THROWBACK #5: 4MINUTE- VOLUME UP

Released: April 9th, 2012

When someone asks me to describe Volume Up, I would say only 1 thing; PERFECT SONG STRUCTURE. I hate to spoil it, but Volume Up is a timeless song classic that is extremely dynamic from beginning to end. 4minute (who unfortunately disbanded in 2016, still bewildering to me this day) is most known for their hit single What's Your Name with its infectious hook and addicting pre-chorus, but Volume Up embodies both of those elements while adding depth to all the other sections that What's Your Name lacked. The result is a complete song arrangement from intro to verse to pre-chorus to chorus to post-chorus to bridge where every transition is done seamlessly. Drip the song with a tone of intensity and you have what is arguably 4minute's best song of all time.

To me, the early 2010s were best known for the sing-along, catchy, infectious choruses (A-CHA, Pinocchio, Hot Summer, Tonight, Lucifer, etc) and Volume Up is no exception. Volume Up's chorus is pure euphoria and certainly one of the catchiest I've heard, but its also one of the loudest, nearly matching up with the intensity from the pre-chorus, while the post-chorus turns it down a notch, gracefully sending off to the next verse with an addicting "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh" hook. But man how about that pre-chorus?! The pre-chorus plays extremely well to Hyuna's strengths, as her sing-rap chanting bolsters the song's vehemence, but give damn credit to the vocals for killing this part! 4minute aren't necessarily known for their vocals, but this part has got me thinking otherwise. The implementation of those 2 high notes help to keep the momentum soaring, and does so in slow increments (note the change in vocal note) without taking away attention from the main spotlight that is Hyuna's part. The pre-chorus wouldn't have sounded this way if it weren't for the rich verses. The vocals ascend and descend exactly when they need to, and I absolutely love the saxophone hook here as well as in the pre-chorus and the post-chorus. The bridge is probably the weakest part out of all the sections, but it is by no means bad at all. The bridge does a great job transitioning from the mellow symphonic interlude back to the thunderous dance-floor beats, all in just under 15 seconds, although I would have loved to hear more vocal elements from the pre-chorus just for that extra oomph.

All of 4minute's songs seem to follow the same pattern; sassy, in-your-face verses, followed by uptempo melodic loud pre-chrouses, while the chorus is a hit or a miss. However, the consensus is that none of the other songs are memorable for the vocal production; while the instruments play a pivotal rule, the vocals shine as the main star in Volume Up. Even the small details like the high notes in the pre-chorus and the post-chorus singing hook are enough to elevate the song's production even more. Small details like that and some extra effort to fuse some elements can draw the line between an average song and a legendary song and that's what makes song reviewing fun yet extremely challenging. However, the production is bound to sound pretty good if you have at least a defined verse and chorus, nothing in between. Volume Up does exactly that, while being backed by a terrific vocal arrangement and an addicting saxophone tune to rev up to the climax. Many songs nowadays are getting too creative to where the verses and the chorus are almost non-existent, which is total buzzkill for me.

RATING: 7.9/10