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
Sunday, 18 August 2013
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.
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