Artist: F.T Island
Album: Prologue of FT ISLAND -soyogi-
Released: 2008.06.07
Tracklist
1. Friendship
2. Mirai Jitensha (ミライジテンシャ)
3. Soyogi
4. Stars
5. A Song For You
6. F.T Island
7. Primadonna
8. Always Be Mine

OH GOD, I almost forgot about this release but now that I remembered, LET’S GO! Fobby English and standard Japanese coming your way but it’s okay because we still love you Jong Hun FTI. Sigh, I still haven’t got enough money to buy QoP yet but I also want this.

Soyogi is the Japanese debut mini album by F.I Island who (like their other boy band peers - Big Bang, DBSK, SS501 etc) are trying to break into this market after studying Japanese for some time (specifics?). This album contained old Korean songs, new Japanese songs and even an English cover of their old songs all in a neat package for the Japanese folks, aren’t they lucky.

My Thoughts
Friendship is a song similar to those found on Cheerful Sensibility - pop with heavy guitar rock influences. To be honest I didn’t like this song when it started, I still don’t like the beginning of the song. When the song progresses to the verses I found it MUCH better than the chorus because it has more of a flair to it. It’s a perfectly fine and fun song but really nothing special.

Mirai Jitensha is one of my favourite new tracks on this mini album, despite being pop-rock like the previous song I found this song more catchy and much more likable. It took a few listens for it to grow on me but in no time I had the melody in my head. The last third of the song and in particular the ending is the best part because, well it’s hard to explain but it’s good. A happy feel good song which puts a smile on my face despite not being all too groundbreaking.

Soyogi is the first song we all heard from the album and it’s the titular track. It’s not like the usual ballads that F.T Island sing, it is a lot more ‘Japanese sounding’ and it’s not as *epic* or heartbreaking as their Japanese ballads but it’s still pretty good. The english pronunciations are pretty good in the song actually, much better than their other performances so congrats to Hong Ki for brushing up on his English.

Stars is I guess the power ballad on the album. Hong Ki’s vocals are great in this song and demonstrate the power that’s been lacking for me in the previous songs. Although it’s not bad by any means it’s a little too generic and uneventful for me.

A Song For You is my other nice new track, once again it’s a ballad and Hong Ki’s vocals are stronger as well, it’s a great song, really sweet and nice to listen to but it’s different from their usual style. While that’s not necessarily bad since it’s more fitting with the Japanese audience I just like their Korean songs better.

The next two tracks are apparently new versions of F.T Island and Primadonna but my ears aren’t all that great, you can tell me if there’s a difference if you want. I think F.T Island is a mediocre song but I’ve always loved Primadonna.

OKAY, Always Be Mine, kekekeke, this song! Yeh, it’s First Kiss, just the English version, that’s right - English. I thought to myself, ‘oh FTI, didn’t you learn by now? Your English ain’t all that‘, it still isn’t all that but wow, it’s half UNDERSTANDABLE not without an accent but wow, half UNDERSTANDABLE. Of course we still get moments of bad engrish and really corny lyrics so they’re the only bad points about the song I guess.

Final Judgment
3 out of 5, I knew it wasn’t going to be better than Cheerful Sensibility and I’ll say I was right. The songs are a lot more ‘Japanese’, not bad, I love Japan but the album a bit too much like everything else Jpop has. A nice listen but listen to Cheerful Sensibility first.

Also, I just hope they don’t make the other members sing too much, I already know Jae Jin can’t sing.