SpeXial -Boyz On Fire album Thoughts(Mando-pop)

 

01. Boyz On Fire               
02. 獨家頭條               
03. 憂傷來襲               
04. 愛的附加檔案               
05. Fire Flame               
06. Really Really               
07. Another Day               
08. 小太陽大月亮               
09. Glorious               
10 . 大俠

      I'm going to be completely honest with everyone. SpeXial was a new rookie group to me who only had one album with "Boyz On Fire" being the second album. They tricked me big time. This group has been around since 2012 and has had a few member changes now ending up with twelve members.  The members also trained in South Korea for a time. Hamasaki Ayumi introduced me to these boys with the collaboration track "Sayonara". I thought the former queen of jpop just said "oh they look cute! I want them in my song!" Wrong. She knew these boys been around the block a few times. I kinda remember seeing their album cover when the group only had four members but I didn't give their music the time of day back then

     "Boyz On Fire" is their 4th album to date. This album would have never reached my ears if I hadn't fought about the decision in my mind for a few minutes before finally deciding to give this group another chance to make me a fan. Why was I so hesitant to listen to this album? The last album I listened to wasn't really to my liking because the catchy factor was missing from their songs. The reasons from making SpeXial's songs so boring are still present on this album. A dance break should be used to help support a good songs that can already stand alone based on the vocals and the structure. Dance beats should not be used to fill in the spots that could easily could have been filled with more vocals or rapping. No, that talking some of the members do during the dance breaks are not good enough to be called anything other than them talking. Maybe we could say they are trying to hype the listener up with energy of their own. Its all was lost on me since the song wasn't hype to begin with.  Sometimes it feels like you hear rapping(talking?) more than singing to me. who knows if this group wants to be rappers full time but there's no way all twelve boys are rapping/singing on this record.  I could be wrong but I feel like I only hear four boys.

     

       The album's music style is borderline making the same old mistakes for the first two tracks then suddenly showcasing a growth in musical maturity. The problems I mentioned above made me skip the first two tracks so quick that you would have thought I was a shopper trying to get into a store that just opened its door on Black Friday. "憂傷來襲" vocally lets us know that SpeXial has some grown ass sounding men in this group and they are not afraid to let them be at the forefront. Strong image all the way. Leave that cute image at home. The track also mixes rock and mid tempo beats together to give the song a dangerous feel. "愛的附加檔案" is a mid tempo ballad where the boy sound like a group. This track is the most out of the music I have heard, where SpeXial sounds like a unit. The harmony is tight and even the talking they keep doing goes along well in here.  "Really Really" is like the part two of the other track only with a more RnB flavor.  (That member from Canada is letting his English be known in these songs.) "Another Day" might be my favorite songs out of al the tracks on "Boyz On Fire".  Some of the boys are allowed to full out rap while other members sing the chorus backed by a beat layered with slow piano playing. I love how the song makes an impression on you without them trying too hard to be outgoing.  The remaining tracks revisit the style from the previous album only tracks like "Glorious" hit that catchy note just enough to not sound more annoying than rememberable. 

     

      SpeXial has a variation in vocal ranges and styles. They really need to use this to their advantage so they will stand out more vocally. Most notable is the guy who has a really husky low voice that doesnt sound like it belongs in a boyband but manages to work. My ears tend to always zero into his vocals( and the guy with the high range who keeps singing loud in the background. I HEAR YOU BOY.)  because they standout. Im still on the fence about the rapping. I don't hate how they sound but sometimes they get too excited and it messes up the flow of the rap. Its also not hard to pin point the different skill levels with who is a true rapper and who just started rapping a few years before. 

    

  The album title  "Boyz On Fire" should be changed  to " Boyz who tried to light a match but it wouldn't light to save their lives". Improvement was there but these boys might want to takes a look at how they can differentiate their music from everyone else instead of following that dance beat trend that everyone is becoming apart of. The album has good songs so I recommend you give it a listen. Tell them Fanspazzmaniac sent you. All twelve of them.