CNBLUE Are Modern Day Cowboys With A Rockstar Flare in Their 9th Mini Album ‘Wanted’

After almost a year since their last Korean comeback, CNBLUE returned to the music scene with a new concept and new music. Wanted brings back CNBLUE’s signature sound that’ll have old and new fans hitting replay. From rock to ballads, this is one mini album you cannot miss.

Here’s my reaction video to CNBLUE “Love Cut” MV.

During their comeback live talkshow, Jungshin shared the title track “Love Cut”, “It’s about cutting unnecessary relationships in your lives with scissors and seizing freedom.”

The song does a great job expressing the frustrations and the need to leave toxic relationships.

Yonghwa, got the inspiration for the song while he was on the way to a hair salon. He saw the shape of scissors, and made a story out of it. I’m always amazed in Yonghwa’s talent in writing and composing songs that are from his personal experiences or from something that inspires him.

The next song is my favorite b-side track, “99%”. Minhyuk mentioned the meaning behind the song, “In this busy society we live for others, so we are missing that 1% of ourselves. To find that 1% we bring back our confidence and decide to dedicate the 1% to ourselves.”

The lyrics mention being lost in the daily bustle of life. Personally I can relate to this song. I fell in love with it the second I heard it in their highlight medley. I love the energy, the guitar, piano, drums, everything about this song is jam worthy. I’ve had my fair share of hitting replay on this song. It’s definitely one of my favorites of the year.

The third track was written by Jungshin. The song “Hold Me Back” was originally an R&B song, but Yonghwa suggested making it more acoustic to fit the sound of the band. The song was rearranged and it is what we hear today. Jungshin had this song two years prior, so before he went to the military this song was already created.

Compared to the previous tracks, “Hold Me Back”, is softer. The song is about confessing your love to someone. It is sweet, tender, and romantic.

The following song is “Nothing”, and dare I say….it’s everything. The song “Nothing” carries CNBLUE’s signature sound; from the guitar, the piano, the drums, the breakdown, everything about it. The song “Nothing” is about realizing your past mistakes and finding out you’re nothing without the person you loved. Now you want a second chance with them.

This song is upbeat, energetic, and 100% concert worthy. It’s also one of my favorite tracks and I look forward to the day CNBLUE can perform it live.

The fifth and final song on the album, “Time Capsule”, is like a lullaby. The song is about realizing nothing’s changed but at the same time certain things have changed. The lyrics are poetic and the song is so smooth. It’s easy to get lost and just allow your mind to wander while listening to this song.

“Time Capsule” carries the sound from their previous album RE-CODE, especially the song “Winter Again”. The song is perfect for the upcoming seasons. Once again I applaud Yonghwa and his ability to create variety of songs – musically and lyrically.

Yes, this was a long awaited comeback, but it was worth the wait. I love how they kept their iconic sound while brining back some of the softer songs from their previous album.

As a BOICE (CNBLUE’s fandom), I wish all the members to be healthy and happy. I hope they know there’s BOICE around the world rooting for them. We’re all patiently waiting for the day Jungshin, Yonghwa, and Minhyuk will be on stage again in front of a live audience and host their own concerts. We all know CNBLUE’s element is live performances and I can’t wait for the day we can see them live. Whether it’s through an online concert or offline.

I am so grateful to Boice who introduced me to CNBLUE almost a year ago. I can proudly say CNBLUE are one of my ULT bands and I’ll continue rooting for them.

BONUS: During this comeback era, CNBLUE went on ‘You Heeyeol’s Sketchbook’ and performed their classic songs “Loner”, “Intuition”, and “I’m Sorry”. It’s obvious how much they miss being on stage. Once again, can’t wait for the day they can host a concert.