The 2011 Pop Reviews Now Holiday Special Part 1: "2011 SMTOWN Winter: The Warmest Gift"

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"

[#24] CSJH (DANA&SUNDAY) - "나 좀 봐줘 (One More Chance)"

From: "나 좀 봐줘 (One More Chance)" (Digital Single)
Released: July 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.42

The SM sound this year was heavy synths, a slightly more natural, but still obvious autotune, and monotonous hooks, which aren't anything new. Those three elements, majority of the time, produced very stiff, albeit very full and well-produced, tracks, because of the nature of SM acts' voices, and the songs themselves. However, because CSJH are queens (yes, even this half), even if they are given a song like "One More Chance", it still turns out better than the rest of the songs in this style.


CSJH can sing, even through all the autotune, so in reality, the autotune of this song serves it's actual purpose and it serves a more artistic purpose and it's not a treatment used on inferior vocals. When you watch the live performances of this they're still spot-on, most of the time better.

You must be wondering, if that's the case, then do I approve of autotune? That's a little more complicated. I approve of autotune if, and only if, it's used for aesthetic purposes and not because the act can't sing. However, we can only start talking of autotune as an artistic thing if the act in question has proven it's worth and can actually do without the autotune on regular days. Like CSJH.

But back to the song. It's very similar to the other SME songs this year, namely the f(x) releases, but of course, again, what sets this apart from f(x) is that Dana and Sunday's vocals are not only much mature, but they have much more body and are less generic than their younger counterparts, so when their vocals are put through all that processing, they still retain majority of the qualities that make their vocals, well, their vocals. That and SM didn't screw up the only girl in the band who could sing (LUNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA), but then again, even if Sunday's voice isn't exactly my favorite, she's still a lot better than at least half of the girls in SME these days.

So is "One More Chance" a good song? I seem to think so, yes, because once again, it's a balance. It's how the SME sound should've been done this year, and it's proof that it DOES work to a certain extent, but only when you have people with actual voices do it.

[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.

[July 9, 2011] MBC Music Core Highlights + Commentary

Guess who's back? And with a recap at that! It's been a while, and I'm starting to get a hang of college life (even if I still have a gazillion assignments to finish this weekend) so I thought I'd do a music show recap this week. And besides, there's a lot to talk about the acts who performed this week - ESPECIALLY CSJH! Even if it's just Dana and Sunday, it's still CSJH!


An explanation first as to why I these music show recaps keep going on and off - for the record, I've never officially said that I'm never going to do them again. This series is something that has done a lot for PRN and has established my writing around kpop circles in general, so it's not something I'm ready to let go of just yet. When I do pause from writing them, it can be due to any or all of the following reasons. One, I'm too busy. I just started college last month and every weekend I'm literally submerged in schoolwork - readings, papers, research - these are things I can't not do. I have priorities, I have to get a degree, I have to do well, I have to do this and that - PRN is one of my priorities, but there are more important ones for me. Two, there aren't enough idol groups with material I have something to say about. When there is a lul in releases from idols, I stop doing recaps because I don't want to do a recap with just 2 or 3 performances. Three, when the line-up gets boring. If, say, there are around 9 acts and all of them have been performing for several weeks now with no one coming back and no one saying "goodbye" - I get bored. And when I get bored, I tend to say the same things over and over again - I'm sure you guys don't want to read a recap that's exactly like the one last week. So I stop.

But now I'm back. I can't guarantee you that I'll go all the way to the end of the year with this "tranche", but remember that I'm not going to completely stop doing these recaps altogether.

Video credit goes to CrazyCarrot270.

N-Train - "One Last Cry"
Weak harmonies at the chorus, the guy who sings first isn't that strong a singer. The guy doing the high notes at the end is OK. The guy who sings second (the bridge?) is amazing though, and so is the guy doing all the gymnastics at the chorus. It's a bland song to start with, with whimpy vocals at the chorus, and if you aren't really concentrating on the performance it's pretty boring until that one guy starts screaming.

Rania - "Masquerade"
These girls can sing, and they've proven that they can sing and dance at the same time and still deliver strong vocals, but honestly, sometimes their performances are far too theatric - like today's. It's perfectly fine to have gimmicks and whatnot because that's what pop is in the first place, but I do wonder now what people are watching Rania for - their material or the choreography. Of course a lot of people watch music in general for the visual aspect, but in Rania's case it's a waste to market them as a "visual" group, so to say, because they have the talent to be more than that. We'll see.

Boyfriend - "Boyfriend"
Before anything, let me just say that their eyes freak me out, especially Blonde guy's. But anyway, their performances so far have been somewhere in between orchestrated to the last step and "let's go prance around stage and have fun" - their vocals are so-so, nothing to rave about, but not especially bad. They did a remix today, and it's a lot edgier than the original, but it's good that their movements and, to a certain extent, their vocals have retained the fun-ish part of the performance. Not bad - just stop freaking me out with your eyes.

Girls' Day - "Hug Me Once"
Too much pink, too much winking - too much pink in general. And it's a waste because the hook isn't half bad when you think about it, it's just that I want to strangle these girls because they're TOO CUTE. It's so annoying, and it's not like any of them have drop-dead vocals hiding under that horrid facade, nor do they have outstanding material. Take me back to "Nothing Lasts Forever", please.

Rainbow - "Sweet Dream"
Wow, their vocals have gotten a lot better since I last watched a live performance. They aren't the best to start with, but their live vocals are a lot more stable now. And add to that the fact that I like the song - Rainbow, I am liking you the more I see you. So now that you have the vocals part pretty much fixed and the material all accounted for, you just need to keep getting better. Which you are. YAY.

f(x) - "Hot Summer"
I expect nothing less than a strong performance from f(x) - and I got it. Surprise of all surprises - Amber sings with a feminine timbre! They tried to hide it in the recording, but live vocals don't lie! Krystal's vocals are getting less and less like her sister's, THANK GOD, and hopefully she develops a nice timbre in the near future. Luna's voice is still as stable and stunning as ever, Sulli's back to getting parts that don't show off her now-existent voice, but Victoria's still getting better and better. A bit more pushing f(x), and you'll be amazing. Hopefully.

Hyun A - "Bubble Pop"
I laugh when people say that Hyun A's a good singer. Like, really laugh. I saw someone comment on a performance of "Bubble Pop" saying something like "OMG she's so good at singing - she's not even a singer!" - seriously? How can you be on a music show and not be a singer? Everyone knows she's not a singer, and it didn't show that much on the recording (for obvious reasons - I'd like to know how much Cube paid to make her sound like she had some semblance of a voice) but my god the presence of a backing track over her non-existent vocals make it even more obvious that she can't hold a melody. At all. Let alone sing. There are lines that she doesn't even sing - period. In all honesty, she's a disgrace to idol group singers. It's so bad, that even if the performance is 90% backing track, 10% Hyun A, you hear the Hyun A over the backing track. Please go back to rapping - you singing makes me actually like "Change".

ZE:A - "Watch Out!"
I actually like this song! The live vocals are a total letdown though, and it's freaky watching them all smile-y with that ridiculous choreography. Will ZE:A please decide what they want to do with their music and image, because I swear, if they release that song on the teaser it's going to be very confusing. And I don't like acts who don't even know who they are.

T-Ara - "Roly Poly"
Still dependent on backing tracks, T-Ara? Not a big fan of the song, the performance, or the vocals, but at least they don't make the throw up with all the cuteness. It's bearable song, and a bearable performance, if you don't think of the heavily backing tracked-vocals.

2NE1 - "I Am The Best"
Not really a big fan of the song, and their hairstyles are ridiculous and distracting, but whatever I do I can't deny the fact that these girls know how to put on a show. What they do, they do well, and that's something to commend. They're not afraid to do all these wild things (with their hair as well), and some people like what they're doing - as long as they have stable, strong vocals and a sense of unity, all of which they have, I'm good. Watching them, regardless of what song they're performing, makes you want to jump around your room like them.

2PM - "Hands Up"
I've never seen 2PM as the "let's just forget everything and jump around stage" band, but it's good that they pull this song off in somewhat an "organized mess", which is a very 2PM-approach to this. The song's insanely catchy, both a blessing and a curse seeing as it goes nowhere if you really listen to it well, but it's perfect for performing. As a whole it's a strong effort.

CSJH (Dana And Sunday) - "One More Chance"
I'm waiting for the official single release with the official audio track before I do a review, but if things work out, I will be doing one - so as much as possible I'll refrain from talking about the song proper too much. But anyway - CSJH ARE BACK. Half of them, at least. On one hand I really wanted Lina and Stephanie to be with them one, because they're my two favorite members and two, because the four of them together are epic in every possible way. That's not to say that Sunday and Dana aren't talented though - their comeback shows all these newer, some of them incompetent, girl groups how things are done around here. Today's performance was much more stable than yesterday's, even with the crappy Music Core sound, which they are immune to (thank goodness), and Dana's vocals, bar the shaky part at the beginning (because that part is virtually un-singable in the first place), are flawless and stunning, and Sunday's much stronger today. The entire performance, even with parts that aren't my taste, has ever step, every note, calculated down to their last breath and pulled off like it's second nature to the girls. Because it IS second nature. A performance in the truest sense of the word.