REVIEW Album Review: ASTRO - "GATEWAY"

[Frandae]

ALBUM REVIEW: ASTRO - "GATEWAY"
Written by: Frandae

ASTRO, which means "star" in Spanish, is a boy group under Fantagio Entertainment that debuted in 2016 with 'HIDE&SEEK' and consists of six members: MJ, JinJin, Eunwoo, Moonbin, Rocky, and Sanha. The group made their comeback on the fourth of this month with their seventh mini-album, 'GATEWAY'. JinJin and Rocky actively participated in the creation of the album, writing all the rap sections of each track. Moonbin, who took a hiatus during 'Blue Flame' promotions due to health issues, is now back and so the group is complete again to promote their newest release.

ASTRO has gone through various concepts throughout their career. They debuted with a bright and cute concept that expressed the different seasons, and they have kept this up until some years ago. Later, they started to introduce more elegant and mysterious elements to their songs, which ― along with the aesthetics ― bloomed into a more sophisticated style.

'KNOCK'


The title track of the mini-album is called ‘Knock’, a song where they express their desire for their loved ones to open up their hearts and let them into their worlds. That is why they are doing "knock knock", announcing to their loved ones that they'll go after them and asking them to open the door and let them in (a metaphor of their loved ones' hearts). The song starts slowly with cosmic vibes and soon enough, becomes bolder and louder through some rap verses until it reaches the chorus, where they sing to that person to let them in while "knocking at their door". The chorus is very easy to learn and is loud enough to blast it out; you'll find yourself singing it during your day! The verses, in general, are very cohesive and are used in a very clever way to build-up to the chorus. My favourite part would be from 1:32 to 1:42, where we can appreciate different harmonies and layers that make it very pleasant to listen to. On the other hand, I find that the rap parts sometimes break the mood of the song and could sound somewhat inharmonious with the amazing high notes that MJ belts from 2:30 to 2:52 in the background. The music video is set in dark backgrounds and uses different shades of blue as its main color as seen in their clothes, the reflections in the water, the furniture, decorations...etc. Another main characteristic is that it has various abstract elements such as fantasy staircases that never end, as well as planets and stars, which reference their general concept and the group's name.

9.5/10



'WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME'


The second track, ‘When You Call My Name’, has more retro, laid-back, and cute vibes that are reflected in the group's performances and choreography in their promotions through music shows. The song has a very bright and cheerful melody all throughout and never stops ― perfect to keep your mind off your daily problems and concerns. I think it has a great balance between vocals and rap parts that, surprisingly, blend together really well and don't sound out of place. However, it lacks some musical twists and needs some production adjustments. After the first minute or so into the song, you can predict where the notes and sounds will go next, which could become somewhat boring and plain.

8.5/10

'SOMEBODY LIKE'


‘SOMEBODY LIKE’ brings us to the group's roots: a very bright song but also has some mature undertones that instantly puts you in a good mood. It's a really good song for late spring or summer and, in my opinion, perfect for an ASTRO concert. Unlike in the other songs of this album, I think the rap parts are well-utilized. Another good point is the small, soft parts that you can find throughout the song (for example from 2:08 to 2:16), which adds more personality and creativity to the track. Overall, it is a very fun, bright, and interesting song that has some musical contrasts, but these can be a little bit overwhelming and the listener might get tired of the song quickly.

9/10



'WE STILL'


The next song is ‘We Still’. It starts with a very interesting piano intro and develops into more strong sounds and melodies that still maintain some softness. Notable parts of the song would be from 0:45 to 1:16 and from 1:54 to 2:25: those two moments really showcase the great singing of the group's vocal line, which consists of MJ, Eunwoo, Moonbin, and Sanha. The rap parts are also good on their own, but the transition that leads to them feels a bit forced. The song needs some tweaks to make those transitions smoother so that they don't sound out of place or too strong. I have to say, though, that my favourite part that should get more attention is from 2:40 to 2:58 ― which, again, showcases powerful and emotional vocals. Overall, this track is the one that showcases the group's vocal skills the most in this album, but this attribute can be somewhat overshadowed by the rap transitions that I mentioned earlier, as well as the need for some musical twists.

8/10

'12 HOURS'


Next, we have ‘12 Hours’, which can be described as the rulebook song that almost every mini-album of K-pop groups have: a very slow and emotional ballad. This ballad keeps a mysterious yet emotional vibe throughout the song. The rap parts here feel very out of place, and in my opinion, they shouldn't have had any of those at all. They should have transformed this track into solely vocals-focused. We know all the members have great vocal skills, and they should showcase them, not hide them under some rap parts that I doubt add much to the song itself. This song needs musical twists and production adjustments the most, as the melody is a bit basic and repetitive. The positive part of ‘12 Hours’ is the general vibe that the song gives; it's soft, sweet, and perfect for a lazy day to wander around. You will immediately feel nostalgic, and it would bring you back to some of your memories.

6.5/10


'LIGHTS ON'


The last song of the album is ‘Lights On‘. Don't get fooled by this one! It starts really calm and you would expect another slow song that would be labeled as a ballad, but it's nothing like that! At 0:27, the real deal begins ― a strong rap combined with great vocals. The breaking point is at 0:52; it totally differs from what you thought this song would go into. From there, it has both strong and soft parts that work together really well, in my opinion. It's a very well-produced song that is very pleasant to listen to, and it really showcases their skills (both vocals and rap). The song also has a very memorable melody that will be stuck in your head. It is easily my favourite b-side from the mini-album that needs more recognition ― a hidden gem.

9.5/10

In conclusion, I think this is a very solid mini-album even though it has some noticeable flaws. Some songs can be somewhat predictable and a bit dull to the casual listener, so they might skip them. This could easily be solved with some adjustments in the songs' production while adding more musical contrasts. It's true that the songs in the album really showcase the group's skills in both vocals and raps, but the latter ones are over-used in some tracks, which, instead of adding to the song, lessens their impact and sometimes even feel out of place. ASTRO is a group filled with great vocalists, so I hope that in their next releases, the rap line shows that not only can they rap but also sing really well. I can only wish ASTRO a future brighter than the stars themselves!

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Artistic Creativity: 7/10
Vocal Quality: 7,5/10
Music: 8.5/10

7.7/10
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PROOFREAD BY: @meltrosz
GRAPHICS BY: @Frandae

 

[Polaris_Tae]

Wait Astro means star?!
Why did I not come to that conclusion earlier smh...
Great review, I remember liking their previous release, "All Night" when I heard it on a whim. I'll listen to this later, hopefully it's just as good!

 

[Dragon of the West]

Great review Fran! ASTRO has been a group I've paid close attention to ever since they really impressed me with All Night and while this album isn't, at least imo, anywhere near their 2019 releases, I can appreciate the direction they're going in with their music. I quite like the title track Knock and the only standout b-side from this that made it onto my 2020 k-pop playlist is Somebody Like

 

[BlueNose]

thanks for reviewing. its a nice album!

 

[Lilac]

Thanks for the review Fran!