I rarely review individual songs, but K-pop rookie group B.A.P. had such a fun debut song, I just couldn't wait until their official EP release to review it. It took me awhile to get used to their name because in my mind, B.A.P. stands for Black American Princesses, due to the the 1990's comedy movie of the same name (starring Halle Berry!), but in the case of this band, it's supposed to mean "Best, Absolute, Perfect". I don't know if they're perfect, but they're certainly the best debut band I've seen in K-pop.
I was slightly familiar with a couple of members of B.A.P. before their debut. Bang Yong Guk has had a solo release and been featured on a song with Yosoeb of BEAST, and I grew to appreciate his serious rapping style. Then Bang did a duo song called "Never Give Up" with Zelo, the youngest member of his own band, and I thought that song was pretty cute and uplifting even if it contained some clashing music styles (namely pop, rap, and gospel choir singing). I'm guessing that "Bang & Zelo" is an official subunit of B.A.P. and that they'll be releasing more duo music in the future, which ought to be something to look forward to.
Anyhow, with Bang and Zelo, B.A.P. has two very good rappers with distinct styles--Bang has a low rumble-roar of a voice, and since he's the first person you really hear on "Warrior", he catches your attention. Next are some nice, fierce stretches of singing in the verses, followed by an epic chorus. I feel like you could do just about anything difficult while listening to the chorus of "Warrior"--chop down a tree, climb a mountain, bake a souffle. Anything that's hard to do, this chorus will give you the adrenaline to face it. Waaarrrior! Digidigidom digidigidom. Waarrrrrrrrrrior!!!! I'm just plain partial to warrior-themed songs.
Zelo's rap section is faster, has more finesse, and practically begs to be memorized. Even across the language barrier, it sounds great. I also like Zelo's repetition of "get down", because when most people say that in a song, they mean "let's party and have fun!" In this song it feels more like a quiet, literal warning to duck out of the way of something dangerous.
Lyrics: The lyrics are definitely a social commentary of some sort, but after reading a few different English translations, I'm still not positive which issue is at stake. I think it may be about gang warfare? There's definitely some discussion of standing up for others, avoiding hypocrisy, telling the truth and being a "warrior". Though frankly, I'm just thrilled to see lyrics that aren't either about love or about bragging. It's a step in a more diverse direction.
English: There's a bit of English here and there. I would say that Zelo's pronunciation is better than Bang's, because when Zelo says an English word I always know that he's switching languages, but when Bang switches to English, I have to check the lyrics to make sure that it's not still Korean.
In summary: Now this is how you debut. I don't know much about B.A.P., but I do know that they have two good rappers and at least two good singers (though I don't know which two they are). "Warrior" is a bold song with a strong brass section, warning whistle noises, and infectious raps. No part of the song is repeated too often, so you're left wanting more rather than wondering why the song is going on for so long.
My grade: 4.5 stars for the song.
Watchable bonus: Here's the music video for "Warrior". I giggled a bit when I first saw it because it is so stylized and faux-ghetto, but it has since grown on me. Giant evil rabbits! Skulls, condemned cars, sledgehammers, wind, and fire! The most difficult thing about the MV is the inability to distinguish the members of the band. I had to keep doing recounts to figure if there were 5 or 6 members of the band because they blended together a little too well. But their puppet-dance is pretty great, as is the mimed representation of guns.
And here is a helpful lyrics video, complete with romanized Korean lyrics and English translations.
Song Review: Warrior by B.A.P. Link Free Download
