WRITTEN BY CAMIELE ON JULY 30, 2014

After waiting nearly three years for the follow-up to In Heaven, the men of JYJ return with their third and final full-length album before it’s off to fulfill their military duties. Just Us is meant to be an album highlighting their matured style and musical outlook. Man, oh man, do these guys know how to make a comeback.

The interlude is most certainly the most beautiful JYJ have ever conceived. While in the past solo and group intros were usually more dance focused or esoteric in that “pop star trying to be deep” sort of way, “Just Us” sets the stage brilliantly for the album’s concept. Simple music beautifully composed, their voices proclaiming independence from any expectations besides their own—Junsu and Jaejoongwhispering, “Just us,” while Yoochun utters the group name.

The intro segues perfectly into the smoothness of lead single “Back Seat,” a y R&B-laced track that is about… just exactly what you think it’s about. The men of JYJ are pulling no punches. What you see on this album is what you get. Yoochun begins with an introductory proclamation in English, “All right, girl. Don’t be afraid. I’ma put you on my backseat.” The music is flirtatious, making use of a common R&B construction. The production team of Kim Tae-wan, Dong Ne-hyung, and Won Yeong-heon created a song that makes an impact with lyrics that get straight to the down and dirty: “Softly, with your arms, wrap them around my waist. Sweetly, with your lips, whisper in my ear. Don’t be shy, all right girl. Wanna touch your body all night.”

When the steam from the backseat romp fades and the fogged-up windows clear, we’re left with bitterness. “Letting Go” speaks of a lover losing interest. Well, our hapless protagonist has decided he’s not going to play the role of the sad and jilted lover. He’s taking matters into his own hands: “Your lips are saying that you don’t feel the same anymore. You spit out cold words, asking me to let go of you. Yes, now it’s over, since you say it’s over. Instead of being sad, I’m mad.” Penned by Junsu and Daryl “D Brown” Oldham, with a rap written by Yoochun, this love lost song is a rare breed. Instead of being down on bended knee, our protagonist decides he’ll be just fine without her: “Your life was nothing special. But it was made new like a beautiful poem. But you committed a sin against me, who was your world. You gotta do is what you go gotta do. So off.”

Of course, given Jaejoong and Junsu’s solo efforts, it’s only natural they’d get their own moments in the spotlight. Junsu lends his raspy tenor to a beautifully composed piece about the phases of love—from the innocence of youth to the experience and inevitable pain of adulthood. Written byMijin Gamseong and Im Han-Byeol, “Age 7” is a lovely piece about at first believing love’s something as simple as being held in the arms of your mother, then growing to realize love requires hardship and sacrifice: “After walking more in life and maturing, I began to calculate when it came to love, The times I loved you innocently. I long for those days more today.”

One of the album’s most poignant pieces is penned by Park Yoochun. Entitled “Dad, You There?”, most guessed the song’s subject matter. Yoochun’s expression of his complex relationship with his father before his passing and his feelings after is thoughtful, carrying incredible emotional depth. The lyrics find him reflective, wondering if his father is by his side, even in times when he couldn’t see him or feel his presence: “You used to do everything with me. After letting you go, I was left alone, but you were sent to me again. Without you, just an empty shell.”

The vocal arrangement of the piece is amazing. While Yoochun’s voice is tender, Junsu’s is powerful and Jaejoong’s is so emotionally charged, you’d think he’d written the song for his own father. The gospel-tinged shade of the song lends itself to a jubilee-style ending that manages to linger even as the song fades.

“So-So” is another track with an emotional depth indicative of the mature ear of the men who took the song on. Written and composed by Hwi Jang-nim, Jeong Jae-yeob, and AQX, the song depicts a man’s folly as he enters a relationship. With the conceit of the seven days of the world’s creation versus the Seven Deadly Sins, it’s a clever and incredibly powerful song, illustrating a man wanting forgiveness for being too blind and too wasteful with the emotions of the woman who has given him her heart: “Forgive my sins. If only I could turn things back, this misery would be so-so.”

In the latter half of the album the tracks become both compositionally grand and vocally elegant. “Sad Dawn/Two Thirty in the Morning” reminds me a bit of In Heaven’s “Pierrot.” The music is triumphant—a drum-heavy foundation one could associate with a band like The Killers or Kings of Leon. Again the songwriter makes use of the conceit of time to illustrate a man who’s broken up with a woman he realizes a bit too late he can’t live without: “But why is it that when morning comes, my heart for you comes back like a habit? In the end, I called you.”

Jaejoong takes the reins as songwriter for four of the next five songs. One can’t deny that when the group sings a song one of their own members composed, the level of vocal excellence intensifies. “Let Me See” is very sparse in composition, making way for the loveliness of JYJ’s harmonization. One of the album’s most vocally exceptional tracks, the song’s contemplative, with a ballad’s melancholy stain: “Let me see let me see. When I’m falling down because I lack, because of you, even the piercing pain seems like a signal from you.”

Yoochun’s offerings illustrate wisdom beyond his twenty-eight years. In “30../Lazy Life,” he puts his life into perspective, reminiscing about times he’d meet up with Junsu and Jaejoong , even mentioning Junsu’s very distinctive “Eukyangkyang.” He talks about the nearness of enlistment, how his brother, Yoohwan, makes even the most tremulous feelings in his heart melt away. What’s most impressive about the track is Yoochun’s rapping. He’s actually improved beyond expectation, the laid-back, personal touch of the lyrics aiding his easy delivery.

Jaejoong’s next offering is another song about a woman who snares him only to try to let him go. “Baboboy” is actually quite a clever title. He’s the fool who’s fallen for this woman’s seduction, but it doesn’t seem like he regrets it one bit, proclaiming, “I may be a fool, but that’s just being a man.”

Then Jaejoong showcases more of his “rock spirit.” “Dear J” could’ve easily found a place onWWW, a powerful rock ballad that highlights his soaring vocal. This is an interesting piece, telling the story of the one he loves turning against herself and the two of them finding solace in each other’s arms: “No prison, open your eyes widely, your freedom is me. The first time in my life, we closed eyes together. My lover lover, you. Your freedom freedom, me. Don’t be in pain.”

“Creation” is as daring as its namesake, a powerful declaration of one’s fight for freedom, having the tenacity and fearlessness to face even the most harrowing fears ahead. Jaejoong speaks of the destiny the men have created for themselves, breaking from what held them back and forging a path without fear: “After spending energy and being twisted in pain, my miracle is hidden inside. That’s my creation.”

The album’s ending track “Valentine” was co-written by Chris Brown and Lonny Bereal and garnered a lot of attention, but probably not for the right reasons. Not only did the baggage attached to Brown’s name cause a stir, with “Ayy Girl” still a painful memory for many fans because of its obvious lack of real respect for the group it was offered to, many were hesitant. However, those fears were largely put to rest. The song could’ve easily been a B-side on one of Brown’s earlier albums. As the album’s only all-English track, the lyrics are simple, a guy imploring a girl to give him a chance: “It’s the rules we gonna break and the chance you gotta take if you wanna be in love.”

Remarkably their English is vastly improved from their debut, and the playfulness of the track meshes well with their vocals without being unnecessarily ostentatious. Reputation aside, Chris Brown and his team gave the boys a commendable piece of Top 40 R&B/pop.

The hallmark of the JYJ sound is their vocal strength. Just Us is a testament to that tight-knit harmonic brilliance. It speaks not only to their vocal maturity, but also their undeniable connection as a group. It’s been three years since fans have had a complete project with all three voices, and they’ve come back sounding better than ever. Many, including the members themselves, questioned how they’d sound after so long—Yoochun hadn’t recorded more than one song with them, and Jaejoong and Junsu both had found varying levels of stylistic independence with their solo efforts.

Not only did Just Us allay any doubts, it provided fans with hope they haven’t had for quite some time. It’s a brilliantly constructed album from beginning to end, the combination of their own compositions and contributions from different writers and producers resulted in one of the best comebacks of 2014, and arguably one of the year’s best albums period. Like a rare few albums in 2014, JYJ’s comeback falls outside the small bubble of what most consider “K-pop” into the coveted realm of just beautifully rendered music.

1. “JUST US”
(Composed by 박 일 / Arranged by 박 일)

2. “BACK SEAT”
(Lyrics by 김태완, 동네형, 원영헌 / Composed by김태완, 동네형, 원영헌 / Arranged by김태완, 동네형, 원영헌 / Guitar 이성열 / Drum 강수호 / Piano & Keyboards 김태완, 동네형, 원영헌 / Chorus 김태완)

Lyrics by: 김태완, 동네형, 원영헌
Composed by: 김태완, 동네형, 원영헌
Arranged by: 김태완, 동네형, 원영헌
Guitar: 이성열 / Drum: 강수호 / Piano & Keyboards: 김태완, 동네형, 원영헌 / Chorus: 김태완

Alright girl
Don’t be afraid of it
I’ma put you on my back seat
Here this
Come a little closer
I smell something good
Take off your seat belt
Lean on my shoulder
Don’t be nervous
Alright girl
You don’t have to be afraid now
uh-huh

Softly, with your arms
Wrap them around my waist
Sweetly, with your lips
Whisper in my ear
Don’t be shy
Alright girl
Wanna touch your body all night
You want it more
You trust me
Follow along with me
Put you on my back seat
Back seat
Back seat uh-woo-uh
Let your feelings go
You don’t have to fight
Don’t be shy
Put you on my back seat
Back seat
Back seat
Now let’s get it on-on my back seat
Slow down your nervous feelings
That is what I’m looking for, now
This awkward feeling, time’s up
The moment it stops
It’s time to speak our own language
This night is filled with sounds of us breathing
No words are needed right now
Nothing can stop us
Don’t you know that this is all about
You want it more
You trust me
Follow along with me
Put you on my back seat
Back seat
Back seat uh-woo-uh
Let your feelings go
You don’t have to fight
Don’t be shy
Put you on my back seat
Back seat
Back seat
Now let’s get it on-on my back seat
Even the smallest sound of your breath
I want to make it mine
Look at us, we’re different from the typical love story
Take away even the last feeling
Baby this is all about
You and I want each other as it is
You want it more
You trust me
Follow along with me
Put you on my back seat
Back seat
Back seat uh-woo-uh
Let your feelings go
You don’t have to fight
Don’t be shy
Put you on my back seat
Back seat
Back seat
Now let’s get it on-on my back seat
This mood is right
You can get it on girl
I can put you on my back seat
You know what next is back seat

3. “LETTING GO” – lyrics written by Junsu, rap making by Yuchun
(Lyrics by JUNSU, Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham / Composed by Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham / Arranged by Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham / Rap making by 박유천 / Guitar John Fitzgerald / Chorus Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham)

Lyrics by: Kim Junsu(김준수), Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham
Composed by: Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham
Arranged by: Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham
Rap making by: Park Yuchun(박유천)
Guitar: John Fitzgerald / Chorus: Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham

Your lips are saying that you don’t feel the same anymore
You spit out cold words, asking me to let go of you
Yes, now it’s over, since you say it’s over
Instead of being sad, I’m mad

Girl I can’t believe the place we used to make love
Is the place we end up breaking up
I didn’t see the end coming
If we throw away the tiring and hard times we had, it’ll be over
Regretting this is all on you

Feels like it’s almost time to say good bye
Feels like it’s time to let you go
You will come back to me
(You will come back to me) you will look for me
You can’t live without me, I’m letting go

Yes, it’s over, your lips deny me
Your heart has cut me out girl
Can’t escape these bonds
In the end, it’s a preview of being let go
Girl I can’t believe the place we used to make love
Is the place we end up breaking up
I didn’t see the end coming
If we throw away the tiring and hard times we had, it’ll be over
Regretting this is all on you

Feels like it’s almost time to say good bye
Feels like it’s time to let you go
You will come back to me
(You will come back to me) you will look for me
You can’t live without me, I’m letting go

Feels like it’s almost time to say good bye
Feels like it’s time to let you go
You will come back to me
(You will come back to me) you will look for me
You can’t live without me, I’m letting go

Most of our time does it headed straight to right
And your rhythm is that is what you have to lie
Your free makes you more bleed
Don’t know how to breathe without me
Now you hear me
Your life was nothing special
But it was made new like a beautiful poem
But you committed a sin against me, who was your world
You gotta do is what you go gotta do

Feels like it’s almost time to say good bye
Feels like it’s time to let you go
You will come back to me
(You will come back to me) you will look for me
You can’t live without me, I’m letting go

Feels like it’s almost time to say good bye
Feels like it’s time to let you go
You will come back to me
(You will come back to me) you will look for me
You can’t live without me, I’m letting go

4. “7살” 7 years old – JUNSU solo!
(Lyrics by 미친감성 , 임한별 / Composed by 미친감성 / Arranged by 미친감성 / Piano 길은경 / Keyboards 미친감성)

Lyrics by: 미친감성 , 임한별
Composed by: 미친감성
Arranged by: 미친감성
Piano: 길은경 / Keyboards: 미친감성

When I was seven years old
A short little boy
I said I would marry my mom

When I held her hand
When I was in her arms
I was as comfortable as I could be

After growing a bit taller and turning twenty years old
You and I fell in love
I held her hand and I was in her arms
But in the end, we broke up

After walking more in life and maturing
I began to calculate when it came to love
The times I loved you innocently
I long for those days more today

After a lot of time passes and the seasons changes
We will grow that much apart

The promise of caring for you and protecting you
Has become just a memory

After walking more in life and maturing
I began to calculate when it came to love
The times I loved you innocently
I long for those days more today

I keep thinking of you more today
If you and I were still in love
I long for you even more today

When I was seven years old
A short little boy
I want to go back to those days

5. “DAD, YOU THERE?” – lyrics written by Yuchun
(Lyrics by Yuchun, Daryle ‘D.Brown’ Oldham / Composed by Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham & Gabriel Bello / Arranged by Daryle ‘D.Brown’ Oldham / Guitar John Fitzgerald / Chorus Daryle ‘D.Brown’ Oldham)

Lyrics by: Park Yuchun(박유천), Daryle ‘D.Brown’ Oldham
Composed by: Daryle “D.Brown” Oldham & Gabriel Bello
Arranged by: Daryle ‘D.Brown’ Oldham
Guitar: John Fitzgerald / Chorus: Daryle ‘D.Brown’ Oldham

I sit on the white light that I see far away
I long for you, who I can’t see anymore
I softly take out the memories that have lost its owner
My days without you, I don’t know where to start
What if he was an angel

Always by my side
What if he was an angel
You used to do everything with me
After letting you go, I was left alone, but you were sent to me again
Without you, just an empty shell
What if he was an angel
What if he was an angel

Among the many people that passed by
The one heart that was given and received
Don’t give up, lift your head and walk
Is what he was sayin

The times I have remaining without you
When I’m living them without being shaken
Even though you’re not next to me, I’ll remember
That you used to be with me
What if he was an angel

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