It has been over 3 years since we last had an album by the senior group, 2PM. They are currently on hiatus and the oldest group still with JYP Entertainment. Since then, the members have gone to the army, worked on solo albums, focused on their acting careers, and branched into other solo projects. 2PM hit the scene with the dance track “10 Out of 10” which showcased their fun yet immature side. Since then, 2PM has grown with their audience and after the appropriately named album, Grown, the group have been showing a more mature and sensual side of themselves. They have tossed aside their loud hip-hop outfits and crazy hairstyles and traded them for clean-cut suits and slick hairstyles. This list of Side B tracks takes a look at their smoother mid-tempo tracks that tend to showcase the amazing talents of the singers of the group.
The Grown album was 2PM’s first venture into a more mature style of music. With this album, they released two singles about heartbreak, “Comeback When You Hear This Song” and “A.D.T.O.Y.” While those were great songs to represent their album, not all of the songs carried a melancholic tone.
“Today Marks the 1st Day” stands out on the album with its upbeat jazz-inspired beat. The lyrics are just as jovial as the voice of the song speaks about the first day they fell in love. The song has a piano melody but is followed with brass instruments that complement the cheerfulness of the chorus. Overall, it has smooth vocals with a touch of their former youth showing that just because they are older now does not mean they need to stick to slow ballads.
Another jazz-inspired single where the singers on track truly shine is “Mine” from the Go Crazy album. While Taecyeon brings his sensual low-tone rapping skills on this track and has a good amount of the lines, it is the falsettos that really grab your attention. The chorus comes in with a repetition of the phrase, “I’m gonna make you mine” which, alone, would have led to a pretty basic track. However, the falsettos that proceed right in the second part of the chorus add the necessary grooviness to elevate the song beyond being just a filler track.
If you thought the first few tracks were smooth, then you are going to melt for “Good Man” from the album, No. 5. Right off the bat, the song pulls you in with Junho’s long and sultry, “my baby.” This song is slower than the previous tracks and draws out the vocals giving them each time to shine. It also builds up to a harmonized chorus that leads to an amazing sax solo. All the elements of the song bring together a great jazz single worthy of being on this list of Side B tracks.
“Uneasy” is one of those tracks that could have easily been released as a single for 2PM’s last album, Gentlemen’s Game. The song starts off strong and like “Mine” is wrapped in falsettos that hook you into the song. While the previous songs have more of a positive tone, “Uneasy” is about feeling uncomfortable around a former lover. The song has more Western inspirations but still works great as a K-pop track. The song’s hook, “I’m uneasy” is highly addictive and will keep repeating in your head even after the song ends.
“Give U Class” also carries that sultry tone but at a slower pace. The song has a more positive connotation as the members sing about lifting up and praising a woman. Surprisingly, Taecyeon takes a step back as the rapper and sings the first part of the song while Wooyoung handles the first part of the rap. Jun. K and Chansung both take turns singing the hook with extraordinary finesse before leading us up to the main chorus. As the verses heighten up the song, the chorus takes a slower and smoother pace with the repetition of the title, “I’m gonna give you class.” Gentlemen’s Game is full of several sensual and mature Side-Bs but these two stand out among them.
To throw this list completely off, “Party Monster” is a fun and funky Japanese song from their album, Galaxy of 2PM. The boy group has an extensive list of Japanese songs, and it is difficult to think of their albums without including these tracks. The song starts off with a cool and groovy rhythm that immediately sets the tone. It has an infectious chorus that is easy to chant to when you at a party or alone in your room. 2PM is grown and mature, but they can still put out an amusing dance-track that will pump you up.
What other Side B tracks do you love from 2PM that were not included on this list?
