A Few Words On CNBlue's 2015 Comeback

I was going back and forth like crazy trying to decide if I was going to review CNBlue's new full-length Korean album "2gether" when it came out, but ultimately decided not to. As many of you know I am a huge CNBlue fan and have been since their early 2013 comeback with "I'm Sorry". I liked that they were a band that did rock music with a more radio friendly sound, and started listening to their Japanese material and watching their amazing live performances as well.

Additionally I really liked all of the members, as they were all really attractive but also very talented and grounded. 2013 certainly was a good year to be a CNBlue fan, at least for me. In 2014 they came back with "Can't Stop", which came with a stunning video but a less than impressive mini album. I mean, yes, objectively it was very well done and contained some great songs, but it wasn't the kind of CNBlue I wanted to listen to. They also released a Japanese album the same year, "Wave" but that too was below my expectations. Yeah, I think you can tell where I'm going with this.


"Cinderella" wasn't a particularly good title track, and it didn't do them justice as musicians in any way. I understand that they want to try out new genres and influences, but somewhere along the road I have to decide what's worth sticking around to. I listened to "2gether" hoping to find some hidden gems in the B-sides, but I was honestly really disappointed. The only songs on it that I did like were "Footsteps", "Radio" and "Domino", where the first two are remakes of Japanese song and the latter one is a song I hate that CNBlue is behind because it's an electronica pop song.

I think part of the problem CNBlue has entered this slump is because they're producing too many songs. At this rate their releasing albums in both Korea and Japan at least once a year, and the result is that quality gets scraped for quantity. If they only spent some longer time between the albums to sort out the mediocre songs that otherwise fill the albums and focus on the actual great ones, because they have those too. They're just very rare right now. And yes I know, that's kind of always been the deal with this band; a bunch of brilliant gems hidden in averageness, but it's been worse than usual lately.


I honestly don't know how I'm feeling right now and what I should do with this group, and if it's worth sticking through the mediocre stuff for the diamonds. It certainly isn't making it any easier that their latest Japanese album "Colors", which was released only a few months ago, does contain some genuinely amazing songs.

What makes me the most confusing though is that I don't know whether it's CNBlue that's changing or if it is my perception of who they are as a band that's being changed. Either way you can tell it's been hard for me to get through this 2015 comeback era, because I've had to come to terms with how I feel for this band. I know this post is just a long, uninteresting rant but I had to get it out of my system. Perhaps some of you have felt the same way for one of your favorite bands or groups as well, and know exactly what I mean.

Maybe it's just a phase to overcome, but I can't help but to think I might be falling out of love with this band, and it pains me like crazy. CNBlue at their best are just unbelievably good, but recently they haven't been living up to my expectations. It's sad and frustrating, but unfortunately that's what happens sometimes. Like with people it's possible to outgrow a group you like as well, but it doesn't make it any less heartbreaking.