This is my review of SNSD's recently released second Japanese album.

Disappointment was my first impression with this album, perhaps because I was so impressed with their first album. Overall this new album sounds more like their releases in Korea, very bubblegum/soft pop-oriented. I know people probably like this album more as it's much less processed than the electronic/techno heavy first album. However I find it way too "poppy" and not mature enough for my taste.

Flower Power: a quite underwhelming open song (especially if you compared it with Mr. Taxi from the previous album). The song sounded bizzarre at first but it's quite catchy the more I listen to it. 4/5

Animal: an okay song but nothing special. 2.5/5

I'm a Diamond: it sounds like a detective song, it starts out quite interesting but gets boring toward the end. 3/5

Reflection: I'm not sure what this song is about but the few English words are kind of dirty haha. It sounds mysterious and a bit dark, which is a good match with Flower Power. It however also gets boring toward the end. 3.5/5

Stay Girls: I'm sure middle school girls will like this song but I clearly don't. It sounds so cheesy and childish. I give it some credit for exposing the girls' voice though. 3/5

T.O.P: Sounds like The Boys, probably a bit better. The melody is quite nice but I have to say I hate the adlibs (I suppose sung by Sooyoung/Tiffany/Yuri) 3/5

Boomerang: This song has a retro, contemporary feeling, which I really enjoy. The badly mixed autotune bridge kills the song though. 3.5/5

Oh!: I'm gonna skip this one :)

All My Love Is For You: it sounds like a recycled ballad song, the chorus is pretty but the song overall is nothing special. 3.5/5

Paparazzi: very catchy lead single (not quite as catchy as Genie, Mr Taxi or Gee in the previous album though). I think the in-sync choreography in the video makes me like this song even more. 5/5

Girls & Peace: its very bubbly melody can be annoying but the overall song is quite catchy. It's probably easy to make a dance out of this song too so I think they will soon come out with a video for this title track. 4/5

Not Alone: an okay ballad, a bit too slow, sounds like a movie soundtrack 2.5/5

^ This above is just a track-on-track review but if you look at the album overall, it's quite a messy mixture of random songs. I don't see how Not Alone and Stay Girls, 2 very slow (teen-oriented) ballads can go in an album with mature sounding songs like Flower Power, I'm a Diamond or Reflection (with the last one apparently talking about sex). This is also how I prefer the previous album a lot more, even the only ballad Born to Be a Lady sounds very contemporary with some techno elements.

Girls' Generation II: Girls & Peace: 2.5/5