Next album to get the review treatment is memeM, PURPLE KISS’ 3rd mini-album since their debut last year. It was released way back at the end of March of this year, and features the title track of the same name. I know this album review is very much delayed, especially since PURPLE KISS has returned more recently with another comeback (NERDY) and their fourth mini-album, Geekyland. That unfortunately won’t be getting the album review treatment until the end of September (if I remember my reviewing schedule correctly). But hopefully the album review for memeM will be a sufficient dose of PURPLE KISS for the time being.

memeM is a solid release from PURPLE KISS. They are only in their second year of their career, so there is still a lot to discover about this group. But if the memeM mini-album is indicative of anything, it has to be the fact that they have a lot of potential, as highlighted by the strong rating this mini-album received. Do you agree with my overall thoughts and individual thoughts on the songs? Let me know in the comments below.

1. Intro: Illusion – The mini-album kicks off with a mysterious intro track. Illusion just spans for over a minute, but considered me intrigued and interested with this opener. There is an exotic colour to this track thanks to the instrumental. And the vocals were sleek and alluring. I would have loved for this to be a full track on its own. (9/10)

2. memeM (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for memeM. (7/10)

3. Oh My Gosh (날 좀 봐) – Oh My Gosh started off with a pretty chill instrumentation. It is trendy, but there wasn’t really much going on in the background. The vocal work and rapping were solid, and remains so throughout the rest of the track. I did wish the hooks and melodies were more engaging, as better hooks and melodies would have made Oh My Gosh more memorable and better. What I did enjoy with this song is how Oh My Gosh changed momentum and develops itself into a substantial dance track. The chorus felt more amplified and the heavier presence of synths and percussion following the chorus made the song much more attractive and robust. (8/10)

4. Pretty Psycho – Pretty Psycho is my favourite side track from this mini-album. A large part of this is due to the instrumentation – groovy and bass-prominent. There is also a dynamic side of Pretty Psycho, as the tempo changes between sequences. The instrumental sequence of the bridge was very cool, while the twinkling effect during the second half of the bridge gave the song a haunting aspect. All of this could easily rival the likes of NERDY, the group’s more recent comeback, which I enjoyed. But this is only one aspect of Pretty Psycho. The other aspects that I usually comment on – vocals and rapping were really well done in this song, especially during the chorus. Memorable hooks and delivery here. (10/10)

5. JOAH (좋아) – JOAH turns the attention onto the members’ vocals, which have been strong so far on this album. But JOAH magnifies the focus onto the vocals with the song’s slower approach. I like the R&B pop vibe that the instrumental had and the melodies in this slower song were very calming and soothing to listen to. (8/10)

6. Hate Me, Hurt Me, Love Me – This song infuses an upbeat pop energy back into the mini-album with its electronic instrumentation. Its vibrant and bright, which is instantly appealing to me. I did think the actual execution of the instrumental was a bit generic and straightforward, but this isn’t a big deal for me. The vocals keep Hate Me, Hurt Me, Love Me light and pleasant. The chorus melody was vibrant and catchy for me. All of this made the song enjoyable to listen to. (8/10)

7. Cursor (빈틈) – The most captivating song on this album comes at the very end. Cursor really took hold of me during the start, with a balladry-like motif in both instrumentation and vocals. Following the first chorus, the song abruptly tacks on some EDM to the song. This was quite an unexpected change, but one that works. We soon return to those balladry vocals and the captivation continues. I am more upset on how the EDM transitioned into rapping (and into the final chorus). I thought this ruined the flow of the song (more so than the EDM itself), and weakened the integrity of the song. But other than that, a neat track. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.3/10