I've had some time to mull over and think this review through, but honestly I'm still not totally convinced that it's a method that works for me. I get easily swayed by other people's opinions, and sometimes I'm even scared for what some people will think of mine, so for the most part my single reviews come from impulses and lightbulb moments. It's only after those moments that I think everything through. So this is a bit different from my usual style.
When I heard that the production team behind "I Got A Boy" was the same one behind "Genie", which is easily my favorite Korean release from SNSD, of course I was excited. I was excited despite the fact that "Dancing Queen" (for which I wrote a full review for but didn't publish D:) was a disappointment, because "Genie" was both a song, and a sound that I loved for SNSD.
And for the first minute and a half, I was okay with everything. I mean I didn't worship it, but it was competent, and it had substance. The delivery was good, the production strong, and the sound was that compromise I was looking for in "Dancing Queen". It carried SNSD, and the girls' vocals carried themselves. But then that part ended abruptly and I was left going "...what."
To the song's defense, none of the parts are bad -- they're actually quite good taken alone. The main half of the song, the chorus/hook is the girly with substance kind that I really like and that I wish they would stick to in Korea, because it's easy enough to sing, but also something that they do very well. The other half of the song, the pop/rock-influenced verses, are spunky pop that are strong enough to mask whatever vocals flaws they have, while being simple enough for them to carry with brevity. The rap parts are interesting considering they're coming from SNSD, and they give the very saccharine sweet part some kick. And then the part at 3:47, the break-down of sorts before the last chorus, has a gorgeous melody. All the melodies are gorgeous actually -- that hook made me smile -- and the production is really top-tier.
The problem is, "I Got A Boy" isn't the album sampler that it sounds like -- it's one song. Honestly, the first time I heard this I had to check the official track listing to check if I downloaded a version that accidentally merged some kind of intro with the real song. And then just in the last paragraph, if you notice I had such a hard time identifying the parts. Not just because of the unconventional structure (because that's not always a bad thing), but because there are so many sounds and I kind of lost track of where the song was at already.
If you think DBSK lead singles are confused, then "I Got A Boy" is confused and drunk or high. Or no actually, it's confused, drunk and high. I tried all of the possible means to make it sound good -- I watched videos of it, I listened to it for a day -- but all they did was make the line between the elements clearer.
My theory at the moment is that "I Got A Boy" sounds like a bigger mess than it should've been because the transitions aren't as natural as they could've been. But then again, with elements like that it's pretty hard to make them natural. Still, my point is that there is a right way to do contrast and variety, and that thinking out of the box doesn't exempt a song from sounding cohesive. If you're going to be different, go all the way, be my guest, but make it clear that you're not just throwing different sounds together and calling them "different" for the sake of it.
Personally, it would've been so much better if they stuck maybe eight, or even just four, bars of the first verses in between an extended version of the part that sounds like the hook as a middle 8 of sorts, like what happened in the dance break DBSK's "Rising Sun". It would have been a fresh break from the very girly, but also short and concentrated enough to pack a contrasting punch.
I was talking to a friend a while ago, and that friend was saying that the lyrics are kind of the driving force behind this song, and good for them for getting good lyrics, but as far as I'm concerned, the only thing that matters in the lyrics is how they work in relation to the sound of the song, which means pronunciation, line construction, rhyme, meter, stuff like that. Which is why even if the lyrics tell a unified "story", it doesn't necessarily mean that the sound tells one just as cohesive. And in this case, it doesn't.
But honestly, like other SMP stuff, I have no idea if this will get better with time or if this just needs to simmer for a while longer. That's the thing with music, my review was pretty black and white and I focused more on what it is in relation to what it sounds like than I did on what it sounds like in relation to how it works. I might warm up to it, I might not, people might start liking it, or they might bury this song right after promo, and right now, at least for me, it depends on factors no one can control.
After running through everything yesterday, including eligibility and the main criteria, this is it! Let's get right to the list.
#5: Big Bang - "STILL ALIVE" Released: June Territory: Korea Singles: "Blue", "Monster", "Bad Boy", "Fantastic Baby"
"STILL ALIVE" has two of the things I really go out of my way to look for in an album -- identity and cohesion. It has those qualities because one, Big Bang are good musicians, they have the training and they have the experience, and two, they're confident about what they have, and who they are. It's because of that confidence that they're not afraid to play around. If you really are who you are, then nothing will change that.
Another thing I really like about Big Bang is that they're such an animated group, and it shows in their songs. As opposed to groups who bring out the good in their songs on stage (not that it's a bad thing!), Big Bang take the personality on stage and bring it to the recordings. And again, it's not just one personality, it's an entire range of sounds, and of moods.
You have songs like "Feeling" and "Fantastic Baby" which are literally made for the stage with all the energy and catchy hooks left and right, and you have mid-tempos like "Bad Boy" and "Blue" that show off these pretty melodies and their attention to detail. But then you also have songs that are somewhere in between, like "Love Dust", which is kind of dance-y, but not quite, but still a very good song, or "STILL ALIVE", which is epic and the kind of song that would be perfect for an opening song of a concert where everyone's excited, but just staring in awe and not exactly jumping up and down yet.
And all of these songs fit, they all work together to deliver one, solid, album because Big Bang are confident. See what a little brevity can do to an act, and what that brave act can do to an album?
#4: Ailee - "Invitation" Released: October Territory: Korea Singles: "Heaven" (June), "I'll Show You" (September)
At first glance "Invitation" can seem very plain. When you look at the numbers you have a few ballads, a few mid tempos and two up tempos, one of them a disco-inspired one. Looking at that alone it doesn't seem that special, but when you actually listen to the album it's a completely different story.
That's what I like about music, and art in general even. Facts will give you information, yes, but it's the experience that matters. It's the experience that makes the magic, not the facts. And "Invitation" makes magic. Sweet, musical magic.
The binding factor of this album is and always will be Ailee. The songs themselves are pretty ordinary, most of them good at best, but it's Ailee's vocals that give them not just life, but fire. She has the ballad-ready emotion that the industry demands, but she adds spunk and confidence to it. You give "Evening Sky" to a singer with no attitude and I can assure you it'll be a snooze fest.
But of course, this album isn't without that one moment that makes me want to die of beauty -- that moment is "Shut Up". I love it I love it I love it and I don't know how to say it any other way, because really, "Shut Up" is one of this year's most stunning, most brilliant songs. It's the type of song that looks you in the eye and doesn't blink for three minutes, all while having so much fun. And Ailee has so much fun on this song, I can hear her smiling, even with all the post-prod this song went through.
For an act like Ailee, that young, vibrant female solo singer, "Invitation" fits like a glove. It's an album that's mainstream, it's an album that people will listen to, and it's also an album that makes sure Ailee, with her gorgeous vocals, stays in the center. Simple songs for a beautiful voice, "Invitation" is an album I've listened to time and time again, and I have no plans of stopping.
#3: Se7en - "2nd Mini Album" Released: February Territory: Korea Singles: "Even When I Can't Sing" (February)
I don't know if you've already noticed, but all these albums have a point to them, or even more than one, that make them some of the best albums of the year. So what does Se7en's EP have?
One word -- effortlessness.
In music, or at least to me, it's one thing to have good material, it's also one thing to have talent, but it's an entirely different story if you can take that good material and talent, and deliver it with a sense of mastery, with a sense of effortlessness. Music isn't something to be forced, it's something to be fostered. If you're a good musician, a good singer, a good instrumentalist, once you learn how to operate your instrument (a voice is an instrument too) and take care of it, everything else will follow.
This EP gives off a sense of mastery -- Se7en is in his element, and the songs were clearly made for him. Everything is graceful and smooth, and the EP is the kind of pop that really lets you savor everything that happens. You hear everything, and you hear it enough to appreciate it. It's anything but an EP full of noise or elements that just stand there and don't really serve a purpose.
And you really do need that mastery with a purpose when you attempt to do songs like "When I Can't Sing" or "Angel", because that's what they depend on. These are songs with melodies so solid that they're already classics, they're so strong, so imposing, yet so beautiful, that the original version really does need to be lightyears better than the hundreds of talent show auditions that this song will carry. You need that effortlessness for songs like "Make Good Love", songs that depend on the delivery to drive the point home, and you need to notice every single detail, each of the beautiful melodies to make sense of the entire album as a whole.
#2: Girls' Generation - "GIRLS' GENERATION II ～Girls & Peace～" Released: November Territory: Japan Singles: "PAPARAZZI" (June), "Oh!/All My Love Is For You" (September), "Flower Power" (November)
The first time I heard the album in full, I was actually really surprised. I mean I adored "PAPARAZZI" and "All My Love Is For You", but at that point I wasn't really sure what the rest of the album was going to be like. Nevertheless, I was greeted by a strong front -- outstanding material, outstanding production and confident delivery on all twelve songs. If that's not a strong front I don't know what is.
What I like about this album is that this is lightyears better than any of their Korean albums, and more of an album that majority of them will ever be. Musically as well, if this is the kind of material they put out on a regular basis, I wouldn't be as confused towards them like I am now. They're a girl group, they're pop, they need songs that cover for them and carry them, and those songs need to be good. I got that with "Girls & Peace".
The material is very girl group -- it's edgy, trendy, but girly. Tracks like "Flower Power" and "Animal", one of my favorites, provide the edgy, "PAPARAZZI" and "Boomerang" the trendy, with tracks like "TOP" giving the album some kick as well, and "Stay Girls", "All My Love Is For You" and "Girls & Peace" the girly, with "Not Alone" being a pretty ballad to boot. It's a very dynamic album, but what ties everything together is the production throughout, and the idea of this being the epitome of a well-done girl group album. Which it is.
I had two early favorites when this album was new -- "Animal" and "Stay Girls" -- but what ultimately put this album on this list was the fact that by this time, I've literally looped all of the songs for at least two or three days. Even "Oh!". They're really good songs, I could spend several paragraphs talking about why I like each song, but ultimately this is an album with dimension. The more you listen to it, the more you discover, and you'll start to see the appeal of songs you initially didn't really like. It's an album that grows on you, but at the end of the day it's still a really, really good album.
"Supersonic" is my #1 album of the year because it's an album I can listen to from start to finish with no exceptions. There's no "Even if this track is pretty boring this other one is really good". There are no apologies to be made and mistakes to be corrected the next time around -- it is what it is, and it's brilliant. But then again, that's to be expected from someone with as much experience as Younha.
I honestly think it's an album that gives off an air of musicality, but it's not pretentious and doesn't attempt to be anything other than what it is. See that's what I hate about some pop acts, they try so hard to be "serious" or "high art" and they're not really any good at it, when, at the end of the day, they're still in pop. So why are they doing pop in the first place? It's as if pop has become a dumping ground of people who can't make it in "serious" music, when there are so many other people actually who take it seriously. There are people who build serious careers around it, and I just hate it when pop is treated like second-rate music, because not all of it is, and it's not like there isn't bad jazz or bad heavy metal. It's just a really big pet peeve of mine, but the absence of that mindset on "Supersonic" is one of the biggest reasons why this is my favorite album this year. It knows exactly what it is, and it does it extremely well.
You have a whole range of material on "Supersonic" -- from the fun, to the gorgeous, the stunning, and the mind-blowing. And I guess another thing that I really like about this album is that despite all the Coldplay references in some of the arrangements, this is an album that sounds Korean. You have your prerequisite Korean ballad melody in "Wait For Me", but it's not set against your usual Korean ballad instrumental -- it has some of the most understated, but most beautiful strings I've heard all year, it has this quaint guitar line, and it has that gentle, but resonating bass line. It's beautiful, it sounds very K-Pop, but it's also Younha.
This is one of those albums where it is literally impossible for me to name my all-time favorite, and not because they keep changing, but because I like them in different ways. Like "Wait For Me", I genuinely fell in love with it because of that beautiful melody and the beautiful delivery that came with it, but then I also adore the John Park duet because his voice is goosebump-inducing in that range and it's an understated epic that I really, really like. "Run" is truly one of the best pop songs all year -- it has all the emotions to pull on heartstrings, all the bells and whistles to get people interested, and it does it all in the most musical, most practiced but effortless way possible. And then you have these very fun songs like "People", which I love because it's so perky and it's the perfect wake-up song to keep me from getting grumpy, and then the Tiger JK track just lets everything loose and does it with so much brevity that I can't not like it.
The rest of the album is like that, and it's really the epitome of what I look for in an album -- songs that stand firmly on their own, but together they make magic and move mountains and everything in between.
If there's something I'm thankful for, it's that Japan has given SNSD a chance to deliver some of their best material, and deliver it consistently. I mean, Korea had "Genie" and that's forever one of the best pop songs I've ever heard, but they don't' have a constant stream of amazing material in Korea, they have it in Japan. "Girls & Peace" was a really good album, so much that I really just had to go with my gut when I was choosing which song to include on this year's list.
"Animal" was really my first favorite when I heard the album, and it remains one of the strongest songs among the already-strong album. It's very formulaic, but since when did that become a bad thing all the time?
Like a lot of songs, the melody was the first part to draw me in -- it's stunning, and it's the epitome of a girl group doing tough. You have these very flat, this very graceful, flowy, but urgent bridge, and then you have this scream-type chorus. It's the type of melody that's very simple to pull off so it stays good across a skill set as wide as SNSD's, but without compromising the fact that, you know, it still has to be an actual melody with actual singing involved majority of the time.
As much as the melody drew me in, two things kept me hooked -- the instrumental and the production.
I love the instrumental because despite the fact that it has this very dance/club sound going on the entire time, it doesn't forget the fact that dynamics exist and thus need to be taken advantage of. I love the synth loop at the beginning, and I love how it works with the bass line to give the verses a sense of urgency. And then the build-up starts at bridge, which is my favorite part of the song, and it just ups the urgency even more so that once the song actually explodes with two nice, sharp punches courtesy of the melody and the instrumental, it just blows you away.
And finally, the production on this song is really mind-blowing. The vocal treatment is spot-on -- the verses have character, the bridges have the clarity to show off the high notes, and the choruses have the power to go full steam ahead. And then you have this very clean, very silky, treatment to the entire song, and it just smooths everything out.
"Animal" is a stunning song, it's beautiful but it also literally stuns you. It's songs like this that made me like girl groups in the first place -- they're feminine, they're gorgeous, but they have substance to their kick. But beyond being a girl group song, "Animal" is really one of the most outstanding pop songs of the year. This, my friends, is pop music masterclass.
From: "Twinkle" Format: EP Released: April Territory: South Korea Previous Best of Appearances: First Appearance (as TTS)
When I first heard that my favorite voices in SNSD would be forming a sub-unit, I was all for it. For once we get a group where everyone can stand on her own vocally. However I wasn't a big fan of "Twinkle", mainly because even if their vocals all delivered, it seemed to me like all the soul, all the emotion, was sucked out where they were needed the most. I don't blame it on the girls' vocals, because even if Seohyun was pretty flat, Taeyeon was there and she slayed everyone else, I blame it on bad production decisions.
It's a good thing there's none of that on "Baby Steps". This was the track that I really, really liked when I first heard the EP, and even if their live performances fell short of my (pretty high) expectations, I still adore the recording.
"Baby Steps" is the kind of song that really matches the SM aesthetic of "let's just douse everything in the most flashy production we can get our hands on and be done with it". It's a very luxurious song, with very rich production and all these generic but classy instruments behind, but at the same time these very rich elements also make the song very heavy.
That melody is stunning, it really is, and I genuinely think it's one of the most beautiful melodies of the year. It's not the kind of intense that hits you over the head, it's more like the kind that wraps around you then just squishes you to death. But I like that while all this intense squashing is happening, the girls' vocals manage to give it this ethereal sound, and kind of lighten things up a bit.
"Baby Steps" is a good song on its own, and it's one of those songs that will be good regardless of who sings it. That's not really a good thing for TTS/SNSD and their musical identity, but it's a good thing for the song itself. As far as pop goes -- the more universal your song, the more it can carry and not just be carried, the better it is.
SNSD are back in Japan, and though the video for this was released ages ago, the actual recording only came out this week. Which is the reason why it's not only eligible for single of the week, but also why I even chose it in the first place.
It's very difficult to review a recording based solely on a music video track or a live performance, for the simple reason that it's not the original recording. These things differ from critic to critic, and it's more of a personal stand than it is a universally-accepted standard, because there are instances where the visual delivery is just as important as the auditory aspects (e.g., 2NE1, Big Bang). But my stand is perfectly highlighted in songs like "ALL MY LOVE IS FOR YOU"
Watching the video, the only part of the song that I really liked was the melody, but I thought it was brought down by a boring instrumental that lacked both kick and beauty. Hearing the recording, I realized that the only part of that sentence that I got right was the melody, because it really is beautiful. The verses are very laid back, but sound almost hopeful, and the chorus, which is actually partially a chorus (yay!), is ever so slightly epic, courtesy of well, the chorus. But it's the fragile kind of beautiful -- the producers have to make the right decisions in terms of accompaniment, vocal treatment, and over-all production. Everything will just disintegrate if they don't.
There are two things that a fragile melody like this needs -- the first is kick to give it some conviction, and the second is depth to make it less sharp on the ears, and to support the fragile melody. And I think it's safe to say that the arrangement literally pulled it together and delivered.
The piano line isn't extremely obvious because the mix favored the vocals over it, but it's understated in it's beauty, and it gives the song that subtle kick. The strings are similar because they do take as much center stage as they can, giving it a much needed kick, but unlike other string sections, this one is simple to start with. It's structured more like a drone or a bass line than it is an actual melody, so it really has no reason to hit you over the head. Which is perfect.
But my favorite part of the song has got to be the drum line. You probably all know that I love a good drum line because my dad is a drummer, but as far as K-Pop (or K-Pop in Japan) drum lines go (at least the ones that exist), the one on this track is probably one of my favorites this year. This is the part of the song that gives it half of the depth I was looking for, without compromising the crispness that a drum line needs. While the strings gave it the kick, which is more like citrus or mint, the drums give it depth, like milk or cream. Those drum rolls are gorgeous -- they're forceful and confident, but so, so graceful. My favorite kind of drum roll!
So where does the other half of the depth come from? From the production, which is gorgeous without being generic. It's neither overproduced, nor is it underproduced -- it's just right. The way everything was put together, the way each element sounds in relation to the other, literally makes the song glow. There's no other way to describe this song, really, because it really does glow. Hearing it not only puts a smile on your face, it goes that extra mile and makes you all nice a fuzzy inside.
I love a pretty song when I hear one, and I think a lot of you know that. "ALL MY LOVE IS FOR YOU" is probably as pretty as anyone can get. For now, at least.
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.
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.
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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.
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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
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.
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
I don't know what it is with Saturdays, but up until just now, I wasn't planning on writing a recap. But then I realized that if I didn't write one, I'd just bum around the house, complaining about how bored I am and how my laptop is overheating because it's so hot. So, here I am. Debut week continues for JJ Project and VIXX, as well as comeback week for G.NA. Quite a few absences today from She'z, A Pink and F.Cuz, but Girls' Day are on again.
VIXX - "Super Hero" So I listened to their EP after yesterday's show, and material-wise, I'm actually starting to like these guys! It's very Infinite-esque without being a complete rip-off -- classy in the low-budget kind of way, but classy nevertheless. Their vocals are okay for a rookie group, nothing special, (and what the hell was that rap part and why was the guy's voice cracking left and right?) but if they can work on that and at the same time sustain their good material, that would be great. I'm keeping my eye on them for now.
JJ Project - "Bounce" One of the best parts of my "job" is when I get to watch, and talk about, groups like JJ Project. Seriously, they're probably the only rookie group since I got into K-Pop, that has managed to make me smile within five seconds of stepping on stage. Their stage presence is really, really strong, and even if it's what the song requires, they genuinely look like they're enjoying themselves, and that turns into fluidity and sophistication. Today's performance was a lot shakier than yesterday's, but their foundations were still firm, which is what's important at this stage. JB looked really distracted during his solo parts, which I find strange. He has to fix that by tomorrow, because the more he does it, the more it will stick.
Hello Venus - "Venus" This is the point where their performances start to bore me, not necessarily because of the group themselves because when I actually watched the performance they were pretty much all spot-on, but because the song itself was never really that good. It was okay, and considering the circumstances it was released in I had no qualms about it, but once all that wears off and you're left with just the song, and girls who aren't the world's best performers -- it gets boring.
EXO-K - "MAMA" I'm still really bothered by the fact that K is still so robotic when they perform. Like, fine, put it down to nerves when they first debuted, but it's been over a month already, the nerves should have settled long ago. Seriously, I stand by my statement that whether or not they really do enjoy the stage, they sure don't show it.
Dalmatian - "E.R." Aaaand the whispering is back. Things were looking up for you, Dalmatian, why did you have to go in and ruin it? Today's performance was right in between "okay" and "painful", so one more performance like this and you guys are off my "to watch" list.
Girls' Day - "Oh! My God" The best compliment I can give Girls' Day at this point is that I prepared a barf bag specially for their performance today, because seriously -- the combination of the girls and the song, and basically everything about this song, makes me want to puke.
G.NA - "Summer Star" + "2Hot" "Summer Star" and "2Hot" are complete disasters, again. No surprise there, seeing as this entire promo cycle is a joke.
Infinite - "The Chaser" Their performances just keep getting stronger and stronger every time. Stage presence, check, stable vocals, check, fluid movement, check, and group dynamic, check. It's such a joy to watch performances like this, because instead of complaining about every single detail I can just sit back and genuinely enjoy them.
SISTAR - "Alone" A few seconds in, the YT video of this I was watching muted. Was that a sign that this performance was going to be boring anyway so why bother? I mean, I won't deny that I think it's a really good thing that people other than Hyorin are actually stable live singers now, but for a girl group for their stature, and considering everything they've won with this, I expect much, much more from them, and from the song. Such cheap performances, trying to pass for "sophistication".
SNSD (Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun) - "Twinkle" Did I just hear Seohyun put that much more power into her belting just before the first chorus? Did I? I think I did! Granted, it's not much, but there's a part of me that really wants her to do well. But anyway, today's performance made me realize that I actually have a hard time imagining SNSD as nine, or TaeTiSeo in SNSD, partially because my ears are having such an amazing time hearing three girls who can actually do more than just hold a short melody, even if the song is meh. I don't know if that's good or bad, but for now I say it's okay.
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?
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.
