[Gayo Daejun 2012] Part 1: The 10 Best Performances

Year-End Festival season is the time of the year when everyone, or at least, everyone who mattered even just a little bit, comes out bringing the songs that made them relevant during the past year. Remixes are made, special stages held, dance breaks added -- anything to make those songs special for what is quite possibly their last hurrah. Gayo Daejuns have become places where acts come out in all their musical finery and show off.

They're like marketplaces -- you have practically the entire idol industry for the picking, so the performances come in a variety of qualities. Thankfully, that wide spectrum of quality translates into pretty tough competition, making acts really step up their game. Every year, a select few rise to the challenge, and succeed, or set bars, only to surpass existing expectations.

The performances I chose are some of the most creative, most confident, and best-executed performances -- they're strong from top to bottom and side to side. These are the performances that bring out some of the best talent in K-Pop, and that really do a good job of showing it off. They aren't flawless, because that's humanly impossible, but the flaws on these performances are either minuscule, or contribute something good to the entirety. It's those kinds of performances that are on this year's list -- performances I would gladly watch over and over and over again.

KBS

The non-idol groups

The KBS Gayo Daejun had very little spectacle compared to the other two networks' offerings, but at least the stage looked more elaborate than it did last year. Still, majority of the performances either felt too much like regular music show ones, or tried to do something and failed because of a number of different factors. However, the circumstances managed to bring out the performers, and performances, who are really good to begin with. I swear I didn't even know none of my choices were idols until I looked over the list again earlier!

Ailee - "Halo" / "Heaven" / "Just Dance"
Her "Halo" cover was part of a suite called "Idol & Artist", and with her Hyorin and K. Will also covered "Sway" and "Ribbon In the Sky", respectively. Honestly the only cover I really liked was Ailee's because Hyorin's "Sway" was way too heavy and didn't have that effortlessness that a song like "Sway" really, really needs, and K. Will's was boring until he started belting more, which means it was pretty boring throughout. Ailee, however, not only chose only a newer song that brought out her strengths, but also delivered it with conviction and effortlessness. It's not really the language barrier, to be honest, because Hyorin has had some beautiful English covers, it's really the song choice and the delivery. Which just goes to show that Ailee really does have what it takes to be a soloist because she knows how to carry herself, regardless of the song.

The first thing that surprised me about Ailee's KBS appearance was the fact that she was placed to late in the show, something usually reserved for more senior acts. But honestly, she gave a better performance than a lot of other seniors that night. The song choice was correct, "Heaven" has the possibility to be that epic, big-performance song with the class and sophistication you should associate with Ailee, and she delivered it with mastery and so much conviction. I like that she lowered the high note at the climax, because it shows that she has a performer's mindset -- there's no room for hesitation on stage, so if she felt that she couldn't hit the higher note, it was the right decision to lower it.

The other thing that surprised me was that she did a "Just Dance" cover, which reminded me a lot of past Gayo Daejuns when they'd do special covers of newer songs. Most of the old covers weren't really any good, but it was something to look forward to and get curious about when it came to Gayos. To see Ailee do that, and pretty much slay everyone else who covered "Just Dance" before (didn't someone do that in 2009? SHINee? I think), was one of my favorite moments from all three Gayo Daejuns.

But above all, Ailee's performance showed me that it's possible for one act to have everything I talked about last year (!!) and said that other rookies needed. She has talent, she has presence, but she also has very, very good stage manners. She was singing live on this performance, overpowering her backing track, she showed how much she wanted to be on stage, she was enthusiastic and she didn't count on her "hard work" to show it for her, she went and showed it herself. And finally, once it was time to jump around on stage and have fun, she did just that with so much effortlessness, but she never, ever forgot what got her on stage in the first place -- to sing. So many other acts forget that, but not Ailee. With this performance, she proved that she is, without a doubt, rookie of the year.

Brave Guys - "Wait and Get Ready" (With K. Will, Kang Kyun Sung and Secret's Sunhwa)
Given my limited knowledge of Brave Guys (I'd seen a few gag concert cuts and some other stuff they did), I was extremely surprised when Shin Bora started singing, because she did it so well. She has a gorgeous timbre, the song was right for her, and there was this effortlessness that you don't see in majority of many female idols, who have probably trained for much, much longer. I think it's safe to say that she out-sung almost all the female acts that night. And that this performance, despite not being a "conventional" one, outdid majority of the others.

And this one performance showed me that Brave Guys as a musical act is actually really, really good, so when I found out that they're not doing music anymore, I was disappointed. I mean they're not ridiculously amazing, but they're solid, entertaining performers, with good, catchy songs. That's better than a lot of what we get from other acts. But what angered me was the reason why they decided to quit. Apparently since they're comedians, they "can't do music and comedy", which is probably one of the most stupid criticisms I've heard, and also one of the most ironic, coming from an industry that promotes a "jack of all trades, master of few/none" mindset in idols. You see all these idols trying to go into acting or comedy or anything other than singing (which some of them aren't even that good at in the first place), and while some of them are actually pretty okay, the majority aren't. Meanwhile, you have Brave Guys, who are good comedians to start with, and good performers and musicians as well, and you tell them they can't be all that? I'm sorry but I can't accept that reasoning, and this performance is why.

K. Will - "I Need You"
I loved this performance so much, and it really was one of the most memorable moments of the otherwise boring KBS show. The song choice was on-point -- it wasn't a ballad, but it still shows off K. Will's gorgeous and stable voice. It's also a lot more interesting than his "Ribbon In The Sky" version because it really took advantage of his very clear belting in contrast to his otherwise husky, rich middle range. The dance/instrumental break kept it fresh, but it didn't overpower the rest of the song. This is just one of those performances that are so effortlessly good I want to watch them over and over and over again.

SBS

The Boybands

Last year's SBS Gayo Daejun was my favorite out of the three, but I'm afraid I can't say the same about this year's show. I initially really liked the idea of them forming project groups just for that night, because it was a good way to present not only songs from the year that was about to end, but something fresh -- it set the SBS show apart from other shows. But once we got the songs I was extremely underwhelmed by them -- either they weren't any good, or they sounded too much like something else. The only song I really liked was Mystic White's, but the performance was boring. Actually, all four performances weren't that good. So when it came down to choosing the best performances from that night, none of them were even on my shortlist. And, again, I just happened to choose all the boy band performances.

Big Bang - "One Of a Kind" + "Crayon" + "Fantastic Baby"
And this, my friends, is how you do a Gayo Daejun performance -- you take advantage of the fact that the stage is bigger, and you take advantage of the fact that the audience is much better. If there's one more thing to add to my (rather long) list of "Reasons Why I Have THE Utmost Respect for Big Bang", it's that they know exactly how to please a crowd with their music. They know how to balance all these fancy gimmicks and the delivery of their music, so much better than anyone. Groups like BEAST and maybe Teen Top now, they try, and to a certain extent it works, but they haven't yet captured that level of effortlessness that Big Bang put into their playful performances. Like, TOP may be deadpan in terms of movement, but he knows other ways of how to play with the crowd, and GD is just a fireball, really. Also, I wasn't really convinced with a lot of the "Gangnam Style" incorporations this year, save for this one. It wasn't a direct copy, and I really liked that. I really liked the entire performance, and it was one of the few that put a genuine smile on my face without me having to force it.

BEAST - "Beautiful Night"
If the Big Bang performance was something to have fun with, the BEAST performance brought out the anthemic quality of "Beautiful Night". Despite the fact that, like I said earlier, they don't have the music that's as effortless as Big Bang, they bring a different kind of performance to the table. "Beautiful Night" isn't something you subconsciously play along with like a Big Bang song, it's really that anthemic kind of performance that you sit back and appreciate. They're different, really. (So I should stop comparing them!) Stable vocals, strong yet humble stage presence, good stage manners -- it's good over-all, all while being above a music show performance. They played the crowd well, and I like how they succeeded without all those bells and whistles. It's hard to find a balance between the two, but it's also hard to do without the bells and whistles, just like what BEAST did.

Infinite - "The Chaser"
This is probably my favorite remix of "The Chaser", not really because of the presence of the orchestra alone, but because it made the song even more epic than it already is. Because this was truly a Gayo Daejun-worthy performance. The arrangers really made an effort to make it special for the Gayos -- it wasn't just some random new synth line put on top of the original arrangement. And unlike other orchestra versions that have been done in the past, this one wasn't some boring attempt to do "classical" music under a pop melody. You have your strings, but then you also have these electric guitars running around, I loved that part. That's another thing I really like about this arrangement -- it's not pretentious, it's confident. And to top it all off, this was also the best-sung and most stable of Infinite's three Gayo performances. It was a lot more stable vocally, and I liked the friction between their vocals and the instrumental. It was, all-around, one of the best performances of the night.

MBC

The Fierce Battles

Finally, a relatively vague categorization. It's not my fault the best from the other shows had striking similarities! To me, the MBC show has always been the messiest of the three -- you have a "battle" thing going on with blue and white teams, but then you have these random special stages stuck in between them, with little to no relation with the main "battle". This year was a bit more organized than last year's though, which is good. And if there's one thing I like about the format, it's that there's a lot to talk about, and a good point to make regarding the battles. In a perfect world, the battles exist so acts can push themselves -- if they want to win, they have to be good. I tried to look for those kinds of battles, but I only found one, so the other pair of performances that I'll feature is sort of my "dream team" -- the two acts that I think would've made for a really, really fierce battle.

(Note: Despite the fact that they're paired up, each act accounts for one performance -- which means the MBC section features four performances ;D)

Epik High - "Don't Hate Me" / "Up" (with Park Bom) vs. MBLAQ - "It's War"
And that, my friends, is how you do a performance. Both groups did the right songs, and they carried themselves extremely well. This was honestly the only battle that night where both acts presented really strong fronts, and made it hard for me to mentally declare a "winner".

Epik High was brilliant, and I really like that instead of doing a whole performance of "Don't Hate Me", they did "Up" as well. It was ridiculously fun, but also fresh and Gayo-worthy. Watching their performance earlier was kind of a culmination of my want to understand rap, because they did it so well and they made me want to do more than just passively listen and passively like it. Park Bom was surprisingly stable, like she should be, but I also really like how even if she got center stage during her solos, it remained an Epik High song and not a Park Bom song, something that I noticed some songs turn into.

Honestly I wasn't so surprised that Epik High did such a good job because well, they're Epik High. I was more surprised with MBLAQ actually, because they exceeded my expectations a thousand times over. That was really one of their best-sung performances ever, one of the most stable, and also over-all one of the best-delivered. This was what I meant when I said that "It's War" truly takes what I used to think as MBLAQ's weakness, their over-performing that oftentimes translates into arrogance, and makes it a good thing. It's a song that will rise to the challenge of over performance, and that's really what MBLAQ has always needed. It's strong enough to overpower their bad points, while bringing out their strengths. And also, I love the re-arrangement. It's gorgeous and not the least bit less epic than the original, but it's something new.

Epik High vs. MBLAQ was really the fiercest battle on that show, and probably one of my favorites out of all the Gayo Daejun performances. They were that good.

SISTAR - "Alone" vs Miss A - "I Don't Need A Man"
A few hours ago I was really frustrated, because I really wanted the MBC section of this post to be centered around the "battle" concept of the show, but other than the Epik High/MBLAQ one, none of the other pairings matched up, to each other or to my standards. There were acts who did well in relation to each other, but outside of that they weren't that good all-around. In Miss A and SISTAR's case, they were both really, really good, but their partners were the opposite. The 4Minute performance was badly sung and the arrangement wasn't really that great, and the KARA one had an interesting arrangement, but they didn't even bother singing it live. However, the Miss A and SISTAR performances stood out too much for me not to include them here.

I really, really, REALLY liked the arrangement of "I Don't Need A Man", because as much as it sounded new and fresh (we'll get to that later), they also retained the original feel of it, better than any of the other remixes that tried. Hardly any of the original elements were retained, and yet it managed to channel a sense of familiarity. The most unfamiliar-feeling element of this performance is the dance break, but I love it. I love how it's so unexpected at first, but when you watch it again it makes sense in the greater scheme of things. And when you look at the elements themselves and how they relate to the song proper, it's actually really, really cohesive. I love it, it gives the song sass. This version was still as fun and tongue-in-cheek as the original one, and actually slightly more playful because there were more things to play around with. But at the same time, I like how the song has a different kind of substance, and how it's clear that this was approached with a musical mindset. The melody was tweaked to match, but not too much that it would become impossible to sing live. And actually, their vocals on this were quite good, and stable in general, save for a few slips and a fraction of the song being really breathy. But all things considered this is one of the most creative performances this year.

It's also a slightly similar case with SISTAR -- the arrangement is really creative and musical. But unlike Miss A, I didn't expect this to even just happen at all. But it did, and then I was surprised at how well it worked. One of the main reasons why I didn't like the original version of "Alone" was because it didn't do a good job of carrying SISTAR and hiding their flaws. And because I found it boring. Well, this arrangement was anything but. From the beginning all the way to the end it's overflowing with confidence, and it has so much spunk it almost hurts. The delivery was really good as well -- they really sold the song. Even if that one girl's voice cracked, it was a tiny miss in a sea of direct hits. In terms of their movements, this really worked too because they finally found somewhere to channel the roughness of their stage presence. This was one of the best things SISTAR ever did, probably the most well-rounded performance of their careers, actually.

Phew. That was long. Watch out for part 2 tomorrow! ^_^

[#13] MBLAQ - "It's War"

From: "100% Ver"
Format: EP
Released: January
Territory: South Korea
Previous Best of Appearances: #18 -"Mona Lisa" (2011)

MBLAQ's debut was a memorable one for me because it was one of the first debuts I really followed (mainly because of their rivalry with BEAST), and because looking back now, so much has changed since then. I didn't really like them when they were starting out because they were too focused on looking good for the cameras and showing off that they weren't really doing anything else well. Their movements were very arrogant, and they forgot what they were doing on stage in the first place.

For a long time that has been my problem with MBLAQ -- they're too much on stage. "Mona Lisa" was a really good song, but that excessiveness was still there. But I like how J Tune handled that issue (if they even know it's an issue) in "It's War".

As a whole, "It's War" is a very epic, very heavy song. It's got all these big strings and heavy drums and haunting piano lines throughout, and it's such a concentrated song. There's so much of it, but then because there's so much of it, there are times when the instrumental flattens out. I mean there are explosions, but

This is where MBLAQ's forcefulness comes in -- the intensity of everything really needs vocals that can match it, and at the same time because it's a pretty flat song, those personalities need to be strong enough to carry it. MBLAQ do, and they do it well, because the song was really made for them.

They're not spectacular vocalists, and so it's good that the lines are short, making it easier to hide flaws. The range is comfortable, and the nature of the melody is more on the speaking side than the singing, so they have an even easier time. Even then, I like how when the melody is less melodic, the instrumental picks up the slack with these very graceful instruments like the piano line and the string section.

"It's War" is an example of well-done A&R. You get a good song, and you fit it to the strengths and weaknesses of the act -- sometimes (like here), you even take advantage of weaknesses for the better. This is how you do A&R.

[2011 Gayo Daejun Special] SBS - The Good, The Bad, and The Promising

It's January first pretty much everywhere now, I guess, so happy new year to all you guys! Thank you for making 2011 such an amazing year for me, without you guys and your constant pestering and all your tear-jerking comments, as well as all the trolling I got this year, I would've never been able to get through the year in one piece, and win my very first Philippine Blog Award! Thank you so much for taking time out of your lives to read my work, and even more time out to comment on my posts. I may not answer your comments, but I read every single one of them. You've made Pop Reviews Now one of the leading critical K-Pop review blogs, and although I still have a long way to go, I promise to make an effort to repay you guys this year for all your support. Also, thank you for reading this, because it means you're sticking with me this 2012!

Allow me to explain this post first though. I really meant to do a recap of the 2011 Gayo Daejuns, but the original plan was throwing everything in to one huge post with all three networks' shows divided into several categories. However, due to the fact that I want to get the Gayo Daejun post out as fast as possible before it becomes stale news, and also the fact that I'm still in the process of getting a copy of the MBC show (which I've heard is the best out of the three), I've decided to split the posts by network. Today's recap is of the SBS show, which was broadcast on December 29th. Tomorrow I will be recapping the KBS show, and on Tuesday the MBC show (hopefully I have a copy of it by then), if everything goes as planned.

The first of the three Gayo Daejuns this year, SBS delivered a solid show with 170 singers packed in to three and a half hours of running around stage. The show was divided into several themed stages, including a special suite for SM Entertainment artists (and the debut of several EXO members), one which featured CN Blue and FT Island collaborating with f(x) and the Wonder Girls, and a hip-hop stage. The SBS show was a balance of familiar, hit singles from 2011, and special stages.

But that doesn't mean it was immune to disasters, because there were quite a few. And there were those performances that could've been really amazing, but didn't really come out right. I won't be recapping the entire show, instead, we'll talk about the best, worst, and the most promising performances.

THE BAD

B1A4 - Beautiful Target
And the award for the worst performance of the night? Well, that goes to none other than B1A4. For several reasons. First, obviously the song itself is a complete and utter disaster. It's all over the place in the most spread-out way possible. You look away for a while and the song sounds completely different, plus, about 99% of the song has to utilize a backing track, because the vocal treatment changes every five seconds, so basically all these guys are doing is screaming "yeah!" and running around stage. I'd hardly call that a performance. Second, what is with that choreography? My eyes. And third, when you put the song, together with the horrid choreography, and the fact that they're actually trying desperately, it's hilarious.

Gain (Brown Eyed Girls), Jiyeon (T-Ara), Hyun A (4Minute), Sunhwa (Secret), Fei (Miss A), G.NA - "Run the World"
Oh wow. Where do I start. Well, I appreciate the effort, and I appreciate the fact that they included Ga-In (even if she forgot some of the choreography), but this performance was another mess. Too many girls, and I guess they didn't have enough time to learn the whole song, because for the majority of the song they danced in shifts, and yeah, choreography was forgotten. The dancing in shifts really irritated me though, because it really shows how unprepared they were, and it's like the performance was half gyrating all over the place, and half dead air. At the same time. It's inconsistent, three or four of them are dancing, then there are two or three just standing there on the side. What are they, mannequins? If they didn't have enough time, then they should've just done one verse and a chorus or something. I'd rather they did that then haphazardly do a full, 3-minute performance. And really, people can only take so much of that kind of dancing.

G.NA - "Top Girl"+"Black&White"
It really breaks my heart to see G.NA like this. With that horrid choreography at the beginning, those pretty weak vocals throughout, and the cheap repertoire. She's talented, she shouldn't be singing songs like this, because they do her absolutely no justice.

KARA and 2PM - "Every Little Step"
Everyone was so dead during this performance. I mean I understand that KARA and 2PM aren't the best singers around, but what makes this so bad is that it was already lip-synced for heaven's sake, and yet the singing was wimpy and lifeless. I would've written it off anyway if the vocals were fixed up, but not as much as I am now. If you're going to lip-sync a performance anyway, at least use all those studio tricks to make the track sound damn good. Such lazy, lazy people.

THE PROMISING

Miss A - "Goodbye Baby"
I adore this arrangement, I really do. It's so fierce, and it matches the melody so well. It's obvious that this was thought about. However, their vocals on this were so disappointing, bad almost. Like, really, they were weak and everyone sounded like they were being strangled all the way through. I've dealt with the regular Miss A breathlessness since they debuted, and they got better this year, but this performance was so painful to listen to. It's such a waste though, because the arrangement was really good.

After School - "Diva"
This was a really interesting song choice, but also a very logical one, because "Shampoo" would bore people to death. Just the idea of hearing them perform "Diva" after so long is enough to get people interested, but in true After School fashion, they failed to deliver. Add the fact that line-stealer Raina struck again, STEALING LINES FROM JUNG AH (HOW DARE SHE), and that they didn't do the entire song and it just disappeared into them and Pledis boys dancing to dubstep (snore..), the originally good idea turned into bad execution.

KARA - "Step"
This is another arrangement I really like. "Step" in itself is already a big performance-ready song, and there's little you can do, but I like how they made the percussion sound a lot more real as if they had a live band behind them. They didn't lose that high-energy, yet girly, sound, but they made it a lot more apt for a live performance, and the transition to and from the dance break was very smoothly done. The let down? Again, the vocals. I'm not surprised, in fact I was expecting worst, but just because this is the best they can do, doesn't mean I'll forgive them for being inferior. They can't sing live, and it's such a shame because their material is really, really good, fun, pop.

T-Ara - "Cry Cry"
If this was done completely live and pulled off just as well as it was lip-synced, this would've been one of the best performances. But no, the backing track wins and you hear next to no live vocals. The arrangement is brilliant, the dance break is different but not disjointed and they kept the distinct piano line, even a bit of the original feel of the song, but made it fresher, and interesting. And believe me, after looping this for over 200 times this year, thus making the original arrangement pretty stale for me, this is really a strong, new, but faithful take on the song. It's an amazing arrangement ruined by bad production decisions and possibly the lack of solid live vocals.

CN Blue and The Wonder Girls - "Tainted Love"
First of all, Yoobin shouldn't have been the first to sing, because I was turned off right away. Yoobin isn't a bad singer, but you have to have a certain level of proficiency to sing songs like this, and she doesn't have that. She sounded like she was drunk and singing this on karaoke or something, not on stage. But Sohee and Lim don't have that proficiency either. Lim needs more power and this is a song she can't get away with because she has an American accent. And really now Sohee, why do you even try. Her line was all air and no singing, she was useless. It should have been just Ye Eun and Sun Ye doing this, because if it was it would've been an amazing performance.

Wonder Girls - "Be My Baby"
It was a classy performance, with decent vocals and a very polished arrangement, but even if the arrangement was fresh, it was boring. Pretty piano line, yes, and if you think really hard it's actually not a bad performance or anything, it surprisingly matches the lesser members' vocals even if it's now more dependent on the melody, but this is a performance, it's supposed to really catch your attention from the very beginning. In a sense, this arrangement was so predictable, but on the other hand, had they done a rock remix it would've been boring too considering all the other rock-ish arrangements that came before them. But actually, I liked the track that was playing during the intro, if they turned that into the remix things would've been interesting. Basically, what this performance lacks is shock. I know I have very high expectations of them, but after "Wonder World", why wouldn't I?

SMTOWN - "The Sound of Hallyu"
I loved the idea of this, and I loved how, even if majority of them weren't playing live, it was made very obvious that the people who played instruments actually know how to play them in real life. And I like how the people who sang were actually the people who can sing, and they didn't force people who are dancers, not singers, to sing. Like Taeyeon and Changmin's duet. Even if Changmin out-screamed Taeyeon, she was definitely the right choice for the song. If it had been Jessica I would have raised hell. The Shinhwa and H.O.T. covers were tame, and that's one of the two reasons why this is a "promising", but not one of the best performances. The songs they chose need savage vocals. Raw, powerful, with minimal processing, but seeing as the people they got to sing those parts, although good singers, simply don't have the vocals to do those songs justice. Of course the Exo members were a big part of the thrill of this suite, but they, or actually just one of them, are the second reason I didn't put this down as one of the best performances. Towards the end, the second guy to the left of Changmin, I think he was the one who danced after Victoria, was TALKING to the other Exo guy beside him. That's such horrid stage deportment. It may not be a lot to you guys, because the standard reaction is "So what's wrong with that? They're just talking.", but this is one of the most basic forms of courtesy towards not only the audience, because they have a responsibility to give their full attention to the audience and their performance, but also towards the other artists on stage. How would you like it if the guy beside you was talking to someone during your big solo? If, this early, that kind of behavior is just let go, forgiven and forgotten, it will get worse. Trust me, I've seen it happen, and it definitely doesn't end pretty. And considering how Exo are being hyped to be extremely talented, if they don't have basic stage manners it will be a huge waste of their talent.

THE GOOD

Yoon Mirae with Gary, Dynamic Duo, Jun Hyung (BEAST), Hoya (Infinite), Mir (MBLAQ), Taecyeon (2PM) - "Get It In"+"Monster"
And the award for the best singing of the night goes to Yoon Mirae. All these idols should be ashamed to call themselves singers after Yoon Mirae, who I believe raps majority of the time (the new times I've heard her material), out-sings them all without lifting a finger, by just by singing a few lines. Backing track, yes, but you know she's rapping and SINGING live, it's so obvious, but she does it so well that to untrained ears it may be a bit confusing. But apart from the strong vocals, she has the stage presence to not have to jump around too much. She still does towards the end, but she has a certain air to her that you know she's having so much fun and you want some of it too, but she still commands the stage, and all the guys sharing it with her. This, my friends, is a true performance.

2NE1 - "I Am The Best"+"Ugly"
I didn't like "I Am The Best", but like I always say, you have to watch 2NE1 for their material to make sense. It's not that their recordings are bad, because the production on them is outstanding, it's not that they can't sing, because my God can Minzy and CL sing, it's that their material is made to show off their strengths, and 2NE1's strengths lie in performance. They don't exactly run around stage because the majority of their performances are choreographed, but they have a command of it that's like no other. It's not just stage manners, or presence, it's really a command and it shows in everything -- the way they move, the way they sing. Pair that with a very creative and accommodating talent agency, and you have familiar, but stellar performance.

Brown Eyed Girls - "Sixth Sense"
I noticed that hardly any of my favorite performances were full remixes. But I guess that it's harder to perform a familiar arrangement and still make it sound interesting. But that's exactly what the Brown Eyed Girls did. Apart from adding a few bits and pieces (literally pits and pieces) all over the place, and adding a dance break, the base is still the same. This is one of the best girl group performances, and, like the entirety of their "Sixth Sense" promotions, performances, songs, singles, this is girl group master class. To all the girl groups trying to be sexy with skimpy, but cheap, outfits, to all the girl groups trying to be fierce but failing, to all the girl groups trying to sing while dancing, this, girls, is how it's done. Watch and learn.

BEAST - "Fiction"
They didn't really do much to the arrangement of "Fiction", just softened a few parts, added bits and pieces here and there, and switched some things around, but the basic mould of the song is still the same. And that's the selling point of the performance -- it's familiar. However, despite it being pretty simple, the modifications were enough to keep things fresh and not bore people to death. It's also a very straightforward performance, but in being simple it's also very well-sung. And considering how good a song "Fiction" is to start with, it's a good thing that they didn't experiment too much, but still had the foresight to prepare for it. Like I said a while ago, I prefer a simple, but prepared performance over an elaborate but haphazard one.

DBSK/HoMin - "Keep Your Head Down"+"MAXIMUM"
Call it unoriginal, because the dance part most probably is, call it boring, because there were no significant changes to the arrangements, but what you can't deny is that Yunho and Changmin know how to perform, and they showed it. They hold the audience in the palm of their hands and they know exactly what to do to make them go wild, but they never, ever, forget the musical aspect of it all. Screaming, yes, chanting and interacting, yes, but stopping to sing just for the sake of it? Never. That's the kind of stage deportment that newer acts, even Super Junior and SNSD, lack -- they lack concentration and choose dancing, waving and being cute over singing. Image is important, yes, and they take care of that too, but they are singers before anything else, and singing should always be first priority. Yunho and Changmin are what idols should be, and THIS is how it should be done.

11 Albums You HAD to Hear in 2011

I thought of mixing things up a bit this year, so instead of just laying down the best albums that came out in the past twelve months, I'm going to be talking about the albums that caught my ears, and maybe even eyes, this year. They are on the list not necessarily because they're amazing albums (but I have those too!), but because they've been talked about, or they've broken records, and basically because they've caught my attention. Therefore, I won't just be talking about the music, so I hope it's a welcome change!


The rules:

1. This list is exclusively for releases which contain FIVE (5) or more tracks. A mini-album must have the minimum five tracks, whereas a full-length one should feature at least TEN (10) original tracks. Only cuts which were released for the first time in 2011 are eligible to be counted. For example, in SNSD's Japanese album "GIRLS' GENERATION", "Genie" and "Gee" were Japanese singles in 2010, not 2011, and so they will not be included in the final, technical, count (exclusively for eligibility and classification), however they can be talked about in the review proper.
2. The featured artist must be an idol or idol group and of Korean nationality, regardless of where the album was released and what nationality the production staff were.
3. The featured artist must be the sole artist on least 75% of the songs on the album. So, for example, G.NA's "Black and White" (let's pretend rule #1 doesn't exist for now, because half of that album was from 2010) contains TEN (10) tracks. However, in SIX (6) of those ten tracks, she shares credits with other artists. Therefore, the album is disqualified.
4. One album per artist, regardless of territory. If the artist had two albums this year, only one can appear on the list.

I will not be writing full reviews for the eleven albums on the list, however, if available, I will refer you guys to my reviews of the albums, or singles. I don't have enough time to write eleven full reviews, but I hope the 2-3 paragraphs I wrote will suffice.

The Album: Super Junior - "Mr. Simple"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: August 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Mr. Simple"
The PRN Review: N/A
The Reason: Because according to Hanteo, and several other Korean sales charts, this is the biggest-selling album in Korea for 2011. So far. Do I think it deserves that title? Honestly, no. And that's why it caught my attention, because this is the business side of the industry at work -- you don't just have to have superior material to be popular, you also need buying power and armies of fans who will buy anything you release at the drop of a hat. And sometimes, you can't have both. The material on "Mr. Simple" aren't the dregs of the earth or anything, but so much more could've been done, considering that one, Super Junior aren't completely lacking in talent, and two, SM Entertainment clearly have the money and manpower to get better material. I mean, if you put together a sub-par album then put Super Junior's name on it, since the buying public is stupid, then no one will really notice how bad the album is, right? "Mr. Simple" also demonstrates how stupid all these capitalists are for thinking that we're stupid.
The Recommended Track(s): "Opera", "My Love, My Kiss, My Heart"

The Album: Wonder Girls - "Wonder World"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: November 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Be My Baby"
The PRN Review: Full Review, Best of 2011 - "Me, In"
The Reason: Best album of the year, and most definitely worth the long wait. I went from being this close to absolutely hating their Korean material, to worshipping the ground they walk on. I don't do that very often. But somehow, in this massive shift, the Wonder Girls managed to keep the sound that makes them, themselves. "Wonder World" is cohesive yet diverse, it's fresh yet familiar but confident, and the material is not only top-grade, it's also well-executed. Outstanding song selection and strong production, but not too strong, giving the album some character. Catchy hooks, simple melodies, a whole array of synth loops, and everything your standard pop album has to have these days, but done in a sophisticated and musical manner.  "Wonder World" is pop down to the last note, and it's not ashamed of that, but it also has kick. With tracks like "Me, In", why wouldn't it? It's one of those albums that you have to listen to from start to finish over and over and over again.
The Recommended Track(s): "Girls Girls", "Me, In", "Stop!", "Sweet Dreams", "G.N.O."

The Album: BEAST - "Fiction and Fact"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: May 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Fiction"
The PRN Review: Full Review, Best of 2011 - "Though I Call"
The Reason: BEAST are solid proof that effort can, and will, go a long way. They have talent, they have good songs, but unlike other acts, they also put in actual effort to make up for what they lack in. Even if they got what is possibly the best material Cube ever provided, the album was a success because they knew how to deliver the material and how to make it work for them. The songs on "Fiction and Fact" have the potential to be classics, and it's not exactly impossible now that BEAST have the influence they have now. And also, the material allowed us to both look at how far BEAST have come, but also see what they still have to improve on, and something to make us look forward to their next release.
The Recommended Track(s): "You", "Virus", "Though I Call"

The Album: DBSK/Tohoshinki/HoMin - "TONE"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: November 2011, Japan
The Lead Single: "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
The PRN Review: N/A
The Reason: It's DBSK, that's why. Even if it's just Yunho and Changmin now, doesn't mean it can't be brilliant. Despite the fact that DBSK are of Korean descent and thus are eligible for the "K-Pop" categories of major Japanese retailers' charts (like other Japanese-language releases by K-Pop acts such as SNSD and KARA), they do not appear on them. Instead, they are counted as a J-Pop act and are the only K-Pop group ranked alongside J-Pop artists. (see: my soompi article on HMV Japan's year-end rankings) Despite the influx of Korean acts in Japan, DBSK (and BoA!) are still much, much higher up the respect ladder than everyone else, and this album is solid proof of that. While the rest of the Hallyu wave is merely scraping the surface of Japan, DBSK are already a part of the Japanese industry. "TONE" is an amazing album, whether you hear it in CDQ or MP3, because every single track matters, and every single track was thought through and delivered outstandingly, but with such ease. Filler tracks, what filler tracks?
The Recommended Track(s): "Back To Tomorrow", "Thank U My Girl", "Duet", "I Don't Know"

Tohoshinki - Superstar PV from cTVXQmusic on Vimeo.

The Album: SNSD/Girls' Generation - "GIRLS' GENERATION"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: June 2011, Japan
The Lead Single: "Genie"
The PRN Review: Single Review - "Mr. Taxi", Best of 2011 - "Let It Rain"
The Reason: It was SNSD's first Japanese album, the best-selling K-Pop album in Tower Records Japan during the first half of the year (despite being out for only a month prior to the chart), and it was their ticket to this year's Kouhaku Uta Gassen. In short, it was massively successful. And it's probably one of the most cohesive SNSD albums. Ever. With material from Swedish producers like Jörgen Elofsson, strong A&R, and generally okay vocals from the girls, this is probably the best album SNSD have ever released. Of course "Gee" sticks out like a sore thumb, and so does "Genie" at times, but the album proper, and the new material first heard in Japanese, is really good. Months after it's release, and a few hundred plays later, the good songs are still as good as they were back in June.
The Recommended Track(s): "you-aholic", "Let It Rain", "BORN TO BE A LADY", "Mr. Taxi"

The Album: MBLAQ- "Mona Lisa"
The Format: Mini
The Release: July 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Mona Lisa"
The PRN Review: Best of 2011 - "Mona Lisa"
The Reason: Apart from actually being a good, solid album, "Mona Lisa" was what I had been waiting for since day one. Like I said earlier this month, this EP is still not enough to make up for the disaster of the debut they had back in 2009, but it's a step in the right direction. We have actual songs now, people, ACTUAL SONGS! They've managed to deliver good, solid songs, without losing the MBLAQ sound, a bit thin around the edges and trying to be a Michael Jackson song, among others. And, I never thought I'd say this, but the album is filled with gorgeous songs. Stunning, almost. Everything, from "Mona Lisa" down to the last track, they're all such a pleasure to listen to. "Mona Lisa" is as cohesive as it is gorgeous, and it's also one of the few albums I can listen to without skipping a single track.
The Recommended Track(s): "Mona Lisa", "One", "말하지 말걸.."

The Album: Brown Eyed Girls - "Sixth Sense"
The Format: Mini
The Release: September 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Sixth Sense"
The PRN Review: SOOMPI - single review ("Cleansing Cream")
The Reason: "Sixth Sense" is girl group master class, courtesy of the Brown Eyed Girls. Even if you don't like their music, because even I'm very picky with the BEG songs I like, you have to hand it to these girls because my gosh the attitude is literally spilling out of the album. Even for a toned-down song like "La Boheme", which is also my favorite track. It's half the material, because the songs are so distinct yet tie together nicely, and half their strong vocals. They pull off the material because they actually have the vocals to jump through hoops and fire. While all the other girl groups were either going the cute route or trying way too hard to be edgy and "fierce" (I'm talking to you, SNSD and "The Boys"), the Brown Eyed Girls don't even have to lift a finger and BAM you have "Sixth Sense", both the album and the gorgeous, gorgeous single. Listen to it for the sake of hearing what kind of attitude everyone else should be channeling, regardless of the song.
The Recommended Track(s): "La Boheme", "Sixth Sense"

The Album: Big Bang - "The Fourth Mini Album"
The Format: Mini
The Release: February 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "TONIGHT"
The PRN Review: The First Quarter Report
The Reason: Big Bang not only did a lot for their careers this year, they also did a lot for K-Pop. I know I kept quiet about their EMA win, but I'd rather it be them than a lot of other acts who could've very well been nominated as well, because even if I don't worship Big Bang, they, as musicians, have my respect, something I don't give out a lot in k-pop. Their 2011 offering was tight, cohesive, strong, and distinctly Big Bang. Catchy hooks, synths all over the place, and your usual Big Bang chaos were all present, but with a fresher, more current sound. Even without watching their performances and just listening to the album, I could literally imagine the five of them running around and going wild on stage.
The Recommended Track(s): "SOMEBODY TO LOVE", "TONIGHT"

The Album: Infinite - "OVER THE TOP"
The Format: Full-length, counting the repackaged tracks
The Release: July 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Be Mine"/"PARADISE"
The PRN Review: N/A
The Reason: To the industry, and the fans, Infinite's success was one of the year's biggest surprises. You have here a group from a rather small talent agency, with okay, but not brilliant or stellar, vocals, and they actually won Inkigayo and M!Countdown this year. And who were they up against on Inkigayo? Oh, no one. Just the Brown Eyed Girls, KARA, Super Junior, B1A4, Davichi and Sung Shi Kyung. Although 4 wins is a far cry from the likes of DBSK, Big Bang, SNSD, BoA and a host of others, they have laid down the foundations, and they can only go up from here. "OVER THE TOP" is not the year's strongest album, but it's a solid effort, and a solid base to take off from now that Infinite are no longer rookies. It's a well-rounded and well-done album, that's very sure of itself, but it also leaves a lot of room for Infinite to grow with their subsequent releases, which I'll be eagerly waiting for!
The Recommended Track(s): "Amazing", "Julia", "Be Mine", "Paradise", "Because", "Tic Toc"

The Album: G.NA - "Top Girl"
The Format: Mini
The Release: August 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Top Girl"
The PRN Review: Best of 2011 - "Banana (Feat. SWINGS, JC지은)"
The Reason: Because everyone should know of the injustice that is being done to G.NA. Sure, she's not the best singer in k-pop right now, she's a bit flimsy around the edges, but she's probably the most stable and one of the best voices in Cube! And she got *this* as a "big comeback single"? Blasphemy. The rest of the album, although the two recommended tracks are pretty, sound like leftovers from BEAST and 4Minute (and 4Minute didn't exactly get good material this year either) and even if I like "Banana", G.NA can't sing that song live even if she tried really hard. It's such a waste, because k-pop finally gets a young solo artist that is more pop than ballad, and who is actually from a talent agency with actual influence in the industry, and they just ruin her. "I'll Back Off So You Can Live" was light years better than this, I want that back.
The Recommended Track(s): "싫어", "Without You"

The Album: JYJ - "IN HEAVEN"
The Format: Full-length
The Release: September 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "IN HEAVEN"
The PRN Review: Full Review
The Reason: With all the intrigue that surrounded JYJ this year, and will probably continue to surround them next year, it's good to know why SME is so afraid of them that they take all these drastic measures to ensure that JYJ never promote this album on Korean TV, including banning "Pierrot" for mentioning "PSM", which apparently means "President Soo Man". JYJ denied it, and even if it's most probably true that it has something to do with SM, they didn't explicitly state it for heaven's sake! A "guess" cannot be grounds for banning a song. It's also good to know why, even amidst all the stupidity JYJ were faced with, this is still one of the biggest-selling albums of the year. Despite not being spoon-fed prime material from local and foreign songwriters and not boasting of "foreign producers" (they've already had their fill of that, thank you very much), JYJ deliver a solid effort with "IN HEAVEN". There's much to improve, yes, and it's only right that they learn to walk before they run, but for what it is, "IN HEAVEN" is a good album.
The Recommended Track(s): "Get Out", "Boy's Letter", "IN HEAVEN", "You're"

Agree? Disagree? What albums did I miss out on? Comment away! ^_^

[#18] MBLAQ - "Mona Lisa"

If this, or any of my recent reviews, sounds a bit off, you'll have to forgive me. We're right on schedule, yes, but it's a pretty tight schedule until we get to the top ten songs, so I'm writing all these reviews with the flu and migraines left and right. I'm sorry. D:

From: "Mona Lisa" (Mini-Album)
Released: July 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.65

Again, I was debating between this song, and "Cry" from their earlier release this year, because really, "Cry" is stunning, but I believe "Mona Lisa" is the song that really put them somewhere musically. The possibilities of them ever completely making up for the travesty that was "Oh Yeah" are next to none, but at least now we're assured that MBLAQ are capable of actually making a good song.


Not just decent, but good. They can't sing it live to save themselves, but as a recording, and as a song, it's really good. And actually, it sounds a bit like what "Oh Yeah" should've been, had it not been blasphemous, what with the Mexican thing going on.

Vindication? Maybe. Does it make up for "Oh Yeah"? Again, definitely not.

They were given that oh so valuable second shot, and kudos to MBLAQ, because they got it spot-on. It has sophistication to it (which MBLAQ are in dire need of), but it's also not afraid to pack a punch. Strong production, a tight, yet fluid arrangement, and something that can actually make use of their arrogant vocals. It has enough K-Pop to make it familiar, but enough of the guitars and the Mexican-ish sound to make it interesting. It doesn't bore us to death, but it's not completely alien to us.

The entire song is very tight, clean where it's supposed to be, and chaotic where it's called for, but it's not too crowded. It's packed enough to give you an entire song, with a catchy melody, instruments running around all over the place and everything in between, but it has enough "air", so to say, to allow you to take everything in as it goes.

It makes you want to press repeat, not because you didn't catch a few of the gazillion different things happening throughout, but because you liked what you heard and you genuinely want to hear it again.

The 2011 First Quarter K-Pop Report: Part 1

In case you haven't noticed (and I'm sure you have), I've been gone for pretty much the entire first quarter of 2011 and that's a long time in k-pop land. A LOT of things have happened and even with the short lul in releases a few weeks back, there's just so much stuff to catch up on! Believe me, it took a LOT of will power to control myself from opening up Blogger and typing up truckloads of reviews. But it has paid off, because I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL! And I'm entering what is most probably the top Comparative Literature program in the country at the top university in the country - I know, I still can't believe it.

But anyway. My point is, I can't exactly write full length reviews on every single release that has come out since I went on hiatus - that's crazy. Or at least you can't expect me to get them done by this time! Gimme a break - I went from graduation, to graduates' ball, to choir camp (I've also formally "graduated" from the choir - even if I'm being asked to stick around in college) and I'm only getting the chance to sit down and contemplate on my life!

I keep on getting distracted - sorry, too many things racing through my mind right now. Writing this should take them all out, for a while at least.

I promised a "big comeback", I deliver a "big comeback"! Beware, this post is ginormous. It literally took me almost a month to put it together - from choosing the songs, to writing the reviews themselves, and to formatting the damn thing. Can you believe that this new layout doesn't support italics and bolds? It pissed me off big time lol.

Read on for more of my ramblings, and the post proper. Go go gooooo!


Originally I planned to come back with a rage rant about the "new generation" of k-pop fans and how some of them (NOT ALL OF THEM) piss me off beyond belief that would eventually lead to a new special, but then I thought coming back with anger after almost 3 months away isn't such a good idea.

So this first quarter report will basically give you everything that happened from January to March - the amazing, the good, the bad, the okay, and the horrific. All the fangirling, hatred and whatever else I do when I review songs, will be present - I promise you that my writing is just as good as it was before I went on hiatus. As if it was any good to start with LOL.

I've put the songs into 3 categories - stunning, okay, and blegh.

Stunning - These are the songs that have literally taken my breath away over the past three months - the songs that I'd play for weeks at a time, the songs that I'd listen to during late-night thesis writing marathons, and the songs that would bring me to tears. It's these songs that truly defined the first quarter of 2011 for me.

Okay - I may like certain parts of the song, but there's something holding me back from falling at it's feet. These are the types of songs I won't refuse to listen to, but won't really seek out every single day.

Blegh - In simple terms, they're the songs I don't really like, and the songs that aren't really any good to begin with.

Let's get right to it - I'm excited to say the least!

IU - "Someday"
From the "Dream High OST"
Released: January
Stunning

Gorgeous in every single tiny little way possible. It may not hit you over the head with elaborate orchestrations and whatnot, but the gorgeous melody is enough to make you melt. Throw in IU's now-mature, yet still smooth and young, voice and you have magic. The chorus sticks to your head, and you're left humming it for ages - but it's not annoying. Because it's a beautiful melody. The arrangement to match was spot-on - not too little, not too much, enough dynamics while still retaining the natural dynamics of IU's vocals.

According to iTunes, I've played this over a hundred times now - this was the song I was listening to during hell week #1. If you follow me on Twitter, that was the week in January when I had this super long novel analysis to submit, dozens of survey questionnaires to give out, and exams left and right. So technically this was the song that got me through that horrid, horrid week.

Seungri (BIG BANG) - "어쩌라고"
From "VVIP"
Released: January
Stunning

See, even in k-pop I'm the master of predicting post-album singles, or at least the songs they perform either with the lead single, or after the lead single. And I adored this before Seungri performed it anywhere, mind you. I haven't lost it - yay!

This is the right range for Seungri's voice - it's high enough that he doesn't sound like he's talking, but it's also low enough that he doesn't sound like a chipmunk. And this is one of the few occasions where I won't condemn autotune because one, it's tasteful, and two, when he goes up it's necessary so he doesn't sound strange.

The song itself is very YG, very Big Bang in 2011, but with that little hint of sophistication that they're pushing Seungri to have. Clearly, they're doing everything right. The melody's catchy, the verses are there, they're strong, but they don't overpower the hook, and the entire song builds up. That and strangely, the synths don't sound cheap for once. Hurrah? Yay!

JYJ - "Pierrot"
From "Music Essay: Their Rooms"
Released: January
Stunning

I always have a hard time writing about my favorite band, because one, I either get told off for "not being a fan" or being "too much of a fan", and two, it's extremely hard to write about songs I adore, from my favorite band, without spazzing about Jaejoong and his gorgeous voice every 2 seconds. But what the heck, I'll try anyway.

Who wrote "Pierrot"? JAEJOONG! To be honest with you when he and Yoochun were starting all this songwriting and stuff, I didn't think they'd become this good. I mean they're no Yoo Young Jin or Teddy, but considering that they're idols, or that they were originally marketed as idols, this is a major breakthrough. Although I do attribute their interest in songwriting to the Japanese influence. Either way, we're making progress, Korea!

The chorus is catchy, but with the melodic-ness that makes you want to melt into a puddle of goo. But what really did it for me were the verses, my god the verses, they fit everyone's vocals like a glove, and everything just takes off from there, to be honest.

Park Jung Min - "Not Alone"
From "Not Alone"
Released: January
VERY Okay

I like strings in pop songs. I like it when orchestras (or parts of it at least) are added to pop songs. So it's only natural that I like this, right? Because I do.

Basically the only thing I'm really following, and maybe dying for, on this song is that gorgeous string section throughout the song, and the percussion at the breakdown of the chorus right after the middle 8. There are times when the song gets a little cheap, like certain points at the chorus, mainly because of all the added pop elements, the actual string line, and sometimes the melody, but it doesn't always happen. I love the verses though, well apart from the 'stop stop stop'-ish parts, because you can really hear all the instruments but at the same time it sounds really full.

Like I said, that breakdown after the middle 8 is stunning. Like, if that's all I listen to for the next week I'd have no problem. It's like there's so much happening during that breakdown - strings all over the place, percussion, drum rolls and trumpets (I think), but sure sounds like one heck of a breakdown. And the segueway from that to the last chorus was brilliant.

To be honest with you, I said that parts of the chorus sound cheap, but then again this is a pop song - it's supposed to be catchy. So, mission accomplished. I guess.

MBLAQ - "Cry"
From "BLAQ Style"
Released: January
Okay

My problem with this song is basically my problem with everything MBLAQ puts out, only this time the song itself is actually pretty good. The production, albeit not stunning or anything, is competent, the melody stunning, and the arrangement spot-on. The piano parts, the tambourine, which was a nice touch if I may say so, and those water bubble thingies really gave the song character. It's a strong song, with the right mix of intensity and calmness throughout the entire thing so you don't fall asleep at one point.

Point is, it's a gorgeous song as a whole. Maybe even stunning. My problem? I cannot stand their vocals. Like, they sound fine during the chorus, most likely because their vocals have already been processed and mixed and all, but the verses just piss me off.

The thing with MBLAQ is that they're trying way too hard to do something that doesn't have to be hard - and it shows. Always has, always will. It's mainly for that reason that I chose BEAST over them back when they debuted in 2009 - because they can never seem to get the fact that things aren't always hard.

There's a word in Filipino, or slang rather - "palumpalo". It comes from the word "palo", which literally means hit or slap or something to that effect, and the slang means that you really put your all into things, and come up with this epic masterpiece. I know that's what MBLAQ are trying to do - like how their "mentor" Rain does things - but they fail to understand that yes, you have to work hard, and yes, you really have to sell yourself, but not to the point where you're making life hard for yourself when it really shouldn't be.

There are talented people in MBLAQ, Joon isn't such a bad singer and GO could probably go head-on with some guys from ZE:A or Infinite and win, but they're pushing it too much, at all the wrong times. Yes, Rain worked hard and yes, he may not be the most amazing singer around, but things look so effortless for him - for MBLAQ they look contrived and robotic.

Piggy Dolls - "Trend"
From "Piggy Style"
Released: January
Okay

First off, yes, they're not thin, but for heaven's sake need you rub it in their faces? So what if they don't have "s lines" or tiny waists - do you really have to insinuate that they're "piggy"? God. It just pisses me off, because they're talented and they're being treated differently, just because they don't look like everyone else. For an industry that's built around respect and whatnot, I find it appalling.

But on to the music. The verses are perfectly fine - those vocals just blow everything out of the water. I don't usually like big, scream-y voices, but I don't know, they're doing something right and it's turning out strong. I'm pissed that whoever produced this had the gall to autotune vocals like that - they don't need it, and I highly doubt they ever will.

Now, let's all take time to worship the middle 8 of this masterpiece. Perfection. When the keyboards lace with whatever beats those are - my mind is blown. But then some bastard decided it was a good idea to autotune almost everything after that. NO.

This is one of those songs that are okay verging on stunning. Wah.

G.NA - "Black & White"
From "Black & White"
Released: January
Okay

The song has both bad points, and redeeming qualities, so they kinda cancel themselves out to be neither an amazing song, nor a horrid one. Which is kinda a letdown for me, because I really wanted G.NA to get prime material and Cube is one to not really do well on the first release but make up for it on the second. Oh well.

On one hand, the song itself is really cheesy/cheap. Don't deny it, because it's true - it's the type you'd hear blasting out at full volume when there's a restaurant opening along a busy road or something. Everything about it actually - from the instrumentation to the melody to the hook - lacks finesse. It is catchy though, I'll give her that.

The redeeming quality? G.NA's vocals have sophistication, and that's one of the reasons why I liked her at the beginning - she can sing, yes, and although sometimes her voice can get squeaky, it has grace and effortlessness. Which ultimately saves the song from further horror.

Secret - "Shy Boy"
From "Shy Boy"
Released: January
Okay

If my memory serves me right, Secret started the whole "60's"/"Grease"/"American Bandstand" (emphasis on the "") themed song craze that spread over the past few months, with similar-sounding songs from Jewelry and Dal Shabet (although not as strong) among others. And to be honest with you they sold the entire package the best, in my opinion - so it was only right that they won those awards.

However, I did like that song on their teaser/the "intro" better. But I'm talking about "Shy Boy" so let's move on lol.

There are points in the song that they get too cute, and it does annoy me to a certain extent, mainly because you and I know they can do more than act cute to sell. The arrangement is.. how should I say.. pretty "authentic", but not "authentic" enough. I never really saw the point in trying to emulate the 60's all over again. I mean it was a glorious time for music, and I grew up listening to Motown, but if you're gonna try and do it, at least do it well. I'm not saying that Secret aren't talented because they are, I'm saying that even if the arrangement is decent and the melody catchy, there's a spark missing from everything - and it's that spark that makes such a big difference.

Jewelry - "Back It Up"
From "Back It Up"
Released: January
Okay

For the record, I'd take "Back It Up" over "Supa Dupa Diva" any day.

"Back It Up" isn't amazing or stunning, but it's a strong song, I'll give them that. Here we go again with building more than half of the chorus with one English phrase, but unlike Teen Top, it works for them, and the song. The new girls are competent singers, and although I miss Jung Ah's gorgeous vocals, the song fits them all nicely - which is probably the most important thing at this point. It doesn't show any mad ranges or amazing vocals off, but it proves that they CAN sing.

I have a difficult time talking about songs like this mainly because even though I did grow up listening to 60's stuff and this sound is supposedly "60's inspired" or whatever, I don't know the terms. I do like the trumpet line throughout, if that's a trumpet at all - it's got character. I said that Secret's "Shy Boy" is Grease-ish with a hint of American Bandstand - this sounds more like something that would end up on Hairspary the movie or something. It's old-ish, but updated at the same time.

Teen Top - "Supa Luv"
From "Transform"
Released: January
Blegh

This is one of those "blegh"-borderline-"okay" songs, because really, it's not that bad. OK maybe it is, but it has good points too! A few. I think.

First thing's first. I CANNOT, for the life of me, unhear "I GOT THAT SOUP LOVE". And what makes it worse is that that line is practically the entire chorus - THEY SAY IT FIVE TIMES DURING THE CHORUS FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE.

Which brings me to my first point - why do they have to say that damn line so many times? OK fine, you can argue that "Sorry Sorry" was just as bad, if not worse, but would you really want to prance around singing "I GOT THAT SOUP LOVE"? I think not.

Speaking of "Sorry Sorry", to be honest with you this is like a Teen Top-ified version of it. Which basically means it's got near decent but not decent vocals autotuned beyond belief, average production, and their vocals sound like all the other boybands of their "generation". The "trying to be husky but not really succeeding so they end up sounding like they have a sore throat" sound? Yup. And why does it seem like only one guy is singing majority of the song (still)?

It is catchy though, I'll give them that. And it has a melody, no matter how processed and distorted it may be - THE MELODY EXISTS. Ordinary people can't sing it though.

Big Bang - "Somebody To Love"
From "The 4th Mini Album"
Released: February
Stunning

My general observation on the Big Bang mini-album, though I really like the material, is that it doesn't sound like a Big Bang album anymore. To my ears, and to some of my friends' ears, it sounds like an album by GD, TOP, Daesung, Taeyang and Seungri - and not one by Big Bang. It's like YG has spent too much time promoting the five as solo artists and in the process they've lost that thing that makes them a group. Watching the performances, which are amazing, it's like I'm watching 5 YG artists coming together, and not 1 YG act. Whatever that's a good thing or a bad thing, I'll leave it to you.

Even so, I have got to say that "Somebody To Love" is amazing in every way possible. It's upbeat and extremely infectious, but without losing a melody, and of course Daesung's gorgeous vocals. When I heard the recording I loved it, but seeing them perform the thing live was just mind-blowing, to be honest. Everything's so sharp, so orchestrated, but it seems so natural for them - like there are no pretentions.

And that is why Big Bang deserve the success, in my opinion - because they are so good at what they do to the point where they make it look like child's play.

Gahee - "Come Back You Bad Person"
From "Come Back You Bad Person"
Released: February
Okay

Gahee, oh Gahee. Apart from being Yoochun's infamous ex-girlfriend and BoA's ex-backup dancer, she's probably the very reason why After School are the competent group that they are. They have their moments, and they've had their fair share of amazing songs over the past few years, but to be honest with you there are some members who are useless in terms of music - Gahee, Jung Ah and maybe even Lizzy carry the band now in terms of vocals.

Pledis should hurry up and "graduate" some members already for heaven's sake - since their debut they've brought in 5 girls, and only graduated 1. Jooyeon and UEE should go. Seriously. If Jung Ah goes then she better get a solo career or I'm gonna have to cut a bitch. But let's save that for my vocal commentary. YES, you're not seeing double or anything - I'm resurrecting my vocal commentaries just in time for their comeback.

OK ANYWAY. This is becoming an AS rant and not a Gahee review. Like I said, Gahee carries After School, so it's only natural that she be a pro at this solo thing. And to a certain extent, she is. From what I've heard, and seen, she's like a slightly better Son Dambi, which figures since she was Dambi's "mentor" or whatever. But remember, Dambi isn't exactly the best singer in the world. (DON'T even bring up her "MR removed" videos or whatever - because those are for people who don't know how to listen) Gahee's better, but her live vocals just don't cut it, I'm afraid.

The song is very melodic, and it requires technique, to be honest. I mean it's gorgeous, and her vocals on the recording are pretty good, but she just doesn't have the technique. I'm wondering why Pledis chose this for her, considering that they've gotten their past few singles right. (Even if she can't sing, "Queen" fit Dambi pretty well.)

Actually, the chorus reminds me a lot of a more serious, more melodic version of "Queen". Judging by the fact that they were from the same composer/producer/whatever he calls himself, well, I think you get the point. It's a very serious song, actually - minor chords thrown around all over the place, these really dark, heavy, synths throughout, and this club-like loop. And I like it. A lot? Maybe a bit, but enough for it to be in the "okay" zone lol.

5 Dolls - "Lip Stains"
From "Lip Stain"
Released: February
Okay

You know a month is low on new releases when I deem a song like this "okay". But to be honest with you, it's not THAT bad. Although it's one of those okay borderline bad songs.

It has a melody, for one, and you can actually hum it. It's not the best melody in the world, and it has a tendency to sound cheap (especially paired with that horrid choreography), but it's there, and it's perfectly "functional". The hook is rather cheap too, and the instrumentation is like you threw a few random percussion parts together and put some sprinkles on top.

However it kind of became a guilty pleasure for me last February, mainly because this was one of the few songs that came out that month and do you really expect me to still be listening to stuff from January majority of the time? I wanted to throw up hearing some of those songs because I'd already overplayed them lol. And don't start with "there's always Big Bang", because no matter how good the songs are, I can't listen to that for an entire month!

This is what I always say about Core Contents, they only know how to make 2 kinds of songs - cheap uptempos (most often autotuned beyond belief), or stunning ballads, which only a few of their acts can pull off. Yes, this applies to everyone under the agency.

That is all. For today. Can you believe I planned on putting everything from January to March on one post? I'm not. I didn't. PART 2 IS COMING THIS WEEKEND - it's the truckload of March releases all rolled into 1 post. Epic.

Believe me when I say I nearly died several times putting these 2 posts together.