It’s been a while since the last time I posted, but I am happy to say that I am back. Life has been very hectic for me lately, with school and university applications. Amid all this craziness and stress, BE’O’s newest album has brought me a sense of escape and excitement. As a brief introduction for those of you not familiar with BE’O, he is a talented 22-year-old rapper. He first came to fame by being part of “Show Me The Money 10”, which is one of Korea’s biggest Hip-Hop survival programs. Many famous Korean hip-hop artists emerged from this show, including Loco, Basick, Woo Won Jae, and Kid Milli. BE’O placed third in the competition and has gained rapid popularity since. I love listening to BE’Os music because he has such a unique, almost child-like voice that makes his raps stand out. His songs are also very upbeat and fun, which makes them the perfect mood-booster.
Despite being one of the hottest hip-hop artists in Korea right now, BE’O has only been in the music industry for about 2 years. That being said, he released his first full-length album on Thursday. Ever since seeing him perform at the Resffect Festival in Korea this summer, I had been playing all of BE’O’s songs on repeat. I was ecstatic when I found out that there would be many more to add to my queue. BE’O’s new album is titled “Five Senses”, and portrays his journey as an artist.
The first track of the album is called “Brunch”, and features Wonstein and Xion. It is very bouncy, yet has a heavier feel to it than most of BE’O’s previous songs. I find that because BE’O, Wonstein, and Xion all have very unique voices, all their voices come together individually in this song to create an interesting, amazing combination. The lyrics of the song centre around the theme of change. It talks about growing up but feeling like you’re the only one changing, while everything around you is staying the same.
“Complex”, featuring ZICO, is the title track off the album. The lyrics of the song speak of a darker truth. It talks about how it feels like everyone around you is becoming successful, but you feel as if you’re still stuck in the same place. I think these lyrics will be relatable for a lot of people, especially those still in their late teens/early twenties. I admit I’ve felt this too– watching everyone around you move on while you’re still trying to figure things out. I think this song is the most representative of BE’O’s sound, or at least the most similar to his older songs.
My favourite song off the album is called “Bbi Yong”, which features Loco and GRAY, whom I all love. “Bbi Yong” is a very poppy, fun song, yet the lyrics speak of something sadder and heavier. It goes on to talk about how someone’s love can be toxic, yet you can’t help but fall into it and end up chasing after it. The words “bbi yong” in Korean represent the sound of an ambulance or a police car, which in this song symbolizes danger or a warning. I love how the heaviness of the lyrics is balanced out by the bright melody of the song. It gives the song an unexpected twist and provides duality in the best possible way.
Lastly, I want to mention the “LOVE me” remix. “LOVE me” was released earlier this year, and is my all-time favourite song of BE’O’s. You can imagine my happiness when I learned that “LOVE me” would be released as a remix on the new album, featuring ASH ISLAND. If you’ve been reading my blogs for a while, you would know that I absolutely adore ASH ISLAND. ASH ISLAND’s husky voice adds more depth to the song and makes it sound more mature. This reflects the overall theme of BE’O’s new album, as it showcased his growth as an artist. There is a part in the song, near the end, where BE’O is singing “oh please love me, love me, love me”, and ASH ISLAND quietly echoes “love me, love me, love me”. If perfection exists, that part is it. It adds a “wow” factor that hooks you in and makes the song very addictive.
I think that the whole album in general portrayed a more mature side of BE’O. It also featured a lot more of his singing skills, although there were still loads of killer rap parts. For those of you hesitant about trying out Korean Hip-Hop, I highly recommend you give BE’O’s new “Five Senses” album a try. It features more melody and singing parts, which makes it more universal. If you want to give some of BE’O’s older songs a try, I recommend “Without You”, which is from Show Me The Money, or “Counting Stars”, featuring Beenzino. I hope you enjoy the album as much as I do
🙂