[May 8, 2011] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

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


Thanks to CrazyCarrot370 for the videos. :D

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[May 7, 2011] MBC Music Core Highlights + Commentary

I don't know if this is just me, but I'm rather disturbed that the likes of After School, f(x) and 4Minute are the most senior performers on today's show. All 3 groups debuted in 2009. OK, I'm VERY disturbed. If U-kiss were on I might've been a bit less disturbed, but disturbed nevertheless. Mmmm. But anyway.


Video credit goes to CrazyCarrot270@YT. Some things never change.

B1A4 - "OK"
The song is SO JoBros/Disney sitcom opening song. I just had to say it sorry. Mimed performance today, so it's an instant no, but the performance itself was pretty good. I noticed something in the way they move though - they move like a less practiced, more chaotic Infinite. And I like the way Infinite move on stage - it's very clean and sharp. So not bad, guys. Scrap the miming and you're good to go.

A Pink - "Don't Know"
Stop acting like 10 year-olds, A Pink. You're a lot older, even if you guys ARE pretty young. I'm your age and I would never be caught dead singing like that. Never. Ever. Actually, some of them have gorgeous vocals, it's just that like a lot of other groups it's getting masked by a crap song and an order from their agency to act like a bunch of kids.

Block B - "Wanna B"
I now realize that the reason why I don't like this song, never have, is because majority of the song is rapping, mock rapping, talking, or the hook. When people actually sing, it's not bad, it's actually pretty strong, but it's not my cup of tea. And is it just me or are their performances a little too chaotic? Or is it the stupid cameraman trying out new angles again? A little of both maybe.

Rania - "Dr. Feel Good"
If you want manufactured girl groups at their best, Rania is it. Their live vocals are rather interesting, to the point where I don't know how to accurately describe them. The melody is correct, and I believe they're singing in key, and you hear the timbre of their vocals, but it's as if they're singing to you behind a thin paper wall. BINGO - the vocals are muffled. You know they're singing, and you know they have strong vocals, but this could be more of a technical problem than anything else - their vocals are muffled, they're not crisp.

Dal Shabet - "Pink Rocket"
There comes a time when a crap song just fades into the background and my brain just automatically shuts off when I hear it. This is that time.

SISTAR 19 - "My boy"
Now I gotta hand it to them for being consistent in their performances so far, and it's a lot better than them getting worse, but being consistent means being consistently boring. To the point where it's actually painful seeing vocals like that wasted on a lifeless performance. Now I know the song is laid-back and cool and all that, but apart from the vocals, everything else lacks urgency and/or grace.

Rainbow - "To Me"
Miming? Just when you were getting good, you pull this. And I was just about to say how much I liked blonde girl with long hair's voice. Hmph. I'm starting to like the song a lot more though. I just need Rainbow to convince me.

f(x) - "Danger"
Really not used to the fact that f(x) closed the show today. And I'm kinda disturbed by how clean their vocals are today. Partially because there was no live audience, but was this performance pre-recorded and overdubbed or the vocals mixed before broadcasting? Because it's not identical to the recording, but it's far too clean to be an actual live performance, no matter how good a singer you are - the levels are too even and it's freaking me out. Either they tinkered with the recording, or the girls are neither tired, nor do they have fans disturbing them. I really don't know what to think, to be honest, but I'm leaning more towards the overdubbing theory.

4Minute - "Heart to Heart"
Hyun A sounds a lot less annoying today, but she still annoys me. Magnae is getting better, and her hair helps too. Jiyoon. Oh Jiyoon - can't you just sing the entire song yourself please? PLEASE?!? Melodic really doesn't work for 4Minute - can't we turn back time and have "HuH" again please? But I gotta admit, that little twist towards the end was sneaky and kinda cool. And leader girl reminds me a lot of Victoria f(x) during early 'Danger' promo in terms of vocals.

After School - "Shampoo"
Sorry, I'm really not used to After School being the most senior group of all the performers today. Usually the last performance on my commentaries are reserved for the outstanding - the likes of Rain, DBSK/HoMin, Big Bang, BoA. You know, people who have been around? That's not to say that After School haven't been around, but you know what I mean - they still have a long way to go. Anyway. Their vocals have really improved, and by the end of the performance today I wasn't cringing like I usually do. Of course UEE should just go back to standing there and looking pretty (kinda) and Jooyeon is such an uninteresting and weak singer, but Jung Ah and Raina were on top-form today. Even Gahee and Bekah. New girl is really shaping up as well - she needs more lines.

[May 6, 2011] KBS Music Bank Highlights + Commentary

Words cannot express how happy I am that A Pink and Girls' Day didn't perform today. Now all we need to do is get rid of Dal Shabet and my life will be complete. Jay Park is back! Yay! I'm used to calling him Jaebeom though, so this Jay Park will take some getting used to. Other than him and 1/2 of SISTAR, it's the usual line-up.


Video credit goes to UnknownCarrot170@YT. Brilliant as always.

X-5 - "The Show Is Over"
Their live vocals remind me a lot of Miss A, actually. You know they're good - they have nice voices and they know how to deliver them - but because of the demands of the performance, they always sound out of breath. Now, I say time and time again that if you're a good singer you will sound good even if you're dancing your ass off, and that should be the case - always. However, doing that requires half talent, and half practice - they need to not only get used to the stage, but its demands, and that's something they haven't done yet. In this case, practice makes perfect. In their defense though, not a lot of idol groups these days debut with such a vocally and physically-demanding song - they got used to the stage with a much easier song. I'll give it to them though - they're pretty damn good.

Rania - "Dr. Feel Good"
This is one of these highly-orchestrated performances - everything about them on stage was planned ahead - and it really is a sight. And the fact that they have the vocals to do justice to the very tight performance just makes everything so much better. Of course there are glitches in the performance, but do you expect them to be robots? Of course not. Regardless, I'll be watching - very closely.

Dal Shabet - "Pink Rocket"
No. Just.. no. NEXT.

SISTAR 19 - "My boy"
I was watching their performance on yesterday's M!Countdown this morning, and my observations on that performance are identical to the ones for this. The song itself if very laid-back, and so when it's performed there should be some kind of gimmick to make people want to watch you. In this case, it's the chair dance and the choreography, and all the winking and acting cute. Not working. At all. They're trying too hard. When MBLAQ tries too hard it looks painful, when SISTAR, or at least half of them, try too hard it lacks grace. Hyorin has a GORGEOUS voice, I have never denied her that - if you remember my complaints about SISTAR it's that only one of them can actually sing, and that's Hyorin. No matter how gorgeous her voice is though, the rest of the performance is an absolute bore. I close my eyes to just listen and it sounds amazing, my ears are in heaven, but I open them and all I want to do is close them again - nothing about what they're doing makes me want to watch them. I might as well listen to the recording at the rate things are going. It's boring, it lacks grace, the chair dancing looked so contrived - the entire performance is dry.

Rainbow - "To Me"
The more I hear this song, the better it gets. And their improving vocals are a big help too. That's more like it Rainbow - you're singing like how a band from the 4th biggest agency in Korea should. And a lot better than Kara too, may I add. Well, some of you.

f(x) - "Danger"
This is an SME performance through and through - the song, the choreography, the vocals, the stage presence - everything about this is contrived in the most contrived way possible, and yet that's what sucks you in. The performance is far from perfect, and the autotune on the recording is still a tad bit annoying for me, partially because it really affects the live performance, but they are at the level that they should be at for an SM group of their stature - using handsfree or handheld mics don't matter anymore because they're practically the same. FINALLY. Luna sounds amazing as usual, Krystal's getting a lot less annoying, Victoria's vocals are getting stronger, and SULLI. THOSE VOCALS. OH MY GOD. GORGEOUS. KILL ME NOW.

4Minute - "Heart to Heart"
Oh, they did this song today. Hyun A annoys me beyond belief, maknae girl too, the leader's fine, Jiyoon goes in and makes everything better, and Gayoon makes the chorus a lot cheaper than it could be. Pretty much the entire performance, and song, explained in one sentence. Yup, that's about right.

After School - "Shampoo"
For After School standards, this was a strong performance - you can actually hear everyone actually singing. And they're getting used to performing the song at a much faster rate than they usually do, which is good. I find it hard to believe that there are 9 of them now, actually - it just hit me when I saw the shot at the beginning with all of them. Can I nominate Jooyeon and UEE for graduation? PLEASE?!?!?

U-Kiss - "0330"
The song's starting to bore me already, but I'm happy that their fanchants are getting louder and louder! And their vocals are now at the beginning stages of being above average. The U-Kiss performance style has always been edgy - they're a fun version of highly-orchestrated performances, and that's something they've perfected with this single. If their vocals don't make you watch, the performance itself will.

Jay Park - "Tonight" + "Abandoned"(WINNER)
He's come a long way, gone through a lot of crap (partly because of indecisive fans), but my god would this have been an incredible talent wasted had he given up on music altogether. How he moves, how he holds the audience in the palm of his hands like it's nothing, how one second he's prancing around stage and the next he's dancing like there's no tomorrow, reminds me a lot of a young Rain. Actually, his story is similar in ways to a condensed version of the Rain story. There are been truckloads of comparisons to Taeyang, and I do see them vocally, but to be honest with you I like Jay a lot better, because unlike Taeyang, who's focused on the nasal-ness of his voice, Jay is focused more on the smoothness, and you all know I like a smooth voice that knows how to deliver. And he delivers. Of course the not singing during the chorus, apart from those adlibs, is something I'm not particularly fond of, but it's not like he can't sing. I like the song, I've liked it since the first time I heard it (when it came out), and the live performance did more than justice to it. Partially because he's a talented performer, and partially because the audience screaming and the fanchants send chills down my spine. Brilliance. And he deserves that win.

[May 1, 2011] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

I'm going to rush this out because there's an emergency here at home (nothing big, but I gotta go), so no really long whiny intro today about how their sound sucks. Just read the recap LOL.


Video credit goes to CrazyCarrot370@YT.

X-5 - "The Show Is Over"
Can I say it? OK I'll say it. X-5 are, officially, the most outstanding debuting act of the year. Without a doubt. The fact that they're doing considerably well on Inki means a lot, and it means that they're really damn good. Watching this performance made me realize something though. B1A4 and X-5 are a lot like DBSK and Big Bang in terms of performance. (And don't give me that "don't compare them" speech because I'm comparing them for the sole purpose of making YOU understand how the two groups perform) X-5 have strong vocals live, and very polished performances - every move they make on stage, from which foot to step with, how many steps to take, to where to stand and even when to smile, has been orchestrated, practiced and perfected - it's the epitome of manufactured, but it's a sight to your senses and it really glues your eyes to the screen. B1A4, on the other hand, can do dancing and can do singing live, but the entire point of their performance is make it look like they're having so much fun that you want to buy their album and have fun too like them. There is no superior method, and I personally think that both of them take a lot of talent and work to actually pull off, but I'm personally leaning more towards the X-5/DBSK style. Of course there's still a lot to iron out (especially all the moaning towards the end - the eff?) and they're not the strongest band ever, but as rookies in k-pop, they're exceptionally good.

A Pink - "Don't Know"
I don't want to waste any more of my energy on you so call me when you get your act together, A Pink. Then I'll think of talking about you.

B1A4 - "OK"
Like I said on the X-5 commentary thingy above, B1A4 are the "screw everything we're having fun" band. OK maybe not "everything", but you get the point. They're so fun to watch on stage and it makes you want to prance around with them. Of course not as sophisticated and convincing as Big Bang yet, but for a rookie they're pretty damn good. Second only to X-5, who, as I said a while ago, are outstanding. Strong vocals, captivating presence (to say the least) and a catchy song make for a pretty good performance. I like.

Dal Shabet - "Pink Rocket"
We'll talk when you get a decent song, Dal Shabet. I don't even know if any of you can actually sing because it's so crap!

Girls' Day - "Twinkle Twinkle"
You too Girls' Day, I'll get back to you when you stop acting like a bunch of 3 year-olds, especially you, Min Ah. It's not amusing. At all. It's annoying.

Infinite - "Nothing's Over"
I can't believe this is their last stage. I know it's not for long (too long at least), but my god have they grown over these past few months. As long as they keep up the strong material and do what they're good at, which is basically this, it's all good. I don't quite remember exactly what I said when they debuted, but I do know that I've always had a soft spot for them. For the right reasons.

Rainbow - "To Me"
I like their outfits today. :D Vocals are fine for their standards, and the performance was OK. Not much different from yesterday. Of course the crap sound hinders any kind of improvement from showing, but if they can sustain this next week I won't complain.

f(x) - "Danger"
It's like there's a trend between SM maknaes from SuJu onwards - they all have the most gorgeous, smooth vocals (Changmin DBSK not included because he's more on the high yet deep side). And from SHINee to f(x) it took some time for those vocals to show. 'Danger' works like 'Genie' for me - the more I hear it, the more I like it. Still against bastardizing Luna's vocals, but the song as a whole is getting better and better. And their strong live performances only make me like it more. The performance itself has never been a problem - with SM slave-driving I expect no less - but the vocals are FINALLY very near to where they should be. Just a little more, f(x).

4Minute - "Miror Mirror"
Aaaand Hyun A's back to sounding like crap. What's new. Jiyoon sounds a bit tired today, but that's about it. Oh, and leader girl's vocals are getting a lot better. Yay. The presence is there, obviously, and to be honest with you I'm slowly liking this song even more than I already did (I didn't like it that much, but you get the point), which is good.

After School - "Let's Step Up" & "Shampoo"
You know SBS, a pretty stage for After School most definitely doesn't make up for your lack of a decent sound system, and a decent sound guy. Once again, the backing track was turned up way too high, and yes, they have hand mics, but SBS still managed to make them sound like crap. Of course part of it is After School's fault because they're not exactly the best live singers, but they sounded decent yesterday! And actually if you listen closely they kinda do today too, it's just that the crappy sound is in the way. Lizzy was hiding behind the backing track today, because you hear an almost perfect line, then there's a mess right on top of it - either the backing track was too loud, or she's really hiding behind it.

U-Kiss - "0330"
Vocals today are just OK, and I'm starting to not like the song to be honest with you. It's like the more I hear it the more stale it gets. I mean it's a pretty song and they can really pull it off live, but it's just not my taste anymore. They're very suave performers - there's a mixture of orchestration and practiced movements and "let's prance around stage" to the entire thing, and not just in the dancing. It's polished.

Big Bang - "Love Song" (WINNER)
I've said this many times before, but in terms of really putting on a show, YG rules. In terms of making thing different but retaining familiarity, they also rule. And because Big Bang is obviously YG's flagship boyband, they also rule what YG rules at. That first minute or so was so cool. Not the biggest fan of "Love Song", but it works for me like a lot of their material - don't like it recorded, if I just listen I probably won't like it live either, but you watch them and you don't want it to stop. That and their vocals (of the 3 singers) are near-perfect - DAESUNG CAN I MARRY YOUR VOICE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEE. GD is a sight, but I close my eyes and meh - can he please shut up and stop singing already? But, based on this performance alone they are more than worthy of status, and all the awards they've gotten, for this.

[April 24, 2011] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

Inki was in Jeju today! Yay! However, when I found out that little bit of information yesterday, I was less than pleased - more like fearful for my ears. Why? Because one, you have a gazillion rookie groups on today Two, this is Inkigayo - the sound ALWAYS sucks. And three, this is Inkigayo somewhere other than the SBS studio - the sound people aren't used to the venue. Add the fact that they can't even get good results at the SBS studio week in and week out and you have a sonic disaster.


Well it looks like my predictions were right. Someone please fire the Inki sound guy before I go there myself and make sure he dies a slow, and painful death. I don't care if it's easter, he needs to go. NOW.

Video credits go to CrazyCarrot370. The best thing that ever happened to kpop hahah.

A Pink - "Don't Know"
You know what they remind me of? That group of girls in elementary school with budding stage parents who force them to perform during school events. Maybe some of them can sing, but the main goal of the entire performance, as dictated by their parents, is to be "discovered" and become the next Mariah or Whitney. Which you can only do by attracting attention to yourself more than the others. The vocals today were painful and the over-all performance like some kind of cute-off. Meh.

Rania -"Dr. Feel Good"
That part where the girl's miming the part another girl sings reminds me of Chun and Yunho on "The Way You Are". Anyway. Oh wow. Apart from that stupidity at the first line of the song and the 2 or 3 solo lines mimed, for rookies Rania overcame crap Inki sound pretty well. And in k-pop, doing well in Inki means you're pretty damn good. They have presence, they have vocals, they have a pretty decent song - I'm impressed, and I want more.

Dal Shabet -"Pink Rocket"
I don't even want to talk about them. Just watch the video.

Infinite - "Nothing's Over"
As much as I'd like to say Infinite did good today, like on MuBank, and as much as they've really improved, for SOME STUPID REASON like I don't know, crap sound, they sounded off today. And the verses hurt my ears. That last set of high notes wasn't half bad though, even if the guy doing it was cracking all over the place. Very tight performance, except of course for the blegh vocals.

Orange Caramel -"Bangkok City"
I don't want to talk about the song, but I will say something. I AM SO GLAD AFTER SCHOOL IS COMING BACK THIS WEEK SO I CAN BE SPARED OF THIS BLASPHEMY. Preferably by a JungAh/Gahee tag-team.

Rainbow - "To Me"
It's now a contest between the long-haired blonde girl and the girl I liked yesterday for my favorite voice in Rainbow. The fact that there's a contest means we're making progress, Rainbow! But the inki handsfree mics are doing nothing for their vocals, and you really have to listen to hear them actually singing - most of the time it's just a bunch of random sounds and the backing track laced with breaths. We're not making that much progress, Rainbow - work harder. LOL.

ZE:A - "Here I Am"
I understand that the song is floaty and whatnot, but their live vocals do not sound floaty - they sound strained, like in reality that can't sing the song. Their energy on stage is really strong, and they finally worked on that whole "being a group" thing, but their vocals are the exact opposite - some of them are lifeless, majority are strained. And as a whole just sad, I'm sorry to say. My ears hurt. It's a shame though, I kinda like the recorded version.

CN Blue -"Intuition"
JONGHYUN. SHADES. YES. Yonghwa slurring his words because he doesn't have shades but still wants to be all "gangster". NO. Just no. Yonghwa you're a very competent, consistent live singer - slurring your words only makes you sound like you don't know what you're doing. ANd if we can move the drummer a biiiiiiiit closer that would be great, SBS, thank you. We can work on plugging in their guitars later.

f(x) - "Danger"
What did I say about NOT TURNING THE BACKING TRACK UP TOO LOUD, inki sound guy? I thought we worked this out last year - you have to make their voices AUDIBLE, not drown them in pre-recorded crap. You can hardly hear ANY of them, and Krystal's vocals were like, non-existent. We're talking about Krystal here, the popular one. And you can't hear her? Are you nuts? Now because the stupid sound guy was being stupid, the performance lacked punch - obviously, I COULDN'T EVEN HEAR THEM SING. The attitude was there though, which is always good.

4Minute - "Mirror Mirror"
They're all getting used to singing the song, that's for sure - OK maybe everyone except Hyun A. Can she just stick with rapping and mock-singing please? However Jiyoon sounds epic as always. And Gayoon is consistent, but the problem is just I really just don't like her voice. The performance was fine, with the standard 4Minute attitude, and the vocals were ever so slightly better than the last time. I still prefer HuH over this though.

U-Kiss - "0330"
Oh wow. Their vocals sound a lot less strained today, and a lot richer. Of course the hand mics are a big help, but it's like they all got rest because there's no panting. And the high note was done pretty well, even if the line right after was sloppy. Strong performance - I've been waiting to say that for a U-kiss song!

SNSD - "Hoot"
Before I personally thought SNSD's live vocals were way below the standard for a band of their stature and pedigree. I mean outside of their singles a good half of them can really sing, but they could never quite pull off their singles the way a band like them should be able to. The only reason why I didn't like SNSD was because I wasn't sold on the live performances of their singles, and it annoyed me that they could sing other people's songs better than their own, but as they get older they're forced to grow - more so now that they're in Japan. Surprise of all surprises, guess what the solution to that problem was - Japan. Of course. It turned DBSK from extraordinary talents into legends - it's slowly turning SNSD from a girl group that hit the big time to a girl group with pedigree to their name, and this performance is proof of that. The good singers are getting competent, consistent, and the slightly better ones are getting stronger.

Big Bang -"Love Song"
If you want TOP to sing, and want to make it look like he isn't TOP trying desperately sing, please don't put his line before Daesung, who is undeniably the best singer in Big Bang. (if you want to argue with me I don't care - Taeyang's voice annoys me) Then if you want to make GD sound good, don't put him between Daesung and Taeyang, who have obviously been singing more lines than GD these past few years. What's more, GD couldn't even pull off singing a few "I hate this love song"'s without panting. And Seungri's first solo was weak. I know he's sick, but if he can stand on stage and dance, the vocals should be slightly stronger. Daesung sounds tired too, and his lower range sounds weak. Did someone forget to make these guys warm up or something? Do they even need to be told to warm up at this point? The only one who sounds like usual is Taeyang. I'm being tough on them because they're Big Bang, undeniably 5 of the best performers of their generation - for heaven's sake they just gave an epic performance yesterday, what the crap happened? Apart from Seungri being sick, of course.

DBSK/HoMin - "Before You Go" & "Keep Your Head Down"
Before we start, Inki, is it really necessary for the flame to be heard through HoMin's mics? It's annoying. But anyway. If you want strong Inki handsfree mic vocals - you get them with HoMin. Of course they're not as good as they are on MuBank, but of all the performers who used handsfree mics today, obviously HoMin's vocals were the strongest. And Inki sound guy only slightly messed up! Yay! The performance today was spot-on for Inki standards - if you're a good performer, you're a good performer wherever you go, and technicalities cannot, and will not change that. HoMin are seasoned, trained and outstanding performers - you see how their vocals are brilliant whether it's on major music shows like this or small TV shows with almost no equipment to accommodate vocals. Now, this is the official end of all HoMin activities for "Keep Your Head Down". I'm sad. Really sad. But like the crazy OT5 cassie I am, there's that little sliver of hope that the next time they come back, it's at 5. I know it's ridiculous, but it keeps me, and a lot of other fans, sane. The demands of the industry say otherwise, heck even my brain says otherwise, but there's a part of me that HAS to see that magic again - and hoping keeps me from going nuts, so yeah - have mercy on me just this once?

>

[April 23, 2011] MBC Music Core Highlights + Commentary

Yes, I will be returning with the regular three music shows a week - this is serious, until I once again get too busy to keep up. Today's MuCore had a pretty good line up, and surprisingly, MuCore sound has greatly improved! A lot of debuts today, as well as f(x)'s comeback and HoMin's farewell stage.

Let's get right into it! Read on for the recap.


Video credit goes to CrazyCarrot270@YT. Brilliance, I tell you, brilliance!

B1A4 -"OK"
You know what this song reminds me of? The theme song for a Disney-type teenage sitcom by someone like McFly, or the JoBros in their early days. Or the theme song for something like "God of Study". It's not bad, in fact since it's the kind of music I was surrounded by growing up, I'm kinda feeling it. But to be honest with you their vocals, their presence and their over-all performance is over this type of songs that I honestly just want them to get over this phase and give me brilliance. Did I hear fanchants? And loud cheers? For a debuting group? And did you see how they just prance around stage like it's nothing to them - but end up putting out pretty strong vocals? Right now, it's between them and X-5 for new boyband supremacy, and the competition is pretty damn fierce, if you ask me.

A Pink - "Don't Know"
Ugh. Them. Once again, everyone is trying to out sing, out dance and out cute each other. It's like this is a competition between members for them and the one who has the cutest expression or the sharpest hand movements wins - it's not. And because everyone is still trying to outdo everyone else, I cannot pinpoint an effortlessly amazing voice yet. Today's performance was very robotic - no feeling, no spark. Boring.

Block B - "Freeze"
I know a lot of people have been gushing about Block B, but to be honest with you I don't see the hype. The song is generic and they're not the best singers I've seen either. The guy with the hand mic, who I assume is their lead vocalist, can belt notes alright but there's something off about the way he sings. It's like he's trying to be Taeyang, Seulong, and Jay Park all rolled in one - he's not any of them. And is it just me is one of the rappers trying to look, and rap, like TOP? Give me a better song and work on singing before I take notice of you, please?

Rania -"Dr. Feel Good"
To be honest with you, I don't really get why they're being criticized. I mean OK the choreography is rather suggestive, but for heaven's sake it's not like we haven't seen something like this before. And my god are these girls talented - they can sing like THAT while dancing themselves into oblivion? I'm impressed. Yeah sure majority of the performance was the hook(s), but their solo lines were near-perfectly delivered. With handsfree mics. While dancing like that and lying down on the floor and everything. If it's between X-5 and B1A4 for the boybands, it's definitely a war between Rania and the Brave Girls. Oh dear why is this generation of new groups so damn good.

Dal Shabet -"Pink Rocket"
You know Dal Shabet, you didn't need to come back so quickly after "Supa Dupa Diva". That's code for "I don't want to see you on music shows. preferably never again, but I'll bargain for a few months". But nooooooooo, they just HAD to come back with this disaster of a single that they obviously cannot sing. Their vocals today were an absolute pain to hear, I'm sorry.

Rainbow - "To Me"
Rainbow are the perfect example to girl groups starting out that if you really want it and you really try, you can turn out pretty decent. From what I've seen, I really like the girl who's in the middle for majority of the choruses - the one singing "na reul bulreo bwa"? Yeah, her. Nice voice. And around 3 others have nice voices, but not enough technique to carry them live. Today's performance wasn't as good as yesterday's, but it's definitely a lot better than majority of the performances of their previous singles. I wouldn't willingly watch this again, but I won't cringe to death if I watched it again. We're making progress, Rainbow, let's hope DSP lets you stick around long enough.

Orange Caramel -"Bangkok City"
I refuse to talk about the song again, and subject myself to anger and annoyance LOL. But to be honest with you the vocals weren't bad, if you take in consideration how the verses fit none of them and the chorus is 90% backing track. Next song, please? My ears hurt.

CN Blue -"Intuition"
The only difference this has from yesterday's performance is that Yonghwa isn't wearing shades, he has a guitar, and the song's shorter. That's basically it. Vocally strong, as always, unplugged guitars, as always, and an alienated drummer. Although we're making progress - maybe 2 feet closer to Yonghwa and I'll be happy.

f(x) - "Danger"
Oh wow. Where do I start. Well, considering that SM refuses to give up on the "NU ABO"/"Chu~" vocal treatment that I would like them to set on fire for the world to forget, I think this song is a good compromise. It's not that cutesy anymore, it has a bit more epic-ness to it, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SING THE SONG NOW! SME I'm so proud of you! LOL. And another thing - it fits all their vocals perfectly. Luna's vocals are degraded here and there's no epic high note to make up for it, but I now realize that they could've done worse. The gap between the better and the worse in f(x) is getting closer and closer - Sulli and Victoria's vocals are much much stronger now, and are catching up to Luna and Krystal. And may I say that I'm beginning to like Sulli's voice. Whether or not they're all using handsfree mics today, it was a strong performance.

4Minute - "Mirror Mirror"
I like the outfits today! Jiyoon was good today, although her vocals still a bit too throaty, but I'd take her over Gayoon any day. Now if only we can get Gayoon's fluidity and Jiyoon's technique and put it in one voice - that would be perfect. Although, Jihyun wasn't half bad today. And their presence is slowly, but surely, getting stronger and stronger - if before they owned the stage, now it looks like home of them. They're still really bringing it, but it's slowly getting effortless. Now just work on your vocals and BAM.

Big Bang -"Stupid Liar"
Performers in every sense of the word. Not a big fan of the song, but I can't help but watch - they're having SO MUCH FUN and you can't keep your eyes off of them. It's like, screw caring about our vocals, screw trying to hold the audience in the palms of our hands - we can do that like clockwork now - we are going to prance around this stage and have fun and no one can stop us. And my god what a show that makes - it makes you just want to prance around like they are. I'd watch this at least a dozen more times.

DBSK/HoMin - "Before You Go" & "Keep Your Head Down"
If Big Bang went the "screw everything we're having fun here" route, which perfectly matches who they are, HoMin went with the "we're gods, we know - keep worshipping us" way, which also perfectly matches the songs. They know they're good, they know they're practically immortal in k-pop, and they know the fans will go to ends of the earth for them - they're turning that into a performance. The result? A spectacle - a feast to all your senses. Everything about this performance was formulated, calculated, painstakingly practiced, but they're so good, so experienced, that they make it look like all you have to do on stage is stand there and look pretty. And maybe that's why so many new idol groups are so lazy and lack effort - because when they see people like DBSK and Big Bang on stage it looks so easy. It's not, they just make it look like it os. EXCUSE ME WHILE I ABUSE THE REPLAY BUTTON.