"One (Monster & Infinity)" Released: September 25, 2020
Super One is the first studio album by South Korean supergroup SuperM. It was released on September 25, 2020 by SM Entertainment, Capitol Records and Dreamus. The album was preceded by the singles "With You", "100" and "Tiger Inside" and was released alongside the lead single, "One (Monster & Infinity)".[1][2] The physical edition of the album comes in five versions: two group and three unit versions.[3] The Asia ver. was released on October 26, 2020.
Background and release
Following up promotions for the group's self-titled debut EP, SuperM performed an unreleased song titled "Dangerous Woman" on their concert tour SuperM: We Are the Future Live and during their appearance on The Jimmy Kimmel Show on February 11, 2020.[4] SuperM participated in the Global Citizen event One World: Together at Home on April 18, 2020, during which they performed another new song titled "With You". The song was included in the concert playlist album that was released exclusively for streaming on Spotify on April 19, 2020.[1]
On August 5, 2020, SM Entertainment announced that the group would make their comeback with two digital singles and their first studio album. The album's first single, "100", was released on August 14, 2020. Its follow-up, "Tiger Inside", was released on September 1, 2020. Super One was released on September 25, 2020, along with the music video for the lead single, "One (Monster & Infinity)".[2]
Composition
The album opens with "One (Monster & Infinity)", a so-called "hybridremix", which is a combination of two different songs.[5] With lyrics full of confidence and the will of overcoming the hardships in front of them without fear, the song showcases SuperM's intense and energetic performance. The second track "Infinity" is described as a song with a grand introduction which begins with a magnificent brass orchestration. The highlight of the song is the immersive introduction from the speedy rapping of members Mark and Taeyong, and the chorus that conveys the ambition of "to go to infinity" with energetic vocals. The album continues with "Monster", a song with an intense energy of distorted percussive bass riffs with a motive reminiscent of a "monster", thus fitting the title of the song. The fourth track "Wish You Were Here" is a song with an addictive chorus melody on top of the reggae rhythm and dub sound. Its lyrics express the feelings of a lover's sorrow caused by being unable to be together due to unavoidable circumstances. "Big Chance", the fifth track of the album, is described as a tropical house song, which conveys the sincere feelings of young people toward their loves ones, saying, "a big mistake we make can be a big opportunity". The next track, "100", is characterized as a song with a fast base line and dynamic rhythms that expresses SuperM's unique and powerful energy. The song was co-written and co-produced by member Mark.[6][7] The seventh track "Tiger Inside" is the conceptual extension to "I Can’t Stand The Rain". It features traditional Asian elements and futuristic electronic beats.[8]
"We believe that it is very appropriate for the situation that the whole world is going through, the message that we have. Not only are we trying to say that we can overcome all of our problems and all these difficulties as we work together, we also believe that. We just want to spread positivity around the world and really bring hope to the listeners."
—Mark about the meaning of the group's first studio album.[9]
The next half of Super One starts with "Better Days", a song with the message of warm comfort and empathy from SuperM in the current difficult situationexpressed through flexible rap flows and warm vocals, led by a vintage upright piano and contrabass. Vocal group Heritage participated as choir. The ninth track "Together At Home" is described as an R&Bdisco song driven by a funky bass line, with lyrics that create a good time uniting one another in a new way, not a physical space. The next track, "Drip", is a trendy "ratchet" trap hip-hop genre with a sexy and provocative atmosphere. The lyrics are a visual depiction gradually depicting the increasing tension of the opposite sex. The tenth track "Line 'Em Up" is a rhythmic pop-dance song that is uniquely translated by interpreting reggaeton in the style of SuperM. It expresses the ambition to capture the hearts of fans around the world and make them feel "one". "Dangerous Woman", the eleventh track of the album", again a trap hip-hop song, has an "impressive" reversal from the rich harmonies and ad-lip intro acappella to a completely different atmosphere. Its lyrics convey the feelings of a man who fell in love with a woman with the fatal charms of both extremes. It is followed by "Step Up" is a song with witty lyrics that express one's desire to take one step further. The fourteenth track "So Long" is a slow jam number that describes the feelings of a man who claims to be a villain by informing about a heartbreaking breakup for the other person. The final track "With You" is described as an up-tempo electropop song that stands out with a rhythmic cut-out guitar. The lyrics express the desire of wanting to be with your loved ones are also directed to the fans, and are characterized by an easy melody that can be enjoyed with the fans in performances.[10][5][11]
Reception
Super One received generally positive reviews from critics. Tamar Herman from The Recording Academy opined that the album, which came out during the global COVID-19 pandemic, "spends its length motivating listeners through a freewheeling medley of energetic, vibrant electro-pop anthems and mellowing out to offer up lackadaisical, breezy moments on hopeful tracks".[12] Vandana Pawa from Teen Vogue described Super One as "a monster of a debut full-length album that takes a jaunt through a new era of music and brings the group to the next level".[13]
Super One debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 104,000 album-equivalent units (of which 101,000 were in album sales), becoming the group's second top three entry on the chart.[21] Additionally, the album earned the top spot on the Billboard World Albums Chart, making it the group second chart-topper after their debut EP SuperM.[22] SuperM also achieved their first number one on the BillboardIndependent Albums Chart.[23]
In Japan, SuperM claimed the number one spot in five major charts on Line Music. Shortly after its release, Super One topped the realtime/daily Line Music Album Chart. The title song "One (Monster & Infinity)" also topped the realtime/daily Line Music Song Chart as well as the daily Line Music K-Pop Chart.[24] "One (Monster & Infinity)" earned the group's its third number one song on the Line Music chart this year, after "100" and "Tiger Inside".[25][26]
