Battle of the B-Sides: TVXQ!: LIVE YOUR LIFE

As I can't tell that there's a discernable actual title track from this album beyond what I've already covered, I'm just going to pick my favorite track of the bunch to review. It's been bothering me that I haven't done one when I was so diligent with the tracks with the music videos. This album is a massive undertaking, and I genuinely don't know which ones are new songs and which are old. But I know at least this one is a b-side because there is absolutely no corresponding music video.

Also, what a flex. Twentieth Japanese anniversary. King of Kings, indeed.

Now, normally this would be the part where I go sniffing for them performing it, but it's literally such a new song, and I don't think they've had the opportunity to perform it. I thought that about Down too, from their last Korean album, and then I saw a clip a couple of days ago that about made me swallow my tongue.

So you just get my thoughts on just the music, because I think that's all we have. I can't break this up into interesting segments.

The entertaining part of their vocals is the more relaxed their voice is, the more their respective vibratos come out to say hi, like friendly beagle puppies. They control their belts with iron efficiency, as you'd expect from artists who have literally been performing and reigning for more than half their lives (I think they may have gotten to the 2/3 mark but I'd have to do actual math for that one), but when they're just singing? If they stay on a note for just about any length of time, it's Vibrato Central Station. Max, especially when he's up in his falsetto, has the loveliest vibrato, now that I know he's the one making that sound. I really want to hear if they sound as good or better live and in person. If they come here, I'm absolutely going to try to be on that like fur on a cat. 

Honestly, there's a lot about this song that makes me think of that one song you can usually find in musicals, especially ones of the romantic comedy version and less commonly in the depressing historical ones. It's either the one that comes at the beginning of the musical to establish character, or it's the one at the end where they've resolved the issues, everything is good, and so they sing about living your best life. There's actually a section where one of them straight up sounds like a musical theatre actor instead of just a singer, which is likely why the entire song got flavored with "musical essence".

The amount of whistling in this song absolutely gives me life. Whistling doesn't show up in enough songs, I think, but in this specific case, it really helps to emphasize the cheerfulness and the friendliness in the casualness. Casual. That suddenly doesn't look like a real word. Anyway, the whistling is liberally peppered throughout the song, and I really appreciate that.

I also really appreciate songs that are just feel good songs. You want a hug? Have a listen to this song. You want chill background music? Have a listen to this song. You want a hype song on your way home from work? Have this song. 

Is it the most representative of their discography? I have no idea. But I enjoy it greatly. 

Also, one last anecdote.

My two cats love K-Pop. T'Challa is a huge fan of BTOB, specifically Changsub and Minhyuk, and also BAP. PJ likes BTS and BIGBANG. I swear I listen to more than groups that start with a B. Both cats like Seventeen. I bring them up because my dog hates music, just in general. The long-suffering enters his soul any time I've got music on. He also isn't a fan of laughter, but that's because he's been a crotchety old man since he was a puppy. He hates AJU Nice most of all, but that's because I stay up to watch the livestreamed Seventeen concerts, and he has that song associated with staying up and me not going to bed, two more things he doesn't like. I think he may not hate this specific song, which makes it two songs that he doesn't hate, because he didn't move away immediately when I started playing it. Which is legitimately high praise from him. So, kudos to TVXQ! for making the second song my dog has heard that he may like.