Cignature – Us in the Summer | Album Review

Track Listing

Mess With My Mind
Smooth Sailing – Title Track
Sorry So Sorry
Little Me

K-pop girl group Cignature has decided to make our summer just a little bit better as they return with their 4th EP, ‘Us in the Summer’. Released on August 29th, the girls grace us with a fun and breezy comeback with a tinge of nostalgia for better days. Who cannot relate? As Chaesol puts it, this mini album is inspired by happier times and summer breaks when we could let go of our stress and just enjoy life.

This comes through with this album which feels like a bright burst of energy as everything is colourful and refreshing from the title track, ‘Smooth Sailing’ to its music video and the rest of the B-side tracks. However, it won’t be Cignature without a realistic take on the world as the bright melodies and visuals highlight the contrasting message as they look at the different types of love we experience during these ‘happier’ times. 

‘Mess With My Mind’

‘Us in the Summer’ begins with ‘Mess With My Mind’, an old-school pop song that is wistful yet cheery. With a retro beat and synths, the girls sing about just how complicated love can be, “He’s cool even though he’s mean/Stuck in my mind, my mind/Oh, I don’t know what to do/Cause I keep thinkin ‘bout you.” The percussions punctuate each line in the verses, making it satisfying to listen and the perfect intro.

‘Smooth Sailing’

Without much adieu, the EP quickly takes us to the title track which proves its worth as the highlight of the ‘Us in the Summer’. With a jazzy beginning and a catchy hook that will be ringing in our heads all summer, the girls sing about young love, “Baby, it’s a simple game/You’re next to me and I’m next to you/I don’t need any words/So give your heart”.

‘Smooth Sailing’ is a quintessential Cignature pop song complete with a cute and upbeat music video that screams summer. Picture those early 2000s dance rom-coms with a group of friends who struggle with their chaos and hijinks before appreciating the bond of friendship.

‘Sorry So Sorry’

The K-pop group takes it slow with ‘Sorry So Sorry’, a relatable song about being unable to let go of a love that we know is bad for us. Talk about toxic, huh? Honestly, they should have made this the title track because this R&B pop song has everything.

The catchy beats, the groovy melody, the synths and the electronic sounds all fit so well with their lilting vocals. If that isn’t enough, they take on an unapologetic attitude which complements the arrangement as they sing, “The breakup that arrived/as if it was the answer is hopeless/So hopeless/I’m sorry.”

‘Little Me’

With that low-key strain, the album comes to a close with ‘Little Me’, which takes on a different kind of love – self-love. They embrace their inner child in this soulful ballad, perfect for such a heavy message. The simple arrangement also lets all of the members shine with their beautiful vocals.

Complete with falsettos and a singular melody with a tinge of rock in the last chorus, it makes listeners ache as the girls ask us to be kind to ourselves, “I’m tired of always worrying about my heavy burdens/the white moonlight in my eyes hide me.”

But despite dabbling in a bright concept that is peppered with tons of releases, K-pop and global, Cignature stays true to their name and brings a signature style that is very much them just as Seline points out. In tangent with the theme, ‘Us in the Summer’ explores adjacent subjects and metaphors, the good and the bad, that listeners can very easily recall from easier, summery times that actually have their own challenges.

Listen to ‘Us in the Summer’ by Cignature on Spotify.

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