Sugar - Secret

I just noticed something. It's like the girl groups in Korea came one after the other - there was most probably no period since 1998 that K-pop was without a reigning girl group. Look - Fin.K.L debuted in 1998, Chakra(this Indian-inspired girl group. Nothing special.) and Baby VOX followed in 1999 and in 2000 those three were the relatively big groups. In 2001 Jewelry followed while in 2002 Fin.K.L. split and in 2003 Sugar sprouted out. For the next few years they were releasing singles and all then they slowly started splitting up - first Baby Vox in 2005 then Jewelry went on hiatus in 2006. The Brown Eyed Girls started in 2006 and by 2007 a new generation of girl groups started. Girls' Generation, The Wonder Girls and Kara all debuted in 2007. 2008 came and Jewelry were back with two new members who formed another girl group - Jewelry S.

Phew. That was long - on to the song.

I completely forgot how I found these girls but it might've been while I was looking for Jewelry videos. All I remember is that the first time I saw them and the very start of the single that broke them into Korea(in 2004, same year as Jewelry..) I though 'these girls must've been Jewelry's rival girl group' and I was right. Although it does seem that Mnet Media spent a lot more money on Jewelry than Sugar's small-name talent agency, Starworld spent on them.

Plus, Sugar sounded a lot more pop-y than Jewelry even if it's the pop I'm not that crazy about. The instrumentals sound like they were lifted of a Britney track and the melody sounds like some American pop song I don't really like(can't remember which one though..).

The song might grow on me but in my books it'll never, ever be as good as the Jewelry song. It's the early BoA-type songs that I don't like - like ID Peace B or one of those. Secret doesn't have a melody that can make me fall at its feet and the instrumental doesn't do it any favors.

Relatively short review today. Hmm.

3.9/5