[Album Review] GAME PLAN (1st Mini Album) – JEON SOMI

JEON SOMI is nominated for Best Female Soloist and her Fast Forward release is nominated for Best Solo Dance Performance (Female) in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards. Support JEON SOMI and Fast Forward and your other favourite artists, songs and performance, by clicking here to vote today.

JEON SOMI made her solo comeback in August of this year, her first solo release in almost two years following on from XOXO. Today, I will be reviewing her 2023 mini-album release, which is titled GAME PLAN. It features the title track Fast Forward, the follow-up single Gold Gold Gold and an additional three songs. While I am not a fan of the follow-up single, I am impressed with the rest of the mini-album – enough so that I do recommend this mini-album release to anyone who wants to get into JEON SOMI’s music or expand their horizons a bit. I liked the mixture of genre and sound profiles on this mini-album, and how well JEON SOMI executed the mini-album (with the exception of that follow-up single). Continue reading below to see my thoughts on each individual song.

1. Gold Gold Gold (금금금) – Prior to this album review, I had intentions to review Gold Gold Gold separately as it had its own music video. But upon relistening to Gold Gold Gold for said review, I quickly scrapped those plans. I just couldn’t find anything to say about the song aside from the fact that I found it be quite cringy. It is intended to be a fun track, with an admittedly catchy chorus hook and the lyrics which depicts JEON SOMI flaunting her riches at the listeners. While JEON SOMI handled this track decently, the track felt awkward to me and I am sure that is not the vibe that Gold Gold Gold should have been going for. (6.5/10)

2. Fast Forward (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Fast Forward. (9/10)

3. Fxxked Up (개별로) – Following the title track is the single Fxxked Up. I remember being caught off guard by the chorus when I checked out the song initially, simply because it was a lot poppier and percussive than I had anticipated coming after the verses. Not only does it created a strong centrepiece for Fxxked Up and delivered the right amount of punch as JEON SOMI drops the f-bomb, it was rather bold and striking to make it stand out on the mini-album. The percussive instrumental and whistling was quite cool throughout, and I love the glitchier approach to the ending which intensifies the energy and vibe of the song so well. JEON SOMI’s vocals and rapping were less memorable and I wished they were bolder to match the rest of the song . (10/10)

4. Pisces (자두) – Pisces features a change of pace, opting for a relatively softer sound compared to the tracks preceding it. Pisces does remain upbeat for its chorus thanks to the electronic beats and synths, however, so don’t go expecting a ballad when I say “softer sound”. I liked that the track allows JEON SOMI to show off a more delicate side to her vocals, which was nicely executed by the soloist. The R&B influenced instrumental and vocal combination also reminds me of some of her past title tracks, for some reason. However, it’s the plainer melodies that hold back Pisces for me, and I wished that was not the case. (8/10)

5. The Way – Within a matter of two seconds, I fell in love with The Way all over again. The retro synth instrumentation was immaculate. Paired with JEON SOMI’s most powerful showcase of vocals on this mini-album, this track just hits the spot for me. The Way is also an all-English track, so international fans can tell of The Way’s emotional pull, which JEON SOMI conveys super well in the track. A very clean and clear 10/10 to end off the mini-album. (10/10)