Solar Serves Face with “HONEY”
On March 16, 2022, MAMAMOO leader and vocalist Solar made her long-awaited solo comeback with her first mini-album 容 : FACE and a music video for its title track “HONEY,” almost two years after making her solo debut with “Spit it out.”
The music video for “HONEY” is such a fun and eye-catching concept with an experimental mix of colors, lighting, editing, and props that, alongside Solar, evoke cute, fierce, sexy, and avant-garde expressions. From a giant white prop of Solar’s face to a large structure of a yellow beehive to cool lighting effects upon Solar’s face and body, and so much more, this music video is really fun to watch. The video's use of colors, also, gives off a small resemblance to American girl group Destiny's Child's music video for “Say My Name” as Solar and her dancers' outfits all match the colors of each background setting they appear in.
On first impression, “HONEY” somewhat lacks the powerful vocals and beats that MooMoos might be used to with Solar’s previous solo and OST tracks. This does not make it a bad song, but it might not be to every K-Pop fan’s taste, especially on the first listen; however, “HONEY” does get better the more you listen to it. The song is fun and very catchy, with it having a softer vocal line compared to Solar’s other tracks, not to mention a surprising and impressive rap section that allows listeners to hear a different side to her. Despite the song possibly not being to everyone’s expectations, “HONEY” is still a sweet vibe that is worthy of a spot on every fan’s K-Pop playlist.
While most of the songs on this album are quite short, the opening track on the mini-album “RAW'' has a duration of just one minute and eleven seconds. Fans might recognize “RAW” as being the exact same track used in the intro to “Spit it out,” with a sound that will have you wishing that it was a full-length single. “RAW” carries heavy R&B vibes mixed with intricate sounds of some sort of a traditional woodwind instrument and percussion that, alongside Solar’s vocals, create this powerful and energetic yet smooth track. “RAW” is my favorite single on the album; if only we could have had another minute or two of it.
容 : FACE really shows how versatile Solar’s vocals are, as the remaining three tracks of the mini-album continue to show a different side to her. “chap chap” is a playful track that is full of voice chops, low synth sounds, and an interesting use of sound effects that is reminiscent of early 2000’s R&B-pop in the U.S. and U.K. “Big Booty,” on the other hand, is the perfect track for a stage musical with its big band and jazz orchestral sounds that are very musical and burlesque-inspired (think Cabaret (1966) and Chicago (1975)). “Big Booty” also happens to be the first song Solar ever wrote herself, which she has performed and spoken about in the past.
The last track, “zinggle zinggle,” is a song that goes back to the R&B-pop roots of this mini-album, taking on cosmic, space-like, sounds with a lofi beat to create a smooth track that is pleasantly calming.
Overall, Solar’s 容 : FACE is an interesting and unique first mini-album release. Through its plethora of different sounds and music genres, Solar has been able to show off her vocal versatility and talents, not only as a singer but also a rapper, creating a mini-album that is fresh while still having that Solar and MAMAMOO stamp on it. To some, 容 : FACE might be an acquired and unexpected taste, but to others, this mini-album will be the perfect K-Pop and K-R&B debut release.
Check out the music video for “HONEY” on YouTube and Solar’s first mini-album 容 : FACE, available now on all streaming sites.
Edited by Kelly Sipko