Colors from Ars is the first extended play by South Korean singer Youngjae. Released on October 5, 2021, the self-produced, self-composed record was inspired by the singer's daily life, his emotions and his fans, and ranges from R&B to hip hop. Commercially, it debuted at No. 6 on the Gaon Weekly Album Chart in South Korea, selling 77,138 copies in the month of release,[1] while music critics praised Youngjae's vocal skills and his musical versatility, comparing Colors from Ars to a "vibrant palette."
| Colors from Ars | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital cover | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | October 5, 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2021 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 24:32 | |||
| Language | Korean | |||
| Label | Sublime Artist Agency | |||
| Youngjae chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Colors from Ars | ||||
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Background and release edit
On September 17, 2021, Youngjae released a teaser video announcing his solo debut with his first mini album, Colors from Ars.[2] The title recalls the rainbow,[3] also suggested by the seven tracks of the record, while "Ars", from the Latin "Ars longa, vita brevis", is the pseudonym Youngjae has been using as a composer and lyricist since 2016.[2][4][5] Colors from Ars sees the singer producing, composing and writing lyrics for all the songs.[3][6]
The extended play was released both digitally and physically on October 5 along with the music video of the title track "Vibin".[7][8] It was inspired by the singer's daily life, his emotions and his fans,[9] and it took five months to complete it.[10]
Colors from Ars opens with "Beautiful", a warm, upbeat and laid-back song which is a tribute to "a beautiful girl in this beautiful world,"[11] followed by the R&B-city pop love song "Tasty".[11] "Vibin" is a dance pop song with a house beat which tells of the inability to stop falling in love with a person, and contains the message "Enjoy this moment, what you are feeling now."[9][12] After the first three tracks, the album deviates towards cooler tones and sweeter melodies that tell stories of sentimentality and vulnerability.[11][13] "Roses" expresses excitement towards a loved one and a blossoming love,[11][14] while "Eternal" is a sentimental pop ballad accompanied by piano and guitar in which the singer mourns the fast passing of time and wishes to spend eternity with those he loves.[6][14][15] "Moonlight" is R&B and hip hop, and conveys sympathy and comfort.[14]
The seventh and final track is "Lonely", which was first revealed to the public on April 1, 2021 through a performance and interview posted on Elle Korea's YouTube channel.[16] It is an R&B and hip hop song containing a message of consolation and empathy, and an invitation to accept yourself as you are.[16] The singer has used the loneliness and emptiness felt in his heart while returning home after a busy day, and the difficulty of showing himself to the world, expressing these feelings with the line "My room is sinking in the deep ocean" (Korean: 깊은 바닷속으로 내 방이 전부 가라앉네, romanized: Gip-eun badassog-euro nae bang-i jeonbu gara-anne);[17] the final verse "My heart is completely filled with the light of the green ocean" (Korean: 촐록빛 바다색으로 내 맘이 전부 채워지네, romanized: Chollokbit badasaeg-euro nae mam-i jeonbu chae-wojine) is, on the other hand, a reference to the fans of Youngjae's boy band, Got7, whose official color is green, and expresses how loneliness can be overcome by relying on people close to you.[17]
Promotions edit
Youngjae presented Colors from Ars and performed "Vibin", "Tasty" and "Eternal" during an online showcase aired on October 5 on V Live.[18] He then promoted the title track "Vibin" on M! Countdown,[19] Music Bank,[20] Show! Music Core[21] and Inkigayo[22] from October 7 to October 10.
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| NME |   [11] |
Rolling Stone India described "Vibin" as "a distinct soundscape".[23] Writing for Soundigest, Amanda Thilo chose "Moonlight" and "Roses" as the stand-out tracks because, with their string arrangements, "they stand as excellent examples of Youngjae's vocal skills. [...] He has a natural, airy quality to his voice, which on tracks like these, are transcendent and pull at the heartstrings," concluding that the touches of lofi, strings, and electronic beats mixed to the general pop vibe of the album, enhanced the tracks.[13] For Bollywood Hungama's Nandini Iyengar "Colors from Ars is a colorful presentation of music and lyrics for emotions like love, loss, and hope," with which the singer proved his musical versatility in a "vibrant palette".[15] This comparison was used by NME, too, who gave the record 4 out of 5 stars, and praised Youngjae's emotional depth and range, commenting that the approach of molding songs around his voice, with band or piano-driven melodies dominating much of the record, allowed his vocal spectrum to stand out.[11]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beautiful" |
|
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| 3:01 |
| 2. | "Tasty" |
|
|
| 3:01 |
| 3. | "Vibin" |
|
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| 3:22 |
| 4. | "Roses" |
|
|
| 3:22 |
| 5. | "Eternal" | Ars |
|
| 3:53 |
| 6. | "Moonlight" |
|
|
| 4:09 |
| 7. | "Lonely" |
|
|
| 3:44 |
| Total length: | 24:32 | ||||
Charts edit
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korean Albums (Gaon)[24] | 6 |
References edit
- ^ "2021년 10월 Album Chart (October 2021 Album Chart)" (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ a b Kim Won-hee (September 17, 2021). "시크 무드… 갓세븐 영재, 솔로 데뷔". Naver (in Korean). Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ a b Hwang, You-mee (October 5, 2021). "[Today's K-pop] GOT7's Youngjae puts out solo debut album". The Korea Herald. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ Hwang, Hye-jin (September 17, 2021). "갓세븐 영재, 10월 5일 첫 솔로앨범 발매…7년만 솔로 데뷔". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Lizan, Louise (September 20, 2021). "Arsolo is coming". Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Yoon, Sang-geun (October 6, 2021). "갓세븐 영재 'COLORS from Ars' 아이튠즈 26개 지역 차트 1위[공식]" (in Korean). Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "갓세븐 영재, 10월 5일 첫 솔로앨범 발매…7년만 솔로 데뷔". m.naver.com (in Korean). September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ "GOT7 ヨンジェ、タイトル曲 「Vibin」MV予告映像第2弾を公開…魅力的なサウンド" (in Japanese). October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ a b "Interview: GOT7's Youngjae on his solo comeback "COLORS from Ars"". L'Officiel Malaysia. October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "영재와 함께한 마리끌레르 11월호 화보와 인터뷰｜마리끌레르" (in Korean). November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Youngjae – 'COLORS From Ars' review: a confident display of his vibrant musical palette". NME. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "갓세븐 영재, 첫 솔로앨범 타이틀곡 'Vibin' 작사 작곡 프로듀싱 참여". entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Youngjae Is "Vibin" On Debut Mini Album COLORS From Ars". Soundigest. October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ a b c "YOUNGJAE first mini-album "COLORS from Ars" is released today (5th)". October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Iyengar, Nandini (October 7, 2021). "Youngjae creates a vibrant palette as he unravels his solo identity with COLOURS from Ars – Album Review". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Kim, Young-il (April 5, 2021). "갓세븐 영재, 자작곡 'Lonely' 라이브 영상 공개" (in Korean). Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "READY PLAYER ONE" (in Korean). September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ^ Hwang Hye-jin (October 5, 2021). "갓세븐 영재, 오늘(5일) 데뷔 7년만 솔로 데뷔 '전곡 프로듀싱'". Naver (in Korean). Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "조유리·영재·골든차일드, 오늘(7일) '엠카'서 컴백 무대". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "[뮤직뱅크] 영재, 청량함 가득~ 다 함께 즐기는 스테이지 'Vibin'". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "샤이니 키 'BAD LOVE', '음중' 첫 1위…조유리·영재 솔로 데뷔 [종합]". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ ""믿지 감사" ITZY '인기가요' 1위, 영재·조유리·엔플라잉·골든차일드 컴백[종합]". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "Youngjae Keeps It Breezy in 'Vibin'". October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "Gaon Album Chart – Week 41, 2021". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Retrieved October 14, 2021.