As an EP, "Only One" was pretty okay -- cohesive, and the songs were all strong on their own -- but I had two problems with it. First, there were more fireworks between the songs, and second, for an act as practiced and experienced as BoA, the album sounds kind of boring. I mean they were gorgeous songs, but all in all they just fell flat.
But then there was "Not Over U". It's a mid-tempo, which means that it can potentially hide BoA's shortcomings as a vocalist (mainly how she gets squeaky whenever she has to do a lot of high notes), and it's in the right vocal range for her as well, unlike some of the other songs on the EP. BoA sounds great on it -- this is what happens when you really take the time out to tailor-fit an repertoire, or even just a song.
The instrumental was what really drew me to the song though. I love how it starts off just a guitar line and slowly progresses into something pretty far from it. It's interesting enough to carry the otherwise flat melody, and literally makes the choruses soar. There's so much going on, but it's just like one blast of chaos then everything goes back to normal.
Now if "Only One" was full of songs like this (but not carbon copies!), I wouldn't be complaining. That much.
Shinhwa made their comeback last month, and while there were a good number of fans freaking out, me included, the other half of the K-Pop fandom was nonchalant, even negative towards them. I'd hear things like "why are they still around" or "who are those old guys" and honestly, if these fans had just bothered to do a simple google search, then maybe they'd know the significance of Shinhwa's comeback to K-Pop as a whole. I understand that newer K-Pop fans have no affinity to Shinhwa, that they weren't round during their golden days, but just a reminder, neither was I. Not having experienced a Shinhwa comeback is no excuse for not bothering to look up the very basic facts and figures. Just because they weren't around when you became a fan, doesn't mean they don't deserve the same treatment as other acts.
Sure, fine, living in the present is great and the past should stay in the past and all that, but you will only be able to understand the present if you know what happened in the past. "Write the present, master the past" -- that was what I always told the writers under me back when I was working in K-Pop news. Whether you like it or not, the past has affected the present, and as writers and fans who live in the present, it's only right that you understand what's happening. Of course, as a music writer I had to learn and listen to practically everything, and as casual fans who don't really plan on a career in this you don't need to be an expert, but what we're going for here is a sense of understanding.
It's a double-edged sword -- the biggest problems of K-Pop are that the industry has no sense of longevity when it comes to idols, and the fans don't have a sense of history. Now until one of those sides is fixed, the other will remain and of course as fans, the easiest way is to start with ourselves. I've tried breaking the importance of this historical mindset within the K-Pop news writers, and honestly, none of them want it to happen, because they think the fans won't understand it. If the news writers don't want to start it, then it has to come from the fans. I don't think anyone wants to be considered stupid by anyone.
Shinhwa lasting fourteen years together is huge and practically unheard of, but in other countries other bands have lasted for much longer. Of course when we talk of "idol" equivalents abroad the standard lifespan has always been five years, but you see, these foreign industries only built themselves around groups for a short period of time and showcase a very wide variety of chart-topping, mainstream acts, whereas idols and idol groups are K-Pop. And because idols are the majority of the industry, everyone has to invest as much as they can -- from the people on top, all the way to the fans.
Everything starts with a sense of history. If K-Pop wants to continue pushing idols as the majority of the industry, fans have to know why, and they have to at least be able to understand how everything works, and how things came to be.
I completely understand that a lot of people don't like the idea of "history", and as a kid I despised history class too. I didn't like memorizing names and dates and places and listening to lectures about wars and colonization, and I'm sure there are a lot of people who felt the same way. However, I realize now that I hated history because I didn't understand it, because I was just memorizing empty facts and not using it in everyday situations.
The history that K-Pop fans have to learn is very basic and extremely relevant. You don't have to religiously follow every single act that ever existed, you don't even have to go all the way back several decades and know everything about everything -- you just have to make an effort better understand your present. This so-called "history" you need in K-Pop doesn't have to feel so much like history, because of modern technology. It's so easy to look up facts and events now, much easier than it was several years ago. Watch a few YouTube videos, look at a few pictures -- all of those are historic, and entertaining. They don't have to be boring news items or Wikipedia articles, because watching the actual videos is even better.
All you have to do is go back a little over a decade and start from there. Earlier idol groups like H.O.T., G.o.d., S.E.S., Fin.K.L. Shinhwa and of course Seo Taiji & Boys were massively successful with local consumers, and sold albums in the millions. Look up a video of an H.O.T. concert and you'll know why. Because of their success, newer generations of idols and idol groups were launched -- Rain, BoA, DBSK, CSJH, and later Super Junior, SS501 and Big Bang. DBSK's debut was significant because it was a time when solo artists ruled music shows -- watch even just one of their Mutizen song wins and observe the other contenders for the prize. BoA and DBSK worked for years in Japan before cementing themselves as the frontrunners of the Hallyu wave -- DBSK became the first Korean group to make it to the Kouhaku Uta Gassen in 2008, after three years, three albums, and over twenty singles.
In more "current" times we have fandom wars, never-ending plagiarism claims, acts suing their agencies, and countless member re-shuffles. Know that the KARA we know today isn't the KARA that debuted in 2007, and the same goes for the Wonder Girls, 2PM, and evenDBSK, Super Junior and CSJH. People have come and gone, have moved groups and changed paths, and groups have built their names around very different things. Trace histories of groups you already know, and you'll be surprised at what you'll find out.
Knowing all this will help you understand why everyone's moving to Japan, why fans are up in arms over something, why this person said that, and basically everything that's happening in K-Pop these days. Honestly, don't you want that? A sense of history and understanding?
Just a quick explanation of how I'm doing this year's Christmas posts. So, obviously this SM TOWN Christmas album is part 1, and for part 2 I'll be reviewing some of my favorite K-Pop Christmas offerings, both old and new. Rules and stuff will be discussed in part 2. But now, on to more important business.
It's been a good three years since any sort of SM Town release, the last being the half-SM Town Summer 2009 EP with Super Junior, SHINee and DBSK. If you remember correctly, we were told that the other half of SM Town, namely the girls, would be featured on the Christmas album. Well, clearly that didn't happen. But FINALLY, SM has decided to put something out in time for Christmas. Is it any good? Well, that's a pretty long story. When news of this album first broke, I was ecstatic. Of course, SM Town isn't SM Town without a fail Yoochun English rap, a Jaejoong/Lina or Jaejoong/BoA duet, or some goofing around courtesy of Shindong and Eunhyuk's rap part, but I could do without that if it meant getting one song with everyone thrown in, acting happy in a fake-snow wonderland. Right? That was until I found out that not only was there no group song this year (WHAT KIND OF BLASPHEMY IS THIS?!), but the album would be 100% English. Let's just say that if Yoochun, who actually spent more than a few days in the US, manages to epicly screw up all his English parts, what more the others. And let's face it, there are only a handful of SM Town artists who can actually speak good English. I'm still thinking of whether or not BoA is in that handful.
And once again, my psychic powers did not fail. The English is horrible. I'm an English major(well, comparative literature, but I'm still under the English department), I know. But the bad English isn't really the big problem, it's the fact that it's in English.
Let me put it simply, the album is too Americanized. It's hardly K-Pop anymore. Say all you want to say about how K-Pop is just a rip-off of Western music, but you know, even if majority of the songs probably are, you can tell the difference between K-Pop and American pop. You know why I'm into K-Pop? It's because I'm so sick of US Pop, and here we are, back to the very sound I want to avoid.
The problem with it sounding too American is that one, obviously they're not American, but two, really now, what good, distinctively Christmassy POP songs have the Americans contributed to the standard Christmas repertoire? "All I Want For Christmas Is You"? Seriously now. "Last Christmas"? You have got to be kidding me. They're merely pop songs with Christmas lyrics about gifts and snow. There’s so much more to a Christmas song than that. This SM Town album sounds like a confused Rat Pack-turned-makeshift Christmas album, to be completely honest.
This album is massively confused. Massively. So either the song itself isn't K-Pop enough, or when they finally get the song choice right, they screw up the execution. My prime example? Jang Ri In's version of "Oh Holy Night", which is actually one of my favorite Christmas songs. The girl has a gorgeous voice, she really does, and what does she do? She murders the song. All those runs and those strange sounds she makes with her voice. No, just no. There's a reason why the Christina Aguilera Christmas album was a complete failure.
Yes, I'm very picky with Christmas songs, but that's only because my childhood was filled with some of the most gorgeous Christmas songs anyone will ever hear. I grew up not only listening to them, but singing them as well. I know my Christmas repertoire - everything from the classic Handel's "Messiah" to Filipino novelty Christmas songs where you make sounds out of combs and pieces of wax paper, to the most tear-jerking, yet most distinctly Filipino Christmas song you will ever hear, I've sung them all. So imagine going from all those, to a bunch of pop songs that don't even sound like Christmas. They are inferior not because they are pop songs, there are some gorgeous pop Christmas songs (DBSK's "Winter Rose" for heaven's sake!), they are inferior because they don't sound like Christmas, they don't serve their purpose.
You want me to tell you what Christmas sounds like? Christmas sounds like a cup of hot chocolate, rich and creamy and sweet, it sounds like a thick blanket wrapped around you, keeping you warm. It sounds like bells ringing in the distance and lights all over, it sounds like you're being surrounded with your family and friends and you're all happy. Christmas songs literally wrap you around in a nice, warm, hug, and refuse to let go. Christmas is such a simple feeling, but it overpowers everything else. Now regardless of how that gets translated into music, that's the standard framework of a Christmas song, and the minute you deviate from that even a bit, you lose the Christmas. All of it.
I don't care if you want to add electric guitars (like Aly&AJ's "Greatest Time of the Year"), go all-out with synths and loops and the works (surprisingly, JYP Nation's "This Christmas"), make everything epic and waltz-y (a-la DBSK's "Winter Rose"), keep it to a bare minimum (Josh Groban's "Thankful), or even make it kinda reggae-ish (like the brilliant Nota a cappella version of "The Little Drummer Boy", complete with a RAP PART), bottom line is that it has to leave people warm and fuzzy.
With the SM Town album, I felt nothing. Nada. Zilch. The entire album sounded like a pop album released any time BUT the holidays, it sounds so clean, too clean almost, and Christmas is not a cleaning contest on who can use the most sanitized production, it’s a contest of who can make the most emotional, goosebump-inducing song. No feeling whatsoever, they all sound like robots. Don't get me wrong, there are gorgeous songs on this album, namely BoA's "Distance", that song is stunning, but they're just not Christmas. Let me put this nicely, even T-Ara's "O My God", which I'm not even sure if it's a Christmas song, sounds more like Christmas than this entire album put together.
Unlike your usual pop song which lasts for a few months before becoming completely irrelevant, when you release a Christmas song, the standard shelf life is forever. Yes, forever. For the good ones, at least. My Christmas playlist this year includes pop Christmas songs that were released as early as 1998. 98 Degrees, BSB, that staple *NSYNC "O Holy Night" 5-part a cappella arrangement, Blue's "Gift", Aly&AJ, and even the DBSK Christmas EP - they're all still relevant. That's because Christmas never grows old, and people will always have a need for a Christmas repertoire. Which is why no one should be surprised that the most familiar "classical" pieces are in fact the Christmas offerings.
In simpler terms, "2011 SMTOWN Winter: The Warmest Gift" is more novel than it is lasting. The arrangements are faddish, the over-all sound very current, but under those you have nothing that can transcend time and cement these songs as Christmas staples. In colloquial Filipino/Taglish, this album is a "one time big time", and does not have the lasting qualities of other, better, Christmas releases. And actually, some of the songs on this package sound more like they belong on the acts' respective albums, and not a CHRISTMAS-themed compilation.
Super Junior's "Santa U Are The One", excusing the horrid English on the chorus (Ear after ear? Seriously?), sounds like a pop song they just slapped some bells on, and some lyrics about happiness and Santa. That's it. It's SO Big Time Rush (but even BTR made a better Christmas song than SuJu)/One Direction ala-"What Makes You Beautiful". I mean it's an okay song, nice and happy and upbeat, and I'd probebly listen to it a lot if it were not for the "ear after ear", but that's all it will ever be, and that's not it's purpose. When I first heard this, I thought it sounded nothing like Christmas, as in nothing at all, but actually, after listening to the rest of the album, this is probably the song that's closest to getting what Christmas songs should be. But still not enough.
I hate the covers on this thing. I hate them. DBSK's "Sleigh Ride" is the biggest disappointment. Because seriously, we went from "Winter Rose" to this monstrosity. This is one of the rare instances that I will consent to a version in another language, because seriously, DBSK should've just done an English version of "Winter Rose". Now THAT is a song that can be milked for all it's worth, because it’s shelf life is literally forever. But no, they had to give DBSK a cheesy cover of "Sleigh Ride", that actually makes them sound sleazy, to be honest.
And really now, SHINee's "Last Christmas" has got to be one of the worst covers of one of the most cheesy, cheap Christmas songs ever released.
It was bad enough when Wham! did it, for heaven's sake. Then they SM-ify everything? Oh dear. The production is okay, and I kinda like the outer space-like synths, but you mix those with some of the most uninterested, boring and lazy vocals I've ever heard from SHINee and you have a disaster. I'm serious, they all sound bored out of their wits, which they probably were, and for once, I would've liked Jonghyun to go wild, because seriously, I fell asleep listening to this song, and not in the good way.
J-Min's cover of the John Lennon song "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)" is okay, nothing special, and the girl has a nice voice, but once again, it sounds so uninspired. And boring.
As far as "The First Noel" covers go, DBSK win by light years. So I thought that since SM was behind their cover, the Jang Ri In verson would be really good too. Boy was I wrong. I like some parts of the arrangement, like the simple piano part, those gorgeous strings, and the drums, but you know what it sounds like as a whole, including that oriental-sounding instrument? It sounds like an American's attempt to make something "oriental", like "Ninja Assassin" or whatever. And that really disturbs me, because Jang Ri In is CHINESE, and SME is a KOREAN company. I don't get it, and don't think I ever will. To top it all off, like I said earlier, the vocals totally ruined the song. Totally. Why do you have to put all those unnecessary runs and strange vocal techniques into a song that's supposed to be nice, and quiet and simple then it's supposed to explode, but in the really big and tasteful way. Then Ri In just does a Christina/Mariah on it.
BoA's "Distance" is gorgeous, it really is. I love it and I'll probably be looping this for the next few days, but it's still not Christmas enough. "Distance" actually reminds me a lot of a Stacie Orrico/Young CCM-type song, in terms of treatment. The harmonies, and even the instrumentation, sound like something straight off Stacie Orrico’s self-titled album. Which is very, very, VERY far from Christmas. And that bugs me. There's a difference between "gorgeous pop song" goosebumps and "Christmas song" goosebumps, and the goosebumps I got this time were the "gorgeous pop song" ones. Basically, the only part of the song that made it remotely Christmas is the lyrics, and that's a foul. Which is such a shame because BoA has had some really amazing, really Christmassy, releases over the years, and even if "Distance" does match up in terms of gorgeousness, it fails at being Christmas. When you talk of BoA Christmas songs, "On December 27th" is still, hands-down, the best of them all, not even "Meri Kuri" comes close.
SNSD’s “Diamond”, and I'm not sure if I've ever used this analogy, but it kinda sounds like something that would fit right in to the Christmas talent show set list on "Mean Girls", you know, when the slutty, popular girls trying to sing and dance at the same time in skimpy Santa outfits and high heels? Maybe not that drastic, but the chorus is EXACTLY like that. However, the middle 8, and that small bit before it (which I presume is Sunny's part) is gorgeous. Stunning, almost. And actually, it's probably the most Christmas I've heard on the entire album, but then we go back to the uninspired chorus. It's not as boring as the SHINee track, but even for SNSD they can do better.
f(x)'s “1,2,3” also sounds nothing like a Christmas song, bar those strings which were probably just thrown in last-minute. It actually sounds more like the theme song for a FRIENDS rip-off, like, really. It sounds like it belongs on a Disney chick-flick soundtrack (Kinda like that song that's on the "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" soundtrack, which, conveniently, is also called "1,2,3"), not an SM Town Christmas album.
While we're on the topic of songs that sound like they belong elsewhere, CSJH (DANA&SUNDAY)'s "Amazing" sounds more like a charity single ala-Destiny Child's "Stand Up For Love". Pretty far from Christmas, if you ask me. Not that I oppose to Christmas ballads, but again, there's a way to do it without completely missing the point. And it's not that I don't like the song either, I do, it's gorgeous and Dana and Sunday's voices are stunning and the middle 8 kills me every single time, then by the time that stunning piano line comes in just before everything explodes with the chorus behind I die again, but yet again, THIS IS NOT CHRISTMAS. Same goes for Kangta's "For The First Time", Kangta's voice is stunning, but this sounds more like a Disney animated fairytale song that plays just when the prince is about to kiss the princess/girl. It actually sounds like something straight out of Aladdin. Again, pretty far from Christmas, if you ask me.
TRAX's "Like A Dream" sounds like what I kind of expected TRAX to do, but it's too clean, like they sucked all the emotion out of the song and left it to rot. In terms of "band"-ish K-Pop Christmas offerings, actually Infinite's "Lately" takes the prize. I'm sorry, TRAX, but this song sounds more like those tracks you put behind a montage of tour videos and screaming crowds and bands going wild on stage. All in back and white. And in reality, those tracks are usually the cheesiest, filler of filler tracks.
And, of course, a special Christmassy wrap-up: The most Christmassy song: Thankfully, "Santa U Are The One" The great, but not Christmassy songs: "Distance", "1,2,3", "Amazing" The worst song: "Last Christmas"
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I hope you all had enough partying to last the whole year, because it's back to business! This is another one of my "oh my god wouldn't it be great to write about this?" moments while watching videos. Ahhhh. But before we get to the post, may I direct you to my spankin' new About Page? ;D
Gayo Daejuns, or Song Festivals in English, are the highlight of a k-pop fan's, and singer's, year. They're held by MBC, SBS and KBS, Korea's "big 3" TV networks, for 3 consecutive days at the end of December - the 29th, 30th and 31st. Basically it's all of the year's biggest acts thrown together in one big show, performing some of the year's biggest hits. From what I've seen, these shows are by invitation.
I know I'm a few days late, but I honestly needed time to digest three consecutive hours-long shows! With special performances left and right as well as a lot of acts I've talked about on the blog last year (so not used to saying that!), it was rather overwhelming, even if this is my second year watching this. Gawd I remember that epic Davichi+2AM performance last year - epic. And who can forget SHINee doing Lady GaGa?
There were acts who only showed up for certain gayo daejuns, however the big acts showed up for all three. 2PM, SHINee, SNSD, KARA, Super Junior, After School, and a few others did all three shows.
Over the past few days there have been talks, both among bloggers and fans, of which show was the best this year - the consensus is that the SBS one was crap, and the MBC one was the best. But to be honest with you, all three gayo daejuns had their moments, and I'm slightly leaning towards the KBS one only because I watched it on an actual TV, and so I'm picking ten of the best performances, regardless of the network. Call it a very quick recap of the three shows.
I only watched the KBS one from start to finish on my TV, but I did watch majority of the other two shows. If I missed anything, it's probably because I didn't have time to digest it - just because it's good for you and it's not on the list doesn't mean I didn't see it. I watched the shows, thank you very much. And the list is in no particular order, just to clarify - no way I'm telling you my rankings for these. The fun starts under the cut! SNSD's Hoot and Oh! (MBC)
Their vocals were all over the place in true SNSD fashion and the sound system wasn't helping one bit, but I liked Hoot's re-arrangement. A lot. It has class. But that's about the only thing I enjoyed. However, it was enough to land them on the list.
SHINee's Lucifer, with a bit of f(x)'s NU ABO (SBS)
Screw Jonghyun being injured and the sound sucking a hell of a lot during Onew's parts (something's telling me the SBS sound guy does NOT like Onew), and during Key's solo, but I still think this is the best Lucifer performance out of the three. The being chained and caged part reminded me a little too much of DBSK, and the music that went along with that part had Hey! Don't Bring Me Down ringing in my head after - but then again this is SM, when something works they use it over and over again. Jonghyun's cage will never match the throne on top of everyone that Jaejoong got during Rising Sun year-end festivals, but it was pretty cool. I like that they used a "band" arrangement too, the drums sounded real and the entire arrangement was well-done. When Luna literally came out of nowhere I was freaking out - it was the perfect time to come out, with the perfect addition to the song sung by the perfect person to sing it. I like the dance break too and how they sneaked NU ABO in. Clever.
BoA's Game (SBS)
I like all these nice re-arrangements, yes, but BoA doesn't need any of them - this performance of Game was spot-on. I like the concept, but what I like more is the fact that she's one of the few who can pull it off. I don't have to talk about crap vocals whenever BoA's concerned, because you can always hear her, regardless of the sound system. And, I believe that's one thing Japan teaches idol groups - it won't guarantee to make you better musicians or anything, but you will come back with strong vocals. You'll have the same voice, obviously, but the rigorous promotions in Japan demand that you develop consistently strong vocals - BoA, along with DBSK, is the prime example of that.
Basically anything with Onew, Luna and IU on the same stage is bound to show up on a list like this - I mean really, they're three of my favorite young voices. Throw in two bands in the form of CN Blue and FT Island then Junsu 2PM, who sucked but I'd rather it be him than anyone else in 2PM, and you're bound to have something close to brilliance. The song choices were spot-on - Onew showed off his vocals, Luna sounded fantastic and IU's starting to sound like a cross between Hwayobi and Younha, I can't even begin to imagine what she's gonna sound like in a few years. Junsu, uh yeah he was OK too. The last song with everyone together was rather sloppily done and you could tell that Yonghwa didn't know the lyrics, but the voices and the song choices made up for it somehow. If there's something MBC did spot-on this year, it's choosing the repertoire.
After School's Bang! (MBC)
I like the arrangement they used for the SBS show a hell of a lot better, to be honest, but this is more notable because the new girl shows up! And it's one of their strongest performances, both vocals and presence-wise. Yes, even the useless ones were somewhat decent, although I have no idea why Jung Ah's backing track was turned up higher. I like their costumes too - navy blue and gold always look good together. New girl has sparked my interest, and her entrance was rather.. different, but when I watch the 8 of them (I MISS BEKAH!) it's like she's not on the same wavelength as the rest of them. I don't know if she's trying too hard or she isn't trying hard enough, whatever it is she doesn't look like she belongs - I get the feeling that she doesn't have a sense of finesse when she performs. Yet. Pledis better do something about that before they make their comeback this year. Speaking of which, any word yet on a new single? I'M DYING HERE.
BEAST's Breath + Dance Break with 4Minute (KBS)
Call them "big 3 rejects", but I do think that Cube artists have become quite good at what they do. They lack in quite a few aspects, but they constantly try, really hard, and that shows, but more importantly they really do get better. I know nothing about dance, but the dance break was pretty decent, and the BEAST performance was spot-on. Thank you for giving some of them hand mics, BUT YOU SHOULD'VE GIVEN THEM ALL HAND MICS. BEAST may not be good at doing other people's songs and they're sloppy vocalists when they do so, but what they do, they do it well. And I'd take that over a band who can't do anything at all.
Secret's Madonna+Magic (KBS)
I'm surprised to see that Sunhwa (or whatever her name is), actually has a voice now! She was one of the weakest earlier this year, and now she sounds decent. So that leaves one useless girl in secret - the girl who sings second on the performance. Lead singer girl and Sunhwa can carry the band vocally, and rapper girl has the performing side in check. I love the subtle yet very noticeable re-arrangements to both songs, and the transitions were rather clever. Secret are proving to be one of the most promising bands I've seen in quite a while - they have my attention now, they just need to convince me, and I don't think that'll be hard for them, judging by how much they've improved this year. I'd have absolutely no problem watching this again.
CN Blue's I'm A Loner and LOVE (KBS)
Brilliance, that's all I have to say. Except for the part with Yonghwa's mic giving up on him, duh - I'm sorry KBS, that was just stupid. The beginning was cool, the performances were well-executed, Jonghyun sounded fantastic AND THE DRUMMER WAS WITH THEM FOR ONCE! YAYYYYY!! And the transition between songs was so good, I didn't even noticed they changed songs! Although that could mean that all their songs sound the same. But either way, it was a fantastic performance, and the four of them literally had the audience in the palm of their hands.
GD&TOP with 2NE1 doing OH YEAH (MBC)
Now THAT is what I call a show. Minzy and CL did the parts brilliantly, Sandara, although rather wild, put a smile to my face partially because she wasn't singing that much, and Bom just did her thing. I stand by the fact that YG songs are at their best live - they're tailor-made for performing. And I like how CL and Minzy didn't just sing Bom's parts how they were originally sung - it could be because they couldn't sing that many high parts, but even so they managed to make it sound new, in a good way. You see how much fun they have on stage and you really wanna go up and join them, but there's grace, sophistication and thought to the way they move - it's not like they just randomly got up on stage together.
Super Junior's Sorry Sorry+Bonamana (MBC)
I have a soft spot for Sorry Sorry, mainly because I still think it's the song that started it all - it practically led the generation, and it really fits SuJu. Bonamana was blegh, but seeing them perform Sorry Sorry again reminded me of why I even took a bit of interest in them and spent 2 months putting all their names to their faces - when you give Super Junior a song that really fits them and that song happens to be very good, brilliance happens. It had enough of a melody to be humanely sung well, but it had that infectious hook - the song is an institution in itself. Considering that it's practically impossible to sing Bonamana live without a backing track and sound like you're singing, they did a pretty good job.
OK, BUMP BUMP! wasn't the biggest hit ever and it didn't stay on the charts for a gazillion weeks, but who cares? This was one of the songs I had the most fun listening to this year, and even after playing it almost every day in the car (to my dad's approval, thank you very much), it's still one of the best.
I like this song because it's musical. I say that there are good and bad musicians everywhere, and that's entirely true, but there have been quite a few songs that have proved to me that Japanese musicians are generally more musical. They have more experience, the industry has been around for longer, it's harder to survive as a musician in Japan, and generally everything about the industry pushes them to become more musical. But that's just an opinion.
The song has dynamics, it has direction, but it also has enough repetition to appeal to the mainstream audience. Add in a pinch of sophistication in every single part of the song, and you're made. The gorgeous melody placed on top of the spot-on, brilliant, instrumentation is a joy to listen to - it's so effortless, yet it's so fun. Hey, it's made me want to get up and dance at one point. I don't dance.
And, for one of the few instances, BoA's voice is bearable! (for me) I mean it's far from bad, but there are times when I just get annoyed. I wasn't this time around. That much. The gorgeous song most probably made up for it.
One of my biggest disappointments this year was Hurricane Venus - I was expecting amazing and I got a "big lead single" that was all style and no substance. Majority of the album was the same, to be honest, except for the odd song or two.
I'm not the biggest fan of BoA's vocals because they can get annoying sometimes, but with the right material she can sound good. This is not an example of a song that fits her glove, but it's fine, because there's something else I like about the song.
There are times when I rattle on and on about simplicity, and there are also times when I rattle about beauty. It's time to rattle about beauty because there really is no other way to describe Ordinary Day except to melt over how gorgeous it is.
If there's one thing SME has learned this year, it's how to make beautiful midtempo album tracks. f(x), Super Junior and even SHINee got the same treatment in the forms of Surprise Party, My All Is In You and the brilliant A-Yo, probably to practice for what would become Ordinary Day.
The arrangement is a cross between simple and elaborate - on one side you have a simple looped beat that drones throughout the song, but then you have synths, a pretty piano line, subtle but audible background vocals and all these other instruments running around on top of that simple loop. Add a pretty melody, a gorgeous middle 8 and BoA's decently strong vocals and you have yourself a nikkistartssmilinglikeamadwomanonelineintothesong song. Any song that makes me smile like a madwoman deserves to spot on this year's list, for reasons I will later reveal.
Do I HAVE to write an intro? I'm so tired (yet again) and I have two projects to finish by Tuesday. I'm not happy. Anyway. SHINee WON TODAYYYYYYYYY! *dances around room*
Video credit to CrazyCarrot350.
GP Basic - Game The issue of these girls' ages is somewhat a sore spot for me because I started writing when I was around 14, and I got a lot of criticism just because I was young in a circle of bloggers who were all in their 20's - there were people who didn't even bother reading my writing just because I was 14, that's not fair at all. Just because someone young is trying to succeed in a world of people older then him/her, doesn't mean they should be overlooked completely. If they really want to do this, and if they're serious about succeeding, then I have no right to put them down just because of their age. I believe that they should be judged like any other new girl group, and that's why I'm going to say what I'm about to. They're not good. Except maybe for the girl in CL sunglasses, they're not very good singers. They don't have to sound like 40 year-old's to sound good, but they should at least be able to hold a melody. They can't. And once again, they have no sophistication, no class, when they perform. Again, I'm not saying this because they're young - if they were good I'd say they were, but they're not so I won't.
Nine Muses - No Playboy There might be some nice voices hidden behind these girls, but their song sucks and they can't perform. There's no grace to the way they move - it looks so robotic and contrived. It doesn't help that the song goes nowhere. Look, I know they all look like models and they have long legs and walk like models but they're in music - I expect them to deliver when we talk about performance. They're not delivering.
G.NA with Yonghwa (CN Blue) - I'll Back Off So You Can Live(review/The Kpop Panel Review) Yonghwa gave presence to today's performance, but that's about it. Sorry Yonghwa, please stick to singing, even if Jonghyun's better than you. OK, maybe stick to writing songs, then. She's not blowing me away with her performances yet, but they don't make me uncomfortable when I watch them anymore. Maybe by her next single she gets some presence.
Miss A - Bad Girl, Good Girl All they really need to do is get rid of the breathlessness and their performances would be near-perfect. Today was their usual - tight, strong vocals with that hint of sophistication.
Infinite - She's Back Well that's more like it, Infinite. Although I think certain parts were mimed, that wasn't half bad a performance. The song's on the cheesy side, but hey, if it works for them I'm not complaining. I'd rather they pull off a good performance and have a slightly cheesy song than have a fantastic song and not be able to even sing it.
Rainbow - A Well, at least they gave the verses to the girls who can actually sing. Otherwise, this would've been a bigger disaster than it already is.
Secret - Madonna Even if the high notes weren't pulled off very well, they still have the basics mastered. Their vocals aren't fantastic, but they're stronger than all the other rookie girl groups. And besides, I've already established that these girls are performers - they have the finesse and the elegance to their performance.
Son Dambi - Queen Consistent performance today, but I'm starting to seriously get sick of the song. Next single, please.
Se7en - Better Together(The Kpop Panel Review) Even if I'm literally throwing up the recorded version of this, when I watch the live performances I suddenly like it again. The power of a good performer. Strong performance today, and even with the white-haired girls, it was rather sophisticated. The performance, I mean.
Hwanhee - While Doing Now THAT is a gorgeous voice. It has timbre, character, and technique. He gets a little exhausted towards the end, but the mid-range melodies are all well-delivered, it's just the higher parts where he strains. I think that's the reason why this song works - it's not has good as his single last year (which I was completely blown away by), but his vocals are enough to carry the song. Brian may have the presence and decent vocals, but Hwanhee's the voice.
BoA - Hurricane Venus(The Kpop Panel Review) I don't know what to say anymore, it's like I've said everything there is about this! She's consistent with her vocals and performance, yes, but that's expected of someone who's been around for as long as she has. I want a damn good song, and I don't have that.
SHINee - Lucifer(review/The Kpop Panel Review) (WINNER) Aaaaaand Jonghyun's letting go again. *sigh* I named this week's MuBank performance the best one so far, and it still is - everyone, apart from Jonghyun at parts, sounded fantastic, but the magic that the MuBank one wasn't there. They had presence today, and they performed well, but once again, music is half heard (representing the technical side) and half felt (representing the "oh my gosh I got goosebumps" side) - they lacked a bit of the "feeling" today. Just a bit though. It's up to you to decide if a little goes a long way on this one. But they won so YAYYYYYYYYYY.
Today's MuCore was outside, but that came at a price - crap sound. Ugh. So annoyed. And quite a few acts who've more or less ended promo for their singles were "invited" back - f(x), After School, SISTAR, 4Minute and 2PM. Comebacks from Secret and Rainbow as well. SHINee, BoA and Se7en "battled" it out today, but since there's no winner on MuCore, yeah. LOL. Didn't include Taeyang today, sorry.
Video credit goes to CrazyCarrot260.
Miss A - Bad Girl, Good Girl Strong vocals, tight choreography, and a good performance. Apart from the sound system being a pain, nothing more to say, to be honest.
SISTAR - Push Push(review) Like always, they have no class, no sophistication, when they perform - the song's cheap to start with, they don't even have the ability to make it sound that much less cheap. Their vocals were normal (for them) today, and the bright yellow outfits kinda hurt my eyes.
Rainbow - A I said this yesterday, and I'll say it again - the girls who actually get decent solos aren't half bad. They're not fantastic, but they're better than the other useless half of the band. Once again, all style, no substance - the song just goes on and on.. and on. It's not bad, it's boring.
f(x) - NU ABO (review/Virgin.com review) I still don't like this song, and I still don't like f(x). I mean yeah sure the song has fantastic production, but without that, it'll be your average run-of-the-mill crappy rookie girl group song that doesn't really go anywhere, and doesn't blow your mind. They're decent performers, but not decent enough to make the song sound fantastic when performed live.
MBLAQ - Y I now realize that no matter how hard they try, they will always be weak singers. They held the melody a bit better than usual today, but it still sounded sub-par. Sorry Rain, MBLAQ is a fail. But then again I've known that for a long time now.
Secret - Madonna Strong performance today, given the crap sound system. They sang well, carried themselves well, and had the audience at the palm of their hands. Can't really ask for more, given the fact that they just started promo yesterday.
4Minute - HuH I like this a gazillion times better than I My Me Mine, to be honest - it has a lot more attitude, character, and their vocals are a gazillion times better. Good performance today, very tight and very strong. Yayyyyy.
After School - Bang!(review) Their vocals were good today - definitely better than they were at the start of promo for this single. Lizzy has a voice, a quite pretty one, she just needs to learn how to use it, and Jung Ah, oh Jung Ah, I think I've found my favorite voice in After School. But even if their vocals were relatively good today, I think to a certain extent their movements were a little lazy and sloppy - there was no energy, no fire, in the way they moved and carried themselves on stage. Which sucks 'coz when they had crap vocals, they really put on brilliant shows, and now that they have strong vocals, they look lazy.
2PM - Without U(review) I'll admit, they know what they can do, and they do it well - but that's about it. Each member knows his strengths, and the entire group know what their strengths are, together, and they work on that. It may be a good thing, but they never manage to work on their weaknesses.
Son Dambi - Queen Her performances have been consistent over the past few days/weeks - good sign. The song is nice and lively, but that's all it is - it doesn't wow me, nor does it make me wanna die or anything, but she pulls it off nicely. The song fits her well. If there's something Pledis has learned, it's how to choose songs that match the abilities of their acts.
SHINee - Lucifer(review/The Kpop Panel Review) And the crappy sound system just had to ruin it for SHINee. They were good today, but not as good as yesterday. They were still really good though. ;D
Se7en - Digital Bounce with TOP + Better Together(The Kpop Panel Review) Still impressed. Still not bored. Still think Se7en fully deserves to compete with Rain. I mean it! Near-perfect vocals, a tight performance, and he can literally command that gigantic audience just by raising a hand, or even just a finger.
BoA - Hurricane Venus(The Kpop Panel Review) She has strong vocals, and she has presence on stage, but I think because of the nature of the song - processed like hell and very dependent on a backing track - she doesn't get the chance to make me like the song because of a live performance. But then again, you could argue that a good performer will be able to do that regardless of the song. Oh well.
K. I'm SO tired, so apologies for not recapping everything today - it's my first rest day since the big test AND midterms. Will only be doing comebacks/debuts, and "major" performances, and there are a lot of those already. Hopefully by tomorrow I get a full recap out. *sigh*
Video credit goes to UnknownCarrot160.
Nine Muses - No Playboy They are probably the main example of all looks, no style OR substance. The song doesn't go anywhere, it's not even that good, and they can't pull it off live. The only thing that's supposedly "sophisticated" about them is how they're dressed, but even that deserves a slight eyebrow raise. It's an absolute pain to listen to them sing, and I think I wanna cry hearing them rap. It's obviously a no, and not until they get some actual vocals.
G.NA - I'll Back Off So You Can Live(review/The Kpop Panel Review) She's starting to show more expressions on stage, which is good - did she need a win on M! countdown yesterday to be able to do that? Whatever the case, today's performance was a lot better than the last one I saw. Still very far from being a damn good performer, but she's closer than she was last week - if she's improving, she'll keep it up until she gets to where she should be. Hopefully, that comes ASAP.
D-NA - No One.. Anyone I love the song when they do it live, and their live vocals are just WOW here, but they can't command an audience by just lifting a hand - yet. OMG IS THE RAPPER SINGING? Kinda? They pull off the epic-ness of the song very well, and holy crap who would've known they just debuted earlier this year. I am a bit disappointed though that there's a high possibility they won't get very far because they don't have a major agency backing them, but who knows, they might "break barriers". We'll see.
Rainbow - A This is like a badly-produced Hurricane Venus, in the sense that it's all style and no substance. I mean, how long are the verses in relation to the "hook" or chorus or whatever that thing is? The treatment of their vocals sounds like the one they use on Kara, which is a pity because the girls who are actually singing (I noted 3 different girls) aren't that bad. The ones mock-singing are crap, but those three girls taking the verses actually have potential, given the state of the rest of the band. Like I've learned to say in kpop though, this is better than what we had before - Gossip Girl was so horrid, I don't even want to talk about it.
Secret - Madonna I'll say my piece on the song itself when I review the EP this weekend, but this is what I mean when I say being able to carry anything and make it look good. Every move they make, even if the choreography is slightly all over the place at parts, has a sense of sophistication - in the future, they can potentially command an audience by just standing there. It's not impossible for them, that's all I can say. Good enough vocals today, but could be better. I expect improvement over the next few weeks!
SHINee - Lucifer(review/The Kpop Panel Review) BEST. PERFORMANCE. OF LUCIFER. EVERRRRRRR. I'm clapping. And standing up. And smiling like a madwoman. Jonghyun, this is the first time I'm saying this since promo for Lucifer started - that was one hell of a performance from you. As usual, Onew was in top form, as were Key and Taemin, AND MINHO'S DANCING AGAINNN! See, an outstanding band has the power to carry themselves on stage, even without backup dancers - doesn't matter how many you have, you don't even need any, all that matters is how well you sing+dance, and how you carry yourself on stage. I can die happy now, knowing that SHINee will most likely take over DBSK's place in kpop, and do it well. (even if I so badly want DBSK back, I know it's not gonna happen any time soon)
BoA - Hurricane Venus(The Kpop Panel Review) (WINNER) She can sing, no doubt (i now retract my statement on the kpop panel that she can't even sing her own song), but I'm not convinced - the song itself is all style, and no substance. The performance was strong, but it didn't make me fall in love with the song, nor did it make me look at BoA in a different light - it's just.. there. Nothing captivates me, nothing catches my eye, and the song goes right through me. I just named Identity one of the best modern pop albums, and then she goes and lets me down with this? Oh well.
