K-Pop Double-Take is a periodic column highlighting recent releases that have yet to receive the attention we feel they deserve.

The name MBLAQ stands for "Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality", but you may be inclined to start ignoring the word "boy" in their name after hearing the band's most recent single "Be A Man."

MBLAQ have really matured as a group, and "Be A Man," released in March on the group's sixth EP "Broken," proves it. MBLAQ have always sported a polished, sophisticated style, but "Be A Man" brings that style to a whole new level.

"Be A Man" perfectly captures the uncertainty of a troubled love affair and the pain associated with letting go of someone who no longer loves you. The song moves through your mind like a cat stalking its prey through the shadows. And just when you think you've escaped it, it tiptoes stealthily back in to haunt you again.

The song starts out with the sound of howling wind and a sparkling guitar arpeggio. We then hear the haunting, ghostly intro vocals, like a lost soul on an empty street.

You'll also notice the occasional sound of water dripping (a production technique I first heard used by Bollywood soundtrack composer A.R. Rahman in his song "Taal Se Taal") to accent the rhythm. Or are those teardrops?  

There's something about the staccato guitar parts of this track that reminds me of some of Sade's moody soul ballads. And the strings that compliment the verses bring it all together in an elegant dreamy way.

"If you're not here, I'm not here either," the protagonist in "Be A Man" laments.

But knowing that he can't avoid the truth, he is faced with a dilemma; "should I be a man and let you go?"

For any of you who have been through a breakup so painful that you thought you'd never recover, this song is for you.

In the video, we see the members of the group standing in a desolate room filled with sand and lit only by cracks in the ceiling above.

A ray of light reveals the bright red lips of a beautiful girl, which are then obscured by a shadow that soon passes to reveal MBLAQ member Joon standing against a wall singing the first verse. The shadows continue to move across the screen in a way that suggests a dark cloud moving over the earth.

The next line in the song is delivered by group member Thunder who we can just barely make out through a keyhole. A falsetto vocal line is sung by G.O.

The compelling hook leading up to the chorus is delivered in harmony by the members of the group.  The piano and string accents throughout the song are subtle and absolutely gorgeous.    

The plaintive call and falsetto response of the chorus brings the whole thing to a climax and really makes this song a perfect tear jerker.  The rap verse delivered by Mir is well-executed as well. 

MBLAQ's "Be A Man" stands out for its emotional depth, compared to so much of the dance floor pop being made these days.  

And even if you can't currently relate to the song's heartbreak, it never hurts to have a good breakup song handy, just in case.

Watch the music video for MBLAQ's new single "Be A Man" RIGHT HERE

Carl Hamm is a DJ, radio host, film maker and self-described culture pusher. "Pop Yeh Yeh," Hamm's critically-heralded compilation of 1960s psychedelic rock from Singapore and Malaysia, was released on vinyl back in April for Record Store Day.