A.C.E. is a boy group consisting of five members: Kang Yuchan, Wow, Kim Byeongkwon, Park Junhee, and Lee Donghun. They debuted in March 2017 under the record label and entertainment company Beat Interactive.
In light of the group having all of their members back from their mandatory military service and the members reuniting, they are currently holding more concerts and releasing new music. I wanted to go over their most recent mini album of the year: “My Girl : ‘My Choice.’” released on Feb. 22, 2024. This album does not include Kang Yuchan, who was still serving in the military at the time of its production and release.
The album consists of the songs: “Effortless,” “My Girl,” “Angel,” and “Facetime.” It also includes the English versions of the first three songs on the track. Fans got a tease of the album in 2023, when “Effortless” and “Angel” were pre-released.
There are three versions of the album available with common inclusions like a CD, a photobook, a 4cut photo, stickers, and two photo cards. Some of the more unique inclusions are a mini-game and paper doll.
“Effortless” is a great start to the album with the guitar and bass instrumentals. The instrumentals have a catchy beat that makes you want to jam along. The message in the song is uplifting. The song uses the word “you,” which allows listeners to put themselves in the song and see how beautiful they are.
The music video (MV) visuals are centered around cool colors, with pops of warmth through yellows and reds. The color contrast is visually pleasing with the black and white clips in the video. In the opening line of the song sung by Byeongkwan, “I don’t usually stay out too late,” the mood is created by the MV. The scenery through the video is roads and trails. This nighttime stroll imagery created in the video adds a fun and imaginative aspect while listening that enhances the experience.
“My Girl,” the title track, has amazing vocals. The song is soothing and brings peace to the soul while also being upbeat. The endearing message the song conveys through the lyrics is a feeling of longing and a mission to find one’s dream girl.
The music video has a cute office and pet theme. They do a play on the word “Netflix,” using “Petflix” throughout the video. This changes the song to have a secondary meaning. The “girl” the song refers to can either be one’s future wife or their pet dog. The love for a pet and a girl is sweet and playful. The colorful visuals that are lighthearted and cozy, making this song enjoyable.
The third song on the track, “Angel,” starts off with piano instrumentals. A slower paced song is a nice variation from the earlier songs. The lyrics in this song are about being someone’s support through tough times, like a guardian angel.
The MV that goes along with this song is a suitably simplistic black-and-white video of the members singing, giving attention to the entrancing music.
The last song, “Facetime,” has background music that gives me subtle vacation and elevator music vibes. Later through the song, it switches up the beat to have more bass. A fun aspect of the soundtrack is the sound of a voice ringing from time to time, which is fitting for the title. The lyrics consist of lines people usually ask their significant others, like asking if they ate or if they can stay up to call. This song captures a fun aspect of a relationship that is memorable.
The video accompanying the song is simple with the members (excluding Yuchan) sitting on a sofa together. The background of the video is retro with pops of colors that compliment the feels of the song.
A.C.E. is still holding concerts, which are always fun and a thing to look forward to, for the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025. Hopefully, they will return with a new album in the near future.
Although this mini album was released a while back, it is fun to reminisce on music, as it can be timeless. The messages contained are something that can help motivate listeners to do what they never thought they could.
