Review: HyunA - Nabillera
Like Hyolyn, HyunA is another veteran artist in K-pop. From her debut in Wonder Girls, to 4Minute, to finally signing to P-Nation, she's been around for a long time. It's surprising, then, that she's only getting a full studio album 15 years after debut. Nabillera should be a landmark release for HyunA, but it's a little... odd. Blackpink was already cutting it close by categorizing The Album as a studio album when it only had only 8 songs, but Nabillera is really pushing the envelope. This so-called "full" album has 5 songs! Just 5! Every single mini-album HyunA has released before this has had exactly 5-6 songs as well! What exactly makes Nabillera different enough from them to warrant its grand title I do not know, but at least the songs are somewhat solid.
Title track "Nabillera" is a bit of a new venture for HyunA. So far, she's frequented a very full, explosive sound. Just listen to her previous release "I'm Not Cool" and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Her music is powerful, abrasive, and salacious enough to captivate your attention from beginning to end. Subverting from this, "Nabillera" opts for a more bright, minimalistic sound, expanding upon 2019's excellent "Flower Shower." And I have to say, I like it! It's different, but in a way that preserves that signature HyunA confidence and authority. As a whole, this attitude imbued in "Nabillera" is infectious, almost in a way similar to Wonder Girls' "Like This."
The song's killing part is easily the chorus. It's simple but so effective, plus I love the harmonies added on in its second half. The verses are also similarly plain, with the same bouncy bass from the chorus making up most of the instrumental as HyunA raps. And this plainness isn't necessarily a bad thing. The song's minimalist sound is not boring because it's well supported by the character HyunA offers, as well as an uber-catchy chorus.
But "Nabillera" is bare-bones in ways beyond its sound. That beautiful melodic bridge had so much potential, but it ends up lasting a whopping 2 lines. And similar to Hyolyn's "No Thanks," I would say the song depends on its chorus a little too much. There is a lot to be appreciated with "Nabillera," but it just feels so irritatingly incomplete, and dare I say, lazy. Should it have been better developed and lengthened, I would argue that "Nabillera" could've been close to viral or legendary status. But as it stands now, "Nabillera" is just good, or great.
