It has finally arrived! MBLAQ’s sixth mini album, Broken, has been released and with it the MV for single, Be a Man. I am still trying to regain my composure because this MV is hot. Sizzling hot.
The beautiful boys of MBLAQ have crossed over. They have crossed over into full blown man territory and they brought with them enormous amounts of poise and maturity along with a heady and healthy mix of charisma and sensuality. We all knew they had it. And, I am certain Rain knew it, too. It simply needed time to fully ripen. Now nearly five years into their group-hood and 6th mini album in, they have arrived.
Wow. Suited up and ready to captivate us, the men of MBLAQ are firing on all pistons in this incredibly steamy number. Choreographed superbly and lit so seductively, Be A Man gives me so many feels I almost don’t know where or how to begin to describe it.
The song just flows effortlessly and draws you in. It is hypnotic and intoxicating. And, how about the jacket flip? OMG…..G.O ssi! It is such a small gesture yet it leaves a large impression. At least on this fangirl. I see it as being a simultaneous brush off and come on. Whatever the impetus to throw it in, I don’t care. The visual of it is so sexy and so well-placed in the choreography. I just LOVE it!
This is one sultry R&B groove with a sweet, slow and steady beat. I call it baby-making music. I mean, seriously. The vocals are strong especially coming from that 87-Line. Goodness gracious Seung Ho is all over those lyrics.
And speaking of the lyrics (which you can find translated here) how about giving props to the lyricist of this one….the maknae! YES Mir wrote the lyrics to this amazing slow jam. My but has he matured.
Oh Mir-eu, you look so provocatively sharp in your suit, long hair and specs. So arty. I love this look on Mir.
As we have come to love and expect from Mir, he brings his controlled and soft breathy rap to the song. There is just a tinge of edge because, well, it is rap after all! This is the Mir rap style that I adore. The kind that arrives softly and remains so. To go any harder would create a complete imbalance in the song. Mir has a huge rap voice. He has the perfect rap voice, actually. The bass in his voice serves it well. And I personally love it when he goes all thug with his rap. But here, it is where it is should be.
And I have to say that I hear the most improvement with Cheondoong. I also see that he has fully blossomed into a right sharp young man. Think back to the debut:
And now today:
Right?!! And he clearly has been working on improving his vocals. Even though he doesn’t get much say here, what we do hear is nice. He sounds steady and strong as well as soft and sultry. Well done, Thunder. Well done.
Joon also brings stronger vocals. He is such a beautiful visual for the group and I often felt it might have detracted fans from truly focusing and giving credit to his vocal capabilities. Joon opens Be A Man and does so with gentleness. It is a softness that suits his deeper ranged voice. So not only does he look amazing, he sounds amazing too.
Because I am so incredibly (and unabashedly so) biased, I have to save the best for last. The amazing soul engine of the group, G.O.
Melt.Swoon.Squee. Melt again. THUNK. He arrives early in the song with his soft falsetto and ends emotionally powerful and strong as the song closes.
G.O is forever the master of conveying emotion through song. He pours his heart and soul into his song. When G.O sings he feels the lyrics – he is not just singing a bunch of words. G.O has said in the past that he hoped to convey sensitivity and emotion through his music. I think he accomplishes that every single time he stands before a microphone. He is just so good. Yes, I admit to being fully and unequivocally biased – but that aside, you have to concur that this man can sing and sing well.
And oh…he moves so very well, too. In fact, they all look fantastic. I love everything about this song and MV. It showcases everything we love about MBLAQ, namely their cohesive and synergist relationship as a group. The time apart pursuing their individual projects be it music, variety, drama, film, musical theater or otherwise has been a boon to the group as whole and has served them well. You can hear it, see it and feel it.
[Image credit: soompi.com/Video credit: JTune Camp]