Arrival (EP)
Encyclopedia
Arrival also known as The Advent or Jiang Lin (降临), is the debut EP
by Mandopop
boy band
, Top Combine
. The EP was released on October 26, 2008 in People's Republic of China
by EE Media. The EP was also released in two separate versions, a "black" version and a "gold" version.
Arrival is influenced by K-pop
melodies, which has heavy focuses on hip hop
, R&B, and dance-pop
. A majority of the EP was produced and recorded in South Korea
in March 2008, and the EP is also produced by several famous Korean producers, such as Kim Kibom. The music video for the EP's first promotional single, "Arrival", was also filmed in South Korea, directed by Chun Hyuk-jin, the same director who directed some music videos for SM Entertainment
artists.
under the supervision of Doremi Media, Top Combine's management in Korea. Kim Kibom, the producer of the title single "Arrival," produced the song "especially for the group." Influenced by modern K-pop
, the single is produced with elements of hip hop
, rock, and contemporary dance-pop
. Vocally, the single incorporates harmonization and rap, arguably similar to SM Entertainment
's SMP genre. The side tracks of the album, such as "Cotton Candy", "Next Stop, Forever," etc. are less concentrated on hip hop, but they are portrayed as a faction of bubblegum pop
. "Cotton Candy" was also composed and written by Top Combine member, Mars Ma.
Top Combine noted that the EP was not only experimental, but also very enjoyable to record. The EP includes elements of music style that Mainland Chinese boy bands have not experimented in the past, and the group was eager to test out the new style.
As soon as the album was released on October 19, the group went on a nation-wide tour to promote the album, appearing in many variety programs and music programs that are broadcasted on national television. Their appearance on Hunan TV's Happy Camp (快乐大本营) snatched an overwhelmingly high rating of 2.14, making the variety show to achieve the highest ratings of China for the month.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by Mandopop
Mandopop
Mandopop is a colloquial abbreviation for "Mandarin popular music." It is categorized as a subgenre of commercial Chinese-language music within C-pop. Mandopop was the first variety of popular music in Chinese to establish itself as a viable industry. As the name implies, Mandopop features songs...
boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
, Top Combine
Top Combine
Top Combine is a Mandopop boy band. The group consists of the members Bird Zhang, Caesar Li, Mars Ma, Kenny Liu, and Tanas Kim. All were professionally trained in singing, dancing, modeling, and language. With the exception of Kim, the other four members of Top Combine were all 2007 contestants...
. The EP was released on October 26, 2008 in People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
by EE Media. The EP was also released in two separate versions, a "black" version and a "gold" version.
Arrival is influenced by K-pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
melodies, which has heavy focuses on hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, R&B, and dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
. A majority of the EP was produced and recorded in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in March 2008, and the EP is also produced by several famous Korean producers, such as Kim Kibom. The music video for the EP's first promotional single, "Arrival", was also filmed in South Korea, directed by Chun Hyuk-jin, the same director who directed some music videos for SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment
S.M. Entertainment is an independent Korean record label, talent agency, producer, and publisher of pop music, founded by Lee Soo-man in South Korea...
artists.
Recording and promotion
The EP was recorded in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
under the supervision of Doremi Media, Top Combine's management in Korea. Kim Kibom, the producer of the title single "Arrival," produced the song "especially for the group." Influenced by modern K-pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
, the single is produced with elements of hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, rock, and contemporary dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
. Vocally, the single incorporates harmonization and rap, arguably similar to SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment
S.M. Entertainment is an independent Korean record label, talent agency, producer, and publisher of pop music, founded by Lee Soo-man in South Korea...
's SMP genre. The side tracks of the album, such as "Cotton Candy", "Next Stop, Forever," etc. are less concentrated on hip hop, but they are portrayed as a faction of bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
. "Cotton Candy" was also composed and written by Top Combine member, Mars Ma.
Top Combine noted that the EP was not only experimental, but also very enjoyable to record. The EP includes elements of music style that Mainland Chinese boy bands have not experimented in the past, and the group was eager to test out the new style.
As soon as the album was released on October 19, the group went on a nation-wide tour to promote the album, appearing in many variety programs and music programs that are broadcasted on national television. Their appearance on Hunan TV's Happy Camp (快乐大本营) snatched an overwhelmingly high rating of 2.14, making the variety show to achieve the highest ratings of China for the month.
Track listing
- "Arrival" - 3:45
- "Cotton Candy" - 3:51
- "Next Stop, Forever" - 4:51
- "Clown (I Can't Let You Go)" - 4:39
- "Kiss" - 3:52