[Album Review] GOOD MORNING (3rd Mini Album) – YENA

The next album up for review on my blog is YENA’s GOOD MORNING, her 3rd mini-album, which dropped in January of this year. It features the title track of the same name. The mini-album also follows on from YENA’s Hate XX single album that was released about 6 months prior to this release. I am particularly excited to review this album because it contains a song that really caught my attention back when it was released and I have been revisiting it quite often because it is soooo good. The rest of the mini-album follows the same vein, but this one particular song is just next level. Okay, enough hyping – find out which song that is by reading through the rest of the review.

1. Good Morning (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of Good Morning. (9/10)

2. Good Girls In The Dark – Good Girls In The Dark brings out a much darker and mature vibe from YENA. There is something about this track that I find so familiar. It might be simply that the track does reminds people (me included) of last year’s WICKED LOVE. But I think this sense of familiarity goes further than that. The guitar sets the moody tone, the bass gives Good Girls In The Dark some nice definition and a good thumping beat, while the synths helps makes the backing feel full and substantial. YENA’s vibrant vocals gives the track an alluring charm. I found it very hard to turn away from Good Girls In The Dark. (9/10)

3. Damn U – YENA finds herself in rock territory with Damn U. And this track is the exact reason why I am so keen to review this mini-album. The track starts off in with a swaying melody. Very vocal driven and soothing. When we get to the pre-choruses, the track becomes more dramatic and it takes us in the direction of a more punkish sound. I really like the “Woo Ooh” backing vocals in this part. As for the chorus, the rock sound comes through energetically. I personally loved the chorus and found myself rocking to the track with no shame on many occasions. The second verse sees YENA successful execute some rap, while the bridge revisits how the song started (which makes the final chorus even more impactful). Damn U is, without doubt, my favourite song on the album. (10/10)

4. Ugly Duckling – Ending this short mini-album is Ugly Duckling. We hear a more emotional tinge to both the rock instrumentation and YENA’s vocal delivery. Because of this, Ugly Duckling ends up being a song that you kind of have to reflect on. When doing that, you will find the track is about her persistence and resilience to the pressures around her. The lyrics are quite meaningful and inspirational, and I recommend you read through them (or find a translation) to really understand the track. (9/10)