[#33] B.A.P - "1004 (Angel)"

From: "First Sensibility"
Released: February
Territory: South Korea
Previous Best of Entries: 2012: [#26] "Crash"
Other notable song(s) from 2014: "Body & Soul", "쉽죠"

B.A.P are one of those groups that I wasn't very interested in initially, but because they've amassed such a big repertoire in such a short span of time, I inevitably liked some of their material. And as I said in their last year-end countdown appearance, I appreciate B.A.P more for their performances than their material.

Though it has significantly improved over the years. "First Sensibility" wasn't the most cohesive album ever, but it was a solid effort -- I listened to at least three-fourths of the album more than five times over the course of the year, which is more than I can say for most 2014 albums.

"Angel" is a track that really brings out B.A.P's strength in performance -- the composition itself is dynamic, with bubbling, calm verses juxtaposed against sudden, almost jarring, explosions for choruses. The transitions not only strengthen the juxtaposition of elements, but also make the song dramatic. The transition from the first bridge to the first chorus creates drama most obviously from the fact that the entire instrumental pauses, leaving a single measure of "dead air," but also through the fact that the melody stops too, and is replaced by spoken word/"rap." It's just the right amount of contrast to create drama, because what comes after the dead air is the first of many explosions throughout the rest of the song.

"Angel" is well-produced, it's well-composed, and it fits not only B.A.P's vocals, but the entire package they sell through their performances -- the choreography, the stage presence, the personality, is all triggered by the song itself. "Angel" is well-rounded in every sense of the word.