[Review] Does Big Bang’s Seungri impress with “VVIP”

Big Bang’s own strong baby seems to have emerged from the infamous state of YG oblivion.   That in and of itself is exciting, and fortunately for fans, Seungri is back with a seven-track mini album titled “VVIP“.  Can I get a woo-hoo?
While G-Dragon and T.O.P. are tearing up stages with material I consider a hip-hop, electro-pop hybrid of sorts, Seungri will be adding his very own flair of pop to the mix.  Of course, all culminating to the long and overdue return of Big Bang.  We’re almost there!
Seungri’s style is pretty bare and he reminds me of a Justin Timberlake with a dash of Usher circa 2010.  “VVIP” is yet another Kpop album filled with synths and club beats, but YG producers (and Seungri himself) have given it a certain touch that helps the EP stand out.  A little.
Vocally, Seungri is a decent singer and even if he lacks the strength that, say, Daesung possesses, there’s still a certain quality in his voice (i.e. timbre) that remains engaging no matter what he sings.  Basically, he could sing your phone book from cover to cover and you would love it.
But has the grown maknae delivered in his 2011 EP?  Well, let’s find out.
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01.  “VVIP”

The first thing I noticed in “VVIP” is how out-of-place the intro is from the main components of the song.  It’s as if Seungri had to insert elements of show tunes somewhere in this mini (Why?!), and, without mercy, let “VVIP” have it.  That jarring flaw knocks the entire track off of its feet and doesn’t make sense to me with what he’s going for in the verses and chorus.
On the up side, those verses are what save this song from plummeting to the recesses of my music library.  They take me back to the days when Justin Timberlake brought sexy back and we didn’t complain as frequently about pop music as we do now.  Mmm, nostalgia.
02.  “What Do You Want”

Out of the big three agencies in the Korean music industry (JYP, SME, and YGE), YG Entertainment has the strongest Western influences.  They understand (for the most part) the mechanics of how the industries work outside of their own country.  That’s why their artists are so appealing to the masses, particularly to overseas listeners like myself.  As I flip flop back and forth between K-pop and American pop, the similarities are more than just there – they are obvious.
If you enjoy Chris Brown’s “Yeah 3x”, then you might as well cozy up to this song because it’s pretty much the Korean version.  “What Do You Want” has really nice melodies and one heck of a catchy hook.  The instrumental is very in line where pop music finds itself today.  When the crowd of idols started shelling electro pop music out the wazoo, it seems as if Seungri arrived and provided a decent example of how to properly breath life into the genre without over-doing the processing and the stomping beats.  The only thing I’m lacking in this song is an added dose of creativity.
03.  “Open The Window” ft. G-Dragon

This song is one of the better tracks on the album.  If you’ve been keeping up with YG releases, you can hear subtle traces of the disco style GD and TOP used in their own album throughout this song.  Even if this is a so-so track in my book, I really like the production.  Seungri sounds good and sort of reminds me of G.O. of MBLAQ.  Their styles of singing are very similar, especially in their higher register.
What’s the selling point?  The instrumental.  Unlike the stark horns in track 1, this time, they’re used appropriately and work well with the atmosphere rather than distorting it.
04.    “Magic”

Based on the dialogue in “Magic” (which I’m not particularly fond of in songs), it seems like Seungri a.k.a. VI has joined Taeyang in the march against solitude.  I guess years of signing your life away for the sake of fame and fortune bares heavy on the love-deprived.
You’ll either love this song, hate it, or fumble somewhere in between.  There’s playfulness to this that I like, but as whole, it comes off a little cheesy for me and I see a minuscule amount of replays, if any, in its future.
05.  “I Know” ft. IU

If I was looking forward to listening to any one song, it was this one.   I mean, how often does YG feature singers outside of their little circle? Like, never.  But this is an extra special occasion because it is IU of all people!  I personally think she fell off the deep end with her recent single (should I hide?), BUT the girl is talented.  Her voice is still maturing and I won’t jab her sides too much for it, but I acknowledge her vocal prowess.
This duet clearly caters to IU’s musical style because we’ve clearly left Seungri’s VVIP club stranded in the cold and picked up our flip-fops and handy-dandy beach ball for a good-ol’ time at the beach.  I would have liked to hear IU step out of her element and possibly go hard with the boys.  Her voice doesn’t necessarily sound like it would work well with the prevailing electronic and club sounds of this album, but it wouldn’t hurt to challenge her either.   Preferences aside, though, the two sound good.  Not one voice over powers the other and the middle 8 is the prettiest thing ever.
06.  “White Love”

As of right now, White Love is my favorite song on the mini album.  What gets me are the enthralling melodies, especially what I hear happening at the chorus.  Not only are they freakishly pretty, but were written to capture every ounce of our attention right out of the gate.  And do they ever.  There are those pop songs with a shelf life of two days and those without an expiration date.  “White Love” is of the latter.  It feels weird describing a guy’s song as ‘beautiful’, but Seungri earned it with this one.  Everything fits right into place for me.
Not to mention we get a good ear full of his falsetto!
07.  ”Outro (In My World)”

And how does Seungri follow up the gorgeousness of “White Love”? With a short ballad accompanied by a sole piano, of course.  I appreciate the simplicity of this song, but it ends way too quickly.  Like an unbearable cliffhanger, but I suppose I can let that slide because his performance is pretty good.  The guy has style and pipes and makes sure you exit the VVIP club fully aware of his capacity.
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The album stumbles a little, but never loses its footing.  I’m not in love with it but I like that Seungri makes sure to include a little bit of everything he represents as a singer and where he and the YG production team seem to be as far as musicality is concerned.  I mean, the processing on this EP and “GD&TOP Vol.1” are heaps better than what 2NE1 had to endure on their album.  It’s a good thing for sure – auto tune is so two years ago – and only makes the wait for Big Bang’s comeback more excruciating than it is already.