STELLAR -- CRY

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Cry
3. Ringtone



Stellar, a girl group that rocketed into the charts with "Marionette," is back again for the summer with their 7th single album "Cry." This time around we may be in for something a little different. "We want to break away from our sexy image...we will find out our own true colors," saidHyoeunabout the comeback. We'll get to that in a bit. But first, how does it sound?

The intro track is fairly good, dreamy and ethereal, showing off the girls' voices and giving you a taste of what's ahead, sampling lyrics about crying from the title track. They sing like angels here.



"Cry" is their lead single and what a song! Peppered with driving beats and techno flourishes, and the girls do a great job on vocals, especiallyHyoeun. Her voice rises in the last part of the chorus and gives the track that extra special something. I particularly enjoy the way it's arranged, some complexity without drowning the girls out. Breezy and hooky, it's a perfect summer song.

Easy does it is the way to sum up "Ringtone."  It's a slower affair than "Cry," but that's not a bad thing. The girls alter their voices here to fit the mood, bringing some conviction to this endearing ballad. I love the tune, too -- it's got some oomph to it, and an R&B feel that's just a soothing, smooth groove. A nice denouement to the collection.



I have to say I like this more than previous singles. It simply has more to keep my interest than past tunes like "Vibrato" or "Marionette." They get much more than an A for effort in my book. They earn a well-deserved high score for well-crafted tunes.

MV REVIEW

Readers coming across my previous reviews know that I haven't been impressed byStellarover the last few comebacks. I felt that that they used shockingly sexual imagery to get views. I felt it detracted from the music. I figured that oneStellarcomeback was pretty much like another.  Until now. I guess they were in danger of disbanding unless they dared to be dangerous and netted some cash.

And this MV is actually a lot of fun, if a lot less daring. The girls are heading out to a camping spot and rent a trailer to spend the night. But that's not all, because these lovely ladies are out for revenge. Their guy is at the pool, getting undue attention from some bikini-clad sun worshipers, so the masked girls unleash holy hell on the scene with their super-squirt gins, upsetting drinks and pushing him into the pool.



The girls are on point here. The dancing is nicely choreo-ed, and the individual shots are cute. It's not overly funny, at least until the end, but it's definitely watchable and well-filmed. They're still a very visual girl group, but that's not a bad thing at all.

Score

MV Relevance.......8
MV Production......9
MV Concept..........9

Songwriting..........9
Composition.........9
Impression............9

OVERALL............8.8