Sorry, I’m a bit late because I’ve been a little busy, but I still need to post this. My ultimate bias has just made a comeback with their new mini album! CNBLUE released [X] with the title track A Sleepless Night on October 14th. The song, along with the other three tracks, was actually performed at their concert in September and at some music festivals in Korea. According to Yonghwa, they were supposed to release it earlier, but they delayed it to make sure everything was perfect.
So, BOICE was already somewhat familiar with the songs, especially the title track A Sleepless Night. It’s a medium tempo pop song with strong rock elements, and I think they made it to be something fans can sing along to, perfect for festivals and live gigs. Quoting from the description box under their youtube MV, the song is inspired by a line from poet Ha Sang-wook, the song paints a vivid picture of lingering memories and longing for a past love.
Have you watched the MV? Even though I was already familiar with the song, when I saw the teaser, I was like, ‘Wow.’ And after seeing the full MV—just wow. I really love it this time. You can really feel the emotions from the members in the music video. Jungshin even throws a guitar into a water-filled box, and it looks so dope. I love the darkish tone of the video. It’s got that moody vibe, but their visuals are so on point that it’s really pleasing to watch. This time, the MV definitely gets my approval, haha!
The mini album contains six songs, plus a SKIT that’s available on the CD only. In my opinion, this is one of the best albums of their career. It’s my favorite after Can’t Stop, 2gether, and now X. All of the songs in the album are strong. Not just the title track, but the B-sides are also really good and worth performing live.
Talking about the title track, I love the melody and the transitions—it’s very easy listening. Yonghwa mentioned that initially this wasn’t supposed to be the title track, but after some consideration, they chose A Sleepless Night. In my opinion, this song is strong and easy to listen to, even though it’s a pop-rock song. It’s solid in all aspects – vocals, guitar, bass, and drums. This is a song that would be really cool to see performed live.
BAD BAD is also made for live performances. I mean, we could jump and sing along while watching CNBLUE perform this song, especially with Yonghwa running around the stage because of the high energy in the song. I can already hear us screaming ‘woo woo woo’ and jumping! I remember when CNBLUE visited a radio station to promote this album, Yonghwa said that with this song, he wanted to tell us not to fall in love with a rock star, haha. The lyrics make that pretty clear, kkk.
RACER, the second track, is really playful and pop-rockish, and it shows off their skills too. I can imagine all three of them playing important parts, with Yonghwa’s grungy vocals standing out in live performances. ‘My racer, my speeding Mona Lisa…’ I absolutely love this song. You should check out their performance from the show Sloppy Jam, which just came out yesterday. Thanks to content like this – shout out to LEMagkr – we can see them perform live. Racer was the first song they played!
After three upbeat songs, the next track is To. My Love. CNBLUE slows things down with this beautiful ballad. As always, Yonghwa’s vocals combined with the piano really soothe us. I can imagine Yonghwa playing the piano live if they perform this on stage. The notes he chose for this song are absolutely stunning. Honestly, I’m speechless – it’s top-notch. Oh, I forgot to mention that Yonghwa composed A Sleepless Night, BAD BAD, RACER, and To. My Love.
Now for Personal Color. Whoa, this song was composed by none other than Lee Jung Shin. It’s so good, but I think it’s also a bit challenging to sing, haha. The intro reminds me a little of Ed Sheeran’s Perfect melody. The vocal range in this song is so wide, and I feel like only Yonghwa can pull it off. Sorry, Jungshin, but I don’t think we can sing along to this one, hahaha. The vocal range is just too much for us! But seriously, great job, Jungshin. Another masterpiece after Manito.
Lastly, we have Tonight. It’s the perfect closing song for the album, like a final statement. Kang Min Hyuk wrote this song – yay! After writing the lyrics for Sweet Holiday, he’s finally contributed again. I read that the lyrics are a bit racy, hehe. But if I’m not mistaken, Minhyuk clarified in an interview that he wrote it while imagining Yonghwa singing it with his guitar, and the lyrics just flowed naturally. It’s an easy-listening and engaging song. Nice one, Minhyuk!
As for the SKIT, it’s only available on the CD version. Since I haven’t received my CDs yet, I have no idea what it sounds like. But I’ve read that it’s a recorded conversation between the members. I imagine it’s a kind of casual, unscripted chat. Let’s wait and see!
Last but not least, I think I’ve fallen in love with this album! The wait of three years was totally worth it. Both the MV and the album are incredible, with every song being a no-skip. CNBLUE really poured their hearts into this, and it shows in the quality of every track. What I love most is how they always consider how the songs will sound live, making them even more special for us fans. This album truly represents CNBLUE’s style and talent, and it’s a must-have for any fan. Thank you, CNBLUE, for coming back with such an amazing piece of work!
Same with the previous EP, they have 2 versions of CD. Eternal ver. and Memory ver. Also there is Nemo version available. The Nemo Album is a smart K-pop album that uses NFC tech. Just scan the included Tag LP (for CNBLUE) using the FNC Nemoz App to access music, videos, and exclusive content on your phone. Plus, it’s eco-friendly!
Check out their concept photoshoot behind the scene: melon
Please show lots of love for this album. Also, check out their fun and creative content promoting it!
There’s Tiny Desk Korea content too prior the album release. You should watch!
Pictures: FNC Entertainment