B-Sides: FTISLAND
It’s no secret that when it comes to heavier and upbeat rock tracks, they’re usually reserved for the title track. However, if you dive deeper, you just may find that K-Rock groups can deliver on their B-sides as well. For this week, we’ll be taking a look at a few tracks from FTISLAND’s impressive list of B-sides.
“WANNA GO”
A pure pop-punk track through and through, “WANNA GO” is off FTISLAND’s fourth full-length album, FIVE TREASURE BOX. Released in 2012, the track features lyrics by member Jaejin with the music being arranged by Minhwan and former member Seunghyun. This was the first album released by the group in three years and the album title refers to the “treasures” inside of the album, with “WANNA GO” definitely being a crown jewel.
“Shadow”
Not to be confused with their Japanese title track “Shadows,” “Shadow” is off the group’s fifth full-length album I WILL, with member Jaejin once again penning the lyrics. With a guitar solo befitting any rock-n-roll track, “Shadow” is the perfect song to blast down the highway on a road trip or to jam out to while in the shower (don’t lie, we all have mini-concerts in the shower and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that).
“Lose”
“Lose” is off FTISLAND’s sixth full-length album Where’s the truth? released in 2016. While the title track “Take Me Now” is a force all on its own, “Lose” follows suit with lead singer Hongki’s soaring vocals setting the stage. This track alternates between softer verses with a heavy guitar rhythm and powerful, in-your-face choruses. Another gem in this track is the keyboard solo right before the final chorus, putting even more emphasis on how strong and beautiful Hongki’s voice truly is. Yet another incredible song by Jaejin.
“Fade Out” ft. Yuna of AOA
Off the group’s sixth mini-album WHAT IF, “Fade Out” was written and composed by Hongki and features Yuna of AOA. This track has a bit of a darker element, starting out rather ominous with twinkling piano notes before shifting into a heavy backing track. The twinkling piano notes can be heard throughout the track, only taking a break when Yuna takes the reins and begins singing; her voice is paired with a slightly echoing and warbling electric guitar. Once her verse is over though, the track kicks right back into high gear, the track then closing once again with the twinkling piano notes.
“Day By Day”
“Day By Day” is off ZAPPING, the group’s final album before the members began enlisting, starting with Hongki in September 2019 while Minhwan and Jaejin enlisted earlier this year. It is also the group’s final album with member Seunghyun, who left the group to pursue an acting career at the end of 2019. “Day By Day” starts off soft before the drums kick in and the tempo rises as well. It’s a peppy track, definitely a fun listen, even if the lyrics talk about taking a breakup day by day.