Pink Tape: A Tale of First Love and Wisdom Teeth
By Sean Kimbrew ‘27
I am not your average music listener. OK, well, maybe that’s an overstatement. What I’m trying to say is that my musical taste stretches across a wide range of genres. From hard-hitting rap songs to emotional pop ballads, it is no understatement that my music taste is certainly eclectic. A newer musical interest of mine is the emerging genre of K-pop.
K-pop is characterized by flashy outfits and groups of 2–20 young adults dancing on stage. Recently, K-pop has shown to be one of the fastest-growing music genres in the world today with some groups reaching from 8.8 million to 19.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify! A specific K-pop group that has caught my attention recently is f(x).
f(x), a quintet comprised of 5 members; Victoria, Amber, Luna, Sulli, and Krystal, was formed in 2009 upon the release of their debut single, “La chA TA”. Since then they have received a moderate amount of international success. Some of their achievements include being the first K-pop group to perform at SXSW, occupying the number one spot on the Billboard World Albums Chart, and formerly holding the title of “Best Idol Group Alive” (that title now belongs to Red Velvet, f(x)’s labelmates). Often known for their experimental music with influences of many genres including electropop, f(x) have wormed their way into the hearts (and ears!) of many. This is my review of their sophomore album, Pink Tape, which in my opinion, is their best musical work.
I first discovered Pink Tape in February of this year and since then, it has become one of my all-time favorite albums to listen to. Each track packs a story into 3 minutes with each one capturing an aspect of first love, which is usually communicated by some very interesting metaphors. Below, you can find my review for each track and the parts I like and dislike about them. If there are any tracks that you should consider adding to your playlist in the future, I would recommend “Shadow,” “Signal,” “Airplane,” and “Ending Page.’ Without further ado, I present to you, Pink Tape.
Track Review and Ranking:
“Rum Pum Pum Pum”- A thrilling guitar riff opens the lead single of this album. F(x)’s lead vocalist Sulli sings, “I pushed aside all the others and took my place, I will pierce through your heart’s wall and grow.” Its unique metaphors likening a wisdom tooth’s emergence to the pain of someone’s first love accompanied by its funky instrumentation make the song unique and a delight for all ears. 9.5/10
“Shadow”- In “Shadow” f(x) sings about a shadow that has fallen in love with its master. The airy and light vocals used on the track help add to this element. The instrumental is my favorite part of the song and is what inspired me to listen to the album entirely. Lyrics are sung such as “한 발 또 한 발” (han bal tto han bal, step by step) mimic footsteps which leads you to believe that the main character of the song is stalking someone but as you read the lyrics closely, especially at the bridge, you can see that this stalker is not really as they seem. 10/10
“Pretty Girl”- If I had to describe f(x) in one word it would be unique. “Pretty Girl” perfectly encapsulates that term. The song’s first verse is a criticism of pretty privilege in today’s society. f(x) laments that the “pretty girl” can do whatever she wants because she is pretty and they can’t because they’re ugly. In an epic first pre-chorus, f(x) wonders what this pretty girl has that they don’t, why can’t they be pretty? In the second verse of the song, Krystal sings about casting a spell to make all the pretty girls have the same face so that nobody accepts them anymore. From the second pre-chorus until the end of the song, f(x) mocks the pretty girls for being too self-centered and absorbed in themselves. 10/10
“Kick”- In “Kick” f(x) sings about empowerment and determination by describing their challenges as minor accessories that can be taken off. During the breakdown of the song, f(x) sings about riding on skateboards for the first time which can be interpreted as a message to their listeners to never be afraid to try new things. The instrumental and lyrics of the song can get repetitive at times, which is the only setback for me. 7/10
“Signal”- “Signal” is about the need for communication and connection between others. It has a very techno-disco feel to it which I like as well. My only dislike about this song is that some high-notes sound strained, so it is a song that should be played on a lower volume for those with more sensitive ears. 7/10
“Step”- “Step” is an empowerment anthem that tells f(x)’s listeners, affectionately called MeU’s, to take their own steps and to try and be individual and ignore the pressures and rules that society puts on them. Out of all the tracks, I think this one is probably my least favorite. Nothing stuck out to me. 6/10
“Goodbye Summer”- Part one of Pink Tape ends with an emotional ballad that is sung by Amber, Luna, and Krystal. It features D.O. of EXO as well. The song is a reflection of the feelings that can be felt before a relationship, whether that of close friends or lovers, ends. I especially liked the guitar that can be heard in the background of the song. 9/10
“Airplane”- An abrupt and uptempo electropop change from the slower and more emotional “Goodbye Summer,” “Airplane” picks up the pace for Act 2 of Pink Tape. f(x) relates falling in love to an airplane ride from takeoff to landing. 8.75/10
“Toy”- Although you may be fooled by the bright exterior of “Toy” (I was too at first), its lyrics talk about a more serious issue. “Toy” focuses on how the main character of the song is trying to break free from her toxic relationship with her partner which is symbolized in the song with terms such as “toy” and “collector.” I think that the dance break added to the end of the song was not needed. Instead, I feel that “Toy” could have benefited from a longer bridge. 6/10
“No More”- What once started as a demo for Ariana Grande can now be found on this album! “No More” utilizes a retro instrumental reminiscent of the doo-wop and soul genres of the 1950s and 1960s. The song talks about a girl who changes herself for every new boyfriend she has. The bridge on this track is a personal standout for me from the album and I highly suggest listening to it. 7.5/10
“Snapshot”- “Ladies and gentlemen, mesdames et messieurs” sings Amber, “A big round of applause for the lovely f(x) ladies.” “Snapshot” is a very theatrical song that in a similar vein to “Kick” talks about self-assurance and confidence. However, this time, f(x) are models walking down a runway posing for cameras. The electric house background adds to this element greatly to make the listener feel as if they are walking down their own runway. 9/10
“Ending Page”- In perhaps the best album closer of all time, f(x) sings about the period of a relationship where a breakup is imminent. A rock-reminiscent track with a soaring medley paired with a heartfelt instrumental serves as the dessert to this musically diverse feast. 10/10
Track Ranking
- “Pretty Girl”
- “Shadow”
- “Rum Pum Pum Pum”
- “Ending Page”
- “Airplane”
- “Signal”
- “Snapshot”
- “Goodbye Summer”
- “Toy”
- “Step”
- “Kick”
- “No More”
Aside from its musically diverse tracklist, Pink Tape is not lacking in the artistic department. Its physical CD comes packaged like a cassette tape with movie-inspired decals on the front and back of the album. Ahead of the release of the album, SM Entertainment, the company behind f(x) and other popular K-pop acts such as Red Velvet, aespa, and NCT, released an “art film” to showcase the theme and aesthetic of Pink Tape. You can watch it here.
After reading this review, I hope you are now inspired to listen to Pink Tape or other K-pop projects in the future! I had so much fun writing this article for Pilot Island and I hope you enjoyed reading it.
