked on this week’s ‘the most viewed video’ in various countries of the world such as Canada, South Africa, etc. and once again proved the power of Super Junior who is leading the Korean wave.
Moreover Super Junior is also receiving a tremendous popularity by ranking the 1st place on the daily chart and weekly chart(8/1~8/7) of various count charts for album sales (Hanteo Chart, Hot Tracks, Yes24, etc) with their 5th album, ‘Mr. Simple’(released on the 3rd).
Meanwhile, Super Junior is performing with the title song, ‘Mr. Simple’ in earnest.
Source: Super Junior Facebook
Posted by: reneee (www.sup3rjunior.wordpress.com)
TAKE OUT WITH FULL AND PROPER CREDITS.
pergh, giler la dok cecah 5j... aku pun kdg2 kat rumah tu, kalo maleh nak bukak folder yg ada MV tu, aku bukak jer yt tu... menolong dlm meng'increase' kan viewer!!
owh camtu rupanya... kat tumblr tulis die bli album yg da ade sign..
psl opera, sume ade tas ...
nickynisa Post at 11-8-2011 02:37 PM
gigih la aku beklog wordpress tu nak share dgn korg psl gmbr ni!!! nasib baik la jumpa!!
A K-ELF got all SuJu members signature in her 5jib album ^^
How she got the signatures? Well, she’s a very pretty girl, the Inkigayo PD asked her for the camera test on Inki, but then instead of doing the camera test, she got 10 members signature in her 5jib album.
Credit: @Heeducku | Shared by: HeechulSJFacts Posted by: supergirlRain (www.sup3rjunior.wordpress.com) TAKE OUT WITH FULL AND PROPER CREDITS ALWAYS CREDIT ‘SUP3RJUNIOR.WORDPRESS’ AS WELL
bg aku, kalo jd ELF ni mmg bertuah giler... mmg x dinafikan la lucky giler dpt signated album mcm yg korg anggap sblm ni (suju dah sign siap2 & randomly sesiapa yg beli akan dpt). tp lg lucky kalo dpt mntk sign dorg depan2 mata mcm ELF ni... bukan senang woooo permintaan mcm tu direalisasikan!!! even yg dpt album yg dah siap disign pun bukan calang2 org boleh dpt, inikan pulak dok mntk sign depan2 mata!!
Post time 9-8-2011 03:56 AM
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