To be honest, I wasn't even all that excited for this. To be honest, I am not the biggest TaeYang fan. Now don't get me wrong, I love him. I am just not big on ballads... I like gruffer voices, or rougher out of shape falsettos. I think TeyDaddy is just out of sevvy genre.

When I bought Rise, it was more of a gesture of supporting Big Bang, because I like TaeYang as a part of Big Bang, not as an individual artist. I confess to having Look Only At Me on repeat so I can see TOP (and TOPXGirl skinship). So I bought Rise, cheered for him, because I have an affection towards him, I call him Daddy, and ship him with not being Forever alone. He was part of Big Bang, and as a VIP, I found supporting him, loving him, close to responsibility.... like annual teeth cleaning.

See here, I have a rather strange feeling for YB. Sometimes, I confess I feel like he's confused, and him being shirtless all the freaking time kinda freaks me a bit. One because I am not a big fan of muscles and slightly glossy skin... and I am somehow averse to being familiar with his s. I am sorry, am I making you uncomfortable? LOL. I think this is how YB makes me feel, sort of uncomfortable... I like him. I mean, I just find him awkward, and a bit... I can't even properly exlain it.

But... I listened to Eyes, Nose, Lips and watched the video: http://youtu.be/UwuAPyOImoI

and well... I was more than blown away.

A lot of people would say that there is something amazingly vulnerable about this and I am not going to disagree.

I think the choice of having just a straight vocal and simple piano background opened the listener to something raw. Something incredibly empathic. If you know Korean, this would be a one-two jab.

He begins: I am sorry, I am sorry.

                  Stop saying that.

And I dunno, it just opens you up to such clean hurt like self inflicted pain, no jolts of surprise. Just clean pressed knife on skin.

I loved the way he never strained his vocals as I know him to do before. It was just on the verge in some instances, in falsetto but not overbearing. It was... as I said very clean, the precision of his control I think was amazing. Of course there was imperfections but very minimal... I think mostly an emotional break... This is emotion over skill.

Mind you, I do not know Korean. I have some phrases inside me, like Mianhe, and Saranghe... and well, I listened to this without knowing the words and I think the tone, the cascades and swells of his voice delivers, transcending a language barrier. It was still a delight to read the lyrics after. I enjoy reading it over and over until when I listen to it, it summons the narrative in my head.

The song... it's incredibly sad. Not because it's an atypical heartbreak song but because there is a certain stab at honesty.

Don't say I'm sorry, it only makes me look pitiful

How could I have been so greedy to make you stay when you no longer want to.

It's enough, kill me and go, and smile so when I remember you

I can paint your eyes, nose, lips in my head.

Your eyes that only saw me

Your nose that holds the sweetest breath

and your lips that says "I love you, I love you"

This song breaks your heart in several layers of not being able to let go, letting go and holding on to memories that only hurt you. I think it was beatiful in words, in composition, in delivery. This is by far, my favourite Taeyang song, ever.

However, I did not write this for Eyes, Nose, Lips. Instead this is for 1 AM. My least favourite song in Rise. Hahaha. Oh god. This is like a trend with me.

The thing is I have a bit of a rant about this... but I think the only resolution to me being pissed off is quiting twitter, which I never do, because I like talking to myself too much. But anywho, this 1am MV comes with a YG promise of a hot bed scene. And the VIP fandom have a mild seizure of some sort, and with a barely contained foaming at the mout anticipated said MV. It was released and I watched it. I didn't really know what to expect because I did not like it, and I thought the song was a bit too upbeat to be anything y. There was no sultry in tone, imo. And as always, I am wrong. Hahaha.

I started liking the song, the MV around midway. Hahaha. And I thought it was perfect. Because I like bitter songs and pretenses and just the confession of pretense. I mean, I really like this and how it seemed to have some commentary about the dirty world of clubbing and drinking.

I liked the choices in scenes like road, subways, and underground bars. I mean what does that say... how stagnant he felt, how only physical movement makes him feel alive... how that fifth bottle of beer he doesn't even need to move anymore... it's just the hum in his head is enough. The road and driving kinda says something about the intentions in a relationship. I think their relationship is half intentional, half drunk misbehavior. Then apart they are in a subway. She collapses before she ever gets anywhere. He follows her. She isn't even there. There is something here, a loss of control (as symbolized in him driving), a loss of intent. He doesn't go there for the train, but for her... who isn't even really there.

I think the skinship in this is more sensual that hot... which I think is more true to the song. I like their first kiss, of the harshness of it because he wants her to stop being such a . LOL. And he likes her, nothing conveys that more than a kiss in the middle of the fight. If you notice, she's wasted. She's wasted most of the time in the MV... it kinda tells you something about the storyline. You ask if it was even really a relationship or was it something like a drunken haze. I like that she kisses him back, like how she melts in his want of her. I think that's sad though. But beautiful things are always sad. The second skinship, you can barely even see YB, under her, touching her chin, spreading ... I thought that was such an epic depiction of drowning.In what you say? Of many things. Drowning in sensation (ual), drowning in memories (emotional), drowning in loss (mental). When they kiss again, I like how his hand curves around her shoulder daintly, like his love could be crushing but isn't. I thought that was incredibly sad. I wanted to like... rip a throat... or something. Or something. Oh God.

I loved this MV... This song. And TaeYang. I want to now crouch in my misery listening to 1 am. HAHA. To think I didn't even like this song all that much. Now I am in so much despair, I confess, I cried a little. Just a little.

I don't know... I think this song was compared to TOP's Act Like Nothing's Wrong but I think it's not like that. I mean, besides the thematic expression of break ups... TOP is resentful and angry, mostly at himself and how this girl can call him a liar even when he was the one who asked her to... I think it's like a coiled spring and after the end, it's still tensed. 1AM is... like the buzz of alcohol, and you teeter on being punch-drunk happy... or punch-drunk sobbing mess.

The tune never gets completely sad, which makes it all the more lonely.

I think of you and it's one am has some impact because there is no conversation just a statement. It's straight giving up. He's spent and nursing a hangover.

I think the reason why TOP's heartbreak songs are so gripping is because they feel like he still wants that relationship. Taeyang's sadness is more of an okay, let me lie down here and die. There is beauty in both but because the theme is so similar, I think the difference in personality and expression is so glaring.

As for Crooked, I think I don't want to even compare them since Crooked is the theme of my soul. I don't listen to it as a heartbreak song, or I do but not romantic heartbreak, but heartbreak of the soul, very existential, very you world...

But that's it for this... I'mma runaway and have a small cry at 1am (because 5 hours appreciation for a 4minute song and I have like three papers to write for tomorrow. Hahaha. /shot)