Infinite-H, made up of the two rappers, Dongwoo and Hoya of boy group ‘Infinite’ released their album ‘Special Girl’ on January 10th. The album contains 5 songs, with the title song being ‘Special Girl.’ Compared to the usual sound of Infinite’s music, I would say that Infinite-H have definitely established themselves as musically different; there is certainly a sound on this album that is not found on Infinite’s discography.
Firstly, let’s begin with the opening track, ‘Victorious Way.’ The song has a solid beat, which goes well with the artists’ rapping. However, I feel disappointed with this song. It’s the only track on the entire album which relies solely on Hoya and Dongwoo’s rapping and it falls short. Opening with the word “leggo,” (a painfully over-used phrase in Korean pop music), is forgivable but sadly this track fails to deliver any hard-hitting k-hiphop and overall this song feels flat. The rapping is generally of a high standard but occasionally there are times especially nearing the chorus where the rapping sounds jarring or just plain bad.
For fans of Hoya and Dongwoo, these little problems probably aren’t going to deter them from listening to and enjoying the song, but for casual or first-time listeners who are fans of k-hiphop, I can’t help but feel that this song will fail to impress. That said, it’s not an awful song, and I’ve heard far worse to come from Kpop.
Song Rating: 4/10
Next on the album we have title song ‘Special Girl.’ This song is my second favourite, the beat is pretty cool and the overall track is upbeat whilst remaining mellow.
The chorus is the best part of the song, featuring Bumkey whose vocals really boost the song from what could have been a ‘Victory Way’ Part 2, into a good track with a really awesome chorus. I still don’t think this song will win any awards, but considering it’s Infinite-H’s first title song from their first album, it’s a well-made song that should keep their fans happy and maybe impress a few new people.
Hoya and Dongwoo’s rapping is also better in this song, they maintain a good flow and rhythm and their voices suit the track very well.
Song Rating 7/10
Moving onto the next song ‘Without You’ ft. Zion T, a decent song grows on you as you listen to it more. The chorus is the best part of the song, although it’s a bit repetitive. The lyrics are pretty typical of Kpop songs, but despite not being anything massively special, ‘Without You’ is a sweet and mellow song with a decent tune.
Song Rating 5/10
Next on the album is ‘I Can’t’ ft. Gaeko of Dynamic Duo. I’m a fan of Gaeko, I like the songs he has featured on in the past, but sadly this song is a bit forgettable. It’s not bad, the melody is nice and again it’s a relaxed, chilled out song; but I don’t consider it anything amazing. It’s enjoyable enough and is a solid song with vocals that definitely lift it.
Song Rating: 6/10
Lastly on the album, ‘Fly High’ ft. Baby Soul, is my favourite song on the album. The beat is upbeat, the song feels fun and it stays mellow without becoming boring (which unfortunately I think is the case for a couple of the songs on this album).
Baby Soul’s vocals are brilliant; she sounds amazing here and really brings the song out of its shell. Hoya and Dongwoo’s rapping is also good here, and they really work well with Baby Soul’s singing. This is a song that is great for chasing away the winter blues in January and February. It’s a feel-good song and this is clearly reflected in the lyrics which have a really positive and inspiring message, overall making this song the most memorable from the album.
Song Rating: 7/10
Overall I’d like to say that this is an impressive effort from Infinite-H, considering it’s their first album and they’re both mainly rappers. What’s really great about this album firstly, is the lack of badly done dub-step which seems to haunt a lot of kpop songs nowadays; and secondly, the carefree, relaxed and happy nature of all the songs. The album has its flaws, as discussed above but altogether I’d say that it’s a solid album with some decent songs that should make Hoya and Dongwoo proud of their work.
