I am so pumped, the fantasic harmonizing ladies of Mamamoo have returned for the final part of their 4 seasons series. I am extremely excited for Mamamoo White Wind because new music from Mamamoo is never a bad thing. The ladies are so talented that they ooze it out of their pores!
I ordered a copy of the album from an eBay seller in Korea. This is a link to the exact one I’ve ordered. I got my copy for plus free shipping. Plus, with eBay, you can save a little bit of money by using the E-Bates extension on your browser, as it will save you 2% on all album purchases, which definitely adds up.
What is E-Bates?
E-Bates is a cashback site that gives you money for purchases you may have already made. They even have an extension for multiple browsers so when you go to a website that uses Ebates, it will automatically pop up the cashback button to make sure you are saving money. I use this all the time, and I got over 80$ back from them for purchases I was going to make anyway. That’s about 3 more albums I can buy!
If you’ve never used EBates before, you can use this link to get $10 when making a qualified purchase of $25 when using EBates. You will also get whatever percent cashback is being offered from the site you are purchasing from. Sephora, typically has 4% cashback, through here. Sokoglam typically has 3%. These percentages Many other major retailers are on there as well.
Can I get it on Amazon?
Yes! You can pick up a copy using this link here for about 26 dollars (not as good of a deal), with free shipping if you have Amazon Prime.
If you don’t have Amazon Prime, you can get a 30-day free trial using this link here. I will not lie, the free 2-day shipping, plus all of the free music and videos are totally worth it. I also now use it for books for my Kindle Paper White too, and it is honestly a life saver. They have a program called Kindle Unlimited where you can check out 10 books at a time, read them, and put them back in the Kindle library. The program cost $7.99 a month, and you get the first 30 days for free with this link.
How do I read this post?
I recommend that you put the album on in the background, and read through it while listening to the track that I am talking about. It will help you understand what parts of the music I’m referring to when I talk about different instruments and different vocal parts. This is what I recommend for all of my song reviews.
Mamamoo White Wind Track By Track:
Where R U?
I love the plucking strings used in the beginning of this track. They contrast nicely with the woodwind/ echoing flute they are using. Per usual, the Mamamoo ladies’ strong vocals work perfectly with the instrumentation. The instrumentation is so light that they’re spectacular harmonies take the forefront. That, right there, is a sign of excellent mixing.
On top of all of that, I think the instrumentation perfectly matches the lyrics. It’s supposed to be a slight confused song where the girls are waiting for someone to call them. The strings actually add to the feel of them questioning, waiting and the uncertainty of the situation. Overall, it is extremely well done, and I’m a fan.
고고베베 (Gogobebe)
So I already went and watched the music video for you all. You can see my thoughts here:
Musically speaking, Gogobebe is taking hints from Red Moon and Egotistic. The both have an acoustic guitar line and their vocals added as a line of instrumentation. That being said, do I think this track is the girls rehashing it? No because even though it shares elements musically, they took it in more of a pop direction than a latin flair song. On top of that the subject matter is completely different.
This track is completely about getting wasted and having a good time. They sing that it’s okay to not feel okay. It is also okay to be a bit crazy. I have no issue with that whatsoever. Although it isn’t the most deep track, I get told I’m crazy even without alcohol! Either way, this song is a serious bop, and the girls’ vocals are fire per usual.
쟤가 걔야 (Waggy)
This song goes in a completely completely different direction from the previous tracks. It’s light and has a French track flair to it. The first thing I will point out, 개 (kae) is the Korean word for dog, but they aren’t saying that they’re saying 걔 (kyae) which is pronounced very similarly when said quickly. So, even though they have dog barking sounds, they’re really saying 걔 which is like “look there” or “him”. In reality, the track is about a gorgeous dude they see on the street. So relatable.
What makes it even better is that they are whispering the lyrics. This makes it like an internal monologue where you are trying to keep it a secret that you want him to notice you. Overall, the whole track is extremely playful, just like the lyrics. I can picture this song being sung while sitting at a cafe outside on the streets of Paris when you spot a hottie on the streets. Yet again, I love this track.
25
I love how we are taking the tempo down a bit with these reverbing guitar chords. It’s different and very dreamlike. For Wheein’s vocal solo, I think this is great. It gives her a chance to show off her fantastic vocals. She sings the gorgeous, hushed high notes that I adore. Quite frankly, she is oozing with talent.
As for the lyrics of this track, they are a bit harder to dissect, as I believe a number of them are Korean metaphors. Quite frankly, although I speak Korean, I haven’t done enough literary analysis in Korean to dissect them (미안). I talked with my friend about the lyrics, and even she was like…. um, I’m not sure. Either way, I still like the song. It’s well done!
Bad Bye
Another Mamamoo ballad, which is something I will never protest! I love how the main instruments in this track is a piano and percussion. It adds a layer of simplicity to this track so that the vocals can truly shine. This is especially true in moments like the end of the chorus where that gorgeous, powerful notes are held out.
The ladies perfectly express with the emotion in their voices what a fresh breakup feels like. You can’t get out of bed, all you can do is cry, surrounded by a pile of tissues. The vocal slides and dynamics that they use emphasis that emotion are phenomenal. Well done ladies.
My Star
This track sounds like it popped right out of a Destiny’s Child or Ariana Grande album, and I freaking love it. If any Korean group could channel Destiny’s Child, it’s Mamamoo. They have the soul and vocal prowess to do so. Quite frankly, I’m kind of obsessed with the track. I love the heavy percussion and the light instrumentation with the dramatic strings. It’s fantastic.
In regards to the lyrics, this song is truly a song about “the thirst”. I’m all about it. They compare whoever they are talking about to their light in the darkness. This song is high energy, fantastic-ness. The ladies are killing it on the harmonies, per usual. Love this track and it’s a great edition to their repatoire.
4season (Outro)
I love how they added a quick one minute outro to the end of the series! I think it’s a nice, R&B track that shows how well the ladies harmonize. It’s like a quick little taste that you can share with someone who has never listened to Mamamoo. They’d be sucked in immediately! Other than that, I love the piano, and how the lyrics end with “너와 나의 겨절이 채워져” (You and I satisfy the season). It’s a great end to the series and it makes you feel whole.
K-Points: 195/5
You know, I don’t even have to think about the ranking that this album gets. I have yet to hear a bad or mediocre Mamamoo track. This ladies produce fire every single time, and that is why they are so loved in Korea and abroad. They are extremely talented vocalists, as even Moonbyul, the rapper can sing. On top of that, I think this album really rounded out the whole seasons series that Mamamoo was doing. They covered the whole emotional spectrum, and slayed it.
So should you get yourself a copy of this album? I don’t think this is even a question. Of course you should, as anything Mamamoo in front of you is a blessing to have. Plus, the girls take great photos. Should you stream it? Yes. Albums are expensive, I get it, and streaming services make it way easier to enjoy the artist we love. Plus I really feel that you should listen to all 4 albums in the series, not just this one.
Which part of the Seasons series that Mamamoo did is your favorite, K-Nuggets? Let me know in the comments below!
사랑합니다!
–Rachel
