The (unofficial) queens of K-pop are back with a completely new concept and honestly, a song quite unlike anything we've ever heard classified under the 'K-pop' label.
Let me just first say, that I am definitely not one of the biggest Sones out there. In all honesty, while I loved some of their earlier releases, their recent lacklustre singles and seemingly unchangeable girl-next-door image have really put me off. In summary, I just guess they weren't as interesting as the other groups, like T-ara which experimented wildly with many genres or 2NE1 who stayed far from the aegyo concepts, while providing quite a few twists on the R&B-dance pop hybrid genre.
I never really thought SNSD could break out of the mold. Especially not from a mold which had brought them such incredible success for 5 years since their debut. A part of me just thinks that SM was scared that people would not believe in the credibility of the new image, or that they would lose their fanbase.
Still. A risk has to be taken once in a while. In 2012, SM has taken numerous new dabbles musically (*though not in their eternally dull music videos). TVXQ played with dubstep and electronica, SHINEE toyed with a more operatic style, f(x) deviated from their past bubble-gum pop for some nice club-banger-dance pop and BoA took a plunge into the R&B ballad genre. What style was left for SNSD?
I really didn't hope for the scraps. I didn't want a lazy single to just undermine their potential, which I feel has not been fully fleshed out often enough.
The thing is. How do we flesh out EVERYONE'S POTENTIAL? Every member has a certain style which they seem more comfortable with, like Taeyeon with bluesy tracks or even Yuri, Yoona and Sooyoung with quicker-paced hip hop beats to mask up their relatively light vocals. A song would need to have everything, wouldn't it?
Thus, 'I Got a Boy' was born.
Let me just say that I love it. And I hate it.
I love the audacity, the kills beats, the overall awesome track that it rightfully should be lauded for. Yet I just hate the fact that the intention of the song is just so lost.
In the beginning, Sooyoung and Yuri team up for an introductory rap. The raps are more on the sultry rather than hard-hitting aggressive type, with their cheerleader-esque chants serving as more of rising actions and teasers, rather than climaxes barreling at 100 miles an hour. I stated before that the introduction sets the beat. A good introduction creates the narrative.
Yet, this introduction seems so isolated from everything else in the song. It never quite fits in, theoratically. Yet, when I heard it, I began to see how the teasing aspect, as performed in 'Talk That' really shone here. The key is that slight pause between the end of the rap and the beat of the main verse.
The pause is like a breather, incredibly quick and sapping, before plunging back into business. It is exciting and exhilarating to be brought on such a ride, and the weaker introduction is able to make the main verse seem like a bombast of emotion, that really set the tone. The intro isn't an intro, but it's a faux. A teaser to the true energy upcoming. In spite of not being musically incredible, the fact that it channeled a multi-sensory experience and made me really think about song progression, I'd say it is deep and truly amazing.
The first act is a foot-stomping anthem-like chorus with a very nice blend of diva vocals and interesting talk-raps. This is a brilliant opener, really setting the pace and shooting up the adrenaline instantly.
You may notice how I use 'act' as if comparing this to a musical, because it somewhat is. I will not go into the analysis of individual portions but more of an overview of how everything works together.
A dubsteppy verse ensues where the real chorus comes in. The chorus is quick-paced and tintillating. Taeyeon and Sunny interject with a few lines that actually contrast the actual beat, with drags and retards that throw off the pace. Not in a bad way. But in a variation way, as the beat returns to normality, staying true to the identity. This is the second act, quicker-paced and more emotive.
The third act is a slow, diva like ballad portion where Tif and Taeyeon show off their chops. The notes are punctuated by more chants, with show that whist they move out of the way, a true spirit still lives which is a very confident mode of conveying a song's narrative, for they know what it is.
Why do they work? Identity. The frequent interjections keep moving us back to square one, and every beat is like a new interpretation on a common narrative and emotive theme. This truth and raggedness in sticking to one's roots is exceptional and makes 'I Got A Boy' a masterful production.
The narrative is there with a clear purpose which suits the energy of the song's vibes.
Stunning.
