[Single Review] Miss A- 'I Don't Need A Man'

How audacious.

How bold.

How ironic for Miss A to be singing a song about female empowerment and independence, especially in a (comparatively) traditionalistic country such as Korea, where norms are as would the older generation; where women are perceived to be less capable than men. For a woman to say that they could live without a man, in their eyes in any sense, would be equivalent to throwing one's existence and survival out the window. If you were to have a similar mindset, or think the same way, I'd believe you'd throw up chortling at this new track, and damn you for that. Damn you.

However, if you are a 21st century being, understanding gender equality and whatnot, this song would perhaps be somewhat of a breakthrough, an expression of freedom and release that is utterly impressive given the constrictive context of South Korea. I feel K pop has be revolutionized in a way. Many songs have started to shift away from that cute and coy image, about falling in love and all, and have really started to create not just entertainment art, but ad vocative art; music which really go beyond simply enjoyment, and actually reach into the regions of deep lessons and advocacy about freedom, questioning the existential rights and frequently shortchanged allotments that many living in Korea, especially the women, are sometimes subject to. This should not be taken as an insult to Korean culture or ways, but actually should be taken as a compliment of sorts to groups, like Miss A, 2NE1, Glam, all of those who are using their art and actually aiming to invoke equality and making a change in the world. And I sure as hell applaud that.

Anyway, beyond the message of 'I Don't Need A Man', I could just summarize my feelings towards it with just a couple of words.

Utter brilliance.

Seriously, the review could just end there, but for the sake of my pride and my personal desire of providing in-depth critiques of songs, I will try to recapitulate all I can to provide as complete a picture as I can of the track, by analyzing each part of the song and evaluating how they flow into each other if they even have to. Yes, there are exceptions that do not really require logical flow, like most of Block B's songs which basically demonstrate and exude confidence without the real need of technically flawless vocals, and they are pretty good on their own. Anyway, onto the review.

The introduction of this track is really special. It first features some chanting, which tells you that something about this song isn't really ordinary. The chant sounds a bit celebratory and is quite an upbeat way to start the song off. It really reminds me of Beyonce in some way. Like it conceals a form of power, but is kept in an almost tribal trance-like state.

Min then kicks in with her line, which is pronounced really well, I must say, especially compared with the Engrish that groups like T-ara and EXO have been pushing out. The background track sounds really playful and repetitive and fun, which really lightens up the mood, which is very different from most of Miss A's other tracks, aside from 'Breathe' maybe. The chorus comes in first and it remains light. Like really light.

Almost happy actually, which when compared to the lyrics seem really ironic. In a way, it works, and I think the playfulness almost plays a part in giving off the message that a woman can live without a man, and still remain really positive, happy and confident. In that aspect, the chorus works really well, and Suzy's vocals, though lacking in the the depth of Jia and Fei, really complement the beat of the track.

The first verse goes exactly how I would have expected it, given the context and message of the song. Swag. Strong swag oozing with personality and cockiness, an endearing cockiness that really shout out to the men out there about the capabilities of women. It's not really singing, but more of speech with intonation, and I really really enjoy it. It is very reminiscent of Southern hip-hop, very hood, and very enjoyable.

The verse that follows is somewhat similar in terms of mood. The swag is still present, but the voices and their differences remain very distinct. I mentioned Suzy's lightness in her tone, and also Min's swag. Jia's voice is really unique and a bit challenging to describe. I'd say that her voice is very complex and each syllable is very clearly spoken out. Also, her intonation variation is a lot more evident, which makes her lines sound a lot more rich and colourful.

Fei's part is interesting, ranging from some airy vocals to slightly stronger variations. She is really underrated in the group, and really, her vocals are pretty good. There is a certain je ne sais quoi about her part that I really really like. It throws off the pace, which I usually detest, but it really works and adds another dimension of unorthodoxy to the already unorthodox.

In all, a really great song. I know I couldn't run through everything, but I wanted to really push out this review as quick as I could. Hope you guys can stay tuned! Maybe a little B.A.P or something next week ;)

[Single Review] Ga In- 'Bloom'

Bloom! It really is such a magical word, filled with a sort of mystique and a sense of intangible hope, or development. Applied to a song title, to me, was slightly odd and out of Ga-in's usual solo work, which by all means was usually really gothic or dark. So, just hearing about the song title just gave me more interest into finding out how Ga-in's image could change for her new solo comeback.

Ga-in is my second favourite member of BEG, with Narsha being my ultimate bias. I love Ga-in because of her sexiness. And it is not just that type of 'I'll strip off my clothes and shake my ass in your face' type, rather a more conserved, yet brash, bold and unrefined type of confidence that simply exudes an aura of empowerment which I find just so utterly captivating and sultry. Oh, and not forgetting to mention her singing abilities. I feel like being in BEG is like a double-edged sword for her. Firstly, she can stand out by virtue of the fact that practically no one else other than Narsha actually bothers to actively promote themselves on variety shows, and Ga-in's stint has sure as hell brought her legions of endearing fans. Second, her talents can be overshadowed by the powerhouse diva Jea, or the bad-ass swagtastic Miryo or the hularious, tender-vocalled Narsha, which makes her singing abilities sort of meh. Compare her to the best singer in Kara for God's sake (Gyuri) and you'll see where I am getting at. Like seriously..... It is sort of her bad luck that she's in a group of such amazing individuals, so I'm happy she is at least making an attempt to go for these solos and really put herself out there. That being said, this comeback of hers sure as hell does not disappoint.

Let's go play by play, first on the intro, then the verses, then the chorus/pre-chorus, then the conclusion.

The introduction is something quite different from what I usually hear from most BEG or Ga-in songs. It is really quite upbeat and peppy, with a nice light guitar backing going along with it. The vibe I get is one of dance pop, or even fun bluesy music, which is really quite an interesting direction given Ga-in's typical take on her image and artistry. And so, the song starts. Ga-in's voice is very unique in that it is high-pitched but with quite an endearing quality to it. It's almost angelic, being very delicate and light, which she successfully managed to contort to suit all of BEG's hits. In 'Bloom', she really gets to ability to show her distinctive sound and coupled with the background, I think they work rather well in setting a tone for the fun beat of the song.

The verse is rather consistent throughout, with Ga-in's wailing and falsetto working and harmonizing very well. The bit before the chorus with 'speak up' being chanted incessantly is a bit of a let-down, as it breaks the pace of the song, from a cheery tune to a rather abrupt shift in momentum and feel, which really go quite jarringly against the rest of the verses before it.

The chorus is brilliant, a display of raw power (though not in a diva sort of way) and emotion which really reach out to listeners.Her vocals are almost spiritual in the chorus, and they remind me somewhat of Ailee, although they somewhat lack in the aspect of powerhouse vocals, but they are brilliant overall.

With that, I will end of the review. A great song from an unorthodox but epically fierce artist. I hope all of you can hear this, and Ga-in, I hope you keep re-inventing yourself, and provide us with these awesome tracks. Listeners will definitely bloom as you do in your career!

Next week, we will be doing, 'I Don't Need A Man' by Miss A. It's aweshum!!!!!