Album Review: JJ PROJECT – VERSE #2

Release Date: July 31, 2017

Tracklist:

1. Coming Home
2. Tomorrow, Today
3. On & On
4. Icarus
5. Don’t Wanna Know
6. Find You
7. That Day (Jinyoung Solo)
8. Fade Away (JB Solo)

*tracks #7 & #8 are special songs only included in the physical album*

Total Runtime: 00:29:14

Recommended for: IGOT7 & JJ Project fans. People into chill, soulful, and sexy music.

NOT recommended for: People who want excitement and are fond of dance tracks.

After five spiteful years of waiting, JYP Entertainment‘s multi talented duo, JJ Project, is back! Composed of Jinyoung (formerly Junior) and JB, the duo debuted way back in 2012 with dance pop song Bounce. After their debut, they went MIA, until they re-debuted in another group, GOT7. The group achieved worldwide success, and now, it’s time for JJ Project to rise from the dead! Will they live up to the hype?

Track Review

Track 1 – Coming Home

Going little bit old school, Coming Home is more than a perfect start for this amazing experience called Verse 2. It’s co-written & composed by Jinyoung, and just like his other masterpieces such as Paradise (from Flight Log: Arrival), it’s definitely sensational. The groove of Coming Home is everything. It is chill and will give you a glimpse of what the other songs from Verse 2 will be.

Track 2 – Tomorrow, Today (Title Track)

If you came in expecting a dance track such as Bounce, then i’m sorry because Tomorrow, Today is more than a 360 degree change from their debut song. As GOT7 is leaning more in a variety of pop songs that are “idol-like”, JJ Project proved themselves to be an entirely different group from the aforementioned. The two entities having contrasting sides is no more than a good thing, because JJ Project has to create their own identity, and doing it like how GOT7 does, won’t make it happen. The song is very mature, and so does the music video.

I must say, I can totally visualize their labelmate Day6 singing the song instead of JJP. The song is definitely Day6′ genre just like in Hi Hello, I Smile, and Congratulations, however, Jinyoung and JB’s projection creates an entire distinctiveness that makes Tomorrow, Today different. It’s very melodic and the arrangement is very polished too, making everything as perfect as ever.

Tomorrow, Today features sensitive and mature lyrics about life decisions and taking your own path. It’s very sentimental and emotional, and it makes it more powerful being that JB and Jinyoung had been together for each other since day 1. They also participated in creating the lyrics, which creates a more personal approach.

With JJ Project’s drastic change in genre, subjectively, the change is for the better. Jinyoung is good as JJ Project’s rapper, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t good as a vocalist. JB’s vocal is still as enjoyable. Well done boys!

Track 3 – On & On

Let’s go back to pre 2000 era, shall we? On & On is like a 90’s summer track of some sort. It’s the most “idol-like” out of all Verse 2, however, it’s inexpressibly satisfying. Co-written & composed by JJProject, it’s leaning more towards tropical house genre, and though the genre is very abundant these days, I was still able to enjoy the song.  It’s also notable that it has the same feel such as Paradise and Can’t, both composed by Jinyoung. As usual, their vocals gave me the chills. Not much up-beat, but is the most up-beat out of the whole album. The most notable part of the lyrics is : “Put your glasses on, let your life go on”, and it’s pretty encouraging and inspiring with a message of “you only live once”.

Track 4 – ICARUS

I’m dead serious here, ICARUS IS THE BEST SONG OF THE ALBUM. Props to JB for being a contributor in creating such a masterpiece! To give a hint about the title, Icarus is a character in Greek mythology who flied using a pair of wings despite being a mortal. The lyrics of the song reflect the story of Icarus as it depicts the story of dreaming and a metaphorical approach of using the word “flying” in symbolism to reaching the dreams by all means. Like Tomorrow, Today the lyrics are very mature, and it’s more sentimental because the life-long bestfriends JJ Project were the ones to sing it, especially during the part where it says: “I will reach out my hand, I hope you will be there too”.

Actually, Icarus was supposed to be the title track, and if that happened I would love it more. Not bringing down the current title track because Tomorrow, Today is also good, but Icarus has a certain charm that makes me listen to it over and over again.

It’s chill, but emotional, filled with the emotions of two boys dreaming to fly.

Track 5  – Don’t Wanna Know

As you notice in the previous songs, JB and Jinyoung participated in writing the songs with other people, however in Don’t Wanna Go, the two of them are the only people who wrote the lyrics, which I believe, creates a more personal touch to the song. Their remarkable vocals again did not fail to impress.

Track 6  – Find You

It might sound weird, but Find You has a sexy appeal into it. Its chorus is very catchy, as well as the “oooh” part in the post-chorus. The best thing about the song is how JB and Jinyoung were able to unleash their vocal talent. Possibly the hardest song to sing in Verse 2, JJ Project still did not fail to amaze.

Track 7  – That Day

Tracks 7 & 8 are special solo songs that are only present in the physical album. The first of the solo songs is That Day by Jinyoung. The album may be a slow one in general, however, That Day is the slowest among everything. The song being is slow is not much of a minus, for you will be able to fall into delight with Jinyoung’s wondrous voice much deeper. If you have read my other OH Blog articles, you might remember the term “songs from the coffee shop”, and this song fits that section so much. It is very slow, but is very relaxing at the same time. There is a stigma that slow songs are boring, but subjectively, I enjoyed every second of the song. It reminded me of Zion.T‘s smash hit Yanghwa BRDG. Both songs share the same feel and genre.

Track 8  – Fade Away

WHY DO I IMAGINE YUGYEOM DRY HUMPING THE FLOOR AS I LISTEN TO THIS? SEXY. SEXY. EVERYTHING IS SEXY. The album’s last song Fade Away is JB’s solo song wherein he also participated in writing & composing. Fade Away is an R&B bop with some fixtures of soul and somehow jazz. But to sum the song up in one word, that would be… sexy. JB’s voice, both low and high tone, is just chilling. It can remind you of a toned down version of Chris Brown’s Take You Down. A very clean and praiseworthy final track to tie up the album to its end.