Spend EVERYDAY with WINNER
WINNER gained the title “kings of summer” last year with the highly successful release of “Really Really” and later their mini-album OUR TWENTY FOR. With BIGBANG officially on hiatus due to military enlistment, WINNER is arguably YG Entertainment’s most popular boy group, so this album is very welcome. Unbelievably, EVERYDAY is only the group’s second full album. It’s shocking to hear since WINNER is a group that feels like they have been around for so long—especially because of their ups and downs.
EVERYDAY
The title track, “EVERYDAY,” is the summer jam we all expected from WINNER. Just from the first few seconds, the bright vibe of the song is established. It’s an easy, tropical infused trap track with a dramatic pre-chorus. The chorus itself seems a bit lacking to me, mostly because of the heavy use of autotune. The drastic use of it is something that seems so 2007—even if it is often used in this genre—I just cannot agree to like it. Aside from this though, the rest of the song is quite solid and will undeniably grow on you.
Many international fans are happy with the music video. While there is no story and it just shows various clips of billionaire-esque WINNER frolicking with bikinied women—something I’m not too fond of—the women themselves are a breath of fresh air. I don’t think there is one Korean girl in the video, instead women, mostly women of color, grace the screens. It’s something K-Pop fans are not used to seeing, and when some dance with WINNER, the excitement just seems to grow. Speaking of the dance, the choreography is quite something. It reminds me of BIGBANG—that kind of carefree style of sometimes questionable dance moves. But they just make it look so cool—how do they do it?
I think “Air” would have made for a great title track as well. It’s light and, well, airy with its soothing vocals and positive vibe. It’s a definite stand-out track. It’s pop laced with the tropical beat WINNER has made their trademark, and yet it is so calm and relaxing at the same time. Following is a more hip-hop influenced “여보세요 (HELLO)” which fittingly uses phone sounds to create a tune, as well as many “BRRR” sounds, naturally. It carries the same lighthearted and fresh feeling that the previous songs did.
MINO gets his time to shine with a solo track titled “손만 잡고 자자 (TURN OFF THE LIGHT)”. The Show Me the Money rapper shows off an unusual side of himself. We may have all expected a hard track, or a trap-filled beat like in ”Body,” but instead we get a laid-back beat opened with vocals. I quite love this side of MINO, and he shows off his skills in singing—something we do not see often. His charisma shines easily, as it always does, making this a song you’ll want to check out.
The energy only increases with the next song “LA LA,” a song that reminds me of BIGBANG’s “Sober” almost too much. With the beat, the rap verses’ flow, even the hook and the way the song ends, it’s just way too similar. It’s somewhat nostalgic in that way but undeniably tons of fun. Finally, after the high energy “LA LA” we’re given the kind of song I always look forward to on albums—the ballad. “애 걔 (FOR)” is a gorgeous acoustic guitar finger-plucked ballad. Violins even accompany the track, and it’s amazing just how rappers MINO and Seunghoon are able to make their distinct rapping styles fit into the flowery melody.
The next track makes me happy, because it’s yet another genre change and I love me a diverse album. “예뻤더라 (WE WERE)” opens with a drum roll and that strong beat carries throughout the whole song. The chorus is enough to induce chills because of Seungyoon’s unique and powerful vocals. This is yet another song worth checking out, especially if you enjoy WINNER’s B-sides which differ from their tropical/hip-hop title-tracks.
Here comes the trap! I was almost worried we would go without it. I truly enjoy WINNER’s trap songs very much and “사치 (LUXURY)” takes the genre and infuses it with other brighter sounds. Autotune is used in this song like “EVERYDAY,” but not to the same degree, thankfully. It’s still tasteful and fits seamlessly into the unique song. “MOVIE STAR” follows, a piano-led pop love song. Using movie genres as symbolism for a relationship, the lyrics are quite sweet and creative. “SPECIAL NIGHT” takes another genre turn with its slight house beat, making for a feel-good track.
The final two tracks are Korean versions of “RAINING” and “HAVE A GOOD DAY,” two solid tracks that wrap up the album nicely. The lyrics of “HAVE A GOOD DAY” are incredibly bittersweet and worth checking out. Overall WINNER delivered a quality album full of different styles that all fit WINNER’s vibe. It’s exciting to see this YG group gain popularity and explore diverse sounds.