Review Summary: The most solid BTS record, in my opinion, with no really flawed tracks and with a lot of bangers, Skool Luv Affair is a must listen, not only for k-pop fans, but for lovers of pop and rap music coming from the 2010's, this album being one of the best that
Yes I know, a lot of people are going to dismiss this record because it's coming from the biggest pop group out now in this world BTS, and a lot of people are scared of actually giving this kind of music a shot, considering it simple or for 12 year old girls, but please leave these stereotypes aside and actually try to give this album a shot. I don't think you are going to regret it.
"Skool Luv Affair" came out in 2014, early in the band's career, this era of the group is known for showcasing a pretty unique sound that blends pop music, rap, and even r&b some of the times, with fast rap verses from the three rappers of the group and catchy, fun, infectious hooks and choruses from the other four, vocal members. I consider this kind of the golden age of the group, as they had been really prolific and consistent from 2014 to 2016, when they released "Wings", which a lot of fans consider their best album. This album though is special, in my opinion, because it hits harder than the latter ones, the songwriting is just better, I think the beats also sound fresh and the production is amazing. At this time, BTS weren't the international phenomenon we know today, their sound was mainly influenced by other korean music, this fact made their songs stick out as better and different for western audiences, and their talent and dedication made them stick out from other korean groups.
The album starts with the intro, self titled track, which is a rap line song, one of the best intros they have ever written, every member delivers their verse over a different beat, giving their definition of what love is or should be (fixating the theme that will be found on all the songs on the album, young love), culminating with RM's verse which is the strongest one (and with an amazing, classic hip hop beat). The beats go from smooth to playful and then bombastic, explosive, fitting and exploring each member's personality and style. A very strong track to open the album, perfect in my opinion, I give it a 5/5 rating.
The second song on the record is "Boy in luv", probably the most well known song on the album, this one was the lead single and it's got good reasons for it: it's fun, energetic, kind of childish sometimes (the music video shows that side of it really well), but it puts a smile on your face and it gets you hyped-up. The rappers flow really well on a beat infused with very explosive guitars and drums which pound heavily, with a bridge made to put in front the members of the vocal line, after the first song showcased only the rappers. The harmonies in the end are impressive and give the song an epic finish 4.5/5.
The next three songs are great, but not as good as the first ones or the last four, the middle of the album kind of lacks energy and mellows down, not necessarily a bad thing (the distortion on the voices in the chorus of "Tomorrow" is beautiful and shows the versatility in production that the record needed, and the beat on "Where you come" from is great), but they are not as spectacular as the others, even though they are good pop songs, "Just one day" being the worst one on the album is just too simple and uninteresting... "Where you come from" is groovy and funky, with RM singing on the bridge and a good verse from J-hope, the chorus is just okay and "Tomorrow" is a very solid track and the darkest on the album, it has a nice sample and Suga starts the song powerfully. It's worth a listen, but I don't think it is as great as the other songs, all these three are rated 4/5.
The next one is the cypher, another rap line song. In parallel with the first one,this one is made to be a show of skill of rapping and writing, each member trying to one-up the one before them, with a catchy J-hope chorus. RM and Suga definitely shine on this (probably Suga's best cypher out of the four), and even though some of the lines they spit are cringy sometimes ("I'm the king so where my emperors at"????), and it borders the line of becoming a corny, white rapper rapping fast without actually saying anything, the cypher is made to be more of a showcase of ability to rap and sound good on a beat while dissing the other rappers present or others in general. 4.5/5
The last three songs on the record return to the pop side, even though the beats still sound hip hop/r&b. "Spinebreaker" and "Jump" both go really hard, with fun choruses (Jin especially sounds good on the first track), they are more songs to vibe and dance to, sing along to, "Spinebreaker" is one of the coolest and funnest pop songs of the last decade, and "Jump" kind of reminds me of something that Justin Timberlake or even N-SYNC would have made in the past, being a nod to fun boy band music with dumb lyrics of the previous decades, but with a loving attitude and great verses from the rappers of the group. Both of them are 5/5 in my opinion.
The last song is just a beautiful pop/r&b track, a vocal line song with a great chorus, ending the album in a mellow, full of love vibe, really complimenting the more aggressive songs that previously were present and with which the album started. It's sweet and showcases great performances. 4-4.5/5
I think this record is great and people should listen to it more... their newer material is more pop-friendly and lost this edge that they had and that made them special, they got absorbed into the western music industry which really is a shame. "Skool Luv Affair" is a great listen for someone that thinks pop music made in the US is bland and spineless (no pun intended)!!
