After School 1st Album Virgin - Album Review

Jeez it has been forever since I posted a music review as I've been focusing on Style Boutique content. I mentioned this in some other posts that I will continue to post reviews however they will not be as detail. Unfortunately I do not have the time to write super long posts anymore so they will be less text heavy with more photos. And who doesn't' love pretty photos especially of K-Pop or J-Pop? Alright lets get into the first review of 2023 which is After School's 1st Album Virgin.

Virgin is the first and only album from Korean pop group After School and it was released on the 27th of April 2011. The album only came in one version and features new member E-Young. I got my copy second hand through Yahoo Auctions as I'm a big After School fan and 2nd Gen K-Pop groups. My album came with the following contents:

• CD - 13 track album
• 2 photobooks - one small fold out & one large
• Selfie photocard (random from 9 types)
• E-Young enrolment card

Onto photos of the photobooks now and it just screams 2nd Gen K-Pop. Remember when albums used to have fun photoshoots like this and I feel like no ones outfits match. Everyone looks like they are heading to a different event. The smaller fold out book contains photos of the members based on their enrolment in the group. Shame that the graduation concept never worked for After School but I always felt they were more like a copy of the Pussycat Dolls group. The first time I discovered the group that was exactly what I thought and their earlier stuff like Ah reminded me of the group. The large photobook contains more individual photos along with production information.

Being E-Young's first feature with the group, you get her enrolment card and it's super cute! Wouldn't it be amazing if you had for every member? No idea how rare these are however google images loved to call this albums photocards rare on every listing. For the photocard I received Jung-A from the seller who isn't one of my fave members, but still lovely to own.

Unbelievable that this is After School's only album (not including Japanese releases because we got two amazing ones). Such a shame when talented groups disband with barely any albums and After School was a bit of a disaster towards the end of their active career. At least we got 13 tracks on the album even though three are just new versions of older songs and one is a radio edit. Here is the track listing for the album:

1. Let's Step Up
2. Shampoo
3. Virgin
4. Bang! (2011 New Recording)
5. Play Ur Love
6. Dream (Feat. Pre-School Girl Yoon Jo)
7. Because Of You (2011 New Recording)
8. Lean On Time / Raina solo
9. How Are You Doing?
10. Funky Man / Nana vs Lizzy (Feat. Pre-School Girl Kyungmin)
11. My Bell / Jung-A solo
12. When I Fall (2011 New Recording)
13. Shampoo (Radio Edit)

Considering how old this album is, it is pretty much out of print and not available. It's impossible to find any After School Korean releases brand new nowadays and it is best to look second hand. Virgin is the one I've seen the most available and I wonder if they printed more copies compared to their singles.