Sexualisation in the Korean Music Industry

Alright now this is something that I think needs to be discussed about, specifically amongst girl groups.

Recently I stumbled upon numerous articles talking about the Korean music scene and how it has become hyper-sexualised. Now, this isn't the cause of critique, rather naysayers have a gripe with sexualisation as it takes away from the quality of artistes' music, and brings misdirected focus to perverse actions. In other words, sexualisation (is claimed to) degrades the Korean music industry and makes it a contest in which groups seek to out 'pussy-pop' one another rather than relentlessly elevate their standards.

For one, I have indeed noticed the recent trends of hyper sexualisation in the Korean music market, as the past 4 major releases from girl groups this month (Girl's Day, Dal Shabet, Rainbow Blaxx, AOA) have been milking the 'sexy concept' dry, showcasing risqué choreography involving breast-rubbing, skirt unzipping, crotch caressing and dive-to-the-ground-as-if-lapping-up-a-pool-of-you-know-what-ing. These have really pushed the boundaries and I daresay broadcasting stations are hardpressed as to whether or not they should ban these groups from performing.

I understand where entertainment companies are coming from as sexy concepts have propelled previously struggling groups into stardom, and such occurances could happen again. However, I agree with the critics to a certain extent as some forms of 'sexy' do leave a lingering distaste in my mouth; trash for trashy's sake.

Let us take the previous 4 comebacks as an example.

AOA and Girl's Day are prime examples of what I would deem as 'classy sexy'. Their performances are sexual no doubt, yet they are pulled off with a sort of class and the lyrics of their songs have meanings which do not connote sexual undertones. Their outfits were rather appropriate as well, as even in AOA's case, they integrated their 'stripping' into the song which bringing too much attention to the action and away from their song. These are acceptable to me as they have meaning, these forms of sexy convey a certain emotion and invoke a reaction that is appropriate, rather than leave us in a state of confusion and slight disgust.

Dal Shabet and Rainbow Blaxx however are what the critics are truly criticising. They exemplified 'trashy trash', sex for sex's sake, meaningless provocativeness however you would call it. Their choreography was so painfully and obviously putting so much emphasis on their lady parts, groin rubbing, boob squeezing and whatnot. In a technical sense, the songs themselves did not convey the sort of emotional impact as the other two songs, and did not have the template which required such provocative moves to be executed. Let's put it this way, classy-sexy is appropriate and most importantly necessary for a song to be performed well, however Rainbow Blaxx and Dal Shabet seemed to have a speed test, trying to squeeze as many 'sexy' moves into their choreography as quickly as they could. I'm honestly not quite sure of their intentions, other than to appease to thirsty testosterone-brimming lads, but all they come off as is really really desperate.

In short, I do not see a problem with sexualisation. I see a problem with how it is executed, how it is portrayed and how it is received by the viewer. Image and meaning go hand in hand, and I hope entertainment companies can think about the image they are trying to put across and how they work WITH the artists or the songs in a complete united entity, instead of forcing distasteful sex down our throats.

- The Kpop Philosopher

[Single Review] Miss A- "Hush"

Being out of one's element is a scary place to be, both for ourselves and also for our audiences. Having made a name of ourselves in a certain field or genre of study, changing the pace of our work would definitely come as a surprise not only to ourselves but also to those who have been loyally accustomed to our previous fields of expertise. This pretty much how I felt about Miss A's long-awaited, and completely unexpected comeback.

Oddballs are what I would say Miss A bring to mind first. They have dabbled in many different styles over the past few months and I honestly did not know what to expect for 'Hush'. From teaser photos, a recollection of Miss A circa 'Touch' era came to mind, exuding an aura of sultry yet haunting vibes. This really got me excited as 'Touch' was one of the most criminally underrated and tragically overlooked songs of 2012.

Onto the song.

I wasn't disappointed in the least, I'd say, as it was everything that I did not expect (which happens to be what I expect from Miss A every comeback ironically). The introduction is very sparse, with few notes and some eerie synths bouncing off the girls' hauntingly ethereal vocals. Min does a fine job holding her with some impassioned delivery, and the song is off to a great start. Suspense builds up with the inclusion of the guitar riffs and the climax of 'nareul wonhae' hits quite abruptly.

This is where everything sort of feels odd, yet right at the same time. As soon as the line is exclaimed, the pace drops way back down again, and a Wild-West-esque whistle emeanates in the background, forming parallels with the initial haunting atmosphere. I personally love the whistle as it is something creative yet somewhat sultry too. The chorus is a bit too quick for my liking with their mutterances sounding rather uncomfortable; still not too many complaints.

The first verse sung by Fei is decent, nothing much to say. Fei has a brilliant voice and I don't think I've ever seen her not succeed in showing that. It is Jia's part that really grabs me as her voice is a lot more firm and her pronunciation a lot crisper, resulting in a verse with slightly more impact.

This is also where it leads up to the chorus which had been feigned previously. The increasingly heavy guitar riffs and the relentless inclusions of different instruments and synths can really be heard around here, and the groove of the song really sets in, accompanied by a livelier chorus. It's almost anthem-like, and the fast-paced words do not pose such a big issue here due to their slight overshadowing by the instrumentals (which I do prefer).

The slow portion is rather abrupt, though the transition is not too jerky. Suzy's voice is rather underrated and out of all the members, I feel like she has the weakest voice but the one most suited for emotional sections like this. It is a well-sung part, which continues to stick to the ethereal and enigmatic theme without lulling off into one of Davichi's sob-story ballad genres.

The powerful chorus follows and the song comes to a resolute end, with a nice mirror effect, repeating the bleak, disperse, simplistic introduction and end with a resounding 'yeah' which had been a common theme throughout. Technically, why I feel this song felt complete was its structure which was very cyclic in nature; the symmetry of the introduction and the conclusion, the repetition of 'yeah', and the alternation of slow verse/bridge and quick chorus are present throughout the songs, which establish an identity even though it may appear that the song goes off tangent randomly.

Still,  great song from Miss A. Clever use of song structure.

Long live the flawless kweens of unexpected music.