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
Saturday, 1 February 2014
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
[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.
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.
Monday, 4 November 2013
[Single Review]- "Block B- Very Good"
Block B is back! And so am I!
Sorry for the hiatus guys, my exam period was really really long and I had to study. And well I achieved pretty damn stellar results so back to blogging :))
Anyway, Block B has had a pretty tumultuous career thus far, reaching great heights in popularity and facing lots of controversy regarding their wild antics and arguments with their company. But each time they fell into an abyss of dispute, they always came back with something spectacular (hey there 'Nilili Mambo') and 'Very Good' is an indication of this unquenchable and undying spirit. 'Very Good' is exactly what I had hoped for and what I had expected from a group like Block B, a group which honestly doesn't give two hoots about what the public tells them and just wants to go out there onto a stage, and make music for its greatest purpose: to have a bloody fun time.
The beat for 'Very Good' is rather unconventional I'd say for an electro-dance pop song, which many variations in pitch and rhythmic patterns throughout the song.
Case in point, the intro of the song struck me as rather different, which a rather dragged out opening verse with a sparseness that seems chock-full of tension and uncertainty, before exploding into the chorus. Having a chorus before the first verse is a tried and tested formula that have not always worked well (case in point: 2NE1's 'I Love You'). What really makes a preluding chorus work would be its impact, in that it should project an instantaneous image of the song's shade, what the song is genuinely about. Why 2NE1 failed to do so was because their chorus was very mellow and unlike the identity of the song, which had its roots in a more varied yet powerful emotional template that could not be fully expressed by the comparatively lackluster chorus. In 'Very Good', the chorus happens to be the climax, the part where all hell breaks lose and people just want to get up and party. And it definitely fits the palette of the song, which is all about wildness and pure fun. This chorus as prelude is incredibly effective and grips me instantly to the song.
The wild prelude makes the first verse very effective too, as the toning down of the tempo creates a space of voidness, one where momentum is taken back for a very short period of time, but actually exploding within us. What this means is basically, because we have just come down from an emotional high in the prelude, we feel a sucking sense in our hearts having a more laid back verse; this makes us uncertain of the song's identity but faintly clear as to what it might be, resulting in uncertainty and tension within us.
In fact, this pattern is very prominent throughout the entire song, with emotional highs coupled successively with emotional lows, resulting in a roller coaster emotional ride, creating parallels with the actual feel of the song which is to live like a one on a roller-coaster, having fun and not caring about what others think.
I really admire this identity and strength in character that Block B has; their confidence in themselves is so unlike many other groups as they know who they are and pursue music to show the world what is essentially Block B. 'Very Good' re-affirms this point as Block B has shown to be incredibly confident in what they are producing as artist, and as listeners, we know that we will always be able to count of them for a good slice of Block B's identity in each and every song they produce. And well, it's also a plus point that their identity comprises of pretty kick-ass songs.
Rarely do we have songs that just scream a certain group's style as loudly as this one, and thus, I am not disappointed with this comeback.
Block B, I foresee, will always retain their infectingly addictive style and as a fan, I am definitely reassured.
Sorry for the hiatus guys, my exam period was really really long and I had to study. And well I achieved pretty damn stellar results so back to blogging :))
Anyway, Block B has had a pretty tumultuous career thus far, reaching great heights in popularity and facing lots of controversy regarding their wild antics and arguments with their company. But each time they fell into an abyss of dispute, they always came back with something spectacular (hey there 'Nilili Mambo') and 'Very Good' is an indication of this unquenchable and undying spirit. 'Very Good' is exactly what I had hoped for and what I had expected from a group like Block B, a group which honestly doesn't give two hoots about what the public tells them and just wants to go out there onto a stage, and make music for its greatest purpose: to have a bloody fun time.
The beat for 'Very Good' is rather unconventional I'd say for an electro-dance pop song, which many variations in pitch and rhythmic patterns throughout the song.
Case in point, the intro of the song struck me as rather different, which a rather dragged out opening verse with a sparseness that seems chock-full of tension and uncertainty, before exploding into the chorus. Having a chorus before the first verse is a tried and tested formula that have not always worked well (case in point: 2NE1's 'I Love You'). What really makes a preluding chorus work would be its impact, in that it should project an instantaneous image of the song's shade, what the song is genuinely about. Why 2NE1 failed to do so was because their chorus was very mellow and unlike the identity of the song, which had its roots in a more varied yet powerful emotional template that could not be fully expressed by the comparatively lackluster chorus. In 'Very Good', the chorus happens to be the climax, the part where all hell breaks lose and people just want to get up and party. And it definitely fits the palette of the song, which is all about wildness and pure fun. This chorus as prelude is incredibly effective and grips me instantly to the song.
The wild prelude makes the first verse very effective too, as the toning down of the tempo creates a space of voidness, one where momentum is taken back for a very short period of time, but actually exploding within us. What this means is basically, because we have just come down from an emotional high in the prelude, we feel a sucking sense in our hearts having a more laid back verse; this makes us uncertain of the song's identity but faintly clear as to what it might be, resulting in uncertainty and tension within us.
In fact, this pattern is very prominent throughout the entire song, with emotional highs coupled successively with emotional lows, resulting in a roller coaster emotional ride, creating parallels with the actual feel of the song which is to live like a one on a roller-coaster, having fun and not caring about what others think.
I really admire this identity and strength in character that Block B has; their confidence in themselves is so unlike many other groups as they know who they are and pursue music to show the world what is essentially Block B. 'Very Good' re-affirms this point as Block B has shown to be incredibly confident in what they are producing as artist, and as listeners, we know that we will always be able to count of them for a good slice of Block B's identity in each and every song they produce. And well, it's also a plus point that their identity comprises of pretty kick-ass songs.
Rarely do we have songs that just scream a certain group's style as loudly as this one, and thus, I am not disappointed with this comeback.
Block B, I foresee, will always retain their infectingly addictive style and as a fan, I am definitely reassured.
Sunday, 18 August 2013
[Single Review] 2NE1- "Do You Love Me?"
Ah, back from a long hiatus! And you know, who else has been on a long hiatus? 2NE1! One of my favourite girl groups ever.
I was initially deliberating between reviewing Brown Eyed Girls or 2NE1, but in short, I loved 'Kill Bill' too much to review it. I feel like anything I put up won't really depict the song's greatness as well as it truly is; I'd rather all of you listen to them yourselves and encapsulate yourselves in its silken wings of western infused-dance-electronica greatness.
So, onto 2NE1. Not hearing them for more than a year (and yes, I do not count 'Falling in Love' as a legitimate comeback single because, well, I really did not wish to associate that bore-fest with any other component of 2NE1's otherwise flawless discography), what was I truly expecting from them? I wanted to be blown away, and well that is pretty much as generic a description as anything any Kpop fan has ever said, so to get into specifics, I wanted something distinctively 2NE1.
2NE1 has a flavour which I can't really coin on any other girl group even after months of deep perusing. We see SNSD, Kara and even a dabbling of T-ara trying to go edgy and more, in a lay-man's method of speaking, 'swaggier'. And whilst their singles have been notably good, I never seem to be able to be amazed by them even though the swag image in a rather unique one for all of them. And why do I not feel that sense of stupefaction?? Well maybe its because my mind is still ruminating in 2009, when 2NE1 burst onto the scenes and took our hearts by storm. Recently, they have really sampled a number of different genres, and they have been pretty hit or miss. I understand that their image is like reggae hip hop, but to me, the style in which they were the most comfortable in would have to be, undoubtedly, hard banging dirty clubby dance pop. A cluttered mouthful indeed, but the simplicity in beats and dance break appropriate vibes given out by this genre of music is astounding especially combined with Minzy's inborn bad-ass-ness and CL's instinctive confidence.
So boy was I pleased when I heard 'Do You Love Me?'. The song is infectious and powerful, about as biting as some of 2NE1's best works, and it is a song that conjures those reminiscent auras that 2NE1 used to exude back then. Good times. But that is not to say the song has no demerits. There are certain sections of the song that do not really do much for it, but neither do they take anything away; still, they can and should have been improved on.
The song starts off with some computerised trills and synths which I feel originally had the purpose of being an energetic tart to the song,but ultimately fell pretty flat for me. The pace was just a tad too slow for any key momentum to generate and everything seems rather unexciting to be honest. What makes this bit worse is how disjointed and out of character it is from the following sections of the song, almost akin to putting an APink member in Wa$$up for example. (BTW Wassup is a new 'twerk-dol' group which debuted with a horrifically craptacular eponymous single 'Wassup'. Go check them out please. It will reshape how you view the industry as a whole, and will be an enlightening moment that you shall never ever consign to oblivion) As soon as the intro begins, it seems to abruptly stop giving us this feeling of voidness, like this section was never really meant to be.
Anyway, the real beat that I had been waiting for kicks in. And it kicks hard. Like a homeless dude kicking a pigeon for stealing his last hunk of bread. That hard.
CL's vocals are purposely monotonous, almost in a robotic, mechanical fashion, and they just add this undescribable power to the already foot-stomping beat. A fantastic switch up from the initially dull prelude that could have been entirely scrapped for the grand honour of having this awesome bass line as a persuasive and absorbing introduction.
The chorus shows up next and Bom's voice is surprisingly warm and emotional; not in a sappy, crybaby type of emotion, rather a more lucid and vividly colored palette of emotion that can be sensed from the get-go. As a result the chorus never loses pace and gives us an infectious hook that shall pervade our subconscious lyricist minds for weeks to come. Dara's verse is a very interesting part of the song that surprisingly, is my favourite. The other three memebers' voices are very deep in tone which add that almost robotic and hard hitting feel to their dance tracks. But as we know too much of a good thing is just unbearable occasionally and a slightly switch up can have instrumental beneficial effects as shown in this song. Dara's voice is like a whisper but incredibly peppy, light and shockingly complementary to the bass line. Her voice is hard in a different way, in that whilst her voice is not as powerful, she has conviction in her style and her more supportive role in the song, a sense of confidence which makes all her verses really successful in my opinion.
Minzy's lines are classic Minzy, smooth and bold. I really admire how she manages to convey this confidence and maturity in her performance and vocals considering her relative youth compared to the other members, but out of all of them I would say that she contributes the most edginess to their song in the group. Even more than CL who I feel is more responsible for setting the tone; Minzy just brings everything to another level.
Then the beat slows rapidly. Now usually I hate beat changes, but this is really good, simply because of the emotional template that is amplified through the slower, more pronounced and emotionally fleshed out lines. Because of the slower pace, Cl manages to maintain the confident vibe of the song but channels the confidence not into screaming or robotically chanting out lines, rather into a really beautiful verse with strikingly pronounced emotive effects. One of the best from CL that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.
The rest of the song is good as can be inferred from my above reviews of the sections but I would like to bring up another verse, namely the entire song after the second chorus. This is where the party anthem vibe hits overdrive but the cold menacingly hard beats are substituted for more dubstep-like, lighter, fun bass synths that really cause you to start jumping in ecstasy. Whilst the beat is different and more laid back, the girls still project their voices out loud with pride and exuberance, exuding confidence and power like all the sections before. What could have been improved would probably have been a more noticeable bass line as it seems the chanting may have slightly overpowered the backing track, but that is only a minor quibble.
In all, a really strong comeback from 2NE1, though not as good as Brown Eyed Girls, but it really sent me back in time to help me understand the justification behind my love for the group. Now they have reconnected with tier roots, they could definitely go back to more experimental tracks. Well, until I get over 'DYLM' of course.
- The Kpop Philospher
I was initially deliberating between reviewing Brown Eyed Girls or 2NE1, but in short, I loved 'Kill Bill' too much to review it. I feel like anything I put up won't really depict the song's greatness as well as it truly is; I'd rather all of you listen to them yourselves and encapsulate yourselves in its silken wings of western infused-dance-electronica greatness.
So, onto 2NE1. Not hearing them for more than a year (and yes, I do not count 'Falling in Love' as a legitimate comeback single because, well, I really did not wish to associate that bore-fest with any other component of 2NE1's otherwise flawless discography), what was I truly expecting from them? I wanted to be blown away, and well that is pretty much as generic a description as anything any Kpop fan has ever said, so to get into specifics, I wanted something distinctively 2NE1.
2NE1 has a flavour which I can't really coin on any other girl group even after months of deep perusing. We see SNSD, Kara and even a dabbling of T-ara trying to go edgy and more, in a lay-man's method of speaking, 'swaggier'. And whilst their singles have been notably good, I never seem to be able to be amazed by them even though the swag image in a rather unique one for all of them. And why do I not feel that sense of stupefaction?? Well maybe its because my mind is still ruminating in 2009, when 2NE1 burst onto the scenes and took our hearts by storm. Recently, they have really sampled a number of different genres, and they have been pretty hit or miss. I understand that their image is like reggae hip hop, but to me, the style in which they were the most comfortable in would have to be, undoubtedly, hard banging dirty clubby dance pop. A cluttered mouthful indeed, but the simplicity in beats and dance break appropriate vibes given out by this genre of music is astounding especially combined with Minzy's inborn bad-ass-ness and CL's instinctive confidence.
So boy was I pleased when I heard 'Do You Love Me?'. The song is infectious and powerful, about as biting as some of 2NE1's best works, and it is a song that conjures those reminiscent auras that 2NE1 used to exude back then. Good times. But that is not to say the song has no demerits. There are certain sections of the song that do not really do much for it, but neither do they take anything away; still, they can and should have been improved on.
The song starts off with some computerised trills and synths which I feel originally had the purpose of being an energetic tart to the song,but ultimately fell pretty flat for me. The pace was just a tad too slow for any key momentum to generate and everything seems rather unexciting to be honest. What makes this bit worse is how disjointed and out of character it is from the following sections of the song, almost akin to putting an APink member in Wa$$up for example. (BTW Wassup is a new 'twerk-dol' group which debuted with a horrifically craptacular eponymous single 'Wassup'. Go check them out please. It will reshape how you view the industry as a whole, and will be an enlightening moment that you shall never ever consign to oblivion) As soon as the intro begins, it seems to abruptly stop giving us this feeling of voidness, like this section was never really meant to be.
Anyway, the real beat that I had been waiting for kicks in. And it kicks hard. Like a homeless dude kicking a pigeon for stealing his last hunk of bread. That hard.
CL's vocals are purposely monotonous, almost in a robotic, mechanical fashion, and they just add this undescribable power to the already foot-stomping beat. A fantastic switch up from the initially dull prelude that could have been entirely scrapped for the grand honour of having this awesome bass line as a persuasive and absorbing introduction.
The chorus shows up next and Bom's voice is surprisingly warm and emotional; not in a sappy, crybaby type of emotion, rather a more lucid and vividly colored palette of emotion that can be sensed from the get-go. As a result the chorus never loses pace and gives us an infectious hook that shall pervade our subconscious lyricist minds for weeks to come. Dara's verse is a very interesting part of the song that surprisingly, is my favourite. The other three memebers' voices are very deep in tone which add that almost robotic and hard hitting feel to their dance tracks. But as we know too much of a good thing is just unbearable occasionally and a slightly switch up can have instrumental beneficial effects as shown in this song. Dara's voice is like a whisper but incredibly peppy, light and shockingly complementary to the bass line. Her voice is hard in a different way, in that whilst her voice is not as powerful, she has conviction in her style and her more supportive role in the song, a sense of confidence which makes all her verses really successful in my opinion.
Minzy's lines are classic Minzy, smooth and bold. I really admire how she manages to convey this confidence and maturity in her performance and vocals considering her relative youth compared to the other members, but out of all of them I would say that she contributes the most edginess to their song in the group. Even more than CL who I feel is more responsible for setting the tone; Minzy just brings everything to another level.
Then the beat slows rapidly. Now usually I hate beat changes, but this is really good, simply because of the emotional template that is amplified through the slower, more pronounced and emotionally fleshed out lines. Because of the slower pace, Cl manages to maintain the confident vibe of the song but channels the confidence not into screaming or robotically chanting out lines, rather into a really beautiful verse with strikingly pronounced emotive effects. One of the best from CL that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.
The rest of the song is good as can be inferred from my above reviews of the sections but I would like to bring up another verse, namely the entire song after the second chorus. This is where the party anthem vibe hits overdrive but the cold menacingly hard beats are substituted for more dubstep-like, lighter, fun bass synths that really cause you to start jumping in ecstasy. Whilst the beat is different and more laid back, the girls still project their voices out loud with pride and exuberance, exuding confidence and power like all the sections before. What could have been improved would probably have been a more noticeable bass line as it seems the chanting may have slightly overpowered the backing track, but that is only a minor quibble.
In all, a really strong comeback from 2NE1, though not as good as Brown Eyed Girls, but it really sent me back in time to help me understand the justification behind my love for the group. Now they have reconnected with tier roots, they could definitely go back to more experimental tracks. Well, until I get over 'DYLM' of course.
- The Kpop Philospher
Thursday, 4 July 2013
A Quick Word
Sorry for yet another hiatus guys...I've been really busy with school and I'm working on my writing technique so I haven't had time to post anything. I shall be posting a review tomorrow so check it out!
It should be about Girl's Day or 4Minute or even Shinhwa. Who knows?
- The Kpop Philosopher
It should be about Girl's Day or 4Minute or even Shinhwa. Who knows?
- The Kpop Philosopher
Saturday, 20 April 2013
[Single Review] Girl's Day- 'Expectation'
Firstly, I apologise for the long hiatus from posting. I have been so busy. I know Girl's Day had their goodbye stage already but I really wanted to share my opinions about this song.
The art of complete revolution involve little stages of gradual redevelopment, that ultimately culminate into something of a quality utterly different from another. A sudden change is not a revolution well-accepted as one is unable to be accustomed it, but one that reveals itself in little bursts actually make coherent sense. Girl's Day has had a recent transformation into a really sultry and mature image, which I personally have expected unlike many others. Most groups start out really cute and all and suddenly change gears to this hardcore dominatrix theme which no one seems to get. Girl's Day, with all their recent releases, have displayed the understanding of age and understanding of female psychology, thus their latest release does not actually shock me as much.
I stan for Girl's Day. None of their songs have had any faults and 'Twinkle Twinkle' is still a dance-pop masterpiece. Their videos and concepts are so out there (not as much as Crayon Pop, my ulti biases) but their sounds are simply infectious. 'Don't Forget Me' was brilliant and truly mature-sounding in its interpretation of innocent love, and it really signalled the beginning of this change that I was expecting Girl's Day to make.
Let's face it. We all expected 'Expectation' to come. Or at least something along the lines of it. It's deep and sexy, a motif that was hinted in their past couple of songs. Onto the frame analysis of it.
The intro with the cooing and almost marimbramic vibrations set the stage for the song. It has this upbeat rhythm going into the song, before being sucked away and plunged straight into the first verse. This shows complexity and introduces a new theme, the one of having something and letting go of it entirely only to get something back that is better. We have an awesome beat, but it gets taken away from us, before returning back to us in the first burst with an incredibly addictive Europop tribeca jive.
At the end of each line, the girls' breaths become apparent and high-pitched, adding a layer of feminity and vulnerability to the song and making it richer with emotion. Not to mention showing off their vocal chops.
The build-up before the chorus is the best I've heard in 2013 thus far. The whole backing track dissipates and we are left with this thumping bass groove and the girls' incredibly cogent voices. Their voices get louder and louder, and the backing track becomes more complex, adding riffs, then more drum beats then Nicki-Minaj-esque synths before climaxing.
Wait. Before the chorus, an important event takes place. Everything shuts down again and they repeat a single line. You know what I'm talking about. As the backing is sucked off, Hyeri sings out the line a second time, this time punctuated with greater emotion and leaving us in suspense. This act lasts only a fraction of a second and makes the chorus that much more explosive. About the chorus, I'm not really sure how to describe it. It is incredible, emotions reading high and channeling the sultry introduction only with greater pacing and feel. The rest of the song works perfectly well, pacing is excellent and there is this constant tone of pleading yet subtle empowerment.
The slow section is awesome too, as we feel that it sticks to the original emotional quality of the song only amplified by Minah's earnest vocals and the minimalistic backing. The backing track propels the song forward with its simplistic complexity.
Complexity should never be overly-complex. Girl's Day is a complex group, but their songs and goals are there for all to see and channel. They are direct to us and we relate to them. At least in my opinion. How could you not love them?
The art of complete revolution involve little stages of gradual redevelopment, that ultimately culminate into something of a quality utterly different from another. A sudden change is not a revolution well-accepted as one is unable to be accustomed it, but one that reveals itself in little bursts actually make coherent sense. Girl's Day has had a recent transformation into a really sultry and mature image, which I personally have expected unlike many others. Most groups start out really cute and all and suddenly change gears to this hardcore dominatrix theme which no one seems to get. Girl's Day, with all their recent releases, have displayed the understanding of age and understanding of female psychology, thus their latest release does not actually shock me as much.
I stan for Girl's Day. None of their songs have had any faults and 'Twinkle Twinkle' is still a dance-pop masterpiece. Their videos and concepts are so out there (not as much as Crayon Pop, my ulti biases) but their sounds are simply infectious. 'Don't Forget Me' was brilliant and truly mature-sounding in its interpretation of innocent love, and it really signalled the beginning of this change that I was expecting Girl's Day to make.
Let's face it. We all expected 'Expectation' to come. Or at least something along the lines of it. It's deep and sexy, a motif that was hinted in their past couple of songs. Onto the frame analysis of it.
The intro with the cooing and almost marimbramic vibrations set the stage for the song. It has this upbeat rhythm going into the song, before being sucked away and plunged straight into the first verse. This shows complexity and introduces a new theme, the one of having something and letting go of it entirely only to get something back that is better. We have an awesome beat, but it gets taken away from us, before returning back to us in the first burst with an incredibly addictive Europop tribeca jive.
At the end of each line, the girls' breaths become apparent and high-pitched, adding a layer of feminity and vulnerability to the song and making it richer with emotion. Not to mention showing off their vocal chops.
The build-up before the chorus is the best I've heard in 2013 thus far. The whole backing track dissipates and we are left with this thumping bass groove and the girls' incredibly cogent voices. Their voices get louder and louder, and the backing track becomes more complex, adding riffs, then more drum beats then Nicki-Minaj-esque synths before climaxing.
Wait. Before the chorus, an important event takes place. Everything shuts down again and they repeat a single line. You know what I'm talking about. As the backing is sucked off, Hyeri sings out the line a second time, this time punctuated with greater emotion and leaving us in suspense. This act lasts only a fraction of a second and makes the chorus that much more explosive. About the chorus, I'm not really sure how to describe it. It is incredible, emotions reading high and channeling the sultry introduction only with greater pacing and feel. The rest of the song works perfectly well, pacing is excellent and there is this constant tone of pleading yet subtle empowerment.
The slow section is awesome too, as we feel that it sticks to the original emotional quality of the song only amplified by Minah's earnest vocals and the minimalistic backing. The backing track propels the song forward with its simplistic complexity.
Complexity should never be overly-complex. Girl's Day is a complex group, but their songs and goals are there for all to see and channel. They are direct to us and we relate to them. At least in my opinion. How could you not love them?
Friday, 22 February 2013
Wrap-up of February (VIXX: 'On and on', SISTAR 19: 'Gone Not Around Any Longer', CNBLUE 'I'm Sorry')
I've been really busy the last few weeks since its test season :( But anyway, many new comebacks have been out since my last post, and I just want to touch on them in brief, just to say my opinions
;
VIXX released 'On and on' and boy, do I love it. It has a very dark tint to it, yet masked by this onslaught of electronica. It is definitely a lot more mature sounding, and the song progression really abides by the structure of classic storytelling, the rising action, climax and falling action. The 'I need therapy' bit, aside from being insanelly catchy, almost serves a reflection of the whole song, making the conclusion just as deep and frantic as the rest of the song had been.
SISTAR19 made their comeback too, with 'Gone Not Around Any Longer', and I really do like it, just not on the same level as VIXX. Personally, it sounds really lusty and sultry, all of which suit Hyorin's vocals and Bora's soft, enchanting yet impactful rap verses. Bora sounds great and Hyorin sounds beautiful, but it lacks a bit in progression. The build-up is very gradual, you can feel the backing track slowly adding layer upon layer of complexity, yet the chorus does it no justice. The short piano interlude is stunning, switching up the pace and returning back to the beat seamlessly, in a way so smooth and not jarring that the flow of the song is never interrupted. A solid song that could have been better.
CNBLUE's 'I'm Sorry' is a blast to the past for them. This is really some pop-infused hard rock, quite reminiscent of their 'Loner' days. Their previous tracks were so light and didn't really have the kick or anthem nature of their signature pieces. This is classic rock, sticking to unleashed power presented in various intensities to achieve incredibly complex emotive responses and energies and musical synergy. The progression is awesome, never letting up and hurtling to the end relentlessly. The slightly robotic sounds add variation and amplify the emotive identity of fierceness and almost metallic nature that is synonymous with the bombast of classic rock music. A really good interpretation of classic music and easily the best song to come out of late January-February thus far.
;
VIXX released 'On and on' and boy, do I love it. It has a very dark tint to it, yet masked by this onslaught of electronica. It is definitely a lot more mature sounding, and the song progression really abides by the structure of classic storytelling, the rising action, climax and falling action. The 'I need therapy' bit, aside from being insanelly catchy, almost serves a reflection of the whole song, making the conclusion just as deep and frantic as the rest of the song had been.
SISTAR19 made their comeback too, with 'Gone Not Around Any Longer', and I really do like it, just not on the same level as VIXX. Personally, it sounds really lusty and sultry, all of which suit Hyorin's vocals and Bora's soft, enchanting yet impactful rap verses. Bora sounds great and Hyorin sounds beautiful, but it lacks a bit in progression. The build-up is very gradual, you can feel the backing track slowly adding layer upon layer of complexity, yet the chorus does it no justice. The short piano interlude is stunning, switching up the pace and returning back to the beat seamlessly, in a way so smooth and not jarring that the flow of the song is never interrupted. A solid song that could have been better.
CNBLUE's 'I'm Sorry' is a blast to the past for them. This is really some pop-infused hard rock, quite reminiscent of their 'Loner' days. Their previous tracks were so light and didn't really have the kick or anthem nature of their signature pieces. This is classic rock, sticking to unleashed power presented in various intensities to achieve incredibly complex emotive responses and energies and musical synergy. The progression is awesome, never letting up and hurtling to the end relentlessly. The slightly robotic sounds add variation and amplify the emotive identity of fierceness and almost metallic nature that is synonymous with the bombast of classic rock music. A really good interpretation of classic music and easily the best song to come out of late January-February thus far.
Friday, 8 February 2013
[Single Review] Nine Muses- 'Dolls'
Talk about underratedness. Nine Muses are the epitome of underrated, with their stunning choreography, incredible vocal ability, breathtaking cohesiveness and mesmirising looks, yet with such shamefully lukewarm chart performances. I love them. I loved 'News', 'Ticket' and 'Figaro' all for the fact that they share commonalities in that they mirror K-pop when they actually aren't.
Well, they are technically Korean pop music, but their sounds are so much more sophisticated than pretty much any other girl group out there, with their music staying true to the fun essence of K-pop while taking a more mature spin on it. The purpose of the group originally was to create a 'supermodel' group of mature ladies, a concept quite fresh during their debut that ultimately wasn't very appealing to the general Korean public. I for one particularly enjoy this concept.
Many a time, the girls are depicted as very submissive characters, feeling jumpy even at the slight mention of a boy. On the other hand, Nine Muses are depicted as mature women, women who are confident about their style, a difference I feel particularly relieved at hearing. Since their debut, they have yet to disappoint me, producing songs with incredibly high levels of maturity and sophistication and in a myriad of genres. Disco? Figaro. Latin? Ticket. Techno-blues? News.
With 'Dolls', they have tried out another direction, this time dabbling into the field of jazz-inspired music. And need I say, it works!
The song starts with this weird mystical, glassy feel to it before rupturing into this sophisticated yet delectably smooth trumbone-trumpet hybrid instrumental beginning. It actually is a very short transitional element, one that takes listeners by surprise and starts the song on a really nice high, laced with powerful jazz undertones. The introduction begins its second half by winding down gradually, alternating between short trumpet peaks and drawn-out bass grooves, for a really upbeat continuation of the pace.
The first verse abides the same jazzy guidelines but it has a more classical feel to it. The sudden drawbacks in breath at the end of the lines, culminating in the faux highnote at the end are really nice touches, as they really mirror the coolness and complex sophistication and dexterity that jazz has on the soul.
The next verse follows a similar pattern of variation and ups and downs. This unpredictability makes us rather nervous as to what to expect for the chorus. At this stage, anything could happen really. It could blow up like 'The Chaser' into this retro-jazz fusion, or it could turn generically peppy and catchy like 'Volume Up'.
Instead, 'Dolls' sucks everything in with a pause in pace. This is a very clever move as the chorus is not as explosive as that of the verse or the intr even. But the pause allows us to go back to square one, making the mellow chorus appear explosive relatively.
The chorus is light-hearted and playful, almost teetering on the facetious side of musicality. Laced with trumpets and horns, the jazzy undertones are still very much audible and it almost seems like the chrous would break out into a climax, yet it never does, only breaking out at the end in the form of emphasised instrumentals, akin to a slew of invectives spewing out from the mouth of a pipsqueak.
This is where I must bring in a very conclusive yet key element of the song that makes it such a success. Its reliance on instrumental is incredible, not taking anything away from the stunning vocals of the girls, with emotive intonations that flesh out the essence of jazz. The instrumental really complements, but not in a way that it is in the background, but in that it is on the same level as the vocals themselves. They work together, the vocals amplifying the trumpets, the horns enriching the vocals, to produce a majestic piece of musicality, in every way reminiscent of the mysteriously emotive rollercoaster ride that is present in jazz progression.
A great representation catered to mainstream tastes, albeit not becoming generic or trashy (look at Taylor).
Great job to the celestial nine.
Well, they are technically Korean pop music, but their sounds are so much more sophisticated than pretty much any other girl group out there, with their music staying true to the fun essence of K-pop while taking a more mature spin on it. The purpose of the group originally was to create a 'supermodel' group of mature ladies, a concept quite fresh during their debut that ultimately wasn't very appealing to the general Korean public. I for one particularly enjoy this concept.
Many a time, the girls are depicted as very submissive characters, feeling jumpy even at the slight mention of a boy. On the other hand, Nine Muses are depicted as mature women, women who are confident about their style, a difference I feel particularly relieved at hearing. Since their debut, they have yet to disappoint me, producing songs with incredibly high levels of maturity and sophistication and in a myriad of genres. Disco? Figaro. Latin? Ticket. Techno-blues? News.
With 'Dolls', they have tried out another direction, this time dabbling into the field of jazz-inspired music. And need I say, it works!
The song starts with this weird mystical, glassy feel to it before rupturing into this sophisticated yet delectably smooth trumbone-trumpet hybrid instrumental beginning. It actually is a very short transitional element, one that takes listeners by surprise and starts the song on a really nice high, laced with powerful jazz undertones. The introduction begins its second half by winding down gradually, alternating between short trumpet peaks and drawn-out bass grooves, for a really upbeat continuation of the pace.
The first verse abides the same jazzy guidelines but it has a more classical feel to it. The sudden drawbacks in breath at the end of the lines, culminating in the faux highnote at the end are really nice touches, as they really mirror the coolness and complex sophistication and dexterity that jazz has on the soul.
The next verse follows a similar pattern of variation and ups and downs. This unpredictability makes us rather nervous as to what to expect for the chorus. At this stage, anything could happen really. It could blow up like 'The Chaser' into this retro-jazz fusion, or it could turn generically peppy and catchy like 'Volume Up'.
Instead, 'Dolls' sucks everything in with a pause in pace. This is a very clever move as the chorus is not as explosive as that of the verse or the intr even. But the pause allows us to go back to square one, making the mellow chorus appear explosive relatively.
The chorus is light-hearted and playful, almost teetering on the facetious side of musicality. Laced with trumpets and horns, the jazzy undertones are still very much audible and it almost seems like the chrous would break out into a climax, yet it never does, only breaking out at the end in the form of emphasised instrumentals, akin to a slew of invectives spewing out from the mouth of a pipsqueak.
This is where I must bring in a very conclusive yet key element of the song that makes it such a success. Its reliance on instrumental is incredible, not taking anything away from the stunning vocals of the girls, with emotive intonations that flesh out the essence of jazz. The instrumental really complements, but not in a way that it is in the background, but in that it is on the same level as the vocals themselves. They work together, the vocals amplifying the trumpets, the horns enriching the vocals, to produce a majestic piece of musicality, in every way reminiscent of the mysteriously emotive rollercoaster ride that is present in jazz progression.
A great representation catered to mainstream tastes, albeit not becoming generic or trashy (look at Taylor).
Great job to the celestial nine.
Friday, 18 January 2013
[Single Review] Girls' Generation- "I Got A Boy"
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.
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.
Monday, 31 December 2012
[Single Review] Secret- "Talk That"
I must first mention and send out my wishes for Secret's recovery. As many should know, they were involved in a horrific car accident recently, and Zinger was injured. From recent updates, I'd say that they have coping pretty well, and I hope they recuperate and pump out some awesome tracks for 2013.
That being said, about Secret. I love Secret. Every single song of theirs have been awesome, maybe with the exception of Shy Boy, but they have been pretty flawless. Madonna, Magic, Starlight Moonlight, Poison were all really different, yet really powerful and attention-grabbing. And need I say, their dancing is incredible.
About this song, I have a hard time classifying it as a genre. It is like a mishmash of a dark, pop-ballad and an R&B track, which isn't a bad thing I must add. It certainly is quite different from most of Secret's more powerful, lively tracks, but hearing this song over and over again, I still feel like it's uniquely Secret.
Secret's sound is very lusty, and each member fits their own special role in accordance to their incredibly assorted vocal ranges and characteristics. Jieun's voice has the traits of a powerhouse vocalist, with her soaring notes and occasionally stunning runs. Hyosung's voice is a lot more simplistic, and hit the surface with impact. Her pronunciation is clear with clear distinctions between each octave or note. Sunhwa's supporting vocals are a lot weaker and lighter than the previous two's, focusing less on raw power but more on emotion or pace-setting an emotional template for the rest of the song. Zinger's raps come in short, but intensely stuffed bursts, and her vocals are either used as airy notes for transitional purposes, or simply higher notes to fill in gaps (if any) in their vocal repertoire. Combined, everything sort of complements, yet one can easily distinguish each person, which I think makes Secret unique. You just know its them, when musical harmonizing between almost jarring elements fit almost seamlessly.
"Talk That' is the epitome of such incredible complementary difference.
The song starts off sweetly enough, with the girls barely getting their voices out, before a quicker beat and monotonous chanting of 'Talk That'.
Sunhwa kicks things off with a nice introduction. She doesn't use much tonal variation and sticks to the lighter, more emotional support vocals as she is more used to. It is actually quite a beautiful opener, with the high note at the end almost seemingly like it could go over-the-top, yet being reined in at the last moment, providing an overwhelming sense of mystery. Progressively, the song starts on a quite a high. From the first line to that longer note, the pace and emotions grow subtly yet evidently stronger, like a teaser, being forced back down again. The background bubble-like, electronica synths also complement the song well.
Zinger's next line is actually one of my favourite parts. It is very airy and serves not only as an emotional amplifier, but as a transitional vocal. Almost like Seungri's parts in 'Blue'. It separates the cool vocal of Sunhwa and the hard, more solid and expressive wails of Hyosung, and serves as an apt transition. Without it, the movements would fall apart for they would be jarring but Zinger's line is like a mix of both; soft but fierce in its expression.
That being said, Hyosung's vocals, too, do not disappoint, with the immense soulfulness and really loud but controlled pipy sound she is able to create. At one listen, one can realise that her voice is actually quite one-dimensional, but it is very solid and powerful, making it a really good complement to pretty much any song.
The chrous comes soon. Before reaching here, Jieun has a long note which transfers to the first beat of the chorus. The chorus has a bit more kick to it, with slightly louder bass booms. It is a very sensual sound, with rather European sounding influences. The pattern of high-tease-soft, is repetitive and really gives the song an identity. The importance of the pattern is further amplified in the chorus, where emotions run high before being reined in, giving a successful illusion that the next high was bigger than the preceding ones. Dropping into the tease is actually exciting rather than boring, for instead of going down to a ballad-style vocal, they simply lower the speed and pace, not sacrificing their progression or emotion in the process.
The second half of the song mirrors the first, with the pattern evident and the post-chorus riling away till the forthcoming verses. This is really brilliant song progression, and the usual slow bits are handled brilliantly, with Secret opting for a richer tone to their slower portions, never really letting any bit go to waste. Also, all 4 voices are very different and clearly highlighted in the song; each person has a role and a gap to fill, all of which provide a sense of completion to the song.
In all, a great song, with incredible harmonics between 4 distinct, yet utterly stunning vocalists.
Great comeback.
That being said, about Secret. I love Secret. Every single song of theirs have been awesome, maybe with the exception of Shy Boy, but they have been pretty flawless. Madonna, Magic, Starlight Moonlight, Poison were all really different, yet really powerful and attention-grabbing. And need I say, their dancing is incredible.
About this song, I have a hard time classifying it as a genre. It is like a mishmash of a dark, pop-ballad and an R&B track, which isn't a bad thing I must add. It certainly is quite different from most of Secret's more powerful, lively tracks, but hearing this song over and over again, I still feel like it's uniquely Secret.
Secret's sound is very lusty, and each member fits their own special role in accordance to their incredibly assorted vocal ranges and characteristics. Jieun's voice has the traits of a powerhouse vocalist, with her soaring notes and occasionally stunning runs. Hyosung's voice is a lot more simplistic, and hit the surface with impact. Her pronunciation is clear with clear distinctions between each octave or note. Sunhwa's supporting vocals are a lot weaker and lighter than the previous two's, focusing less on raw power but more on emotion or pace-setting an emotional template for the rest of the song. Zinger's raps come in short, but intensely stuffed bursts, and her vocals are either used as airy notes for transitional purposes, or simply higher notes to fill in gaps (if any) in their vocal repertoire. Combined, everything sort of complements, yet one can easily distinguish each person, which I think makes Secret unique. You just know its them, when musical harmonizing between almost jarring elements fit almost seamlessly.
"Talk That' is the epitome of such incredible complementary difference.
The song starts off sweetly enough, with the girls barely getting their voices out, before a quicker beat and monotonous chanting of 'Talk That'.
Sunhwa kicks things off with a nice introduction. She doesn't use much tonal variation and sticks to the lighter, more emotional support vocals as she is more used to. It is actually quite a beautiful opener, with the high note at the end almost seemingly like it could go over-the-top, yet being reined in at the last moment, providing an overwhelming sense of mystery. Progressively, the song starts on a quite a high. From the first line to that longer note, the pace and emotions grow subtly yet evidently stronger, like a teaser, being forced back down again. The background bubble-like, electronica synths also complement the song well.
Zinger's next line is actually one of my favourite parts. It is very airy and serves not only as an emotional amplifier, but as a transitional vocal. Almost like Seungri's parts in 'Blue'. It separates the cool vocal of Sunhwa and the hard, more solid and expressive wails of Hyosung, and serves as an apt transition. Without it, the movements would fall apart for they would be jarring but Zinger's line is like a mix of both; soft but fierce in its expression.
That being said, Hyosung's vocals, too, do not disappoint, with the immense soulfulness and really loud but controlled pipy sound she is able to create. At one listen, one can realise that her voice is actually quite one-dimensional, but it is very solid and powerful, making it a really good complement to pretty much any song.
The chrous comes soon. Before reaching here, Jieun has a long note which transfers to the first beat of the chorus. The chorus has a bit more kick to it, with slightly louder bass booms. It is a very sensual sound, with rather European sounding influences. The pattern of high-tease-soft, is repetitive and really gives the song an identity. The importance of the pattern is further amplified in the chorus, where emotions run high before being reined in, giving a successful illusion that the next high was bigger than the preceding ones. Dropping into the tease is actually exciting rather than boring, for instead of going down to a ballad-style vocal, they simply lower the speed and pace, not sacrificing their progression or emotion in the process.
The second half of the song mirrors the first, with the pattern evident and the post-chorus riling away till the forthcoming verses. This is really brilliant song progression, and the usual slow bits are handled brilliantly, with Secret opting for a richer tone to their slower portions, never really letting any bit go to waste. Also, all 4 voices are very different and clearly highlighted in the song; each person has a role and a gap to fill, all of which provide a sense of completion to the song.
In all, a great song, with incredible harmonics between 4 distinct, yet utterly stunning vocalists.
Great comeback.
Friday, 7 December 2012
Random Post- Song Progression 1: The Intro
I'm starting a series of posts regarding some technicalities I consider when reviewing.
This post is not a review, so please do not expect one. It's going to be a clarification of sorts, a cogent piece explaining some stuff which I say quite often in my reviews. It's about progression. I've mentioned this many times before, and why? Because I firmly believe that a good song should be one that draws you in to an emotional experience, a narration where one is able to really feel something from it.
Take a song to be a story, with climaxes, falling actions, build ups, the works. The introduction of a song should serve a clear purpose in the song. It could be used as an artistic effect, like a slow beginning that contrasts with the rest of the song (Eg. I Will Show You by Ailee), that actually melds in with the build-up, resulting in a longer, more drawn out buildup that intensifies naturally. Take note, while I bashed Boyfriend for their dull introduction, my main gripe was not merely that it was really boring, but actually taken into context with the portion after, it really didn't do anything. After the slow and slightly cheesy opening, the pace drops even lower to this awkward rock-piano hybrid which well, I guess only adds negatively to the progression of the song.
Looking at progression, the introduction, by right, should start of on a low key, before the dramatic build-up climaxes into the chorus that should be the explosion of emotion worthy of everything before it. But can an introduction start out high? If it did, wouldn't the pacing have to be held way up throughout?
Well, no.
This is actually where pacing sets in. With a booming intro, to sustain a narrative would be Herculean task, but one can overcome it with consistent, or better, livelier pacing. With a beat to stick to, or an emotion which we could tag upon for a long duration, one would never feel empty even with a slower track.
Looking back at Janus, the beat after the introduction really dies and seems almost of an alien genre. The emotional transitions are too quick, and comprehending or devoting oneself to the emotions in the story would be perplexing and downright cluttering to musical soul. 'The Chaser' on the other hand, starts really strong and manages to sustain the pace to the chorus by means of drawing the listener to the emotions of being in a chase; the fear, the anxiety, the excitement, all mushed up into a fiery ball of soulfulness that the listener can grasp and attach to. In this case, song progression in the introduction at least, would have the potential to be sustained and developed for the rest of the song.
This is it for the intro, and other sections of the song will be up soon.
This post is not a review, so please do not expect one. It's going to be a clarification of sorts, a cogent piece explaining some stuff which I say quite often in my reviews. It's about progression. I've mentioned this many times before, and why? Because I firmly believe that a good song should be one that draws you in to an emotional experience, a narration where one is able to really feel something from it.
Take a song to be a story, with climaxes, falling actions, build ups, the works. The introduction of a song should serve a clear purpose in the song. It could be used as an artistic effect, like a slow beginning that contrasts with the rest of the song (Eg. I Will Show You by Ailee), that actually melds in with the build-up, resulting in a longer, more drawn out buildup that intensifies naturally. Take note, while I bashed Boyfriend for their dull introduction, my main gripe was not merely that it was really boring, but actually taken into context with the portion after, it really didn't do anything. After the slow and slightly cheesy opening, the pace drops even lower to this awkward rock-piano hybrid which well, I guess only adds negatively to the progression of the song.
Looking at progression, the introduction, by right, should start of on a low key, before the dramatic build-up climaxes into the chorus that should be the explosion of emotion worthy of everything before it. But can an introduction start out high? If it did, wouldn't the pacing have to be held way up throughout?
Well, no.
This is actually where pacing sets in. With a booming intro, to sustain a narrative would be Herculean task, but one can overcome it with consistent, or better, livelier pacing. With a beat to stick to, or an emotion which we could tag upon for a long duration, one would never feel empty even with a slower track.
Looking back at Janus, the beat after the introduction really dies and seems almost of an alien genre. The emotional transitions are too quick, and comprehending or devoting oneself to the emotions in the story would be perplexing and downright cluttering to musical soul. 'The Chaser' on the other hand, starts really strong and manages to sustain the pace to the chorus by means of drawing the listener to the emotions of being in a chase; the fear, the anxiety, the excitement, all mushed up into a fiery ball of soulfulness that the listener can grasp and attach to. In this case, song progression in the introduction at least, would have the potential to be sustained and developed for the rest of the song.
This is it for the intro, and other sections of the song will be up soon.
Monday, 26 November 2012
[Single Review] B1A4- "Tried To Walk"
B1A4 is a guilty pleasure of sorts, for me at least. They remind me of Orange Caramel in a way, and ever since their debut (as well as Orange Caramel's), I think they have really been taking a spin on K-pop as it is. Why? Well, personally, I find B1A4 and Orange Caramel to be forms of parody. With their over-bearing (yet awesome) cute style, I think they not only performed the aegyo which people have grown tired of, but they exploited it, being just so ridiculously crazy and loony that one really begins to understand the fine line between forced cuteness and true imagination.
Imagination, of course, is the more desired one. B1A4 do not really portray themselves as just cutie boys, rather they portray themselves as comics. Their forced cuteness as seen in their earlier videos were just another medium in which they could bring forth the parody and satire of the overly common aegyo style, and also a tool in which they could establish themselves as these adequately crazy, fun and just guilty-pleasure-ish artists. If everyone could just understand the purpose for their image, I really don't think there would be any other reason to hate on them.
Their music is fine. Really catchy and playful, with really poor English which just add tenfold to the fun count. Their style of music, I'd say, haven't really deviated much from electro-dance pop which is perfecty acceptable if they want to set an image for themselves in stone. However, since dance pop has literally swamped all music charts, I could only foresee B1A4 having a harder time making their music stand out from the rest. Yes, they could add more crazies into their music videos, which by themselves threaten 'PONPONPON' and 'Balloons' as one of the wildest, imaginative videos ever in the Asian music market.
What I was hoping for them was to break from the mold. Try something new and different. Look at Brown Eyed Girls.
When they first debuted, the style they wanted to go after was a sort of vocal group style, primarily focusing on dull ballads and dry, cliched summertime pop music. Naturally, they didn't garner much success. That was, until they decided to go bold and indulge in the dark side of music so rarely tapped upon. With 'Abracadabra', 'Sign' and 'Sixth Sense', they firmly cast their roles as one of the premier groups in Korea.
B1A4 has so much potential. Jinyoung is a fantastic songwriter and singer. Baro is a phenomenal rapper, with mellow, deep and rich tones that almost mirror that of TOP's. Sandeul is a stunning vocalist, as is C.NU. And Gongchan bears all the charms of a innocent maknae, that just make fangirls swoon. But if they were to stick to their usual style, going the safe route of dance pop, I would be satisfied just the same, but it would be such a waste of their abilities.
What was their true, defining style?
Thus, 'Tried to Walk' was released to much of my personal interest. Just the first listen got me really hooked, and thanks to the heavens, it was different, and to my enjoyment, a welcome change. It veers away from the fun dance pop style, instead opting for a more muted Europop ballad, somewhat like 'Blue' if you want an example. In fact, I'd say it sounds quite reminiscent to Bigbang's style of music. That sort of bluesy, souful, rich vibrato-ey music. It's lush and really soothing, and is quite an impressive track overall. Now, let's break it down to analyse each section.
First, the introductory verse. It starts out slow and raspy, with chopped up verses delivered with a softness, that just bring forth this gentle vibe to start us off. It is slow, but unlike 'Janus', isn't dull or overly-stretched out or even cheesy sounding. Janus' background track was all grand and everything, almost pleading for a gregarious roar of emotion, yet only this frail, weak pleading tone spurted out instead, which resulted in a failed introduction. In B1A4's case however, the background track is barely even there, only appearing as little strums or teases, really allowing Jinyoung's and Sandeul's sweet vocals to shine. Then comes an electronic breakdown, into the main melody, a foot-stomping, bass synth-heavy Europop groove.
Though heavy with all sorts of clashing melodies, the product is surprisingly light to the ear and serves as a very upbeat and fun way to start of the song. The first verse follows the introduction somewhat, albeit with a louder, quicker beat and cleaner electronica rhythms and synths. The pacing of the song while aurally, may seem slower, actually becomes livelier and serves as a progressive build-up.
The bridge diverts the beat right back to old school pop. The first couple of notes of each bar hit the surface quickly, yet with an airy, spiritual quality. These lines are delivered soulfully but somehow keep an almost casual, overly-relaxed tone throughout. Hearing them, I don't feel overwhelmed or emotional, instead I am piqued. I feel curious, the song drawing me into a narrative, establishing the song's identity. Some lines, like these, have anthropomorphic qualities, and are just stunning to the ear and soul.
The chorus then kicks in, with a crass burst of raining electronic beats. Falsetto is used in abundance here, in addition to a couple deeper, richer wails. The blend is really amazing to hear, and the beat somehow manages to add another layer to the lyrics, adding a core to it, and also sustaining the pace. From the intro to the chorus, although the lines themselves have undergone significant variations, from choppy syllabic lines to airy runs, the pace never lets up and the pulsating bass beat keeps our feet tapping. Jinyoung's interjection in the chorus, brings us back to the start with the choppiness, and makes the chorus seem almost like a tease at what the song can be, before reining it back to its humble, indigenous roots.
This brings us to the rap. Oh how much I love the rap. It's deep and really mellow. The rap itself is split into 2 sections. The first is a portion in which Baro barely gets his voice out, letting a lot of air burst through his words, and also adding a melancholic, almost heavenly quality to his lines. The pacing here doesn't drop, and the rap intertwines around the main beat to make things work.
The section part is more fierce, and the lines are delivered with a more cocky bite that I really adore. The raps aren't empty, they are versatile and teeming with emotion, unlike those empty, hollow, rap-for-rap's-sake type of breakdowns. The rapidfire is really cool, and the overall rap sequence serves as a brilliant flip side of the song, albeit with a similar beat and pace.
On a whole, I'd say, that this song is a lot more complex than it seems. While appearing to be a one-off sad song, I think the stark changes and differences between each section, be it the way it is delivered or how it meld around the synths, really gave the song such variation which kept me really hooked and intruiged. The style and progression of the song really mirrors the concept of creativity, which as I mentioned really enabled B1A4 to have the success they've been having. Though each section, to the ear sounded unalike, they were all rooted by the same beat, the same core and the same emotions.
Maybe creativity is complexity? Creativity is maturity?
If creativity can come across as forced cuteness, totally unappreciated and flat, how can it be such a rich, deep concept simultaneously? An immature maturity? Maybe that's what really describes B1A4's defining style; the bombastic perfection, the playful abider, callous obedience.
These may not seem to make sense but who cares.
It's creativity, give me a big dose of it.
- Kpop Philosopher
Imagination, of course, is the more desired one. B1A4 do not really portray themselves as just cutie boys, rather they portray themselves as comics. Their forced cuteness as seen in their earlier videos were just another medium in which they could bring forth the parody and satire of the overly common aegyo style, and also a tool in which they could establish themselves as these adequately crazy, fun and just guilty-pleasure-ish artists. If everyone could just understand the purpose for their image, I really don't think there would be any other reason to hate on them.
Their music is fine. Really catchy and playful, with really poor English which just add tenfold to the fun count. Their style of music, I'd say, haven't really deviated much from electro-dance pop which is perfecty acceptable if they want to set an image for themselves in stone. However, since dance pop has literally swamped all music charts, I could only foresee B1A4 having a harder time making their music stand out from the rest. Yes, they could add more crazies into their music videos, which by themselves threaten 'PONPONPON' and 'Balloons' as one of the wildest, imaginative videos ever in the Asian music market.
What I was hoping for them was to break from the mold. Try something new and different. Look at Brown Eyed Girls.
When they first debuted, the style they wanted to go after was a sort of vocal group style, primarily focusing on dull ballads and dry, cliched summertime pop music. Naturally, they didn't garner much success. That was, until they decided to go bold and indulge in the dark side of music so rarely tapped upon. With 'Abracadabra', 'Sign' and 'Sixth Sense', they firmly cast their roles as one of the premier groups in Korea.
B1A4 has so much potential. Jinyoung is a fantastic songwriter and singer. Baro is a phenomenal rapper, with mellow, deep and rich tones that almost mirror that of TOP's. Sandeul is a stunning vocalist, as is C.NU. And Gongchan bears all the charms of a innocent maknae, that just make fangirls swoon. But if they were to stick to their usual style, going the safe route of dance pop, I would be satisfied just the same, but it would be such a waste of their abilities.
What was their true, defining style?
Thus, 'Tried to Walk' was released to much of my personal interest. Just the first listen got me really hooked, and thanks to the heavens, it was different, and to my enjoyment, a welcome change. It veers away from the fun dance pop style, instead opting for a more muted Europop ballad, somewhat like 'Blue' if you want an example. In fact, I'd say it sounds quite reminiscent to Bigbang's style of music. That sort of bluesy, souful, rich vibrato-ey music. It's lush and really soothing, and is quite an impressive track overall. Now, let's break it down to analyse each section.
First, the introductory verse. It starts out slow and raspy, with chopped up verses delivered with a softness, that just bring forth this gentle vibe to start us off. It is slow, but unlike 'Janus', isn't dull or overly-stretched out or even cheesy sounding. Janus' background track was all grand and everything, almost pleading for a gregarious roar of emotion, yet only this frail, weak pleading tone spurted out instead, which resulted in a failed introduction. In B1A4's case however, the background track is barely even there, only appearing as little strums or teases, really allowing Jinyoung's and Sandeul's sweet vocals to shine. Then comes an electronic breakdown, into the main melody, a foot-stomping, bass synth-heavy Europop groove.
Though heavy with all sorts of clashing melodies, the product is surprisingly light to the ear and serves as a very upbeat and fun way to start of the song. The first verse follows the introduction somewhat, albeit with a louder, quicker beat and cleaner electronica rhythms and synths. The pacing of the song while aurally, may seem slower, actually becomes livelier and serves as a progressive build-up.
The bridge diverts the beat right back to old school pop. The first couple of notes of each bar hit the surface quickly, yet with an airy, spiritual quality. These lines are delivered soulfully but somehow keep an almost casual, overly-relaxed tone throughout. Hearing them, I don't feel overwhelmed or emotional, instead I am piqued. I feel curious, the song drawing me into a narrative, establishing the song's identity. Some lines, like these, have anthropomorphic qualities, and are just stunning to the ear and soul.
The chorus then kicks in, with a crass burst of raining electronic beats. Falsetto is used in abundance here, in addition to a couple deeper, richer wails. The blend is really amazing to hear, and the beat somehow manages to add another layer to the lyrics, adding a core to it, and also sustaining the pace. From the intro to the chorus, although the lines themselves have undergone significant variations, from choppy syllabic lines to airy runs, the pace never lets up and the pulsating bass beat keeps our feet tapping. Jinyoung's interjection in the chorus, brings us back to the start with the choppiness, and makes the chorus seem almost like a tease at what the song can be, before reining it back to its humble, indigenous roots.
This brings us to the rap. Oh how much I love the rap. It's deep and really mellow. The rap itself is split into 2 sections. The first is a portion in which Baro barely gets his voice out, letting a lot of air burst through his words, and also adding a melancholic, almost heavenly quality to his lines. The pacing here doesn't drop, and the rap intertwines around the main beat to make things work.
The section part is more fierce, and the lines are delivered with a more cocky bite that I really adore. The raps aren't empty, they are versatile and teeming with emotion, unlike those empty, hollow, rap-for-rap's-sake type of breakdowns. The rapidfire is really cool, and the overall rap sequence serves as a brilliant flip side of the song, albeit with a similar beat and pace.
On a whole, I'd say, that this song is a lot more complex than it seems. While appearing to be a one-off sad song, I think the stark changes and differences between each section, be it the way it is delivered or how it meld around the synths, really gave the song such variation which kept me really hooked and intruiged. The style and progression of the song really mirrors the concept of creativity, which as I mentioned really enabled B1A4 to have the success they've been having. Though each section, to the ear sounded unalike, they were all rooted by the same beat, the same core and the same emotions.
Maybe creativity is complexity? Creativity is maturity?
If creativity can come across as forced cuteness, totally unappreciated and flat, how can it be such a rich, deep concept simultaneously? An immature maturity? Maybe that's what really describes B1A4's defining style; the bombastic perfection, the playful abider, callous obedience.
These may not seem to make sense but who cares.
It's creativity, give me a big dose of it.
- Kpop Philosopher
Sunday, 18 November 2012
[Single Review] Boyfriend- 'Janus'
The two-headed Janus. The god of beginnings, transitions and changes, with two heads guarding both the future and the lost eras simultaneously, predicting the ending of time in itself. Such profoundness and almost complex simplicity in the depiction of such a character; everything makes sense with two heads overseeing two points, yet the power in it actions far supersede the superficial meanings of the duplicate heads, the power to alter existence.
Just the thought of all that in a song slays my very existence, and overwhelms all my senses. Would I believe there is an added pressure of having to abide by historical accuracy and mythological understandings by naming a song after a certain god? Yes, I would think so. A title serves two purposes in a song. First, to simply state out the catchiest line and/or second, to serve as a satisfactory, conclusive phrase to encapsulate the meaning of the entire song. Just thinking about the titles of some songs, the shallowness, the irrelevance, simply induce rapturous forced coughing from me.
With this said, having a Roman god of such admirable impact to our very existence as a title for Boyfriend's latest track simply adds some pressure for a song with a message perfectly symbolic of everything that the legendary bipolar Janus stands for. The splits. The hidden sides to people. The message that things have layers of depth to them, and that simplicity is complexity in disguise. Hearing Boyfriend's latest single, I would have to say that they have done a pretty decent job at doing just that.
Let's analyse the song in little sections. The start of the song honestly, doesn't really do it for me. I'm not sure why. Even after reviewing the song over and over, some part of it just seems a bit to weak for me. It doesn't exactly draw me into the song as quickly as that of quite a number of other songs. Look at 'Beautiful Night', it starts with some hard-ass, slightly pitchy wailing from Gikwang, and it gets me on my feet, squirming to the beat frantically. As for 'Janus', well...it starts of well enough with a mixture of sad violin squeals, but then it jarringly moves on to these odd shooting sounds and the singing portions in here are really not that great. They seem a bit too melo and slow to start the song.
When the electric guitar riffs drop in, it just adds more of this superfluous complexity to the song, which I not only underappreciate, but I also think it just adds this sort of cheesiness to the intro that I really do not like. Some may argue that some songs start slow as well and that I'm probably speaking poppycock. But look at 'Cleansing Cream' for example. The start is just dripping with emotion and backings that really complement the feeling of the song really well.
As for Janus, they don't work. And the lines delivered just seem really 90s, Westlife to me. Just a little dull and boring in my opinion. The next verses follow the same, syllabic style, with frequent pauses and a mass of orchestrals in the background. An orchestra depicts grandeur, right? So why utilise such brassness to describe stories of such shallow, heartless, soulless, trivial matters?
The pre-chorus however turns the whole song around.
After a break from the rock tracks, the electric guitar kicks in again, by this time instead of serving as an unnecessary side, it serves a start, a beginning of each line, a kick of adrenaline before each syllable is uttered. It really lifts the song from the previously melondramatic feel, almost like an elephant previously jogging in molasses to one skidding on grease. It slowly builds up pace with the notes getting stronger, richer, longer and the background pace getting more and more frantic. It IS a frantic build up to the chorus that I thoroughly appreciate, and serves as a foreboding sense of danger and mystery for the chorus that lies ahead.
The chorus is brilliant. An intense explosion of emotion, completely worthy of the stellar build-up before it. The emotion is now a lot more evident. One can sense anger, confusion and slight sadness, all of which delivered brilliantly throughout everyone's long notes and sharp yells. It's also really really catchy, another plus point.
The rest of the point use raps as interesting fillers and thankfully make do without the boringly slow introduction. The verses are all really masculine and meaty, with tons of feeling oozing out of each line. The raps, while not the best top-notch, do a decent job of ensuring the pacing of the song doesn't slip, also making sure the feel and the beat of the song continue abiding by the progressively booming orchestra track behind the vocalists, ensuring a continually strong progression to the end.
In conclusion, this is a really great song by Boyfriend, a great change from their previous songs and image. If they could focus more on a strong beginning, but keep the intense progressions, I am very certain that they could create some pop magic. In all, disappointing intro but shocking amazing build-ups.
Fantastic song.
Sorry, for not posting in a while. To make up for it, in a couple of days, I'll be posting a review of that new, rawesomely sick B1A4 song! So please suscribe! And share this with your friends!
Just the thought of all that in a song slays my very existence, and overwhelms all my senses. Would I believe there is an added pressure of having to abide by historical accuracy and mythological understandings by naming a song after a certain god? Yes, I would think so. A title serves two purposes in a song. First, to simply state out the catchiest line and/or second, to serve as a satisfactory, conclusive phrase to encapsulate the meaning of the entire song. Just thinking about the titles of some songs, the shallowness, the irrelevance, simply induce rapturous forced coughing from me.
With this said, having a Roman god of such admirable impact to our very existence as a title for Boyfriend's latest track simply adds some pressure for a song with a message perfectly symbolic of everything that the legendary bipolar Janus stands for. The splits. The hidden sides to people. The message that things have layers of depth to them, and that simplicity is complexity in disguise. Hearing Boyfriend's latest single, I would have to say that they have done a pretty decent job at doing just that.
Let's analyse the song in little sections. The start of the song honestly, doesn't really do it for me. I'm not sure why. Even after reviewing the song over and over, some part of it just seems a bit to weak for me. It doesn't exactly draw me into the song as quickly as that of quite a number of other songs. Look at 'Beautiful Night', it starts with some hard-ass, slightly pitchy wailing from Gikwang, and it gets me on my feet, squirming to the beat frantically. As for 'Janus', well...it starts of well enough with a mixture of sad violin squeals, but then it jarringly moves on to these odd shooting sounds and the singing portions in here are really not that great. They seem a bit too melo and slow to start the song.
When the electric guitar riffs drop in, it just adds more of this superfluous complexity to the song, which I not only underappreciate, but I also think it just adds this sort of cheesiness to the intro that I really do not like. Some may argue that some songs start slow as well and that I'm probably speaking poppycock. But look at 'Cleansing Cream' for example. The start is just dripping with emotion and backings that really complement the feeling of the song really well.
As for Janus, they don't work. And the lines delivered just seem really 90s, Westlife to me. Just a little dull and boring in my opinion. The next verses follow the same, syllabic style, with frequent pauses and a mass of orchestrals in the background. An orchestra depicts grandeur, right? So why utilise such brassness to describe stories of such shallow, heartless, soulless, trivial matters?
The pre-chorus however turns the whole song around.
After a break from the rock tracks, the electric guitar kicks in again, by this time instead of serving as an unnecessary side, it serves a start, a beginning of each line, a kick of adrenaline before each syllable is uttered. It really lifts the song from the previously melondramatic feel, almost like an elephant previously jogging in molasses to one skidding on grease. It slowly builds up pace with the notes getting stronger, richer, longer and the background pace getting more and more frantic. It IS a frantic build up to the chorus that I thoroughly appreciate, and serves as a foreboding sense of danger and mystery for the chorus that lies ahead.
The chorus is brilliant. An intense explosion of emotion, completely worthy of the stellar build-up before it. The emotion is now a lot more evident. One can sense anger, confusion and slight sadness, all of which delivered brilliantly throughout everyone's long notes and sharp yells. It's also really really catchy, another plus point.
The rest of the point use raps as interesting fillers and thankfully make do without the boringly slow introduction. The verses are all really masculine and meaty, with tons of feeling oozing out of each line. The raps, while not the best top-notch, do a decent job of ensuring the pacing of the song doesn't slip, also making sure the feel and the beat of the song continue abiding by the progressively booming orchestra track behind the vocalists, ensuring a continually strong progression to the end.
In conclusion, this is a really great song by Boyfriend, a great change from their previous songs and image. If they could focus more on a strong beginning, but keep the intense progressions, I am very certain that they could create some pop magic. In all, disappointing intro but shocking amazing build-ups.
Fantastic song.
Sorry, for not posting in a while. To make up for it, in a couple of days, I'll be posting a review of that new, rawesomely sick B1A4 song! So please suscribe! And share this with your friends!
Monday, 5 November 2012
[Single Review] Lee Hi- '1.2.3.4'
YG almost never disappoints. I use ‘almost’ lest some SM
stans come screaming at me, berating about the ‘countless’ flaws that YG and
its acts have. I have had my disappointments with YG before, many in fact; I
hate their closed-ness to their fans, their secretive ways and I was definitely
disappointed with a couple of their songs. (‘I Love You’, ‘Ugly’, ‘I Need A
Girl’) Not to mention, they have not been first-timers with controversy, with
the marijuana and sex scandals whatnot.
However, while they have hit some lows, their ability to
just bounce back and blow everyone’s socks off have been nothing short of pure,
remarkable perfection. 2NE1 have still remained epically swaggy and confident without
being overly-brass, BIGBANG time and time again have reminded us why they are
indeed the true kings of the K-pop industry, and perhaps the most important
achievement of all of YG’s countless, Gangnam Style!!
Thus, when I heard about Lee Hi’s upcoming debut, I was
excited. I had seen her on Kpop Star before, and she was pretty damn good a
singer then. So, I know she can sing, but all of YG’s acts have had a sort of
unique stage presence about them. Could a young barely legal teenager pull off
a head-turning, confident performance, being the junior of legends in a highly
dog-eat-dog industry? I wondered and hoped.
‘1.2.3.4’ is very much like a bluesy, soulful song, with
hints of Duffy and Amy Winehouse injected into many portions of it. The
slowness of the song, coupled sometimes with the lack of background music
really enable Lee Hi’s incredibly mature and rich voice to shine, though at
points I think I would hoped for more intonation variation, as certain sections
were really one-dimensional, and really soft, like the verse before the chorus.
I won’t really be going on a full breakdown of the song, because there really
isn’t that much for me to talk about (on a whole, they sound fine) but I will
be putting some input about the chorus.
The way she says ‘1 and 2 and 3, 4’ is so catchy and I’ve
been repeating it in my head for days since listening to it. She is really deep
when she hits this section, which makes her reminiscent of those 1960s
trot/blues singers. Her voice is really well-developed I’d say, very mature,
and I especially like the tiny tinges of vibrato which sometimes penetrate. It
is bluesy not because she is raspy, but because she is serious in her voice.
The serious quality of her tone really adds a lot to the feel of the song. The
way she delivers her lines are composed and in their own way, emotional.
Despite this emotion, her acting in her music video is cringe-worthy, such
irony.
On a whole, a solid debut track, though not the best female
solo K-pop debut I’ve ever heard, the honours of which are tied between G.Na
and Ailee, for ‘I’ll Back Off So You Can Live Better’ and ‘Heaven’, but
nonetheless, I will be looking forward to what direction YG will be taking her.
I hope they can
continue developing on the soul route, as it is a genre seldom used or heard in
K-pop which should give Lee Hi, and her voice, a chance to shine. Please YG,
don’t botch up her career like how Cube botched G.Na after her debut (still a
fan of hers, don’t get me wrong).
I will be looking forward to what lies in store for Lee Hi
next.
Monday, 29 October 2012
[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 ;)
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 ;)
Monday, 15 October 2012
[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!!!!!
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!!!!!
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
[Single Review] UKISS- 'Stop Girl'
Let's just say I was deeply perplexed by this title. It seemed so wrong. Like if you were to use 'stop' in such a context, it would appear that 'stop' is an adjective, describing a girl to be very stop, whatever that means. How could someone be stop? Anyway, through further research, I found out that the song goes along the lines of guys falling in love with another girl (big surprise there, Ukiss) and them being unprepared, thus telling the girl of their infatuations to 'stop'. To just hold back. And that kind of cleared things up a bit....but that title still vexes. Why couldn't it have been 'Stop! Girl'? That exclamation mark just adds another dimension to the title, an added pop you know? And Kevin and Eli.........you guys were the English warriors of Ukiss, what happened? Why didn't you intervene with the title??? Ah, anyway, onto Ukiss.
I haven't really heard much Ukiss, even though they have been freakishly efficient in pushing out track after track this year. I mean with 'Doradora', 'Believe' and 'Neverland' later last year, it's safe to say that they have been pretty freaking busy. I heard those tracks like once before, maybe twice, just to try it out and get a feel of what Ukiss' style was. The songs DO sound uniquely Ukiss which is nice to know, given the range of aegyo counterparts in the girl group industry, that they were at least able to try out a sound different from other bands. However, this efficiency in pushing out tracks seem to have had detriments on the songs' quality. What I mean is that rather than focusing on one song, and perfecting it before releasing and blowing the brains out of everyone (eg. Brown Eyed Girls with 'Abracadabra' (2009) and 'Sixth Sense' (2011)), by Ukiss seems to just be satisfied with at least showing proof of activity by releasing yet another track ever so often, and it had turned out, none have really been mind-blowing. Which also explains why they haven't had a Music Bank win even after 4 years. Well, 'Doradora' was cool, which a cool dance to it, and a decently catchy chorus, and '0330' was good, but the rest were just pretty meh. So how would 'Stop Girl' match up to these? Could it be the breakout song (at least in my personal opinion) for Ukiss?
Ok, on my first listen, I felt a bit torn. Some parts of the song I felt were incredible in terms of raw emotion and harmonzing, but there were parts of the song which just fell flat and ruined the pace of the song somewhat. Let us analyse the song in beats of 20 seconds each. Take note I am using the timing from the music video so check it out for this to make sense. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XboGRNb1Fd8
0:00-0:20- This introduction is quite different compared to other songs in the Kpop world today. It has this really American pop feel to it, very Jason Derulo-esque or maybe Usher, with the incessant 'yeah's and that R&B techno synth beat in the background. It's good and really sets the tone for the song, a sort of moderately-paced hip-hop pop hybrid. A great start. Oh, and that dwindling run of notes towards the end is a nice touch, somewhat reminiscent of that of like Lil' Wayne tracks.
0:21-0:40- Hoon's part kicks in with a somewhat pleading line, followed by a slight pause. This first line was quite mediocre especially to kick off the song. However, the next two lines, especially the last one really do it for me, with a really cool electronic meets R&B hiphop feel to it. Kiseop's lines follow the same pattern but without the awesome last line, which is replaced by Eli's ever-confident swaggy rap cut. This beat serves to set the tone, a rather sombre sound with really chill and swaggy beats. Not a bad combination, and it serves as a build-up for the next beat which differs slightly.
0:41-1:00- Now, Kevin's part has got to be the biggest part. I think his voice is quite high-pitched, thus it wouldn't really fit into this type of quick-paced speak rap portions, which seem really weak. And his last line seems autotuned to death and at the end of it, the pace really slows by a lot, which is disappointing. Thank goodness Soohyun picks it up with his part which though follow the pattern of Kevin's, have a really deep tone and this manly husk to it. Which really penetrate with emotion and bring the song right back up to speed.
1:01-1:30- I LOVE THIS CHORUS! It really reminds me of Usher, with the extended voice trails towards the ends of the lines and the variation in tone. The harmonizing too is brilliant and with regard to context, I think it really brings forth a sense of hesitation, but a form of confident hesitation if you will, like a plead for the girl to halt for a moment but with a composure so cool and suave that it's just awesome.
1:31-2:20- Pretty much the same as those above. Though Kiseop's and Hoon's exchange is really powerful and emotion-filled. Kevin still kinda spoils though...but Soohyun delivers gorgeously both in his part and in the interjection in the chorus.
2:21-2:40- The rap. Aah. Dongho's rap is good, and his tone is sort of flat throughout, not in a bad way but rather it has a purpose and a sort of attitude that comes with it. However, I prefer Eli's as you can hear his intonation a bit better and his voice also has that added fierceness which Dongho cannot replicate due to his tone I think. On a whole, the rap segments meld into the song quite seamlessly due to the R&B beat of the song giving the song some versatility when transferring to and from sentences. Really good job.
2:41-End- The awesome chorus strikes again. Not much to say here, but Kevin redeems himself a bit with the second chorus house, when he interjects with a couple verses. Here his voice does not sound as rushed and complements the chorus very well, adding a background, a back voice, a layer of emotion to the song. In fact, here he sounds a bit like Jesse McCartney with his youthful tone and all. Great ending to a great song on a whole.
So is this THE song for Ukiss? It's a brilliant song I must say, but honestly, I have this feeling they can do so much better. They are surely improving but if they can just keep their consistency, I am very sure THAT song is coming. The song to propel them to the mid-top tier alongside B2ST, B1A4 and 2PM.
Sunday, 16 September 2012
[Single Review] Orange Caramel- 'Lipstick'
I haven't really listened to much After School. I don't know why, but it's sort of a thing for me that when I get obsessed with a bunch of groups, I can't really bring myself to start listening to other groups not included in my obsession list. Who isn't in that list? Well, Dal Shabet, Dalmatian, SECRET.....I can't really bear to click on their videos or hear their songs. Maybe, it is because I fear disappointment, that the first song I hear from them should be ass-kickingly awesome. And I fear that they would not deliver.
After School to me is one such group. Their songs are well-known and their odd graduation system is interesting to say the least, but I'm not really a true fan of them. The irony is that I am a complete diehard fan of their epically cute sub-group, Orange Caramel. When I first heard them in 'Bangkok City', I really despised them; their cuteness and the odd jarring beats of the song really did not appeal to me. 'Shanghai Romance' completely turned that around. It was cute as usual, but it had this very authentic China-meets-anime feel, with was pulsating and just really feel-good. 'Funny Hunny' too was a gorgeously peppy track, with a fully animated video to boot, just adding layer upon layer of endearing aegyo-style cuteness.
'Lipstick' does not divert from this cute concept. But I'd say, lyric-wise it is more deeply thought out than the rest of their songs. I mean, this isn't just plain falling-for-a-dude love type of thing, rather it's a rather spiteful or mischievous song, with hints of darkness. And this is all masked behind incredibly catchy and cheerful tunes and the epic Americana background track repeating on loop through the chorus.
From the start, the opening lines come at you quick and accompanied by this digitalised synths which add to the playfulness of the song. Also, to me, the opening lines had a slight undertone of sexiness, with a tinge of squealing and an almost-whiny sort of enunciating (that surprisingly does not put me off the song) which make the song sort of more desperate and young. The verses are fast too, with the shrill whining coming in towards the end of the lines, which I think serve to add an emotional depth (like a beg, a pleading tone for love) to the song, which at first listen may seem rather playschool (as were Orange Caramel's previous singles). The chorus, was what killed me. The 'mo-mo-mo-mo' parts sounded so cute, so catchy and like the quintessential aegyo girl. And the way it couples with the short slightly slower verses interjecting the chorus bring on an onset of rising and falling of pace and feeling, which adds a whole new level of complexity to the song, which by now, has already sold me.
The slow bit, typical in most KPOP songs, still manages to be delightfully pouty. It isn't too adrupt, rather it follows the same emotional path, just reducing the pace gradually and kicking in the Americana beats towards the end for another sudden rush of emotion of joy.
And I think that is what Orange Caramel really excels at. Happiness. They bring forth a sort of playfulness in their style. Their videos are so brainless and dream-like that they are hilarious, and I think it is to show an image that the girls are sticking to the usual roots (aegyo) while playing totally out of the box simultaneously (alien videos and outfits and songs), a sort of restrained audacity which I can only credit to successful management and organised conceptual decisions.
With these continued Orange Caramel boppy hits and if only After School could take a leaf out of their book, I'm pretty sure After School would find itself slowly catching up to my obsessions list in no time. But, meanwhile, Orange Caramel remain gorgeously alien, and just bring me into their world. Bring me there please. Again. Now.
After School to me is one such group. Their songs are well-known and their odd graduation system is interesting to say the least, but I'm not really a true fan of them. The irony is that I am a complete diehard fan of their epically cute sub-group, Orange Caramel. When I first heard them in 'Bangkok City', I really despised them; their cuteness and the odd jarring beats of the song really did not appeal to me. 'Shanghai Romance' completely turned that around. It was cute as usual, but it had this very authentic China-meets-anime feel, with was pulsating and just really feel-good. 'Funny Hunny' too was a gorgeously peppy track, with a fully animated video to boot, just adding layer upon layer of endearing aegyo-style cuteness.
'Lipstick' does not divert from this cute concept. But I'd say, lyric-wise it is more deeply thought out than the rest of their songs. I mean, this isn't just plain falling-for-a-dude love type of thing, rather it's a rather spiteful or mischievous song, with hints of darkness. And this is all masked behind incredibly catchy and cheerful tunes and the epic Americana background track repeating on loop through the chorus.
From the start, the opening lines come at you quick and accompanied by this digitalised synths which add to the playfulness of the song. Also, to me, the opening lines had a slight undertone of sexiness, with a tinge of squealing and an almost-whiny sort of enunciating (that surprisingly does not put me off the song) which make the song sort of more desperate and young. The verses are fast too, with the shrill whining coming in towards the end of the lines, which I think serve to add an emotional depth (like a beg, a pleading tone for love) to the song, which at first listen may seem rather playschool (as were Orange Caramel's previous singles). The chorus, was what killed me. The 'mo-mo-mo-mo' parts sounded so cute, so catchy and like the quintessential aegyo girl. And the way it couples with the short slightly slower verses interjecting the chorus bring on an onset of rising and falling of pace and feeling, which adds a whole new level of complexity to the song, which by now, has already sold me.
The slow bit, typical in most KPOP songs, still manages to be delightfully pouty. It isn't too adrupt, rather it follows the same emotional path, just reducing the pace gradually and kicking in the Americana beats towards the end for another sudden rush of emotion of joy.
And I think that is what Orange Caramel really excels at. Happiness. They bring forth a sort of playfulness in their style. Their videos are so brainless and dream-like that they are hilarious, and I think it is to show an image that the girls are sticking to the usual roots (aegyo) while playing totally out of the box simultaneously (alien videos and outfits and songs), a sort of restrained audacity which I can only credit to successful management and organised conceptual decisions.
With these continued Orange Caramel boppy hits and if only After School could take a leaf out of their book, I'm pretty sure After School would find itself slowly catching up to my obsessions list in no time. But, meanwhile, Orange Caramel remain gorgeously alien, and just bring me into their world. Bring me there please. Again. Now.
Friday, 7 September 2012
[Single Review] T-ara- 'Sexy Love'
T-ara! What balls they had to stage a comeback just after the ugly situation with Hwayoung! Usually groups involved in such scandals would probably just wait for the effects to die off, which would usually take months to even years in certain cases, but T-ara seems determined to soldier on and slay the charts. I think I need to use this opportunity to bring up a point that we should really stop hating on T-ara. Like seriously. The bullying was not proved, rather it was declined by both T-ara and Hwayoung, and would you really let your childish dislike for bullying affect whether you would like the group's music or not? Honestly, I would not really care if there was indeed bullying in T-ara, though if it happened I would be upset, rather I simply care about the quality of their music. I mean, why let internal matters within a group irrelevant to myself prevent me from hearing wall-thumping, ass-kicking tunes? Yes, and I only care about music quality, and T-ara has never disappointed.
Is there any other girl group as bold and diverse and shamelessly addictive as T-ara? They have practically sampled every style out there, with the aegyo concept ("Bo Peep Bo Peep"), the sexy concept ("Like The First Time"), the retro concept ("Roly-Poly"), the disco concept ("Lovey Dovey") and the outrageous WTF concept ("Yayaya"). I really respect T-ara for actually giving other styles a shot and trying to appeal to wide spectrum of audiences, and honestly, no matter how drastic the song style changes, all their songs (well, maybe most of them') have been awesome.
Now with the controversy about Hwayoung and all, I wondered what style T-ara would choose to go with to win back the converted haters. To overcome all that negativity, I would have expected a classic, T-ara, ridiculously addictive dance track. And voila. Sexy Love. Sure, it is playing somewhat safe, but with all the trouble behind them, maybe safe is the way to go. Let's face it, T-ara is monkey balls awesome, but CLASSIC T-ARA? Respect.
Onto 'Sexy Love'. Let's just start by saying I like this song. Yeah, it's not my favourite T-ara song ("I Go Crazy Because Of You" still holds that honour) but it is pretty solid. From the get-go, a wall booming beat comes in, setting off this club-like atmosphere in you and your feet start to twitch. It is an amazing beat and really sets the pace for the rest of the song. Then a robotic creaking sound plays alongside which is well probably to serve as a build-up for the pre-verse hook, and it does serve its purpose, though it kind of overpowered the infectious wall booming beat which I guess is a tad disappointing. But the next bit makes up for it wholesale.
Duck + Robots + T-ara being robots = WIN.
Yeah, I can't really describe what that background track felt like to me but it was like an anthem, an anthem of robotic dance pop, and I could just imagine a filled Seoul Olympic Stadium just grooving to this. Jiyeon starts the song off with her verse. Jiyeon's voice is ok? I guess? She was great in HersHE perhaps because of Ailee and Hyorin, but I never really thought of her as a powerhouse vocal. Still her lines probably bring forth the sexiest vibes out of any other lines in the song, with an airy trailing vocal towards the end and a slight slurry texture throughout which add a sultriness to the song. Hyomin's parts are the catchiest as usual and the rhythm in her lines never let up, just rushing forward with a tangible impatience and venom, just adding the buildup once more. Boram's parts were high pitched. And they were so-so. Boram is pretty meh to me but at least she got some exposure, and Qri butts in with her whisper. That whisper was probably the most artistic element in the song for me, as it added a sense of mystery, like some ancient goddess suddenly chimed in with a soft quivering message, and it added another layer of sexiness to the song. Mystery and unpredictability are part and parcel of sexiness, because you never know what the real thing is. However ambiguous that was, not knowing anything just makes the result better and not knowing a woman makes her true self and personality shine through much better, enhancing her womanly face, enhancing her appeal.
The chorus is a sudden fast-paced burst of intensity and rapidfire mutterings of sexy organs by Soyeon. What I don't like about this chorus is that it is flat, it lacks intonation. It is like a rap but with louder background, and one-dimensional, not really falunting Soyeon's vocal ability. Eunjung's section after the chorus serves as a pretty good, mildly energetic closing section for the intense chorus, which is much appreciated.
Onto the rap. AARRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH! Why do raps have autotune? Why? Maybe to add to the robotic vibe of the song? But I could barely hear anything in that rap; maybe the excessive digitalizing was to allow Ahreum to smoke her way through the rap (originally meant for Hwayoung) or something? I don't know. But it is my least favourite part of the song by far.
In all, a solid track by T-ara, it is decently catchy (disregarding the rap) and the dance steps are really fun to watch. Maybe not their best track but surely enough to show the haters what T-ara is about, what they can be and what they will be.
- The Kpop Philosopher
Is there any other girl group as bold and diverse and shamelessly addictive as T-ara? They have practically sampled every style out there, with the aegyo concept ("Bo Peep Bo Peep"), the sexy concept ("Like The First Time"), the retro concept ("Roly-Poly"), the disco concept ("Lovey Dovey") and the outrageous WTF concept ("Yayaya"). I really respect T-ara for actually giving other styles a shot and trying to appeal to wide spectrum of audiences, and honestly, no matter how drastic the song style changes, all their songs (well, maybe most of them') have been awesome.
Now with the controversy about Hwayoung and all, I wondered what style T-ara would choose to go with to win back the converted haters. To overcome all that negativity, I would have expected a classic, T-ara, ridiculously addictive dance track. And voila. Sexy Love. Sure, it is playing somewhat safe, but with all the trouble behind them, maybe safe is the way to go. Let's face it, T-ara is monkey balls awesome, but CLASSIC T-ARA? Respect.
Onto 'Sexy Love'. Let's just start by saying I like this song. Yeah, it's not my favourite T-ara song ("I Go Crazy Because Of You" still holds that honour) but it is pretty solid. From the get-go, a wall booming beat comes in, setting off this club-like atmosphere in you and your feet start to twitch. It is an amazing beat and really sets the pace for the rest of the song. Then a robotic creaking sound plays alongside which is well probably to serve as a build-up for the pre-verse hook, and it does serve its purpose, though it kind of overpowered the infectious wall booming beat which I guess is a tad disappointing. But the next bit makes up for it wholesale.
Duck + Robots + T-ara being robots = WIN.
Yeah, I can't really describe what that background track felt like to me but it was like an anthem, an anthem of robotic dance pop, and I could just imagine a filled Seoul Olympic Stadium just grooving to this. Jiyeon starts the song off with her verse. Jiyeon's voice is ok? I guess? She was great in HersHE perhaps because of Ailee and Hyorin, but I never really thought of her as a powerhouse vocal. Still her lines probably bring forth the sexiest vibes out of any other lines in the song, with an airy trailing vocal towards the end and a slight slurry texture throughout which add a sultriness to the song. Hyomin's parts are the catchiest as usual and the rhythm in her lines never let up, just rushing forward with a tangible impatience and venom, just adding the buildup once more. Boram's parts were high pitched. And they were so-so. Boram is pretty meh to me but at least she got some exposure, and Qri butts in with her whisper. That whisper was probably the most artistic element in the song for me, as it added a sense of mystery, like some ancient goddess suddenly chimed in with a soft quivering message, and it added another layer of sexiness to the song. Mystery and unpredictability are part and parcel of sexiness, because you never know what the real thing is. However ambiguous that was, not knowing anything just makes the result better and not knowing a woman makes her true self and personality shine through much better, enhancing her womanly face, enhancing her appeal.
The chorus is a sudden fast-paced burst of intensity and rapidfire mutterings of sexy organs by Soyeon. What I don't like about this chorus is that it is flat, it lacks intonation. It is like a rap but with louder background, and one-dimensional, not really falunting Soyeon's vocal ability. Eunjung's section after the chorus serves as a pretty good, mildly energetic closing section for the intense chorus, which is much appreciated.
Onto the rap. AARRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH! Why do raps have autotune? Why? Maybe to add to the robotic vibe of the song? But I could barely hear anything in that rap; maybe the excessive digitalizing was to allow Ahreum to smoke her way through the rap (originally meant for Hwayoung) or something? I don't know. But it is my least favourite part of the song by far.
In all, a solid track by T-ara, it is decently catchy (disregarding the rap) and the dance steps are really fun to watch. Maybe not their best track but surely enough to show the haters what T-ara is about, what they can be and what they will be.
- The Kpop Philosopher
Friday, 31 August 2012
[Song You Need To Know #2] GLAM- 'Party'
I heard this song not too long ago on Inkigayo and I wasn't really impressed. I mean, it seemed to be an attempt at a fun, upbeat song, but those base synths. sudden drop in pace and the odd chanting (in poor English, mind you) in the chorus really let down the exciting build up that the killer rap sections and endearing vocals had provided. Or at least that was what I thought until I saw the actual music video. The music video was eccentric and basically portrayed GLAM as freakish people from another planet, coming (or at least that is what I presume) to just have a good time. It was ok, I guess, with some moderately interesting effects and bright colourful explosions. But it tied in pretty well the meaning of the song, which I find incredibly inspiring and is the reason behind my love for this track.
What is the meaning? Well, if you do not Korean, you'd might probably think its some messy party anthem, as people to get 'the party started' and the 'its just a heartbeat away' (which does not make sense), which is pretty damn shallow. But if you do understand the language, or bothered to look up the translated lyrics online, you'd realise the boldness of the song, and the impactful messages hidden within the lyrics. Basically, 'Party' is a lesbianic song.
Wow.
And no, it is not raunchy in any way. It is somewhat reminiscent of Firework by Katy Perry, as both provide messages about acceptance and being yourself. But GLAM's attempt at advocating this message comes through way stronger. Why? Because they are in Korea where homosexuality is universally looked down upon by society and from GLAM to come up with such an in-your-face song is seriously awesome. And also they haven't been banned by KBS. The song is rebellious, it goes against societal norms, much like Bikini Kill were when they were in their prime, advocating feminism and starting a feminist rock wave which spread like wildfire. GLAM are just so daring and it does not come off overly vulgar, rather its a really sweet and inspiring song.
Wow.
GLAM tells everyone that anyone can be a 'Romeo' and anyone can be a 'Juliet' and that you should just screw others' opinions and just have fun and enjoy life. And hearing that just gets me so pumped and brimmed with emotion that I just want to stand up and jump around brainlessly.
- The Kpop Philosopher
What is the meaning? Well, if you do not Korean, you'd might probably think its some messy party anthem, as people to get 'the party started' and the 'its just a heartbeat away' (which does not make sense), which is pretty damn shallow. But if you do understand the language, or bothered to look up the translated lyrics online, you'd realise the boldness of the song, and the impactful messages hidden within the lyrics. Basically, 'Party' is a lesbianic song.
Wow.
And no, it is not raunchy in any way. It is somewhat reminiscent of Firework by Katy Perry, as both provide messages about acceptance and being yourself. But GLAM's attempt at advocating this message comes through way stronger. Why? Because they are in Korea where homosexuality is universally looked down upon by society and from GLAM to come up with such an in-your-face song is seriously awesome. And also they haven't been banned by KBS. The song is rebellious, it goes against societal norms, much like Bikini Kill were when they were in their prime, advocating feminism and starting a feminist rock wave which spread like wildfire. GLAM are just so daring and it does not come off overly vulgar, rather its a really sweet and inspiring song.
Wow.
GLAM tells everyone that anyone can be a 'Romeo' and anyone can be a 'Juliet' and that you should just screw others' opinions and just have fun and enjoy life. And hearing that just gets me so pumped and brimmed with emotion that I just want to stand up and jump around brainlessly.
- The Kpop Philosopher
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