Brown Eyed Girls' member Narsha went solo on the 7th of July with a self titled mini-album, Narsha, which includes a total of seven new songs. With the new release, she coined a new make-over and developed a sound different to that of the Brown Eyed Girls. This is something new for Narsha and we can finally see her talents as an individual, rather than as part of a group.
Fantastic starts us off with an upbeat, subtle melody. Something you would expect from the Brown Eyed Girls. Soft tones and pleasant vocals occupy this song and all in all it makes a good opening song to show that Narsha is capable of holding her own in this release and that she doesn't necessarily need the other members behind her to be able to produce music. The following track is a weird choice as this opening song is more lightly-toned, which is then led with something completely opposite. Bbi-Ri-Bop-A is the main song for this mini-album and the strongest track on this release. It's not something you'd expect at first, with an eerie sound behind it, catchy lyrics and an overall surreal feel. Her voice is haunting at some points in the song and the tone is somewhat creepy. It delivers a sinister message through the lyrics as the song is based around mystery, suspense and sadness (which is clearly conveyed through the music as well as the words).
It's another change of tone with the next track, I’m in love (With Jeongseong Ha) and once again the whole feeling of the release has changed. This track is slow, with an acoustic guitar and piano playing in the background. The song is complete with the typical ballad lyric structure: a girl in love with a boy. It is a rather laid-back track that follows such a strong meaningful song, which is a risky move and leaves the listener rather confused as to what exactly Narsha is trying to portray. The song ends after a good length of four minutes but it seems shorter. The next track, Queen B, is playing before you realise it, leaving I’m in love (With Jeongseong Ha) with no memorable qualities.
Queen B starts off more promising with a jazzy opening and a catchy introduction bringing Narsha back on her game. Her voice is less powerful in this song than previously but she still manages to make a song that people can move to and remember, and overall it has a spunky theme. It has a 60's theme to it, making it fun and showing she's added her own twist. This shows us that she is the Queen B and that this is her release, her mini-album and her work. It's a clever promotion trick which works well in her favour as she manages to pull it off.
Radio Star brings you back down with a rather melancholic feel and a repetitious style. The lyrics 'Love Radio' are repeated for most of the song but bring a rather calm feel out of it. The melody in the background is not slow paced, but its pace is different from Queen B and Bbi-Ri-Bop-A. This is the kind of song you would play on a summer's day to relax, bringing down the strength of this up and down release.
Mamma Mia (Preview) is a track that you wouldn't expect on a new release. This track is only 30 seconds long and is a preview for Narsha's next single. From what is heard from it, the song sounds like a promising number with a catchy upbeat vibe and something to look forward to. This is something we will have to wait for, but if Mamma Mia (Preview) is the title track, just as Bbi-Ri-Bop-A was, then we can expect something amazing from Narsha's next release.
To close this release is an instrumental to Bbi-Ri-Bop-A and a rather plain way to end a mini-album. There was no explosive conclusion, no soft melody to end with, but just this instrumental. All in all, this mini-album is rather all over the place. With a mixture of different styles and since this is Narsha's first time releasing something solo, she can be forgiven for not getting it right the first time. She has proved what her vocal talents can do and shown us that she is able to stand on her own two feet, but in regards to track choice and placement, which weakens the whole feel of the album, it needs tweaking.
If Mamma Mia (Preview) has given us anything, it's that Narsha will be back with a new number sometime in the future and hopefully the troubles she faced while making Narsha will be overcome and she will come back with a release that has a stronger foundation, rather than relying on the main title song.
