Jun.K( 준케이) - Mr. No♡ Mini Album Thoughts(K-RnB/Soul)

Track List:
01. Mr. NO♡
02. THINK ABOUT YOU
03. BETTER MAN
04. YOUNG FOREVER
05. 파도타기
06. 우리집
07. 가지마 (Feat. 백아연)
08. NO LOVE Part 2 (Feat. San E)

  That cover is a note right out of any other black(African American) singer's cover art style notebook. The way he's standing, the hair twists, and that gold chain..... lord help me look at his body without having some sort of heart attack. BEEP BREATHS....... Ok! I'm alright! I'm alright! REALLY! (Collapses on floor).  While I'm here having sudden heart attacks, lets try to discuss Jun.K or Junsu's mini album titled "Think About You" since I don't feel like typing the other title with that heart symbol.

  Just the cover could give a black person the red light to sound off about culture appropriation. I'm not the type of person to point the finger at everyone or look for excuses to accuse every non black person of cultural appropriation but this world is the mastermind of indulging in black culture while spitting on the very people that this culture comes from. Like someone might say," Its cool to be black until your actually have this skin color.". I'm not saying Jun.K is racist or anything but you can totally tell that this guy has a love for African American culture when is comes to our Urban style. I also want to make one thing very clear. The gangster, Urban style is not all there is to black people's culture but only a fraction of who we are as a people. Back to the style Jun.K decided to use for his album. Some people might have something to say about it  and they have every right to their opinions. I think its very important that Korean, Japanese, Chinese, musical artists who indulge in black people's culture understand the culture they are indulging in. Its not about them just listening to how we sing, dress, and, speak to use as their own. It about knowing the really true history behind all of those traits. Then they will know why black people react negatively to them doing black face and why some of us don't like when they wear dreads and corn rolls. This is something that was ours and it was seen as ugly on us but then other races do it and it seen as cool, fresh and new. This is hurtful to some of us. I'm all for influence that has inspired Jun.K and many other Korean artists but they need to show their support for black culture in more than just taking and imitating our culture. There is a difference between being inspired and taking that inspiration to create your own style and then just imitation by listening to hip hop, rap, and RnB, by way of import and the internet. 

  Jun.K for example, doesn't come off as being an artists who would take black culture and hate the people it came from but he does seem like he watched a little too much BET(Black Entertainment Television) and it has heavily affected his music. I can not tell you how many Korean guys have met from the ages of 19 to 30 who are just like Jun.K in the fact that they listen to black music and try their hardest to sound just like what they hear. Jun.K has a very good voice and it's soulful alright. There are times that he tries too hard to be like his american black counterparts. The songs choices are a dead give away to this idea because there is a difference between having the power and range to sing a soulful song and then just shouting to reach a note. "Think About you" Is an RnB slow jam that just didn't make to the point of being rememberable to me. I saw a clip from the MV and it looks like it might contain some scenes that I will remember. *Wink* Wink* This guy has range but it's like giving a Whitney Houston song to Adele and asking her to sing it, which she might be able to pull it off but Adele doesn't have the voice or range that Miss Houston had. Some songs are not suited for everyone's range of voice. Certain tracks on this album felt this way to me while listening to Jun.K either shout or try to make a note sound good by doing a run. Having should is not just about singing soulfully but the emotion behind that should as well. 

   Highlights of this album would be the latter tracks such as "Ride The Wave". This song is in Jun.K's range and doesn't  sound too forced. "My House" is a cover of the 2PM song that I totally forgot about until now. The original is really good but after awhile you start to forget the song unless 2PM is your bias group. Jun.K rocked this song and was in his grove causing me to want to get excited since I feel like his full potential comes out during this song. The duet "Don't Go" was a pleasant surprise as the vocals sound very blended and the track doesn't sound like every other stale Korean ballad duet. Rapper San E steps up to feature on the track "No Love Part 2". I never considered San E to be an amazing rapper but I have listened to his music and love the tracks he did with Mad Clown. He knows how to hype up a track to the point that your looking forward to something good. Jun.K comes out blazing with is strong vocal game causing another moment on this album that sounds a little more natural and less like a try hard. 

  I don't think that Koreans shouldn't be allowed to dress urban but I do think that learning about the culture as a whole and having a voice on cultural appropriation is something that is we need more of in Kpop. If you stay quiet then your apart of the problem. If you choose to ignore, or not address it at all then your also apart of the problem. Jun.K is a fantastic artist and he was the member that stood out to me the most back in the day when 2PM first debuted.(Yes, during the Jay Park era.) I hope he has a fruitful future and that he has more solos albums. I'm sure he will because none in Korea is really looking for 2PM nowadays. Most of the members have gone to acting but they are pretty popular in Japan.