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Another September album is up for review, almost three months after its release! The album in question is AB6IX’s MO’ COMPLETE, which is the group’s second studio-length album since debut. It was released on 27 September 2021, features the title track CHERRY along with nine other new songs, and wraps up the MO’ COMPLETE series from earlier this year. This is also the group’s third comeback of the year, following the release of Stay Young (featured on SALUTE: A New Hope) and CLOSE (featured on MO’ COMPLETE: HAVE A DREAM).

1. SHOWDOWN – Opening the album and SHOWDOWN is a crowd, something that I feel is sorely missed over the past two years. Continuing that high was the abrasive and heavy electronic synths and beats in the instrumental, which definitely packs a punch. And that translates into intense energy from both the instrumentation and the members, who definitely do an amazing job of creating hype energy. SHOWDOWN definitely is a strong start to the album. (8/10)

2. LEVEL UP – Funkiness is the backbone to LEVEL UP, which is another fantastic song with great energy and a fun appeal. The chorus to LEVEL UP was definitely the highlight of the song, concentrating all the energy into a one stop shop moment for the song. It was also very catchy. I can’t help but dance to this song. Woojin’s section in the second verse also caught my ears. It was extremely vibrant and different to what I am used to. My only gripe about the song is that pedestrian light sound that you get in the verse. I did not like its presence and found it annoying. But overall, LEVEL UP is a recommended track! (9/10)

3. CHERRY (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of CHERRY. (8/10)

4. DOWN FOR YOU – DOWN FOR YOU jumps onto the Latin-pop trend. For the most part, the Latin-pop trend as pretty much died down with the occasion release. DOWN FOR YOU definitely brought on a mature feel and vibe for the group, as evident by the energy exuded from the song, sultry instrumentation and the heavier nature of the vocals and raps. While I found the instrumentation to be quite bold and ‘loud’, I liked that the members stood out above it.  Balance is key, and I think AB6IX nailed it in this song. I also liked the buildup during the bridge of the song. It was definitely satisfying. Another strong number from the group. (9/10)

5. DO YOU REMEMBER (그해 여름) – DO YOU REMEMBER tones down the energy a bit and heads in a R&B direction with the combination of piano and tropical instrumentation. The instrumentation gives off a traditional style, but it also brought a lot of nostalgia to me. The melodies of DO YOU REMEMBER also adds to the nostalgia. Elsewhere, the aesthetics that come off the track is so stunning, and the vocals had so much emotion behind them, and I loved the contrast between the whispery style of the first half of the chorus vs. the bolder and louder exclamation of the second half of the chorus. The rapping was also well executed and added the right amount of heft to DO YOU REMEMBER. Overall, DO YOU REMEMBER comes off as one of the best tracks on this album. (10/10)

6. STAY WITH ME (사라지지 마) – STAY WITH ME was a vibe and an experience. I really enjoyed the atmospheric tone of the instrumentation in the verses, while the chorus had a very pleasant groove to it (which compliments the rest of the instrumentation). The rapping and vocals were so well done. I really liked the delicate tone they had opted for the vocals, and the slower speed at which the raps were delivered, which all contributed to a heartfelt sound that was so inviting and appealing. Also adding to the appeal of the song was the harmonization between vocalist and rapper during the chorus, which I found to be very unique. Overall, another standout track on this album. (10/10)

7. BELIEVE (믿어) – BELIEVE brings the group back to their house roots. I was reminded of their debut track when I heard the intro to BELIEVE. But as the song progresses, a lot more is packed into the instrumentation creating a very hefty instrumental piece for the chorus. But this seems to be the star attraction of the song, with the melodies and hooks not being as strong as per the other tracks. They are still good, but not great. I wished there was stronger focus on these aspects to make BELIEVE better, as there was some potential behind the trajectory of the instrumental. (7/10)

8. OFF THE RECORD – The playfulness of OFF THE RECORD stands out. It feels like a neat follow up to the title track, with a similar playfulness shared between the two. I did like the melodies and the harmonization with the backing vocals in the chorus. But for me, the overall style isn’t my cup of tea. It is a bit sweeter than how I like it, and so I found a hard time getting into OFF THE RECORD. (6/10)

9. SIMPLE LOVER – SIMPLE LOVER tackles deep house, and further brings the group back to their house roots. I liked how substantial the track felt, and dynamic it turned out to be, even though it seemed to also be a bit typical at certain points. I like the vocals in this song, especially the ad-libs we get at the start. The chorus also had a nice grooviness to it, which I liked. Woojin’s rap sequence in the second verse seemed to be infiltrated with pings and glitches, which I thought was pretty interesting. (8/10)

10. 3’’ – 3’’ ends the album with some good vocal work and rapping. But I thought the instrumental was pretty boring. There is a positivity tone to it, which was nice. But the instrumental didn’t offer anything new or interesting for me to dwell on. And so, the album ends on a disappointing note, which is quite unfortunate. (5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10