[June 2, 2012] MBC Music Core Highlights + Commentary

Aside from the line-up being ridiculously packed, today's recap is extra, extra special because McRoth of McRoth's Residence and I plan to take over the world with it! Just joking. Partially. If you're sick and tired of only me doing the babbling during my music show recaps, then you're in for a treat, because yes, McRoth is joining us tonight! What's the occasion? Nothing, actually. But since when did I ever need an occasion to pull in blogger friends of mine?

I know that a lot of you guys who read Pop Reviews Now also read McRoth's Residence, for the simple reason that McRoth is amazing at what he does!

Nikki: After we're done I think you'll have enough time to go take a nap LOL.
McRoth: lmao. I’m wide awake. Might eat breakfast.
Nikki: ^_^ And I slept for half the afternoon so I'm wide awake.
McRoth: this is gonna be a loooooooooooooong post :o
Nikki: T_T
McRoth: Readers' scroll bars will be in pain by the end of this.
Nikki: I wonder if it's longer than the one I did with Mel.
McRoth: what did you write about with her? I forgot.
Nikki: ...DBSK.
McRoth: OH.
Nikki: We fangirled over a few songs.
McRoth: No way is this longer. Anything DBSK will always trump everything else.
Nikki: The one I did with Ree was pretty short.
McRoth: It was, that's why I was able to read most of it lol.
Nikki: the one I did with Mel was just a block of text.
McRoth: o.o I think I remember that

None of the videos are ours, credit as tagged. Let the world domination begin!

A-Jax - "One 4 U"
McRoth: Okay. IM HITTING PLAY.
Nikki: ME TOO.
McRoth: I don't know names, btw.
Nikki: Me neither.
McRoth: lol
Nikki: Anyway. Mmkay.
McRoth: glad to see we're in the same boat
Nikki: I'm getting serious EXO vibes from them. And I don't like it.
McRoth: I'm getting EXO vibes, visually, but generic everything else
Nikki: Yeah, they sound like SS501 rejects.
McRoth: that ballad was a snooze-fest. I can't even remember it, and I just listened to it
Nikki: Me neither. I don't know how to feel about "One 4 U", honestly
McRoth: I like that it's extremely thematic, like the orchestration is big, but everything else is so not amazing.
Nikki: It reminds me of a worse "Love Ya". And they're lip-synching.
McRoth: Ew
Nikki: WHY IS EVERYONE LIP-SYNCHING.
McRoth: ROOKIES ARE SCARED.
Nikki: JJ PROJECT ARE ROOKIES!
McRoth: I love them ._. But we'll get to them soon.
Nikki: I do too. But back to A-Jax.
McRoth: lol
Nikki: Performance-wise they're pretty generic too.
McRoth: Okay, about the orchestration, I take that back. This song is incredibly repetitive
Nikki: As expected.
McRoth: that I'm taking something back? are we bringing up my Junsu fail from 2011?
Nikki: No no. That the song is repetitive LOL
McRoth: lol. GOOD
Nikki: But even if they're lip-synching, they don't make me want to watch them -- and that's the problem.
McRoth: I'm kinda not even watching lol, I'm watching the backup dancers
Nikki: LOL!
McRoth: or is that the group??
Nikki: The backup dancers are in black?
McRoth: This song felt like one giant pre-chorus.
Nikki: DSP has truly lost it's touch.
McRoth: And its heart. There was no soul in that -- at all
Nikki: Yeah, even "Tri-Angle" had emotion
McRoth: lmao
Nikki: It's true!
McRoth: It did, this had no feels
Nikki: Can you not feel the emotion from Changmin's spiky hair?
McRoth: I can almost feel him poking me
Nikki: At least it's over. Phew.
McRoth: yeah.

She'z - "I Feel Like It"
Nikki: I like the idea of She'z
McRoth: NEVER HEARD THESE BROADS, so this is my first.
Nikki: But they're so cheap, it hurts.
McRoth: I like their voices
Nikki: Although they kind of drag their notes too much, so it ends up sounding sloppy. I blame that on a lack of training.
McRoth: one of them looks like Park Bom, as in she looks like her face will slide right off any second now/
Nikki: LOL! They remind me of Black Pearl.
McRoth: oooh, BP!
Nikki: Which is kind of an insult because Black Pearl is irrelevant T_T
McRoth: what happened to them!? T_T
Nikki: I have no idea. They're lip-synching today though
McRoth: She'z is good, with some training they'll be good.
Nikki: And better material please.
McRoth: I can't tell if they're live or not :o
Nikki: D:
McRoth: blame it on the fact that I haven't listened to their song yet :x That wasn't terrible, but the song isn't amazing
Nikki: The vocals saved it. They need better material, and better outfits.
McRoth: definitely. they have a strong set of vocals. Haha yeah, I wasn't digging the Candyman outfits. Candy CANES, more like it.
Nikki: T_T And the choreography was... questionable
McRoth: I thought they were just making random formations. So… what choreo? lol
Nikki: Touché.

JJ Project - "Bounce"
Nikki: I'm ready to fangirl. I have it loaded already :D
McRoth: oh haha ok.
Nikki: See? JJ Project loves me.
McRoth: lmao
Nikki: so I love them back ^_^ Play!
McRoth: PRRRAY
Nikki: They are SO fun, without compromising their vocals.
McRoth: I love their energy.
Nikki: I've sang and jumped at the same time before. It's not easy.
McRoth: It saves this song, because honestly, Bounce isn't exactly amazing. composition wise, it's verging on bi polar.
Nikki: LOL! Yes. They carry it so well. And it takes a lot to carry something as whacked out as this.
McRoth: I think the song is no bueno, but I agree that they sell it like effing hot cakes. Totally.
Nikki: And they've always sang live. Unlike SOME people. *ahem*EXO*AHEM*
McRoth: Haha AND ALL THE ROOKIES WE JUST WATCHED. What I love about this is that the material is age appropriate, youthful, and plain ole fun to listen to.
Nikki: It is!
McRoth: The energy transcends the shittiness of the song :x
Nikki: It's just the right amount of repetitiveness that it's not annoying. At least, I'm not annoyed.
McRoth: I'm not either, which says a lot. this is kpop after all. Aw, it's over. I want to see “Hooked” live so bad.
Nikki: I do too! It's a different kind of fun.
McRoth: THAT IS MY JAM.
Nikki: I'd like to see how they pull off "Before This Song Ends" though
McRoth: ooh, me too
Nikki: Because the recording is all over the place, but with their presence it can possibly be really good.
McRoth: Yeah. Considering it's JYP though, they may not be getting proper vocal lessons. Just listen to Miss A. they sound terrible
Nikki: They do they get all these gorgeous arrangements, like the SBS Gayo one, but their vocals can't carry it live.
McRoth: They don’t know how to sing them. :o
Nikki: Oh JYP.

Hello Venus - "Venus"
Nikki: Hello Venus have gotten boring. I realize that maybe I only liked them because they were new.
McRoth: I like Hello Venus, but this song has gotten stale.
Nikki: Yeah and I hate that the choruses are practically lip-synched because of the backing track.
McRoth: Yeah I hear that too. And by hear that, I mean I don't hear them at all, so yeah.
McRoth: I think if they were singing this live adding ad libs and stuff, it would spice it up
Nikki: Definitely.
Nikki: I like that Lime can sing though -- she's not the useless rapper type.
McRoth: I like Lime too.
Nikki: But they've gotten comfortable on stage, which is always a good thing.
McRoth: I think they showed edginess in their mini, but I don't see it here at all.
Nikki: Yes! I genuinely enjoyed their EP
McRoth: I hope we get to hear a bit more edge and sass later down the road, because they have what it takes to transition smoothly to it.
Nikki: But Pledis almost always screws their A&R up.
McRoth: lol. Oh lPedis. I'm frightened to see what they do with AS this year.

EXO-K - "MAMA"
Nikki: I still don't like EXO-K.
McRoth: I like them, I just don't like them on this song, or their live vocals.
Nikki: They're not the world's most amazing singers to start with, and to top it all off they move with no grace.
McRoth: DO is inconsistent, as is the rest of them. They still lack fluidity.
Nikki: I don't expect them to do body waves or anything, but like, you're human, aren't you?
McRoth: They're thinking too much about how they look.
Nikki: That's exactly why I can't stand Joon, but even he has some fluidity.
McRoth: LMAO
Nikki: If I may say so
McRoth: I don't know why they lip sync 3/4 of the song and the 1/4 they do sing live is that weird screamo bit.
Nikki: LOL
McRoth: They're not confident singers, and that worries me.
Nikki: The problem I have with EXO is that SM set the bar too high for them.
McRoth: Exactly.
Nikki: If it had been lower, they'd be average. But they're supposed to be the "biggest thing since anything", when they can't even carry themselves on stage
McRoth: It feels like they know that, too, so they're kind of scared of themselves. I have faith in them though, because there's talent in there. they just need to know how to execute it properly.
Nikki: I... don't.
McRoth: ;_;
Nikki: Until they give me a promo cycle that's worthy of all the hype.
McRoth: Yeah, true. I think M's sheer superiority proves that somewhere at SM someone is teaching them the right ways of doing things. K needs some of that.
Nikki: Yes! I actually enjoyed M's performances more, because they were confident without being arrogant.
McRoth: They're my fave of the two. :o

My Name - "Hello & Goodbye"
Nikki: Sad Song?
McRoth: Apparently.
Nikki: That's what Seohyun said LOL.
McRoth: LMAO. D:
Nikki: It's an okay song. That guy looks strange. MJ strange. O.O
McRoth: Nothing amazing about this so far. LMAO. PEDO ON THE LOOSE. HIDE YO OPPARS HIDE YO NOONARS.
Nikki: HAHAH. How many of them are there?
McRoth: I don’t know, like 10 thousand. so many people on stage.
Nikki: 4?
McRoth: five?
Nikki: five.
McRoth: three?
Nikki: Dance Break?
McRoth: they copied Suju's dance break for “Mr. Simple” LOL.
Nikki: I haven't seen a dance break on a music show in ages, but LOL.
McRoth: OMG I JUST SAW MJ! Itotally see what you're talking about
Nikki: I TOLD YOU. Seriously. IT'S THE NOSE
McRoth: This song is nothing special at all.
Nikki: It's generic.
McRoth: Rather boring, in my opinion.
Nikki: And their stage presence is meh.
McRoth: That dude needs to open his vocal chords. MJ, I mean.
Nikki: From now on I'm calling him MJ.
McRoth: Me too lmao. That nose is hella pedo MJ.
Nikki: Most interesting part of the performance...
McRoth: ... was his nose. I agree.
Nikki: So creepy.

M.I.B. - "Only Hard For Me"
Nikki: Is he singing?
McRoth: I think so? Yes, yes he is.
Nikki: Okay now he is. It’s an interesting voice -- stable.
McRoth: It's an interesting voice.
Nikki: His timbre sounds kind of Japanese.
McRoth: I hear it too.
Nikki: Right? Like Arashi or something.
McRoth: Definitely. Slightly whiny, slightly nasally. I’m not feeling the rap sections. EW.
Nikki: Me neither.
McRoth: That rapper in black is awful on the ears.
Nikki: Thiis song is painful.
McRoth: The only saving grace is that dude's voice.
Nikki: Yeah.
McRoth: This is getting uglier.
Nikki: Where did these guys come from?
McRoth: iI's falling apart. I don’t know, the streets of Korea.
Nikki: LOL
McRoth: That was not pleasant. It fell apart half way through and never recovered
Nikki: My ears, I don't know where they went.

B1A4 - "Baby Good Night"
Nikki: I caught on to "Baby I'm Sorry" pretty late, but I hate this new song. Where's the singing?
McRoth: I didn't like “Baby I'm Sorry”, but I dislike it LESS than this new song.
Nikki: I hate the chorus -- it's cheap and annoying.
McRoth: The entire thing is mediocre, at best.
Nikki: What makes it worse is that it's trying to be subtle, so it gets even more annoying.
McRoth: They should have left out Baro's rap.
Nikki: Whoever he is, I agree.
McRoth: it's already an unstable song, why make it even more so by adding rough rap?
McRoth: Some of them aren't even singing.
Nikki: Exactly!
McRoth: As in they're not moving their lips -- AT ALL. This song is terrible.
Nikki: I actually liked them when they debuted -- they were fun.
McRoth: It's like eating a sour strawberry
Nikki: But after "Beautiful Target" which was painful on all levels...
McRoth: I HATED THAT SONG
Nikki: I HATED THE CHOREOGRAPHY. WHAT THE HELL. WERE THEY DOING.
8:26 PM
McRoth: I don’t know, B1A4 aren't really cutting it anymore. They need to take a good year off and think about their wrong doings.
Nikki: LOL! We need to sit them down and knock some sense into them.
McRoth: Or knock them across the head, literally. :x
Nikki: I nominate myself for that. I need to release some anger.
McRoth: The floor is all yours then haha.

Dalmatian - "E.R."
Nikki: I see potential in the song, but they have to start singing!
McRoth: I'm not even going to lie, I love this song. BUT it's not exactly the best on stage. it doesn't translate well, especially since it's so falsetto at the chorus.
Nikki: Yeah.
McRoth: They do need to sing louder.
Nikki: Falsettos are only good in small doses, if they aren't sang amazingly well.
McRoth: The chorus is good, though. This song sounds good on recording. Live, not so much.
Nikki: I haven't heard their album yet.
McRoth: O_O They sound really good.
Nikki: I should listen to it after this.
McRoth: Which is sad, because they're not showing that in these lives stages. Anyway. Yes. I'm still not convinced with them as as live performers. But it was better than last week.
McRoth: So, overall, I think this stage was one of their better lives. But it's still very lacking.
McRoth: Yeah, I agree. The fact that they're jumping like crazy monkeys doesn't help.

A Pink - "Hush"
McRoth: I don't like them anymore, they've been fucked over so badly.
Nikki: I loved “My My”.
Nikki: But this is just...
McRoth: This is disgraceful.
Nikki: Cube is such a disappointment this year, I don't even know where to start.
McRoth: TELL ME ABOUT IT.
Nikki: But it better end with A Pink, because BEAST cannot be screwed up.
McRoth: 4minute, A Pink, and BtoB. How many times can one company fuck over their artists?!?!
Nikki: Ugh Cube, so much potential.
McRoth: A Pink have completely lost their charm with this song.
Nikki: Such crap material
McRoth: They had something really unique going last year, and that all has been sent through the kpop shredder.
Nikki: I know! “My My” was brilliant, and catchy, and so them. Now they're bad at being plain.
McRoth: This is an insult to their artistic identity and to my ears.
Nikki: ...they had one?
McRoth: They were old-school, synth-pop. :o
Nikki: Oh. That identity. Okay, fair enough.
McRoth: Now they're generic nobodies.
Nikki: Like everyone else.
McRoth: this is like watered down coca cola. WATERED DOWWWWN
Nikki: blegh
McRoth: to the point that it tastes nothing like soda
Nikki: So now you're using food analogies too? ;D
McRoth: OMG I AM aren't I?! Can we just use food analogies from here on out?
Nikki: I TOLD YOU. THEY WORK.
McRoth: They do!
Nikki: And everyone can relate to them
McRoth: And they're so easy to understand too lol. Exactly!

G.NA - "2Hot"
McRoth: I still don't know how I feel about this song.
Nikki: I have the urge to throw things across my room whenever I hear it.
McRoth: It's better than "Top Girl", but it still sucks. "Top Girl" was atrocious, this ... is less so.
Nikki: They both suck.
McRoth: This one is just boring.
Nikki: It pains me so much, that I don't even want to know which one sucks more.
McRoth: lmao
Nikki: I LIKED G.NA. AND I WANTED TO KEEP LIKING HER.
McRoth: ME TOO. She has the potential, but Cube continues to screw her over with crap music. I'm losing faith in her. Which is sad.
Nikki: I've lost faith in Cube. Tt's not her fault -- I just keep telling myself that.
McRoth: I think Cube has the means and brain to do great things, but that hasn't shown this year.
Nikki: Honestly I think they only have the means to do one good release a year. Last year it was BEAST, and this year it’ll be BEAST too. IT BETTER BE.
McRoth: because that's the one group that has seen the most success across the board. OK IM WATCHING THIS MESS NOW.
Nikki: But if they don't give everyone else decent material, they're not going to get anywhere!
McRoth: I agree, they can't be biased like that.
Nikki: I hate how slutty they're making G.NA.
McRoth: I hate the choreography to this.
Nikki: And slutty in a cheap way. I'll admit, there's classy slutty, this this is sad.
McRoth: She looks so uncomfortable.
Nikki: G.NA sounds like a five year-old.
McRoth: A five year old on crack.
Nikki: LOL
McRoth: A bratty five year old.
Nikki: This is why she never wins anything.
McRoth: A five year old who is trying on mom's clothes, and pretending she's a diva.
Nikki: HAHA!
McRoth: The heels don't fit, honey. She won’t win anything. There's no consistency in her work, and her work is really effing terrible.
Nikki: Maybe that's the consistent part?
McRoth: LMAO. That's just depressing.
Nikki: Cube's trying to cut corners, so consistency is now in how horrible their material is.
McRoth: I guess they're going back to battling out with CCM to see who can bust out the worst material.
Nikki: Don't even get me started on CCM. Although “Cry Cry” was pretty good last year.
McRoth: Both companies are failing so hard this year. It was decent on T-ara standards.
Nikki: But that's it. PHEW. It’s over.
McRoth: YES

Teen Top - "Baby U" + "To You"
Nikki: I'm still really neutral towards Teen Top. Sometimes I hate them because Niel's voice annoys me.
McRoth: Me too.
Nikki: But I liked this song.
McRoth: Niel's voice is ... an acquired taste
Nikki: LOL! He looks like someone I know too, which freaks me out majority of the time.
McRoth: hahaha
Nikki: But yeah, their vocals on this one were pretty strong.
McRoth: I love me some ricky, I just wish he had an actual voice worth listening to :x They don't sound bad.
Nikki: I don't even know who Ricky is. And seeing that I like the song to start with, this wasn't half bad!
McRoth: He's the one with the glasses!
McRoth: I think they're starting to grow as unit -- chemistry is growing.
Nikki: It better! They've been around for a few years now. And Infinite has slayed them.
McRoth: What I really love about TT though, is how strong of dancers they are. They give it 100% :o
Nikki: I hate how it reminds me so much of "Alone", because I hate "Alone".
McRoth: It IS “Alone”, basically
Nikki: Oh Brave Sound.
McRoth: But that's Brave Bros. for you
Nikki: One minute I love you for making "Because Of You", the next I hate you for everything else.
McRoth: Recycling material is his hobby
Nikki: It's his livelihood. Sad, really. Their vocals are surprisingly strong though.
McRoth: This isn't that strong for me, but they don't sound bad. They're moving so much. O_O
Nikki: It's not as painful as I was expecting it to be.
McRoth: How do they have the air to sing? All this sexual frustration won't fair well with noonas.
Nikki: LOL
McRoth: They sound good, but they're starting to get outta breath. Which always happens with them since their choreo is crazy as hell.
Nikki: At least it's not has bad as Miss A though, who are out of breath from the beginning.
McRoth: Oh, don't get me started on them lol
Nikki: Hahah!
McRoth: This wasn't bad at all
Nikki: I'm pleasantly surprised!
McRoth: Me too. I've always liked Teen Top. They just need to diversify their material and stop letting Niel take all the lines.
Nikki: ...I was on team Infinite.
McRoth: I’m still on team infinite lol.

Infinite - "The Chaser"
Nikki: On a musical level, I stan Infinite. They have identity.
McRoth: I stan them on all levels.
Nikki: They bore me to death on variety. D: But yeah. THIS is how to move with sophistication.
McRoth: I never watch variety programs, so I can't say much about them there. They know how to perform, and how to perform well
Nikki: That's my basis for stanning after music. They do! So classy, this entire package.
McRoth: Definitely, I also like that their songs are NEVER OUT OF THEIR RANGE, meaning they can sing it all.
Nikki: YES!
McRoth: Perfectly.
Nikki: Unlike idols who sing other people's songs better than their own. I'm looking at you, SNSD.
McRoth: I know, right. They're incredibly consistent, and that's respectable. They're also incredibly good looking. :x
Nikki: Oh McRoth :D
McRoth: Whaaat, all of this bare chest action is teasing the hell out of me T_T And those arms. *fans self*
Nikki: Trying goes a long way. That's why I like them and BEAST -- because majority of them are average, but they make up for it with good material and conviction.
McRoth: Definitely!! I can't wait for BEAST T_T I need them back in my life.

SNSD (Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun) - "Twinkle" + "OMG"
McRoth: Alright. Sooyoung is in this one, apparently.
Nikki: Yup, she dances at the beginning.
McRoth: I'm watching that now. She's so skinny.
Nikki: I know! I can see her bones, it's scary.
McRoth: I can't see her at all in that black dress lol. I just see a head bobbing around
Nikki: LOL. Taeyeon sounds glorious.
McRoth: Alright, Taeyeon is clearly in her element. This is the kind of music that works for her, imo.
Nikki: It is! Tiffany sounds less like a 3 year-old, but she could've done a lot better.
McRoth: SEO EMPRESS RULING LIKE THE EMPRESS SHE IS.
Nikki: I don't like her on this song. She's technically on-point but she only gets the intensity for like one second then BAM it's gone.
McRoth: >:[ I have to agree, this genre isn't for her. at all, actually.
Nikki: And when she's beside someone like Taeyeon.
McRoth: She wasn't a good fit for this unit, especially with this song.
Nikki: Ree was saying that Seohyun has the personality of a potato chip -- and I agree.
McRoth: HOW DARE SHE. HOW DARE YOU TWO DEFY MY EMPRESS LIKE THAT >:[
Nikki: ^_^ She has a gorgeous voice though.
McRoth: She sounds amazing, even if this song sucks.
Nikki: It's just not for these kinds of songs.
McRoth: This song was good for about a day, then I got over it.
Nikki: I never liked it, so anticlimactic.
McRoth: YES. It leads nowhere. I’m a big 'direction' guy, and this has one, but it leads no where.
Nikki: And SM production weighed it down Like, Taeyeon has soul, but the rest of the song has absolutely none.
McRoth: i call these kinds of songs circle songs, in that they drag you around in one big circle rather than leading you to a destination. I agree, Tae Tae is perfect on this song. Tiffers sounds ... Odd.
Nikki: She sounds like a pre-schooler.
McRoth: SEO EMPRESS ... needs to slay the person who added her to this unit, because she's not a good fit.
Nikki: But none of the others are good enough.
McRoth: Maybe Sunny?
Nikki: ....no. Please.
McRoth: LMAO
Nikki: God no.
McRoth: REE WOULD MEAN MUG YOU RIGHT NOW
Nikki: SHE KNOWS HOW I FEEL. If they turned Tiffany into a toddler.
McRoth: SHE'S MEAN MUGGING YOU RIGHT NOW
Nikki: They'd turn Sunny into a newborn
McRoth: LMAO

JYP - "You’re the One"
Nikki: The first time I saw this live was during K-Pop Star.
McRoth: :o
Nikki: And he was lip-synching.
McRoth: This is live.
Nikki: Yeah.
McRoth: And he's wearing weird leggings -- it's creeping me out.
Nikki: O.O They're like the ones JJ Project had last week, only more distracting because he's in a suit and he’s old and can’t carry it.
McRoth: LMAO ARE THEY SHARING WARDROBE?!
Nikki: I think it's kind of bad that we're talking about the clothes more than his performance.
McRoth: He has a great command of the stage, which comes naturally - OMG THE BACKUP DANCERS ARE WEARING THE SAME THING.
Nikki: THEY ARE.
McRoth: They distracted me lmao.
Nikki: MY EYES.
McRoth: I was about to say ... he's very natural on stage
Nikki: I... don't see it. I'm sorry.
McRoth: He's also very awkward .. this is getting awkward.
Nikki: I never really followed JYP as a performer. Like, I watched all the classics like "Honey” but that’s it.
McRoth: lol his voice cracked at the very end
Nikki: OMG LOL it did. Oh JYP.
McRoth: This wasn't a very memorable performance. I want JJ Project back, please.

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McRoth: that was such a terrible way of ending this recap T-T
Nikki: Well technically this isn't the end of the recap, but JYP isn’t that glorious and end either.
McRoth: Oh, haha. I agree.
Nikki: Aaaand we're done!
McRoth: AWESOME
Nikki: YAY!
McRoth: That was all over the place, but still fun.
Nikki: That's where the fun is. ^_^
McRoth: lmao
Nikki: We should do this more often. WE SHOULD RE-START THE KPOP PANEL. T_T
McRoth: Yesss. Mel, if you're reading this - COME BACK TO US D: The panel does not exist without you. ;_;
Nikki: It doesn't. We need youuuuuuuuu
McRoth: alright, that's a wrap!
Nikki: Whoot!
McRoth: I'm gonna go eat something now, im starving

But wait! There's more! When McRoth and I sat down to do this, we also did a lot of random talking, and it would be a waste to not include some parts of them. I present to you, the outtakes!

Nikki: It better be epic. I bought "Fiction and Fact" without batting an eyelash
McRoth: LMAO ME TOO. I have it right next to SHINee's "Lucifer" album. Yes, I bought it. >.Y
Nikki: I had “Rising Sun” and “Lucifer” bought for me in Korea.
McRoth: D:
Nikki: I keep them in my shrine beside my TSC DVD LOL
McRoth: LOL. SHRINE.
Nikki: TSC IS THE SINGLE BEST LIVE DVD BY A KOREAN ACT OKAY. IT DESERVES MUCH MORE THAN A SHRINE.
McRoth: HA :P It deserves a room to itself. OKAY.

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Nikki: It would be painful. I can imagine it already. Sunny needs to sing age-approriate things, like her duet with Miryo.
McRoth: I think they would keep her at the same level of excruciating cuteness, though.
Nikki: But SM doesn't get that.
McRoth: Ohh that song was pretty.
Nikki: IT WAS
McRoth: She sounded so nice on that one.
Nikki: IT WAS GLORIOUS. I loved it.
McRoth: Probably my fave track on that entire mini next to revenger. The rest flew right over my head.
Nikki: Really? I only liked the Sunny song and “Party Rock”. Guilty pleasure D:
McRoth: That one was okay. I did NOT LIKE the lead single
Nikki: Eh. Hated that.

------------

Nikki: No? Links?
McRoth: O_O Let me check.
Nikki: My Name and MIB. That's it! And we’re done. Then I have to do some massive editing.
McRoth: LAMO. LMAO ok. We did not plan this out so well haha.
Nikki: It's okay LOL. I edited horrible gramamr my entire senior year.
McRoth: *grammar lmao
Nikki: Yeah LOL. Sorry.
McRoth: That was less of a typo and more of a scrambled word.
Nikki: T_T
McRoth: :P MIB or MN first?
Nikki: You gave me My Name. That sounded strange.

------------

Nikki: But the line-up this week is really packed compared to some of the others.
McRoth: I noticed. The more we talked, the more of a cluster fuck it became. So many rookies.
Nikki: LOL!
McRoth: @_@
Nikki: And I can't believe that Infinite is second to the last in terms of seniority. Oh wait. Third. We did JYP.
McRoth: lol. That's just odd. They're a 2010 group. HOW ARE THEY SENIORS ALREADY?
Nikki: T_T
McRoth: I feel so old, too, with all of these babies running around.
Nikki: Ugh tel me about it
McRoth: Dalmatian has old members though, one of them is 30 O_O.
Nikki: REALLY? O.O
McRoth: Yeah o_O
Nikki: Gahee's around that age too, right?
McRoth: 31 I think. Inati of Dalmatian was born in 1981 O_O
Nikki: O.O

[May 27, 2012] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

I've made it out alive! Another week of complete music core recaps -- congratulate me! :D I quite like the current line-up, it has the right mix of good, bad, and in-betweens, and a lot of them to boot! We wrap up a complete comeback week for G.NA and B1A4, as well as debut week for VIXX and JJ Project. All our regulars are also in attendance -- TaeTiSeo, EXO-K, SISTAR and Infinite, among others.

*Recaps for VIXX and Dalmatian will follow in the next few hours.

Video credit goes to shu35151229 and Thanh Nam.

VIXX - "Super Hero"
To follow...

JJ Project - "Bounce"
See -- a little enthusiasm goes a very, very long way. Though their Music Bank performance was still the most technically strong of all their debut stages, I still think that this is easily one of the best debuts I've seen since I got into K-Pop, simply because these two were made to be on stage. Breathlessness will always chase them, but apart from a few parts here and there, they're handling it very well -- and even rapping in mid-air! They carry the song extremely well, they move with both grace and firmness, and they show exactly how much they enjoy being on stage, and prove how much they deserve it. They have, single-handedly, reminded me of why I went into K-Pop in the first place.

Hello Venus - "Venus"
Another consistent performance today, and apart from the overpowering backing track which SBS is legendary for (in the bad way, obviously), everything else was in-check. Boring around the edges, but consistent, at least.

EXO-K - "MAMA"
Before they started singing the verses, I was ready to say that maybe their way of showing their so-called "passion" was too concentrated on their facial expressions, so much so that it no longer looks effortless. But then when the first guy started singing, I stopped trying to make excuses for them. How many weeks have these guys been promoting? Why do they still look so uninterested and confused? Again, I make exceptions for debut stages because from experience, going from rehearsal rooms to broadcast stations with dozens of cameras in every possible direction is confusing, but after debut week they should be over all this confusion. I really don't get it, because everyone says that "oh they have so much passion, oh they're such good performers", but I don't see it, because they sure don't move like it.

B.A.P. - "Power"
I don't know if I just wasn't paying enough attention yesterday, but today's performance sounds a bit flat. Their presence is still there, but during their last few performances, their delivery of the song alone made me want to watch the rest of their performance -- that didn't happen today.

B1A4 - "Baby Good Night"
Not only is the chorus extremely anticlimactic, it's also ridiculously cheesy and weak, which is why even the so-so verses can't make up for it. What makes it even worse is that they sound horrible live, because they can neither sing the melody or the harmony properly. Another example of okay performers and so-so singers being ruined by bad A&R. I don't know about you, but it definitely won't be a good night if I heard this song before I slept.

Dalmatian - "E.R."
The sub-par SBS sound is of absolutely no help to Dalmatian's case. The belting at the chorus was stronger than I thought it would be, which is good, but apart from that the rest of the song is like a jumble of whispers to me, not singing. Their presence is okay, but nothing special, and they, as a whole, are very generic.

A Pink - "Hush"
Pretty strong vocals, considering that it's A Pink, but I'm afraid even that isn't enough to make me like the song even a bit. (A)Cube just keeps screwing up this year, and I'm beginning to lose my patience for them.

G.NA - "Summer Star" + "2Hot"
It pains me to think that while comeback week for G.NA is finally over, we still have a good three or four weeks of her degradation to watch. I don't know if I can take that much. She's starting to get the hang of the ballad (ever to slightly -- it's only painful 80% of the time now compared to the 100% last Friday), but that's a very minuscule improvement compared to what could have been. In case Cube hasn't gotten the picture yet, I meant that they should've given her a better song, because this really is a joke. Please tell me I'm dreaming.

Infinite - "The Chaser"
And this, my friends, is how you do class on a mid-line budget. Get a distinct song, use the best production you can, and deliver it well with style and fluidity. This is proof that you don't need to be high-budget to be classy, because at the end of the day, majority of the sophistication comes from the performers themselves. And Infinite has class.

SISTAR - "Alone"
Let this be a lesson to girl groups everywhere -- please, if you're going to be cheap, you might as well go all the way. Don't try to hide it behind a flimsy "sophisticated" facade, because you'll end up like SISTAR. They may have a few talented members here and there, but that all went down the drain when their cheap material and stage mannerisms ruined it.

SNSD (Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun) - "Twinkle"(WINNER)
Seohyun just needs to work on her release. She's like an un-iced cake right now -- she has all the technique and she's pretty much good to go, but she could be a lot better. And, icing also allows the cake to adapt to whatever occasion it's for -- Seohyun doesn't have conviction in her flexibility as a singer like Taeyeon does. Otherwise, another strong performance

[May 25, 2012] KBS Music Bank Highlights + Commentary

Lots of acts to cover on this week's recap, with comebacks and debuts to add to the already-packed line-up. I was really surprised at how long this recap turned out to be! New girl group She'z, boy band VIXX, and JYP's JJ Project make their Music Bank debuts, and we see the return of F.Cuz, B1A4 and G.NA, all armed with new material. No more 4Minute, so that means that SISTAR should start wrapping up promo for "Alone" as well. Also in attendance are now-regulars EXO-K, A Pink, B.A.P., TaeTiSeo, Hello Venus, and a host of others. Is it really a surprise who won today?

Video credit goes to shu35151229 and KoreanMusicTVLive.

VIXX - "Super Hero"
Yet another new group I've never heard about. I should really do my homework before writing these recaps, because I literally just added these guys in when they came on with JJ Project. From the performance alone they're pretty average, but being a new group I see potential. The song itself has a beautiful melody if they can sustain singing it right live, and individually, they move very naturally on stage. Group dynamics are a bit off for now, but it's good that none of them move like robots individually. I'm keeping my eye on them out of curiosity.

She'z - "My Way"
While major label girl groups seem to be at a standstill in terms of vocals, it looks like the lesser-labels are starting to understand the concept of a "singer", because these girls are all rather stable live singers. The voices remind me of some members from the ill-fated Black Pearl (who didn't really have a good debut either but yeah), which is an okay thing, but with the right songs these girls could really work. We need to work on the material and the choreography though, and get you girls more flattering costumes. But I'd rather that be the problem than a total lack of vocal ability.

JJ Project - "Bounce"
And that, my friends, is how you pull off a debut stage, complete with literal jumping and prancing around stage. It wasn't a perfect performance, but what makes them so much better as live performers is that the mistakes they made, and the problems I saw, aren't the type that needs continuous practice and drastic changes -- they're little problems that can be easily fixed by telling them where they went wrong, like slips with the words, not looking at the camera, the little details like that. I'm starting to really like JJ Project, with their old-school K-Pop sound and their apparent talent laced with a good group dynamic, which was what I was worried about the most. When I saw the video I couldn't really tell whether the two worked well as a duo, but after today's performance (and yesterday's M!Countdown one as well), I think it's safe to say that I worried for nothing.

Hello Venus - "Venus"
These girls are really growing on me. I hate the poofy skirts today, but everything else about the performance is on-point. Vocals are stable, presence is there but not overpowering, and they're starting to move more and more like a group. I just really hope they don't go down the Girls' Day route, because this is a dangerously few steps up.

EXO-K - "MAMA"
This late in the game and they're still moving around like robots? I understand that it's partially the nature of the choreography, but EXO-M do it perfectly fine. It won't hurt to move with fluidity, and if anything, it'll make it much less of a chore to watch them perform if they show some semblance of delight or joy in their movements. Their vocals are doing a lot better, and they no longer sound like fighting pre-schoolers, which is a relief, but something has to be done about that scream at the beginning. If you can't reach that high, lower it!

B.A.P. - "Power"
Another strong performance from the five-piece today, and I really love how even if I'm not a big fan of the song, they literally peeled my eyes off my computer screen so I could watch the performance. I can't really comment on the rapping, but their vocals were stable today, and very gutsy. Not yet a convert, but I'm working on it.

A Pink - "Hush"
I love the outfits, but that's basically the only thing. Their vocals are getting much more stable, but it's of no help because this song was doomed from the very beginning. Just skipping along now.

Dalmatian - "E.R."
It's good that the whispering has been solved and I can actually hear actual, rather good, singing now, but E.R. is neither fresh, nor is it exceptionally gorgeous enough to catch my ear. And their stage presence isn't any stronger than groups of lesser stature, so they don't win me over with their performances either. Which is why Dalmatian is still meh for me.

B1A4 - "Good Night Good Night "
After last year's disaster of a single, it looks like B1A4 are starting to redeem themselves. "Baby I'm Sorry" was actually a pretty good song, and this new single isn't half bad either. It's a mess, but not as much as their previous releases. The chorus is... interesting, to say the least, anticlimactic if I were to be nice, and the rap middle 8 is a complete mess, but the verses are strong. Their performance is kind of understandable, and they've always had good stage deportment, so it was okay to watch. But that's all it is for now -- okay.

F.Cuz - "No. 1"
Oh wow, I haven't seen F.Cuz in what feels like ages. With one member moving on to musicals alongside my beloved Junsu, and whatever other drama they went though. I didn't particularly like them, but I kind of pity them because some of the other groups who debuted alongside them have already moved up the ladder, while they (and ZE:A) are still pretty nugu. Their vocals are nothing to write home about though, rather rough around the edges, and although this song is a massive step up from the stuff they put out in the past ("Jiggy", anyone?), it's still pretty generic. I'm putting them on probation for now. We'll see.

G.NA - "Summer Star" + "2Hot"
I pity G.NA so much, it's not even funny anymore. Because of all the crap Cube is giving her, she's basically regressed in terms of vocals. I mean she's never really had a stadium ballad-calibre voice, but old G.NA would've slayed "Summer Star", or even just pulled it off well. New G.NA did neither. Her vocals were thinner than usual, she let go at all the wrong places, and her belting wasn't even proper belting. And don't even get me started on "2Hot". The song itself is a disaster of a generic and cheap package (as usual), and it doesn't help that G.NA's vocals have deteriorated this much, so much that she has to sing like a 2 year-old to make up for it. Cheap song, cheap choreography, cheap everything. My only compliment would be that at least she's really cheap and pretentiously cheap like SISTAR.

Infinite - "The Chaser"
Brilliant performance today, and I love how they spiced up the entrance with the paper and all. Their vocals are getting better and better each week, and with the exception of some of the parts after the key change, everything was stable today. Infinite have come to the stage where they literally hold the audience in the palm of their hands, a stage I've been waiting a long time for, because it's a glorious, glorious time. They really move not only fluidly, but also as a group, and that makes it such a joy to watch them perform.

SISTAR - "Alone"
And I see SISTAR are no longer in the running for number one this week. Is this goodbye stage-week? Is it at least coming soon? Please? I mean, their vocals have become really stable and almost strong, and now one of the formerly-useless girls, Soyu I believe, is no longer as useless as she was before, which is one of the few good things to come out of this promo cycle, but "Alone" is just really boring now. Please, end my misery soon.

SNSD (Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun) - "Twinkle"(WINNER)
Not much change from last week's performances, which were not much of a change either, but at least they've been stable since the beginning (when we talk about this song in particular, because the "Baby Steps" performance did the stunning song no justice), and it's a song that really matches majority of them. Seohyun's still lacking that one, valuable component. She has everything else really mastered, but she still lacks the power.

[May 20, 2012] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

Did KBS and SBS switch sound guys or something? For the first time in forever (or at least since I started music show recaps, which was a long time ago), SBS had better sound than KBS this week! Which I hope doesn't happen again next week, because MuBank is the only music show I can actually watch on an actual TV, and it might as well be the one with the best sound. But moving on, today's line-up is pretty much the same, with the exception of EXO-M joining EXO-K on their performance, which I assume was pre-recorded because SM TOWN is in LA right now.

Hello Venus - "Venus"
One of the things I like about Hello Venus is that their rapper can sing. What's her name again? Lime? Kiwi? I just know it's a fruit. But yeah, she can sing, which is always good. Today's performance was consistent with the previous ones -- the vocals are pretty much all there, the stage presence is getting a bit stronger, but their group dynamics are still off.

EXO-K+M - "MAMA"
Excuse me while I cry over the fact that this was lip-synched again, so now I have to spend the entire time complaining about it. Ever since I found out from Ree that EXO-M were going to join in a couple of music show performances, I've been really excited because now I can actually gauge who the better group is. I haven't seen the other performances, but just with this alone, all that has gone down the drain. But I must say, I like EXO-M's group dynamic and stage deportment much, much better than EXO-K's. M already has the foundations of a good group dynamic, and they move with much more effortlessness and less of that Lee Joon "I'm so great, I'll exaggerate everything I do on stage" complex that I hate so much.

B.A.P. - "Power"
In terms of what I think of them, B.A.P. are slowly turning into a Big Bang. I've said this before -- there are basically two types of groups I like. The first is obviously, the DBSKs of the world, the bands who I really like for everything they are -- material, performance, vocals, the works. The second, however, are the Big Bangs -- the bands who I don't necessarily like material-wise, but who have my respect because they do put good material out, and above that, they are really talented individuals and a well-rounded group. That's what B.A.P. are. Their music isn't my taste, but seeing them perform today, and in the past few weeks, has made me admire them, at the very least. The stage presence is there, the group dynamics are good, and most of all, they know what they do well, and they stick to it. Respect is something else, but they're moving towards that. We'll see.

A Pink - "Hush"
Did A Cube somehow not get the memo that these retro-inspired songs were last year's thing? Or are they really just stuck in a time warp? Either way, "Hush" is the kind of song that needs really strong performers to be able to salvage whatever goodness is left in it, and while A Pink aren't horribly bad performers like they were when they debuted, they aren't exactly outstanding either. I liked their outfits today though, but that's it. Can we please just move on to whatever's next? Please?

Dalmatian - "ER"
Here we go again with the whispering during the verses, guys. Is that how you were taught to sing, or are you really that shy? The chorus is much better than the verse, and lightyears better than last Friday's performance, but I'm not really convinced. I hear some voices now, and they all pretty much have some kind of stage presence, but this sounds more like a filler track or an intermission number to me.

Infinite - "Only Tear" + "The Chaser"
I watched yesterday's performance (for my ill-fated MuCore recap, which will probably never see the light of being published), and their "Only Tear" performance today is definitely a lot better than the previous days. It's still pretty average, the unnecessary vibrato has pretty much been cleared out now, and the high notes are much clearer. Their performance of "The Chaster" today was my favorite of all their comeback stages, for a variety of reasons. First off, they used my favorite set and my favorite outfits from the video! So classy. Today's performance also made me realize why I like watching Infinite so much -- because even if they don't all have amazing vocals, they're all pretty stable, and even if their choreography is very heavy and they keep moving, they do so with a spring in their step, with a sense of effortlessness. They literally prance around stage. First, and probably only, round of goosebumps I got tonight. And the only performance I genuinely enjoyed watching from start to finish.

SISTAR - "Alone"
Oh SISTAR. I've tried to like you, time and time again, and Hyorin has a gorgeous voice, but whenever I think I'm about to like you, you put out a cheap song with a cheap performance and move with little grace. Being sophisticated isn't just about putting on these supposedly "expensive-looking" dresses, diamonds, pearls, and releasing a song with so-called "high instruments". It's not in what you do, it's in how you do it, and that's where you always fail. In all honesty, I'd much prefer it if they stopped trying to look sophisticated, because "Shady Girl" was my favorite single of theirs, and it was actually really good.

4Minute - "Volume Up"
What did I say? I knew it was goodbye week, I just knew it. If anything, Jiyoon and Gayoon have obviously gotten really comfortable with the song. I wish I could say the same for useless leader (whatever her name is) and HyunA, but I can't, because it wouldn't be true. In terms of performance though, I liked their auras today -- they were happy, and it's not just because they were all smiling, but the way they moved was very springy and bright, a nice contrast to the very dark sound of the song.

SNSD (Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun) - "Twinkle"(WINNER)
I loved the outfits today -- the cut, the color, how they looked on the girls. Other than that, it was more of the usual. Competent vocals, competent presence, command of the audience -- the works.

[May 18, 2012] KBS Music Bank Highlights + Commentary

Guess who's back! *insert sobbing over Junsu's obvious and predictable absence from music shows* But on the bright side, this week's line-up seems to be a fair mix of good and meh acts+singles, so I'm not complaining! The only problem is, it seems like the KBS sound guy either hates everyone on today, or is just too lazy to do his job, because today's show was a backing track fest! Focus, KBS, focus!

I don't own any of the videos, and I got them from everywhere this week.

Hello Venus - "Venus"

I watched one of their debut performances last week, and just like what happened today, I had a hard time figuring out whether or not they were lip-syncing the performance. However, high notes and ad-libs are always a giveaway, and I've come to the conclusion that KBS turned their backing track too high, but they're singing live during the choruses, and most probably drowned out by the backing track during the chorus. You lied to me -- I thought we'd never have this problem, KBS! Individually the girls are pretty confident, fluid and natural on stage, and considering the new groups we've seen so far this year, they're actually pretty high-up the group dynamics chain. There are still portions where they don't look like a group, and the chorus can be a bit uncomfortable to watch if you don't already like the song, but they're not ridiculously bad. Performane-wise, they're right between meh and okay right now.

B.A.P. - "Power"

"Power" is a very idol performance, and reminds me a lot of late 90's/early 2000's boy band "world domination" singles. This song in particular isn't really my taste, but as performers I'm completely drawn in to these guys. Their average singing today is half their fault, half KBS', but since majority of the song is rapping and semi-screams mixed with growls, it's not that obvious that KBS has totally screwed up the sound today. I'm keeping my eye on you guys.

A Pink - "Hush"

Sometimes, I wonder how Cube can ruin it's acts this well. "Hush" isn't a ridiculously bad song for K-Pop standards, but aside from being average and un-singable, they're a year late in terms of sound! This is the problem when you copy another group who also copied something else -- if you do it right after them, you'll be called a copycat, but if you do it much, much later, you'll be called late. And it's not like this is a big re-arrangement or they're outstanding singers or anything. You were going in the right direction with "MY MY" Cube, but you just had to break that streak! The performance was painful vocally, and so boring.

Dalmatian - "ER"

Wow, okay. I've never seen any Dalmatian performances prior to this, and I haven't heard their new EP yet, but this is pretty bad. Apart from the distracting guy who is literally prettier and thinner than me, when sounds actually come out of their mouths, they come out as whispers. Or wails. Apart from the blondish guy who sings the first line of the middle 8. Apart from that, the vocals are pretty much a disaster. Performance-wise they're okay, but nothing out of the ordinary for a band of their stature.

Girls' Day - "Oh! My God"

Whenever I hear this song I suddenly have the urge to strangle something, or someone. Preferably whoever thought it was a good idea to let humans hear something like this. But even after all the pain, they're a bunch of girls in their late teens/early twenties prancing around, sounding like my 4 month-old nephew. Cute, but ridiculously inappropriate, so much so that it just gets annoying. I'm kind of proud to say that I've never wanted to try and like Girls' Day.

Infinite - "Only Tear" + "The Chaser"

"Only Tear" was okay, a few slips here and there, but I most definitely prefer these guys doing an all-out idol singing and dancing extravaganza. I mean okay, some of them can sing, but the rest are very, very unstable live, what more doing a ballad. Boring around the edges, and not something I particularly enjoyed. "The Chaser" is a completely different story though. I love their outfits, because on other groups they would actually look really cheap, what with the red, yellow and black combination, but they carry it well, just like they carry the performance and literally hold the audience in their hands now. I mean listen to the screams in relation to the noisy instrumental -- they don't stop. They've gotten very comfortable with their music, something a lot of groups never get the chance to do, and it shows in their vocals. Sunggyu and Woohyun sound amazing (yes, I've learned their faces already!), and everyone else is comfortably stable. Best performance of the show.

SISTAR - "Alone"

I know those huge slits on their dresses are the main points of the choreography and whatever, but they also contribute to the reason why everything about this performance looks so cheap. Their vocals are gotten surprisingly stable, which is probably the only good thing with this performance. Otherwise, I'm not sold. At all.

4Minute - "Volume Up"

So I see Hyun A still hasn't learned how to sing. Other than that, their performances of this are beginning to bore me, which means that one, promo is almost over, and two, this song is getting stale. Not that it was that amazing a song to begin with (better than "Alone" though), but you get my point.

U-Kiss - "DORADORA"

Before they came on stage, I completely forgot what "DORADORA" sounded like -- it's so bad, it's not even memorable in the annoying way. This entire song lacks kick, and while U-Kiss are pretty competent performers and they do have stable vocals in the band, as shown by today's performance, it's just not enough to save a song as flat as this.

SNSD (Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun) - "Twinkle"(WINNER)

I have come to the conclusion that that's really all Seohyun can push, which is a pity. She has a voice, a really pretty one for K-Pop standards, but it's just not cut out for this song. The technique is all there, complete with vibratos and sliding notes, but her voice just really doesn't have enough power for these songs. However, I'm glad Tiffany no longer sounds like a three year-old, and that Taeyeon hasn't regressed.

[#44] A Pink - "MY MY"

From: "Snow Pink" (Album)
Released: November 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.45

If you're interested, I also wrote a much more tame and simplified review for my soompi column here.

One of the few reasons why this is on the list, and rather high up for a song, and act, like this, is because I absolutely adore the idea of this recording. Never mind the pathetic live performances or the saccharine sweet music video, the song brings me, and you guys too, back to the late 90's/early 2000's golden age of your ultimate Swedish-produced, wannabe pop princess debut single, complete with the "Baby One More Time" rip-off video.


Those were the days.

What I like best about the song is that it's managed to take the girls' really shrill, to the point of annoying, vocals and make use of them. First in the way they were treated, which created a bit of an echo and I assume their vocals were double-tracked, and second in the actual melody and structure of the song. Short lines, lots of breaths and breaks, and the turn-over between member solos is pretty fast. That and the verses are pretty short, actually, or at least the line distribution makes it seem like that.

The song itself is really lively, kinda like "Love Power", but female vocals, A Pink's soft and sometimes incompetent vocals in particular, give it a much gentler sound. "MY MY" sounds really warm, and if I may say so, the way everything was mixed and put through post-prod made the song sound like a fur ball.

I kid you not.

If fur balls were a sound, this song would be one with slightly sharper fur, but the fur ball nonetheless. AND, that makes it the perfect alarm song. In fact, when I'm not in a hurry to wake up (in which case I blast "Rising Sun" or "Me, In" from my alarm), this is the song I use. Fur ball. Enough said.

[July 10, 2011] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

Yay! Another recap! I can't guarantee you guys that I'll be back next week/this Friday, because this weekend was unusually light on assignments, but I'll try. Today's Inki was in celebration of Korea winning the bid for the Winter Olympics (or so I heard), so some of the acts on today had little gimmicks here and there. We say goodbye to f(x) for the year (I suppose), but HELLO TO CSJH!


Video credit goes to CodeAnalysisSeason5. Yay!

B1A4 - "Only Learned The Bad Things"
Weak vocals today, apart from that guy who sang first/did the middle 8, and I've come to the conclusion that B1A4 is better off with the uptempos. That's not to say that they're not proficient and the uptempos are a way to mask their incompetent vocals because they actually have decent voices, it's just that they do much, much better prancing around stage (while singing) - they all look more comfortable.

A Pink - "It Girl"
I really do not understand the rationale of making your voice light and incompetent ON PURPOSE. Do they want to be cute? Because it just makes them sound like bad singers. I'm pretty sure that majority of these girls don't sing like that in real life. Stop degrading yourselves, then we'll talk, A Pink.

Girls' Day - "Hug Me Once"
Can we just skip this entirely? I suppose I'd take this over Hyun A, but I'd hardly call that a compliment.

Rainbow - "Sweet Dream"
Another strong performance - I'm glad Rainbow are shaping up, it took long enough! And it's surprising because the girls who are now getting competent aren't the ones I originally liked, bar the girl who used to be blonde (with bangs?), who is apparently their lead singer.

f(x) - "Danger" + "Hot Summer"
So, this is the last we'll see of f(x) on music shows for a while. The girls have really stepped up this year, and at this point they really do deserve their status in SM. The performances are not up to par with their seniors just yet, but they're pretty close - they have the vocals and the presence down, all that's left is the command of the stage. They've not completely immune to Inki sound yet, which is why today's vocals were softer than usual, but a strong effort and a nice way to wrap things up.

Hyun A - "Attention" + "Bubble Pop"
You know, for all the insults and the crap I go through just because I like kpop, I've never been ashamed of liking it - until Hyun A started "singing". Like, in all honesty even with Girls' Day and A Pink and Dal Shabet I just shrugged them off, but Hyun A's case is more than just not being able to sing, even if I admit that's the biggest factor. It's a very cheap performance. You can argue that "but people have shown more skin before!", but it's not just about the clothes, it's everything put together - the clothes, the choreography, the song. And the fact that she's actually try hard to one, sing, and two, make it seem like it's not cheap just makes it worse. I don't know if I should laugh or cry because it's so ridiculous. I mean think about it, she's actually trying, and people actually like the fact that she can't sing. If it was just cheap I'd shrug it off because I live in a country where noontime shows are the epitome of cheap and showbiz shows aren't aware of the concept of tact, but they don't mask the fact that they're cheap. Bottom line is, this entire idea of Hyun A singing and releasing this single is ridiculous and I would like to shoot whoever thought of it.

ZE:A - "Watch Out!" + "Heart For 2"
Weak vocals on the first song, but nice try - I'd like to see a full performance of that song, to be honest. As much as I like "Watch Out!" and as much as their vocals are actually pretty decent on it (which is the deciding factor most of the time), I cringe whenever I see the choreography and the wardrobe. Of course the first songs sounds like a gazillion other songs out now, but if they can pull it off well (which, by the looks of it has rather slim chances but is worth a shot) and not make me cringe, I can manage. Basically, what ZE:A have to do now is put together all the good points they've shown so far, and put something out that emphasizes all of them - because it's possible.

Secret - "Starlight Moonlight"
Earlier this year I was THIS close to liking Secret, but I'm afraid it just wasn't meant to happen. Starlight isn't a bad song, and considering all the other songs out right now I really shouldn't be complaining, but the song just isn't my taste. Secret have turned into rather competent and strong live performers since I last saw them, which is good - even Sunhwa and the blonde girl got pretty strong! The performance makes me like the song a bit more, but not enough I'm afraid. Strong performance as a whole.

T-Ara - "Roly Poly"
To be honest, today's performance wasn't half bad. It's the kind that you know isn't the best, but it draws you in and makes you want to watch 'till the end because their vocals aren't painful and the concept is rather intriguing. Core Contents knows how to sell T-Ara, and T-Ara know how to sell a song - I'll give them that.

2NE1 - "I Am The Best"
But of course, when you talk about a girl group who makes you want to watch them even if you don't like the song, 2NE1 win over anyone active right now. These girls are playing - they have enough actual talent to just not think about the technicalities for a second and just make you, force you, to watch them. Willingly. The crazy outfits, the choreography, the song - everything makes sense, no matter how ridiculous it may sound.

SHINee and f(x) - "Hello"
Before I start, WHERE THE HELL IS ONEW AND WHY ISN'T HE HERE. So anyway. I think we learned a lot from this performance, didn't we? Victoria and Sulli should never be let near another SHINee song and should just sing f(x) songs forever because they don't sound sad. Krystal's so-so, Amber is SURPRISINGLY NOT BAD, and Luna can sing anything she wants to. But we all knew that. Key got his nice timbre back, THANK GOD, Taemin needs more practice but he's still Jaejoong v2 for me, and Minho isn't half bad. It was a competent performance, but lacked a bit of punch at some parts.

CSJH (Dana And Sunday) - "One More Chance"
I understand that they're not on this week's Take 7, but to have CSJH perform that early in the show is insulting - I'm insulted. This is not some random girl group - this is CS freaking JH, the queens of kpop. But what's done is done. Today's performance was one of the rare times that I prefer listening to the live version over the recording - even with the small slip-ups, as a whole their vocals on this had much more life and punch and body compared to the recording (the one on the music video, at least) and even if it was there during the past few days, the "we're the queens, we can do anything we want to so bow down now or else" attitude of the performance is getting stronger and stronger. And may I just say that these were my favorite outfits from the video - not my favorite hair, I like it when they have their hair down, but these are classy without being too stiff - it matches the song well. The whole performance was really like being in the presence of queens - it was frivolous but not too excessive, strong but not perfect to the point of being robotic, and a feast to your senses. My mind is spinning just thinking what it'll be like to see all four of them on stage again.

2PM - "Hands Up" (WINNER)
They're not completely undeserving of their wins, but I wouldn't say that they're the most worthy either. To be honest, today's performance went right through me. When you're not concentrating on the performance and really picking out the nitty gritty the entire thing just whizzes by leaving no trail. I was like "wait, that's it?" - the song itself just goes on and on and on, and I'm afraid their less than spectacular vocals don't really do much to help it. When you think about it though, it's an OK song and a pretty fun performance.

[May 8, 2011] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

I only noticed it as a write this (I usually write my intros last, just before I'm about the publish these posts) that there were no boybands on today. I'm sad. LOL. I'm not complaining about the sound too much today, but I'd still like the sound guy to die for his crimes before, and now. So yeah.


Thanks to CrazyCarrot370 for the videos. :D

A Pink - "Don't Know"
They smile too much - they're too happy, almost like robots. It freaks me out. You'd think that they'd make robots with nicer voices though. LOL. My thoughts on them remain the same as all the previous performances. We'll talk when you shape up, A Pink.

Dal Shabet - "Pink Rocket"
I'm sorry, but I just have to reply to this comment I saw on the YT video for this performance. The person said (not verbatim) something like "I went to sing this at a karaoke place and I couldn't sing it! IT'S AN AWESOME SONG! YAY!" - words cannot describe how much I want to bang my head on this desk at this very moment. That is all.

SISTAR 19 - "My Boy"
The entire performance is so anti-climactic, and I have the perfect word to describe it - it's bland. At least audio-visually it is - there isn't that big a difference between muting the sound and putting it on full volume. However, I believe that Hyorin's vocals should be commended - they are consistent as hell. Of course the low-energy, not much moving required, song helps, but still. But then again, when have I ever not acknowledged that the girl can sing? I hate on SISTAR, on their performances, but I have never spoken ill of Hyorin's voice. It's the other 3 of them who I have problems with. LOL.

Rainbow - "To Me"
I've noticed over the past few weeks is that the distribution of lines among the band is pretty accurate, and the right girls get the most airtime, which ultimately has helped in making the performances of this now near-decent. Let's just work on getting these girls a song they can actually pull off well, DSP, and that should be good enough.

4Minute - "Heart to Heart"
OK maknae girl annoys me again. Hyun A's shaping up, good. Jiyoon's competent as always, and Gayoon is Gayoon. Hate the outfits though, sorry. But you know, the verses of this could've easily been ala-SISTAR 19 - bland and whatnot - but because they have presence, which doesn't always please me but is nevertheless there, the performance as a whole falls into place. It's just that the song isn't that amazing and their vocals are kinda blegh.

After School - "Shampoo"
I want my spunky, powerful After School baaaaaack. *whines* I'll go down on my knees again if I have to, Pledis, JUST GIVE ME BACK THOSE POWERFUL PERFORMANCES PLEASE. (and give Jung Ah long, straight hair please - she looks gorgeous that way) For a while I was fine with this new single, and it really isn't that bad, but I miss all the angst and power that made me like them so much. This performance is so bland (in a different way - not like the SISTAR 19 blandness) and too light and too now-AS that I'm getting bored. But I'm starting to hear rabid fan screams and the fan chants are getting louder and louder - yay!

Jay Park - "Abandoned"
He's not the best live singer in the world, and you know there are times when he's having a hard time, but he meets standards, and he can perform a 3 and a half minute song with minimal errors. And watching his performances along with listening to the song all weekend has made me realize that he IS a lot like a young, urban Rain. (again, do not give me the "don't compare them" lecture) The song itself is pretty, the recording very edgy and decent, but the performances bring it to a whole new level - he can sing, the song is good, but you have to watch him to see the magic. Everything about the recording is magnified, made raw and real by the right person in the right way - my god are these performances a sight.

f(x) - "Danger" (WINNER)
My stand on them is similar to how I thought about Miss A - I'm not crazy about them, but there are parts of them that I like, I DO understand why they win, and acknowledge that they deserve the wins. They all had handsfree mics today, and the difference of ALL their vocals when they use handsfree and hand-held mics is slowly blurring - it's still obvious, but not as obvious as it was during previous promo rounds.