SURAN(수란) - Jumpin Mini Album Thoughts(K-indie)

   Suran could be seen as a singer that has been around the Korean music scene for awhile in Korea. She first debuted in a duo then she went solo, releasing collaborations that were either a hit or a miss commercially. She's best know for a track she did with Suga of BTS that was very successful. Her solo singles didn't do as well but her tracks still managed to gain her recognition at award shows. Jumpin is Suran's second mini album to date.

Track List:
01. Wander & Flow (feat. Yoonmirae)
02. Moonlight
03. Don’t hang up (feat. pH-1)
04. Hide And Seek (feat. HEIZE)
05. OJB
06. Jumping

   The theme of Jumpin must have been simplicity goes a long way in production because the tracks don't pull off any flashy arrangements and if the music does then it's very settle. Kinda in the background of a normal RnB beat. Not that this is a bad thing according to Suran's history. She's an RnB type of girl who likes to strip everything down for vocals. I can appreciate this since Suran's vocals are very unique compared to what Korea would usually look for in a female vocalist. What a scary fact that she would create such a stripped down mini album that doesn't allow her voice to hide behind power dance pop or overproduced auto tuned vocals. Jumpin honestly feels to me like a bar girl singing to a small crowd on a Saturday night. Pretty big names hop on the album to help Suran out, names such as the undisputed Queen of Rap Yoon Mi Rae, p-H1, and HEIZE, however the album still feels very sluggish even with their power in talent. One of the reasons being that the tracks don't give a diverse image in musical style for the listener. Plus Suran's vocals can sometimes miss the mark depending on what kind of song she sings. Don't Hang Up is a good title track where p-H1 brings a good fun vibe in his feature rap. Yoon Mi Rae was the only thing that saved the track that she hopped on, otherwise I would say burn the whole damn track in flames. HEIZE wasn't need for Hide and Seek at all. You forget she's even on the track unless you look and see she's featured. Suran shines very bright here so it did sadden me that a weak vocalist like HEIZE stole some of her thunder just because she's popular. Other than that, Hide and Seek's guitar RnB production led by Suran's sultry voice easily made this track a highlight of the album. Things do pick up from here as the album seems to find a cohesive presence that mends the remaining tracks together. If only Jumpin could have been "poppin" from start to finish.

   Suran might not appeal to every listener because her voice can either grate on your nerves or bewitch you. Her vocals really shine when the song fits her voice. I think that she played it a little too safe on Jumpin when she picked the tracklist. Listeners should have gotten the chance to really hear what she could give vocally.  Also, please don't ever do a subpar track with Tasha again. That track didn't make one ounce of sense. Bring your A game in the presence of the Queen. When I see Yoon Mi Rae's name, I expect a fire track…. not midnight drinking hour when a person's to drunk to care. I want to see Suran really go off in a song. Like sing her ass off. Her voice is too unique not to be the center of attention.

   Jumpin has a lot of flaws. There's a ton of potential there though. Let's call this album a taste of what Suran is actually capable of. I'll be waiting on future releases.