Months after the release of their 11th mini-album, WAW, MAMAMOO returns with a highly-anticipated compilation album on September 15. The album includes 21 of their well-loved hits as well as two new songs. The album title, I SAY MAMAMOO: THE BEST references the quartet’s signature greeting. The group teased the album release with concept photos, the album tracklist, and a highlight medley. This doubled the excitement as fans wondered what kind of surprises await.
Two Is Better Than One
The album starts off with the two latest tracks, “mumumumuch” and “Happier than Ever”. As the title track, “mumumumuch” boasts a disco-pop vibe and bubbly energy. The music video starts with an upward camera movement, revealing the main girls huddling together in front of an open-air pool with blue sky and purple hills as a backdrop. As the strings and piano instrumental stopped, Hwasa uttered ‘sky, land, sea’ in a breathy tone. It is a direct reference to the song’s Korean title and the recurring lyrics in choruses, which describe a love as much as the sky, land, and sea for their lover. The girls also emphasized this phrase in their point choreography by stretching out their arms towards the sky and ground, followed by a wavy movement.
“Happier than Ever”, on the other hand, starts off with an instrumental that is reminiscent of Christmas and embraces a more jazzy vibe. The mellow melody and warm harmonies create a cozy atmosphere that’s comforting to listeners. The song ends with a fade-out that somewhat leaves you hanging, but the next song comes right in with a strong punch.
Moon Byul, who has multiple writing credits for the group’s past releases, has also participated in penning the lyrics for these two new songs.
A Salute To Seven Years Of Growth
After the two new songs, it’s a trip down memory lane through the rest of the album with remixed or re-recorded versions of fans’ favorites throughout the years. The first remix in the album, “Paint Me (Orchestra ver.)”, was given a cinematic flair so intense that it gives you chills. The album continues to keep its listeners on the edge of their seats with “Starry Night (Orchestra ver.)” and explosive “gogobebe (Rock ver.)”. Classic hits like “Egotistic”, “You’re the best”, and “Decalcomanie” in MAMAMOO’s diverse discography return with grander arrangements and instrumental that keep the tracks fresh to the ears. Of course, an album dedicated to the group’s journey wouldn’t be complete without the re-recorded version of their debut title track, “Mr. Ambiguous 2021”. Notable pre-debut collaborations were given a touch-up with the MAMAMOO 2021 style in the new version – “Don’t Be Happy 2021”, “HeeHeeHaHeHo Part.2”, and “Peppermint Chocolate (MMM ver.)”. The album ends on a high note with “Yes I am (Funk boost ver.)”, a brassy and confident song of self-love.
Fans’ Love for the Album
When it comes to their new releases, they are unapologetically authentic. The whole album is just one hour 29 minutes of pure enjoyment for the listeners. The album received much love from the fans and even trended the top on Twitter Worldwide trends after the release.
With this compilation album, MAMAMOO’s powerful vocals continue to shine through. The quartet proved they are unafraid to challenge past successes with new elements, each remixed or re-recorded track maintains the familiar melody but drips with its own charm.
You can listen to I SAY MAMAMOO: THE BEST on Spotify and Apple Music.
Want more? Check out our coverage of Lisa’s debut solo album here!
Thumbnail courtesy of RBW Entertainment.
