Ladies' Code has returned!
Ladies' Code came back with new music this month, a year and a half after the tragic wreck that claimed the lives of group members EunB and Rise.
Returning to work is an enormous task for any group that's been away from the kpop scene for an extended time, even more so for one hit with such tragedy. But despite the enormous task that confronted the group, I think "Galaxy" is just the comeback they needed.
From the start, the three-song mini album, "Myst3ry," emphasizes the group's return as a trio. The music video for "Galaxy" continues this theme as it's filled with references to three, from a chess board, to candles, to triangle-shaped cakes.
The song itself is chill R&B about love, longing and hope. Initially, I had wanted something catchy and upbeat, but I knew that they wouldn't come back like that, nor should they have. So while "Galaxy" isn't the comeback I wanted them to have, it's the comeback they needed to have. And I respect that.
They couldn't very well come back with an upbeat, cute song for their first release since two of the group's members died. And at the same time, I appreciate that they weren't given a memorial song to return with. Although it was not originally intended to do so, "I'm Fine Thank You" became the de facto tribute to EunB and Rise after their deaths. It served that purpose beautifully and also drew attention to a song that, frankly, deserved a lot more in the first place. (I know I slept on it. And regret that fact.)
"I'm Fine Thank You" being the standing tribute to their former members also gave the group a chance to move on with this comeback, to look forward to what they would become. I applaud their company for not trying to add new members (and hope LC continues as a trio in the future). And who knows, maybe they'll never return to the upbeat sound of "Pretty Pretty." That'd be OK, as long as they stuck with music like "Myst3ry," which focused on the other kinds of music Ladies' Code excelled in previously: R&B and soul.
My only real complaint with their new album is that it's just a mini. But as far as minis go, it's pretty decent. The three tracks flow well together, so there's no outliers that don't fit the rest of the album's sound. Of the two non-single offerings, I prefer "Chaconne." It has a romantic, melancholy sound with a French touch. "My Flower" is kind of a melodramatic mess. But it's Soyeon Friend's favorite one, so there's that.
BOTTOM LINE: I wasn't sure Ladies' Code would ever make music again, but I sure am glad they did.