[Album Review] Midnight Guest (4th Mini Album) – fromis_9

It is the weekend, so it is time for another album review. This album review is focused on fromis_9’s release from earlier in the year (you guessed it, another January release), Midnight Guest, which is the group’s fourth mini-album since their debut. The mini-album features the title track DM and four other new songs (including two unit tracks). Midnight Guest also serves as the group’s first album release after it was announced that the group would be exclusively managed by Pledis Entertainment (the home of SEVENTEEN, and former NU’EST members Minhyun and Baekho).

Midnight Guest is a pleasant album, and this was the reason why I picked it up for an album review. Furthermore, I really enjoyed DM as a title track and wanted to delve more into their side track. Have a read of my thoughts on the individual songs on the album, and leave a comment below on whether you agree with me.

1. Escape Room – Escape Room starts off the mini-album in such an unexpected, but also exciting manner. Escape Room takes on a sexy R&B sound that is unexplored territory for the group. And fromis_9 definitely nailed this song. Hoping we hear more of fromis_9 in this style in the future. I enjoyed the slightly groovy nature of the chorus, and their smooth vocals definitely showcased their talents and capabilities. I would have loved to hear some rapping in this song, just to break the song’s consistency. (9/10)

2. DM (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for DM. (8.5/10)

3. Love is Around – The first unit track on the album, Love Is Round, features Lee Saerom, Song Hayoung, Jang Gyuri and Lee Chaeyoung. It takes the form of a ballad that is soothing and calming to listen to. It isn’t the most memorable track on this album, simply because it is soft ballad. However, at the same time, Love Is Around does have its merits, thanks to its soft ballad nature. The members sound really nice, while the instrumental was atmospheric and drifty, similar to what you expect with a lullaby. Altogether, it is warm and comforting to listen to. (8/10)

4. Hush Hush – The second unit track features the other half of the group (Park Jiwon, Roh Jisun, Lee Seoyeon, Lee Nagyung and Baek Jiheon). I found Hush Hush to be a pleasantly upbeat track. For this song, I use the word ‘pleasantly’ in a positive manner, as I quite enjoyed the song. While nothing in particular stood out within Hush Hush, I found there to be this happy energy and feel-good vibe to the song that helped it become appealing to me. (8/10)

5. 0g – Ending the mini-album is a city pop track. 0g takes on a slower profile, which is a nice way to ease out of this mini-album. The vocals in the song are silky and extremely pleasant (again, used in a positive manner), complementing the slower city pop instrumentation. Stronger and memorable hooks and melodies would have added an additional layer of appeal to the song. But overall, a good ending to this mini-album. (8/10)