Fly to the Sky [Missing You] (Fourth Album)

후 (Intro)
Missing You
한 (Grudge)
습관 (Habit)
2 become 1
Magic Song
Still
Only One
Good to You
You
My Love
I’m Gonna (Streaming TRAX)
Baby Baby Baby (Streaming TRAX)

The album starts off with 후 (Intro). Its a simple and rather elegant piano melody, nothing too interesting though.

The next track on the album is the piano-driven Missing You. This song seemed a bit more powerful the first time I listened to it, but its still a good listen this time around. I kept thinking of another one of their songs while listening to this. The arrangement was simple, nothing to memorable, but nice in a way. Hwanhee’s vocal performance was of course strong, but it felt like he was holding back for some reason. Brian’s vocals were good to, just a bit too safe. I thought this song was pretty weak this time around, but a nice start to the album.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo 한 (Grudge). I really forget how good this song is. I love when Hwanhee starts off the song with that high note, it just really makes you anticipate the rest. The verses are nice, but the chorus is what keeps you interested and engaged, its such a great chorus and I love the amount of emotion and vocal strength they put into it. Ah, this song also reminded me of N’sync and the backstreet boys. This is a really good track.

The next track on the album keeps the mid-tempo coming with 습관 (Habit). This would be a great video, I’m not sure if it is one, but if not, it would have made a good video. This track is so dramatic, it was paced really well. The vocal performances were good, as usual, but just like in the previous song the chorus is the high light.

The next track on the album is the emotional 2 become 1. This is one of my all time favorite FTTS sky songs, it is just such a good song. I can not understand why Brian was so jealous of Hwanhee, he has such a nice voice too, of course Fany is the better singer; stronger vocals, that’s a give in. Brian has a soft voice, though he can do a lot with it and it suits him. Plus he raps pretty good and can dance. Geez let Fany have something over you! Ah, I got off track. They put so much emotion into this song and I just love when Fany hits that one note, wow… just wow. This is really one of their best songs, terribly underrated.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo Magic Song. I can see how this song can be appealing, but I just found it such an underwhelming listen. The arrangement is pretty generic and I believe I kept hearing beeps, which just make it all the more cheesy. The vocal performances from both Brian and Hwanhee were fine, but I just didn’t care for them: ‘press play’ its like, I don’t get it. The song is called ‘magic’ but I never really got that vibe. This song is all right, because its not as bad as it could have been. However, I find it to be quite mediocre.

The next track on the album is the awful Still. Wow, this song is bad. I can’t believe I never really noticed how bad. The arrangement is limp, utterly. The vocal performances were terrible, I mean Brian sounded so uninspired, I mean it wasn’t even funny, it was like a forced smile, that’s the best thing I can think of to describe his singing. Hwanhee gave a much better vocal performance, but he just sounded tired and I don’t mean sleepy tired either. This song is better off forgotten.

The next track on the album is the loving Only One. Ah, a much better track, thank goodness. The arrangement is light and a bit on the sparkly side, very nice on the ears. The vocal performances were loads better in this track than the previous, which was a relief. This song is quite heart-warming and an enjoyable listen.

The next track on the album is the rather cliche Good to You. This song is a bit stale, but I find that I like it. Ah, blame it on the heavy dose of rnb, decent vocals and a somewhat good chorus. I could have done without your lame talking though Brian…

The next track is the bland You. Wha? It was Still all over again, they played the exact same. The arrangement was so lank I wondered why they even bothered, especially since their uninspired vocal performances seemed to be one step ahead of it. It was so awkward, I was wondering if they were writing the song out as they sung and making up stuff just for the kicks. This song is just fail.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo My Love. This is really one of their most underrated ballads, because I mean I never really listen to it unless I’m listening to the album, but its quite a nice ballad from them. The arrangement is soothing and seems to wrap you up in a blanket of love, the arrangement is so light and a tad bit sparkly, but not obviously so. I thought they both gave good vocal performances, really capturing that innocent essence of being in love, but surprisingly Brian’s vocals stood out a lot more than Fany’s.

The second to last track on the album is I’m Gonna (Streaming TRAX). I’m not sure what the streaming TRAX is, but I’m going to assume these are original songs, just mixed up a bit. This song is doused heavily in rnb, I like. The vocal performances were good as well. This is a pretty quiet song, doesn’t stand-out much at all and will mostly be liked by fans of rnb.

The last track on the album is Baby Baby Baby (Streaming TRAX). This song plays pretty much like the previous track, though I liked this track a bit more.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

Fly to the Sky’s fourth album Missing You is pretty half and half. This album started off on such a great note and then for some reason fell off towards the end and despite some good tracks couldn’t seem to pick itself back up. I had really liked this album when I first gave it a listen, but its obvious that that has diminished somewhat. 2 become 1 is definitely the stand out track, Hwanhee gave a great vocal performance and Brian certainly did his thang. Its one of my all-time top favorite songs from them. Missing You is a pretty good album, its just the first half is a whole lot better than the second half. If it had played like that the whole way through, I would have most certainly given this album an A+.

Fly To The Sky [Gravity] (Fifth Album)

Stay
중력 (Gravity)
그대는 모르죠 (Good-Bye)
Old Skool Love
열감기 (Rest of My Life)
한참이 지나도 (If You Go Away)
Take a Bow
사랑을 모르다 (MONOLOGUE)
Tell Me
My Neverending Story
For You

The album starts of with the down-tempo and rather dramatic Stay. The arrangement is fitting, that’s really all I can say. Its like, its not anything special, but it does do its part to add such a dramatic feel to the song. I loved Fany’s vocals, goodness his voice is so good and it brought such depth and emotion to this song. The best part was at the very end, when Fany starts ad-libbing and Brian says: ‘I hope you understand how I feel about you, and all I’m asking is… just stay…’ oh, its enough to make your eyes fill. The whole execution was just so emotional and powerful. What a great start to the album.

The next track on the album is the title track 중력 (Gravity). This is a good song, but I just felt they went a bit overboard in the vocal department with this song. The arrangement is nice, I love the guitar or is a violin? Whatever it is, I liked it. It really suited this song. The vocal performances from both Fany and Brian were good, I just felt that toward the end they got a bit crazy. The ad-libbing and loud singing, and all that just seemed really unnecessary and show-offy. Still, ignoring that this is a good song. Also, this is one of those tracks in which I have a love-hate relationship with.

The next track on the album is the somewhat down-tempo 그대는 모르죠 (Good-Bye). I heard that this was a remake of an All 4 One song of the same name, the group that sang the 90’s hit I Swear. I’m not sure, but its possible. If so, Fly To The Sky did such a great job with this song, this is honestly a song I never get tired of listening too. The best part is at the end, when they’re singing and ad-libbing together.

The next track is the up-tempo Old Skool Love. I really don’t like this song. Also, while listening to this I was thinking of another song of theirs. The arrangement is pop, and I don’t mean like the genre (though in a sense it is somewhat a pop tune, which a slice of rnb thrown in for good measure), but it really sounds like its popping out at you and sounds like a beat you would break-dance or wave dance too. The vocals from both parties were decent for a song like this, but I didn’t really care for it or this song. Though at one point it sounded like Brian, or both together sang: ‘I really want your baby!’

The next track on the album is the down-tempo 열감기 (Rest of My Life). This song has always come across as very boring and wang-sty to me, I can’t really figure out why though. The arrangement is pretty fitting, for a song about them wanting someone to come back and stay. I liked Fany and Brian’s vocals, but the song had this vibe throughout that made it seem like they weren’t the only one’s singing. It seemed like a chorus was singing with them, but not really singing with them, if that makes any sense. I think this song has grown on me, its pretty OK.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo, somewhat power ballad 한참이 지나도 (If You Go Away). I love the title. Anyways, this is another song that comes across as very boring to me, but its not. The arrangement is similar to the previous song, fitting. The vocals from both parties are good as well, they put a lot into the chorus, where they really got into the song. This is a track that can come across as very weepy and impossible, but I like it.

The next track on the album is the slightly up-tempo Take a Bow. I knew from the minute I heard Brian say: ‘Yo’ this is the kind of joint you can dance to,’ I wouldn’t like this song. I seem to dislike this song all the more every time I listen to it. The arrangement is like this twinkle Island like beat, that would be the ’cause of some very awkward dancing. The vocal performances are decent, but lacking. Brian on the other hand brought up the interest factor with his ludicrous rap segment where he says: ‘Take a bow for all the bullshit you put me through!’ It really makes you wonder what unlucky girl fucked him over?

The next track on the album is the down-tempo 사랑을 모르다 (MONOLOGUE). This is one of those songs that you have to really listen to in order to enjoy, otherwise it would bore you to death. The arrangement is a simple but lovely and fitting piano arrangement that plays like something right out of a Disney movie. When the song started I immediately thought of Beauty & the Beast. The vocal performances were nice. Fany and Brian both put a lot of emotion into this song, to make you connect with and ultimately enjoy it for what it is: a sad love ballad.

The next track on the album is the somewhat down-tempo Tell Me. This song sounds really familiar to me. The arrangement is nice, not too simple, but simple in a sense. Its really fitting though and nice on the ears in an upped, down-tempo like way. I adored both Fany and Brian’s vocals, and I just loved how they got into the song, making it just bleed rnb. It really made me connect with this song, instead of becoming bored with it, which I most likely would have had they not sounded so into the song.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo My Neverending Story. I want to start this review off with a bit of Brian’s part from the beginning. This seriously solidifies my belief that Brian has seriously gotten fucked over by some unlucky girl in the past, or he just likes sounding bitter: ‘…I saw you rollin’ in your lexus SUV, smiling with a man if its you its meant to be (I think?), naturally (something I can’t catch), excuse me if I stutter, I hope you get an STD, that’s how much I hate you with another man…’ wow. The arrangement has a nice and crisp rnb sound to it, that could sound pop in a way since its very light. The vocals from both Fany and Brian were decent, but I don’t recall hearing Fany much. They sound a bit off-key in the chorus, especially on the ‘never ending story’ part. This song sounds like another Take a Bow to me. It just plays very strangely, and without Brian’s amusing parts throughout, it would be utterly forgettable.

The last track on the album is the ballad For You. I think this was one of the first FTTS songs I heard, because I was in love with mostly their ballads when I first got into them. The piano arrangement in this song is just gorgeous, and the flow of it is so perfect for a song like this, it really makes me wish they did the whole single thing, so I could have the luxury of having the beautiful instrumental. Fany’s vocals were great, powerfully poignant as usual and Brian’s vocal performance as well which was wonderful and light. This song was such a lovely one to leave the album on.

-GRADE: A-/B+
Rating: **1/2 stars

Fly To The Sky’s fifth and last album under SM Entertainment Gravity was a whole lot better this time around than it was when I first listened to it. I like how I listen to an album once, hate it, then listen to it again and love it. I like being proven wrong, because when I first listened to this album I really didn’t care for it. The songs on here are your typical FTTS fare, we have a slew of down-tempo’s, and a scattered amount of mid-tempo and up-tempo’s, all meshing together to make a pretty solid and good album.

Fly To The Sky [Day by Day] (First Album)

Intro
In My Dream (feat. H.O.T.)
Day by Day
I Don’t Wanna Say Good-bye
Fly To The Sky
Wanna Be With You
Everything…
(Naegen Neomu Yeppeun Geudae) (Beautiful Girl)
(Sarangeul Darmeun Norae) (A Song For Love)
Warning
Love Forever
In My Dream (Extended version)

The album starts off with the intro track, aptly titled, Intro. It’s a pretty lame intro. It’s starts off with some sort of computerized beat, and then Brian starts free styling, he has good English and his rapping skills aren’t bad, but that doesn’t stop this from being weak.

The next track is the rnb infused, somewhat down and mid-tempo, In My Dream, feat. H.O.T. back when they were hot and in demand. I love the beat of this song, it manages to capture your attention without doing much and keeps you interested in the song long after you would have tired of it. The vocals are great from fanny and good from Brian, though I couldn’t make out Brian’s voice. It’s a pretty boring and lank song when you think about it, only the arrangement makes this song worth the effort.

The next track is the title track, Day by Day. It’s very pop sounding, to the point of it being nauseating. I do like this song, the whole vibe of it, gives you this city-like feel, as you walk around looking at sites on a windy, yet hot day. The high note Fanny hits towards the end is really good, and the arrangement is fitting. I don’t know, this song is pretty average, but it’s still a nice listen.

The next track is the somewhat mid-tempo, I Don’t Wanna Say Good-bye. I don’t know, this song is amusing to me and reminds me of that FTTS song where Brian says, ‘I knew you was a hoe the way you got on yo’ knees!’ lolz. Only this one is more tamer, and is them talking about not wanting to say good-bye as oppose to wanting to say good-bye. The arrangement is pretty generic, and poppish, though danceable in a way. The vocal performances are nice and the chorus is catchy.

Next up is the mid-tempo, pop and rnb Fly To The Sky. I’m wondering why they didn’t have this as the title track, since it’s a lot more interesting than Day by Day. This is a rather generic track, but it’s catchy, ‘it’s all right baby’, the vocal performances by Brian and Fanny were pretty good, and the beat though rather cheesy, is infectious.

The next track is the somewhat down-tempo, Wanna be with You. It has a watered down rnb vibe going for it, with a little pop added to make the beat a little more interesting. It’s a very average song, generic in a way, but it does keep your attention. The vocal performances are good for a song like this, and Brian’s little rap segments, though incredibly cheesy fitted right in, and surprisingly didn’t drag the song down.

EVERYTHING… the next track is like an alternate version of I Don’t Wanna Say Good-bye. In this song they are talking about how the girl is a promiscuous cheater, and how everything is over because of that. I like how seemingly fast-paced the song is, even though it doesn’t go slightly above mid-tempo. The vocals are good, mostly during the chorus, which is really catchy. The best part of this song is Brian’s rap, it’s so clever. I mean I’d never take him serious as a rapper, but as opposed to a lot of K-rappers, I can actually tolerate his raps. ‘I knew you was a hoe the way you got on yo’ knees’ lolz.

Fly To The Sky slows it way down with the next track, (Naegen Neomu Yeppeun Geudae) (Beautiful Girl). The first time I heard this song was while watching the video, which I thought on Brian’s side was pretty homo, but even though, I also remembered loving the song and thinking it very touching. I think the song was meant for their fans, and if so, it’s a nice little fan appreciation song. Admittedly the song can get pretty boring, since it’s incredibly slow-paced, and never goes anywhere really, vocal-wise or arrangement wise. Regardless, the vocal performances from both parties were rather nice and the arrangement is quite pretty. It’s a nice listen.

The next track, (Sarangeul Darmeun Norae) (A Song For Love) is down-tempo as well, but ups the pace just a little. This track is in a since, rather boring, and though the vocal performances are good, they do tend to get rather strained throughout, which is rather pathetic considering that (Sarangeul Darmeun Norae) (A Song For Love) is a pretty basic tune. Fly To The Sky have way better ballads than this, but even though, it’s still a good listen, and the arrangement is somewhat pretty.

Next up is the mid-tempo, well somewhat mid-tempo WARNING. I don’t like this song, which is a shame because it has so much potential. It just fails on so many levels, such as the beat being very generic and repetitive; not only that but it’s as if the verses are non-existent because all you hear is, ‘I’ll never let you go, don’t think that you can stray’, and it’s sung in such a bored tone by both parties that you can’t even be bothered with it. WARNING is a rather possessive and somewhat disturbing song, and not even a good kind of possessive and disturbing like Rurutia’s Itoshigo Yo. It just bores.

The second to last song on the album was one I actually thought I was going to like, however Love Forever just fails. I’m not sure if it was because I could barely hear the song, or because there was barely a song to hear, but either way, this song is awful. I’m thinking this is going to be a better version of A Song For Love, but it is the exact opposite, utterly forgettable.

The last track on the album is the pointless bonus track, In My Dream. Only it’s the extended version. Waste.

-GRADE: C
Rating: *1/2 stars

I’ve always liked Fly To The Sky’s debut album Day by Day, but just like with Emyli’s debut, I have to look at this from a professional critic’s perspective and not as a fan. This first album has absolutely nothing to offer but nice vocals, and moderately catchy beats. It’s boring; every song on here and I mean EVERY song is generic or below average. They had a few gems on here such as In My Dream, I Don’t Want To Say Good-bye, Fly To The Sky, EVERYTHING… and Beautiful Girl; in the end though, they offer nothing. I can’t say that this is a memorable album, because it isn’t. I’m not sure if it’s just my computer, or the downloaded tracks, but there was a lot of interference which made listening to some of the tracks impossible, the most glaring of all being the underwhelming Love Forever. Though even without the static, I doubt I would have cared for them otherwise, because even though I did love some of the songs, it’s only because they are catchy and nothing more. Day by Day is an all right albeit forgettable album, but it isn’t bad. I’d recommend this to die hard Fly To The Sky fans, as they’re the only ones who will remember it.