Rain’s first album displays his vocal qualities (it’s a good voice), and the range of stuff he’s prepared to sing.
There’s a problem though. The music isn’t really distinctive. The ballads he sings are the sort of ballads which lots of K-pop stars are singing. The same key-shifts, the same use of that infuriating tingly bit of percussion. Track 5 is a typical example of the blandness of these ballad tracks. It’s a mystery based only on these tracks why he’s such a star (could it be something to do with his 6-pack – pictured left?)
The more interesting tracks are the livelier, more urban numbers. Track 6, “Baby baby” has some good rhythms, and track 8 is has a guest appearance from Bada. It’s this sort of track to which I shall return.
Rain: Bad Guy (나쁜 남자). Debut album, released May 2002
