As promised the week before, I would be fast-tracking the album review for Brave Girls’ latest mini-albums after the release of the repackaged version, After ‘We Ride’. Well, that was dropped two weeks ago, which enables me to finally prepare a review for the Summer Queen mini-album as well. What I didn’t expect is for the repackaged album to only feature one new song (i.e. the title track that shares the same name as the mini-album, After ‘We Ride’) and new versions of some of the songs on the Summer Queen mini-album. However, I still went ahead and combined the two mini-albums to form one album review. Included in the album rating for this album review is the tracklist of Summer Queen (excluding the English version of Chi Mat Ba Ram) and the title track of the repackaged album. The new versions of the Summer Queen tracks (present on the repackaged mini-album) and the English version of Chi Mat Ba Ram are linked in the review below, but do not contribute to the overall album rating I give at the end of all album reviews. Hopefully, it makes more sense as you read through the album review!

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Summer Queen mini album

1. Chi Mat Ba Ram (치맛바람) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review of Chi Mat Ba Ram. (9/10)

2. Pool Party (ft. E-Chan of DKB) – I had plans to review Pool Party when a music video was released for the side track. But unfortunately it slipped and time got away from me. I liked this side track for a number of reasons. It was a stylish extension of Chi Mat Ba Ram, suitable for both the summer season which the comeback is clearly catered for and also a party environment (thanks to its synth pop instrumentation). The melodies and hooks were quite minimal in terms of effort, but they definitely went a long way. And E-Chan’s featuring was satisfying. Overall, Pool Party was a fun and upbeat addition to the album. (9/10)

3. Summer By Myself (나 혼자 여름) – Summer By Myself reminds me of a blend of 90s old school hip-hop. There is just that nostalgic feel with the song and the vocals that give off vibes from that era. That being said, however, I felt some of the vocals could have been better. Some of it steered into a high pitch mode which came off as whiny for me. But apart from that, I enjoyed Summer By Myself. I liked the brass in the instrumentation, the beat of the song and how it wrapped up in a satisfying manner. (8/10)

4. Fever (토요일 밤의 열기) – Brave Girls continue to bring us back further into history with this retro disco number. But what makes Fever so good is the mature vibes that the members effortlessly pull off. It is another strong song from the group off this album. The vocals are very well done. The rapping was enjoyable. But the harmonised bridge was probably the members’ strongest asset in this song, flowing so smoothly to my ears. If I have to criticize the song for any reason, it would be the wobbly metallic synth we get in the background. I think Fever could have done without it. (9/10)

5. Chi Mat Ba Ram (English Version) – Click here for the English version of Chi Mat Ba Ram.

After ‘We Ride’ Repackaged Mini Album

1. After ‘We Ride’ (술버릇 (운전만해 그후)) – Click here to read the full review of After ‘We Ride’. (8/10)

For the rest of the repackaged album, click the hyperlinks next to the songs:

2. Chi Mat Ba Ram (치맛바람) (Acoustic Version) – Click here for the audio of the acoustic version of Chi Mat Ba Ram.

3. Fever (토요일 밤의 열기) (Remix) – Click here for the remixed audio of Fever.

4. Summer By Myself (나 혼자 여름) (Piano Version) – Click here for the piano version of Summer By Myself.

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10