[Gayo Daejun 2012] Part 2: The Consolation Prizes

Like I said yesterday, Gayo Daejuns allow for a wide variety of performances. With the sheer number of acts, the most relevant of which show up on all three shows, there are bound to be performances of all kinds. Like any year, there were performances that were boring, there were those that were really bad and painful, there were those that completely blew everyone else out of the water, but there were also performances that were somewhere in between. Performances that could have been good, performances that had good ideas, execution, or staging, but which didn't have everything. They were good, but not good enough.

Which is why this year, aside from picking my over-all favorites, I'm handing out two kinds of "consolation prizes" so to say, to the performances that had their moments, but were outshone by better ones. First, with so many special arrangements done over the course of three shows, there were bound to be those which really brought something new to the table. And second, I'll be listing the five performances that I saw so much potential in, but which didn't really completely pull through.

Shall we?

The Best Arrangements

KARA - "Pandora" (SBS)
I really liked "Pandora" to start with, so I really liked how they kept this re-arrangement simple, adding some more oomph to the song, but retaining the elements that are both familiar and likable. It's probably the most simple rearrangement on the list, but the thing with this is that you know the simplicity wasn't because of laziness or lack of time. It makes sense, and it gives the song something as opposed to just adding to the chaos. I also really like the dance break -- there's substance to it, but it's also very graceful. If they had delivered this better, it would've been a stand-out performance of the night, really.

Super Junior - "Sexy, Free and Single" (SBS)
After their KBS performance, honestly I was put-off Super Junior's Gayo appearances this year. Every year we get some sort of retrospective of everything they put out since "Sorry Sorry". I know "Sorry Sorry" was a really good song, because it was and it opened so many doors, and I'd take it over "Sexy, Free and Single" any day, but it's not 2009 anymore, plus they've incorporated it in later performances already -- can we move on? This is a 2012 Gayo Daejun, not a 2009 or 2010 or 2011 one. Which is why I liked their SBS arrangement much more. It was pretty sloppily sung, but I liked the arrangement because it gave the song a different kind of dimension, and it's fitting for a group of Super Junior's seniority/stature. You can tell they prepared for this, and you can tell that people made an effort to make this arrangement work. It also made the hook a lot less annoying that it is, for which I'm forever grateful.

Ga-In - "Bloom" (MBC)
This was a nice change from the original performance, which is really perky in a kind of innocent way (but still really good), but I wouldn't really say it's unexpected. The arrangement matches Ga-In and her personality as a performer really well because it gives the song this more mature kind of sexy that you didn't see in the original arrangement. What I really liked about this though was the fact that even if the nature of the elements they chose mass it easy for the song to just stay in one place and not go anywhere else, this performance still has dynamics to it -- verses are ever so slightly urgent, and the chorus has a very graceful, but confident explosion. This is the kind of lie-low arrangement that wouldn't have worked if one, the arranger was lazy, and two, Ga-In couldn't sing. And thankfully, neither happened.

Potentially Good Performances

Teen Top - "Be My Girl" + "Going Crazy" (KBS)
This could have been a good performance, because the song choice was really good -- perky enough to liven up the atmosphere -- and I kind of liked the remix of "Going Crazy", but the delivery fell short. I was reading through my notes from when I first watched this performance, and after watching it a few more times, I still think the same:

The vocals were going back and forth between sloppy and painful, the only reason why the belting was successful was because it was more of screaming than singing. And underneath all the jumping and movement, their presence was pretty mediocre and more manic than energetic.

I'm all for graceful performances, and being too stiff on stage is bad too, but when you perform you need to put some guts into it as well, no matter how fluid the movements. I get the feeling that they were going for that effortless fun vibe, but all I got from the choreographed parts were limbs flailing around with little purpose, and sub-par vocals. Which is really a pity.

SM The Performance - "Spectrum" (SBS)
To tell you the truth, I was actually pretty bored throughout the SBS Gayo, more than I was during the KBS. There was so much going on, but hardly anyone actually delivered, so I ended up just "leafing through" majority of the show at first. But then SM The Performance showed up and they literally made me peel my eyes away from my computer and on to the TV. Which is surprising considering the fact that this is supposed to be more of a dance group and I'm more of a music person. However, two things made me notice this performance (aside from Yunho, of course) -- the song, and the delivery.

"Spectrum" is an amazing, glorious song to start with -- you have all these beautiful elements that really make the song soar, and then you have this melody that lies low during the verses but does the soaring at the chorus. Beautiful. It's the kind of song that you really can't not dance to. Believe me, the only reason why I can stay still is because I'm too busy concentrating on the performance. And then, you have these SM dancers, most of which you hardly notice in their respective groups because they're too busy trying to make up for the weaknesses of their bandmates. Of course some of the people in this project group are significantly weaker than others, but the ratio of useful to less useful/useless is much, much better. These are people who know how to carry themselves on stage, and people who know how to carry even more people than they do here, so naturally they'd do a good job performing. As far as the vocal distribution goes, SM hit the nail on the head for the third time -- people like Taemin and Yunho, people with actual voices, got the solos, and everyone else was multi-tracked. If this had been sung live, and done just as well as it was, this would be on my list of best Gayo performances, but since it wasn't it'll have to settle for potentially one of the best.

Mystic White - "Mermaid Princess" (SBS)
Like I said yesterday, the only project group song I liked was the Mystic White one, because it was fresher than the others, and the production was really good. It had substance as a recording, but it fell short as a performance. It was okay, but the vocals were weak, and the chorus, which I really liked, was delivered sloppily. The entire performance was boring and frail, which is the complete opposite of the characteristics that made me like the song in the first place. The substance was gone, and it's like the entire performance was watered down. In a bad way. Which is really a pity because it was a really good song.

KARA - "Pandora" (MBC)
When I first saw this performance I was still high off the amazing SISTAR one, and even then I thought this had a fighting chance against that gorgeous rock version of "Alone". The remix was confident and I really liked it, and the staging was great (despite the dancing guy) with the crowd of backup dancers that they really made use of. It was a fun way to present a song as good as "Pandora", so obviously I was on board. But then they started singing and they weren't singing live. I guess my ears are partially thankful that I didn't have to hear their sub-par vocals, but honestly, I hate that they didn't even get the chance to try and do it well. What if they had done it well? Even if I doubt it'll happen, KARA is bound to hit it right some time. There were so many good elements, and they were all disregarded by the fact that this ended up only half a performance.

*Note: So apparently, KARA were not lip-synching, but to me that just means that this was even worse than I initially thought it was. Usually, when vocals are too perfect to be humanly possible, at least without studio tricks, or when less obvious auto tune becomes obvious, or when the shape of their mouths don't correspond to the note they're hitting, the performance is lip-synched. Which kind of makes this "live singing" even worse because the only reason I found out that they were singing live was one, someone commented below, and two, I heard them breathing. Yeah sure the backing track makes everything nice and even, but both KARA and the sound guys are at fault -- the sound guys for turning the backing track too high, and KARA for not making an effort to sing over it when it's pretty clear that the backing track is ridiculously loud.

DBSK - "Catch Me" (MBC)
I was really disappointed that DBSK didn't get anything new for this year's Gayo Daejuns, because this is the first year they spent closing all three shows and yet all they had with them was some random intro and the same backing track they've been using since September. Their performances this year were a total waste, not only of their talent, but of "Catch Me" and everything that could've happened. Here you have two performers who literally jump through hoops and fire for a living, and do it well, with a song that's elaborate enough to spruce up even more, and nothing was done. I mean they sang and performed really well, with presence and conviction, but they did that on smaller music shows too -- Gayo Daejuns are supposed to be special. I chose their MBC appearance because it started out really, really good, and when I heard the opening bars of "O - Jung. Ban. Hap." play, my jaw dropped in surprise and awe. That's the kind of reaction I wanted to have for the entirety of the all three performances, but then "Catch Me" came on and things were normal again. This could've been so much better because if anyone can carry a challenging arrangement, it's these two.

And I'm two days late, but that's it for 2012! Again, thank you so much for sticking around despite the rocky start last December. Time to concentrate on 2013!

[June 2, 2012] MBC Music Core Highlights + Commentary

Aside from the line-up being ridiculously packed, today's recap is extra, extra special because McRoth of McRoth's Residence and I plan to take over the world with it! Just joking. Partially. If you're sick and tired of only me doing the babbling during my music show recaps, then you're in for a treat, because yes, McRoth is joining us tonight! What's the occasion? Nothing, actually. But since when did I ever need an occasion to pull in blogger friends of mine?

I know that a lot of you guys who read Pop Reviews Now also read McRoth's Residence, for the simple reason that McRoth is amazing at what he does!

Nikki: After we're done I think you'll have enough time to go take a nap LOL.
McRoth: lmao. I’m wide awake. Might eat breakfast.
Nikki: ^_^ And I slept for half the afternoon so I'm wide awake.
McRoth: this is gonna be a loooooooooooooong post :o
Nikki: T_T
McRoth: Readers' scroll bars will be in pain by the end of this.
Nikki: I wonder if it's longer than the one I did with Mel.
McRoth: what did you write about with her? I forgot.
Nikki: ...DBSK.
McRoth: OH.
Nikki: We fangirled over a few songs.
McRoth: No way is this longer. Anything DBSK will always trump everything else.
Nikki: The one I did with Ree was pretty short.
McRoth: It was, that's why I was able to read most of it lol.
Nikki: the one I did with Mel was just a block of text.
McRoth: o.o I think I remember that

None of the videos are ours, credit as tagged. Let the world domination begin!

A-Jax - "One 4 U"
McRoth: Okay. IM HITTING PLAY.
Nikki: ME TOO.
McRoth: I don't know names, btw.
Nikki: Me neither.
McRoth: lol
Nikki: Anyway. Mmkay.
McRoth: glad to see we're in the same boat
Nikki: I'm getting serious EXO vibes from them. And I don't like it.
McRoth: I'm getting EXO vibes, visually, but generic everything else
Nikki: Yeah, they sound like SS501 rejects.
McRoth: that ballad was a snooze-fest. I can't even remember it, and I just listened to it
Nikki: Me neither. I don't know how to feel about "One 4 U", honestly
McRoth: I like that it's extremely thematic, like the orchestration is big, but everything else is so not amazing.
Nikki: It reminds me of a worse "Love Ya". And they're lip-synching.
McRoth: Ew
Nikki: WHY IS EVERYONE LIP-SYNCHING.
McRoth: ROOKIES ARE SCARED.
Nikki: JJ PROJECT ARE ROOKIES!
McRoth: I love them ._. But we'll get to them soon.
Nikki: I do too. But back to A-Jax.
McRoth: lol
Nikki: Performance-wise they're pretty generic too.
McRoth: Okay, about the orchestration, I take that back. This song is incredibly repetitive
Nikki: As expected.
McRoth: that I'm taking something back? are we bringing up my Junsu fail from 2011?
Nikki: No no. That the song is repetitive LOL
McRoth: lol. GOOD
Nikki: But even if they're lip-synching, they don't make me want to watch them -- and that's the problem.
McRoth: I'm kinda not even watching lol, I'm watching the backup dancers
Nikki: LOL!
McRoth: or is that the group??
Nikki: The backup dancers are in black?
McRoth: This song felt like one giant pre-chorus.
Nikki: DSP has truly lost it's touch.
McRoth: And its heart. There was no soul in that -- at all
Nikki: Yeah, even "Tri-Angle" had emotion
McRoth: lmao
Nikki: It's true!
McRoth: It did, this had no feels
Nikki: Can you not feel the emotion from Changmin's spiky hair?
McRoth: I can almost feel him poking me
Nikki: At least it's over. Phew.
McRoth: yeah.

She'z - "I Feel Like It"
Nikki: I like the idea of She'z
McRoth: NEVER HEARD THESE BROADS, so this is my first.
Nikki: But they're so cheap, it hurts.
McRoth: I like their voices
Nikki: Although they kind of drag their notes too much, so it ends up sounding sloppy. I blame that on a lack of training.
McRoth: one of them looks like Park Bom, as in she looks like her face will slide right off any second now/
Nikki: LOL! They remind me of Black Pearl.
McRoth: oooh, BP!
Nikki: Which is kind of an insult because Black Pearl is irrelevant T_T
McRoth: what happened to them!? T_T
Nikki: I have no idea. They're lip-synching today though
McRoth: She'z is good, with some training they'll be good.
Nikki: And better material please.
McRoth: I can't tell if they're live or not :o
Nikki: D:
McRoth: blame it on the fact that I haven't listened to their song yet :x That wasn't terrible, but the song isn't amazing
Nikki: The vocals saved it. They need better material, and better outfits.
McRoth: definitely. they have a strong set of vocals. Haha yeah, I wasn't digging the Candyman outfits. Candy CANES, more like it.
Nikki: T_T And the choreography was... questionable
McRoth: I thought they were just making random formations. So… what choreo? lol
Nikki: Touché.

JJ Project - "Bounce"
Nikki: I'm ready to fangirl. I have it loaded already :D
McRoth: oh haha ok.
Nikki: See? JJ Project loves me.
McRoth: lmao
Nikki: so I love them back ^_^ Play!
McRoth: PRRRAY
Nikki: They are SO fun, without compromising their vocals.
McRoth: I love their energy.
Nikki: I've sang and jumped at the same time before. It's not easy.
McRoth: It saves this song, because honestly, Bounce isn't exactly amazing. composition wise, it's verging on bi polar.
Nikki: LOL! Yes. They carry it so well. And it takes a lot to carry something as whacked out as this.
McRoth: I think the song is no bueno, but I agree that they sell it like effing hot cakes. Totally.
Nikki: And they've always sang live. Unlike SOME people. *ahem*EXO*AHEM*
McRoth: Haha AND ALL THE ROOKIES WE JUST WATCHED. What I love about this is that the material is age appropriate, youthful, and plain ole fun to listen to.
Nikki: It is!
McRoth: The energy transcends the shittiness of the song :x
Nikki: It's just the right amount of repetitiveness that it's not annoying. At least, I'm not annoyed.
McRoth: I'm not either, which says a lot. this is kpop after all. Aw, it's over. I want to see “Hooked” live so bad.
Nikki: I do too! It's a different kind of fun.
McRoth: THAT IS MY JAM.
Nikki: I'd like to see how they pull off "Before This Song Ends" though
McRoth: ooh, me too
Nikki: Because the recording is all over the place, but with their presence it can possibly be really good.
McRoth: Yeah. Considering it's JYP though, they may not be getting proper vocal lessons. Just listen to Miss A. they sound terrible
Nikki: They do they get all these gorgeous arrangements, like the SBS Gayo one, but their vocals can't carry it live.
McRoth: They don’t know how to sing them. :o
Nikki: Oh JYP.

Hello Venus - "Venus"
Nikki: Hello Venus have gotten boring. I realize that maybe I only liked them because they were new.
McRoth: I like Hello Venus, but this song has gotten stale.
Nikki: Yeah and I hate that the choruses are practically lip-synched because of the backing track.
McRoth: Yeah I hear that too. And by hear that, I mean I don't hear them at all, so yeah.
McRoth: I think if they were singing this live adding ad libs and stuff, it would spice it up
Nikki: Definitely.
Nikki: I like that Lime can sing though -- she's not the useless rapper type.
McRoth: I like Lime too.
Nikki: But they've gotten comfortable on stage, which is always a good thing.
McRoth: I think they showed edginess in their mini, but I don't see it here at all.
Nikki: Yes! I genuinely enjoyed their EP
McRoth: I hope we get to hear a bit more edge and sass later down the road, because they have what it takes to transition smoothly to it.
Nikki: But Pledis almost always screws their A&R up.
McRoth: lol. Oh lPedis. I'm frightened to see what they do with AS this year.

EXO-K - "MAMA"
Nikki: I still don't like EXO-K.
McRoth: I like them, I just don't like them on this song, or their live vocals.
Nikki: They're not the world's most amazing singers to start with, and to top it all off they move with no grace.
McRoth: DO is inconsistent, as is the rest of them. They still lack fluidity.
Nikki: I don't expect them to do body waves or anything, but like, you're human, aren't you?
McRoth: They're thinking too much about how they look.
Nikki: That's exactly why I can't stand Joon, but even he has some fluidity.
McRoth: LMAO
Nikki: If I may say so
McRoth: I don't know why they lip sync 3/4 of the song and the 1/4 they do sing live is that weird screamo bit.
Nikki: LOL
McRoth: They're not confident singers, and that worries me.
Nikki: The problem I have with EXO is that SM set the bar too high for them.
McRoth: Exactly.
Nikki: If it had been lower, they'd be average. But they're supposed to be the "biggest thing since anything", when they can't even carry themselves on stage
McRoth: It feels like they know that, too, so they're kind of scared of themselves. I have faith in them though, because there's talent in there. they just need to know how to execute it properly.
Nikki: I... don't.
McRoth: ;_;
Nikki: Until they give me a promo cycle that's worthy of all the hype.
McRoth: Yeah, true. I think M's sheer superiority proves that somewhere at SM someone is teaching them the right ways of doing things. K needs some of that.
Nikki: Yes! I actually enjoyed M's performances more, because they were confident without being arrogant.
McRoth: They're my fave of the two. :o

My Name - "Hello & Goodbye"
Nikki: Sad Song?
McRoth: Apparently.
Nikki: That's what Seohyun said LOL.
McRoth: LMAO. D:
Nikki: It's an okay song. That guy looks strange. MJ strange. O.O
McRoth: Nothing amazing about this so far. LMAO. PEDO ON THE LOOSE. HIDE YO OPPARS HIDE YO NOONARS.
Nikki: HAHAH. How many of them are there?
McRoth: I don’t know, like 10 thousand. so many people on stage.
Nikki: 4?
McRoth: five?
Nikki: five.
McRoth: three?
Nikki: Dance Break?
McRoth: they copied Suju's dance break for “Mr. Simple” LOL.
Nikki: I haven't seen a dance break on a music show in ages, but LOL.
McRoth: OMG I JUST SAW MJ! Itotally see what you're talking about
Nikki: I TOLD YOU. Seriously. IT'S THE NOSE
McRoth: This song is nothing special at all.
Nikki: It's generic.
McRoth: Rather boring, in my opinion.
Nikki: And their stage presence is meh.
McRoth: That dude needs to open his vocal chords. MJ, I mean.
Nikki: From now on I'm calling him MJ.
McRoth: Me too lmao. That nose is hella pedo MJ.
Nikki: Most interesting part of the performance...
McRoth: ... was his nose. I agree.
Nikki: So creepy.

M.I.B. - "Only Hard For Me"
Nikki: Is he singing?
McRoth: I think so? Yes, yes he is.
Nikki: Okay now he is. It’s an interesting voice -- stable.
McRoth: It's an interesting voice.
Nikki: His timbre sounds kind of Japanese.
McRoth: I hear it too.
Nikki: Right? Like Arashi or something.
McRoth: Definitely. Slightly whiny, slightly nasally. I’m not feeling the rap sections. EW.
Nikki: Me neither.
McRoth: That rapper in black is awful on the ears.
Nikki: Thiis song is painful.
McRoth: The only saving grace is that dude's voice.
Nikki: Yeah.
McRoth: This is getting uglier.
Nikki: Where did these guys come from?
McRoth: iI's falling apart. I don’t know, the streets of Korea.
Nikki: LOL
McRoth: That was not pleasant. It fell apart half way through and never recovered
Nikki: My ears, I don't know where they went.

B1A4 - "Baby Good Night"
Nikki: I caught on to "Baby I'm Sorry" pretty late, but I hate this new song. Where's the singing?
McRoth: I didn't like “Baby I'm Sorry”, but I dislike it LESS than this new song.
Nikki: I hate the chorus -- it's cheap and annoying.
McRoth: The entire thing is mediocre, at best.
Nikki: What makes it worse is that it's trying to be subtle, so it gets even more annoying.
McRoth: They should have left out Baro's rap.
Nikki: Whoever he is, I agree.
McRoth: it's already an unstable song, why make it even more so by adding rough rap?
McRoth: Some of them aren't even singing.
Nikki: Exactly!
McRoth: As in they're not moving their lips -- AT ALL. This song is terrible.
Nikki: I actually liked them when they debuted -- they were fun.
McRoth: It's like eating a sour strawberry
Nikki: But after "Beautiful Target" which was painful on all levels...
McRoth: I HATED THAT SONG
Nikki: I HATED THE CHOREOGRAPHY. WHAT THE HELL. WERE THEY DOING.
8:26 PM
McRoth: I don’t know, B1A4 aren't really cutting it anymore. They need to take a good year off and think about their wrong doings.
Nikki: LOL! We need to sit them down and knock some sense into them.
McRoth: Or knock them across the head, literally. :x
Nikki: I nominate myself for that. I need to release some anger.
McRoth: The floor is all yours then haha.

Dalmatian - "E.R."
Nikki: I see potential in the song, but they have to start singing!
McRoth: I'm not even going to lie, I love this song. BUT it's not exactly the best on stage. it doesn't translate well, especially since it's so falsetto at the chorus.
Nikki: Yeah.
McRoth: They do need to sing louder.
Nikki: Falsettos are only good in small doses, if they aren't sang amazingly well.
McRoth: The chorus is good, though. This song sounds good on recording. Live, not so much.
Nikki: I haven't heard their album yet.
McRoth: O_O They sound really good.
Nikki: I should listen to it after this.
McRoth: Which is sad, because they're not showing that in these lives stages. Anyway. Yes. I'm still not convinced with them as as live performers. But it was better than last week.
McRoth: So, overall, I think this stage was one of their better lives. But it's still very lacking.
McRoth: Yeah, I agree. The fact that they're jumping like crazy monkeys doesn't help.

A Pink - "Hush"
McRoth: I don't like them anymore, they've been fucked over so badly.
Nikki: I loved “My My”.
Nikki: But this is just...
McRoth: This is disgraceful.
Nikki: Cube is such a disappointment this year, I don't even know where to start.
McRoth: TELL ME ABOUT IT.
Nikki: But it better end with A Pink, because BEAST cannot be screwed up.
McRoth: 4minute, A Pink, and BtoB. How many times can one company fuck over their artists?!?!
Nikki: Ugh Cube, so much potential.
McRoth: A Pink have completely lost their charm with this song.
Nikki: Such crap material
McRoth: They had something really unique going last year, and that all has been sent through the kpop shredder.
Nikki: I know! “My My” was brilliant, and catchy, and so them. Now they're bad at being plain.
McRoth: This is an insult to their artistic identity and to my ears.
Nikki: ...they had one?
McRoth: They were old-school, synth-pop. :o
Nikki: Oh. That identity. Okay, fair enough.
McRoth: Now they're generic nobodies.
Nikki: Like everyone else.
McRoth: this is like watered down coca cola. WATERED DOWWWWN
Nikki: blegh
McRoth: to the point that it tastes nothing like soda
Nikki: So now you're using food analogies too? ;D
McRoth: OMG I AM aren't I?! Can we just use food analogies from here on out?
Nikki: I TOLD YOU. THEY WORK.
McRoth: They do!
Nikki: And everyone can relate to them
McRoth: And they're so easy to understand too lol. Exactly!

G.NA - "2Hot"
McRoth: I still don't know how I feel about this song.
Nikki: I have the urge to throw things across my room whenever I hear it.
McRoth: It's better than "Top Girl", but it still sucks. "Top Girl" was atrocious, this ... is less so.
Nikki: They both suck.
McRoth: This one is just boring.
Nikki: It pains me so much, that I don't even want to know which one sucks more.
McRoth: lmao
Nikki: I LIKED G.NA. AND I WANTED TO KEEP LIKING HER.
McRoth: ME TOO. She has the potential, but Cube continues to screw her over with crap music. I'm losing faith in her. Which is sad.
Nikki: I've lost faith in Cube. Tt's not her fault -- I just keep telling myself that.
McRoth: I think Cube has the means and brain to do great things, but that hasn't shown this year.
Nikki: Honestly I think they only have the means to do one good release a year. Last year it was BEAST, and this year it’ll be BEAST too. IT BETTER BE.
McRoth: because that's the one group that has seen the most success across the board. OK IM WATCHING THIS MESS NOW.
Nikki: But if they don't give everyone else decent material, they're not going to get anywhere!
McRoth: I agree, they can't be biased like that.
Nikki: I hate how slutty they're making G.NA.
McRoth: I hate the choreography to this.
Nikki: And slutty in a cheap way. I'll admit, there's classy slutty, this this is sad.
McRoth: She looks so uncomfortable.
Nikki: G.NA sounds like a five year-old.
McRoth: A five year old on crack.
Nikki: LOL
McRoth: A bratty five year old.
Nikki: This is why she never wins anything.
McRoth: A five year old who is trying on mom's clothes, and pretending she's a diva.
Nikki: HAHA!
McRoth: The heels don't fit, honey. She won’t win anything. There's no consistency in her work, and her work is really effing terrible.
Nikki: Maybe that's the consistent part?
McRoth: LMAO. That's just depressing.
Nikki: Cube's trying to cut corners, so consistency is now in how horrible their material is.
McRoth: I guess they're going back to battling out with CCM to see who can bust out the worst material.
Nikki: Don't even get me started on CCM. Although “Cry Cry” was pretty good last year.
McRoth: Both companies are failing so hard this year. It was decent on T-ara standards.
Nikki: But that's it. PHEW. It’s over.
McRoth: YES

Teen Top - "Baby U" + "To You"
Nikki: I'm still really neutral towards Teen Top. Sometimes I hate them because Niel's voice annoys me.
McRoth: Me too.
Nikki: But I liked this song.
McRoth: Niel's voice is ... an acquired taste
Nikki: LOL! He looks like someone I know too, which freaks me out majority of the time.
McRoth: hahaha
Nikki: But yeah, their vocals on this one were pretty strong.
McRoth: I love me some ricky, I just wish he had an actual voice worth listening to :x They don't sound bad.
Nikki: I don't even know who Ricky is. And seeing that I like the song to start with, this wasn't half bad!
McRoth: He's the one with the glasses!
McRoth: I think they're starting to grow as unit -- chemistry is growing.
Nikki: It better! They've been around for a few years now. And Infinite has slayed them.
McRoth: What I really love about TT though, is how strong of dancers they are. They give it 100% :o
Nikki: I hate how it reminds me so much of "Alone", because I hate "Alone".
McRoth: It IS “Alone”, basically
Nikki: Oh Brave Sound.
McRoth: But that's Brave Bros. for you
Nikki: One minute I love you for making "Because Of You", the next I hate you for everything else.
McRoth: Recycling material is his hobby
Nikki: It's his livelihood. Sad, really. Their vocals are surprisingly strong though.
McRoth: This isn't that strong for me, but they don't sound bad. They're moving so much. O_O
Nikki: It's not as painful as I was expecting it to be.
McRoth: How do they have the air to sing? All this sexual frustration won't fair well with noonas.
Nikki: LOL
McRoth: They sound good, but they're starting to get outta breath. Which always happens with them since their choreo is crazy as hell.
Nikki: At least it's not has bad as Miss A though, who are out of breath from the beginning.
McRoth: Oh, don't get me started on them lol
Nikki: Hahah!
McRoth: This wasn't bad at all
Nikki: I'm pleasantly surprised!
McRoth: Me too. I've always liked Teen Top. They just need to diversify their material and stop letting Niel take all the lines.
Nikki: ...I was on team Infinite.
McRoth: I’m still on team infinite lol.

Infinite - "The Chaser"
Nikki: On a musical level, I stan Infinite. They have identity.
McRoth: I stan them on all levels.
Nikki: They bore me to death on variety. D: But yeah. THIS is how to move with sophistication.
McRoth: I never watch variety programs, so I can't say much about them there. They know how to perform, and how to perform well
Nikki: That's my basis for stanning after music. They do! So classy, this entire package.
McRoth: Definitely, I also like that their songs are NEVER OUT OF THEIR RANGE, meaning they can sing it all.
Nikki: YES!
McRoth: Perfectly.
Nikki: Unlike idols who sing other people's songs better than their own. I'm looking at you, SNSD.
McRoth: I know, right. They're incredibly consistent, and that's respectable. They're also incredibly good looking. :x
Nikki: Oh McRoth :D
McRoth: Whaaat, all of this bare chest action is teasing the hell out of me T_T And those arms. *fans self*
Nikki: Trying goes a long way. That's why I like them and BEAST -- because majority of them are average, but they make up for it with good material and conviction.
McRoth: Definitely!! I can't wait for BEAST T_T I need them back in my life.

SNSD (Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun) - "Twinkle" + "OMG"
McRoth: Alright. Sooyoung is in this one, apparently.
Nikki: Yup, she dances at the beginning.
McRoth: I'm watching that now. She's so skinny.
Nikki: I know! I can see her bones, it's scary.
McRoth: I can't see her at all in that black dress lol. I just see a head bobbing around
Nikki: LOL. Taeyeon sounds glorious.
McRoth: Alright, Taeyeon is clearly in her element. This is the kind of music that works for her, imo.
Nikki: It is! Tiffany sounds less like a 3 year-old, but she could've done a lot better.
McRoth: SEO EMPRESS RULING LIKE THE EMPRESS SHE IS.
Nikki: I don't like her on this song. She's technically on-point but she only gets the intensity for like one second then BAM it's gone.
McRoth: >:[ I have to agree, this genre isn't for her. at all, actually.
Nikki: And when she's beside someone like Taeyeon.
McRoth: She wasn't a good fit for this unit, especially with this song.
Nikki: Ree was saying that Seohyun has the personality of a potato chip -- and I agree.
McRoth: HOW DARE SHE. HOW DARE YOU TWO DEFY MY EMPRESS LIKE THAT >:[
Nikki: ^_^ She has a gorgeous voice though.
McRoth: She sounds amazing, even if this song sucks.
Nikki: It's just not for these kinds of songs.
McRoth: This song was good for about a day, then I got over it.
Nikki: I never liked it, so anticlimactic.
McRoth: YES. It leads nowhere. I’m a big 'direction' guy, and this has one, but it leads no where.
Nikki: And SM production weighed it down Like, Taeyeon has soul, but the rest of the song has absolutely none.
McRoth: i call these kinds of songs circle songs, in that they drag you around in one big circle rather than leading you to a destination. I agree, Tae Tae is perfect on this song. Tiffers sounds ... Odd.
Nikki: She sounds like a pre-schooler.
McRoth: SEO EMPRESS ... needs to slay the person who added her to this unit, because she's not a good fit.
Nikki: But none of the others are good enough.
McRoth: Maybe Sunny?
Nikki: ....no. Please.
McRoth: LMAO
Nikki: God no.
McRoth: REE WOULD MEAN MUG YOU RIGHT NOW
Nikki: SHE KNOWS HOW I FEEL. If they turned Tiffany into a toddler.
McRoth: SHE'S MEAN MUGGING YOU RIGHT NOW
Nikki: They'd turn Sunny into a newborn
McRoth: LMAO

JYP - "You’re the One"
Nikki: The first time I saw this live was during K-Pop Star.
McRoth: :o
Nikki: And he was lip-synching.
McRoth: This is live.
Nikki: Yeah.
McRoth: And he's wearing weird leggings -- it's creeping me out.
Nikki: O.O They're like the ones JJ Project had last week, only more distracting because he's in a suit and he’s old and can’t carry it.
McRoth: LMAO ARE THEY SHARING WARDROBE?!
Nikki: I think it's kind of bad that we're talking about the clothes more than his performance.
McRoth: He has a great command of the stage, which comes naturally - OMG THE BACKUP DANCERS ARE WEARING THE SAME THING.
Nikki: THEY ARE.
McRoth: They distracted me lmao.
Nikki: MY EYES.
McRoth: I was about to say ... he's very natural on stage
Nikki: I... don't see it. I'm sorry.
McRoth: He's also very awkward .. this is getting awkward.
Nikki: I never really followed JYP as a performer. Like, I watched all the classics like "Honey” but that’s it.
McRoth: lol his voice cracked at the very end
Nikki: OMG LOL it did. Oh JYP.
McRoth: This wasn't a very memorable performance. I want JJ Project back, please.

------------


McRoth: that was such a terrible way of ending this recap T-T
Nikki: Well technically this isn't the end of the recap, but JYP isn’t that glorious and end either.
McRoth: Oh, haha. I agree.
Nikki: Aaaand we're done!
McRoth: AWESOME
Nikki: YAY!
McRoth: That was all over the place, but still fun.
Nikki: That's where the fun is. ^_^
McRoth: lmao
Nikki: We should do this more often. WE SHOULD RE-START THE KPOP PANEL. T_T
McRoth: Yesss. Mel, if you're reading this - COME BACK TO US D: The panel does not exist without you. ;_;
Nikki: It doesn't. We need youuuuuuuuu
McRoth: alright, that's a wrap!
Nikki: Whoot!
McRoth: I'm gonna go eat something now, im starving

But wait! There's more! When McRoth and I sat down to do this, we also did a lot of random talking, and it would be a waste to not include some parts of them. I present to you, the outtakes!

Nikki: It better be epic. I bought "Fiction and Fact" without batting an eyelash
McRoth: LMAO ME TOO. I have it right next to SHINee's "Lucifer" album. Yes, I bought it. >.Y
Nikki: I had “Rising Sun” and “Lucifer” bought for me in Korea.
McRoth: D:
Nikki: I keep them in my shrine beside my TSC DVD LOL
McRoth: LOL. SHRINE.
Nikki: TSC IS THE SINGLE BEST LIVE DVD BY A KOREAN ACT OKAY. IT DESERVES MUCH MORE THAN A SHRINE.
McRoth: HA :P It deserves a room to itself. OKAY.

------------

Nikki: It would be painful. I can imagine it already. Sunny needs to sing age-approriate things, like her duet with Miryo.
McRoth: I think they would keep her at the same level of excruciating cuteness, though.
Nikki: But SM doesn't get that.
McRoth: Ohh that song was pretty.
Nikki: IT WAS
McRoth: She sounded so nice on that one.
Nikki: IT WAS GLORIOUS. I loved it.
McRoth: Probably my fave track on that entire mini next to revenger. The rest flew right over my head.
Nikki: Really? I only liked the Sunny song and “Party Rock”. Guilty pleasure D:
McRoth: That one was okay. I did NOT LIKE the lead single
Nikki: Eh. Hated that.

------------

Nikki: No? Links?
McRoth: O_O Let me check.
Nikki: My Name and MIB. That's it! And we’re done. Then I have to do some massive editing.
McRoth: LAMO. LMAO ok. We did not plan this out so well haha.
Nikki: It's okay LOL. I edited horrible gramamr my entire senior year.
McRoth: *grammar lmao
Nikki: Yeah LOL. Sorry.
McRoth: That was less of a typo and more of a scrambled word.
Nikki: T_T
McRoth: :P MIB or MN first?
Nikki: You gave me My Name. That sounded strange.

------------

Nikki: But the line-up this week is really packed compared to some of the others.
McRoth: I noticed. The more we talked, the more of a cluster fuck it became. So many rookies.
Nikki: LOL!
McRoth: @_@
Nikki: And I can't believe that Infinite is second to the last in terms of seniority. Oh wait. Third. We did JYP.
McRoth: lol. That's just odd. They're a 2010 group. HOW ARE THEY SENIORS ALREADY?
Nikki: T_T
McRoth: I feel so old, too, with all of these babies running around.
Nikki: Ugh tel me about it
McRoth: Dalmatian has old members though, one of them is 30 O_O.
Nikki: REALLY? O.O
McRoth: Yeah o_O
Nikki: Gahee's around that age too, right?
McRoth: 31 I think. Inati of Dalmatian was born in 1981 O_O
Nikki: O.O

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.

[August 1, 2010] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

YAY I've completed another weekend of music show recaps! Woohoo! The winner today was rather surprising, considering the competition, but if you don't know yet, I won't spoil the fun. ;D
Se7en made his comeback, and it seems like Taeyang's back to promoting I Need A Girl. Doojoon made an appearance on G.NA's performance again, so I'm happy.

Credit for all the videos goes to CrazyCarrot350.

G.NA - I'll Back Off So You Can Live (review/The Kpop Panel Review)
She's a lot more comfortable on stage, you can tell, but her sloppiness as a performer has come out because of that. It's like she just flings her arm here and there, steps to the left or right, but she's unsure of whether or not she should've done that - she's hesitating. There's no room for hesitation when you're on stage. I liked Doojoon's part, as usual - the guy knows how to carry himself. The best part? When she sang at the end, backing track-less. She actually sounded good. A bit wild, but good.

Teen Top - Clap
Actually, the second guy who sings is actually better than the guy who gets the most lines - I kinda like his voice. And even if only two guys sing, I do think they're better off than Infinite, if I may say so. They have stage presence, now all the rest of the guys have to do is open their mouths and get proper singing lines. That and they should really get better material. This is decent, but not good enough.

Infinite - Come Back Again
Their voices sound like crap to start with, and then they just have to top it of with a dimension-less performance. Seriously, there's no depth to their actions or their singing - what you see is what you get, and even that isn't any good. I tried, but they really don't have the talent to go where they should go. Sorry Tablo, try again.

MBLAQ - One Better Day
These types of songs match them better than the Oh Yeahs and Ys of the world, but if this is all they're capable of, and all they do, they won't get anywhere. This band has been a lost cause since day 1, I just needed solid proof to say that.

Son Dambi - Queen
Let's just say that yesterday was her best performance of the song. Today was a bit bleh, Next song.

SHINee - Lucifer (review/The Kpop Panel Review)
Now, I'm probably just as disappointed as anyone is right now that SHINee didn't win, but who the hell cares? There's always next week, and at least once Miss A get a triple crown (if they do), there's one less act to compete with. ANYWAY. They just keep getting better - except for that slip towards the end, ONEW WAS HANDS-DOWN PHENOMENAL TODAY. He's like a not-so-direct but still direct descendant of DBSK's Jaejoong - starts out with a nice, smooth voice, then suddenly BAM it develops a deep-ish timbre, without loosing the smoothness. Jonghyun was let loose again today, sorry to say - the guy has to learn to control himself. He did it before, so why not now? Key's voice is slowly getting shriller, and I'm not liking it. I miss the nice timbre he had, and I want it back. And Minho's standing now, hopefully SHINee finally become a 5-piece dancing machine again. Soon.

Taeyang - I Need A Girl
I think I know what's wrong now - I can't stand Taeyang's live singing. On this song, at least. Seriously, I can't. Next song.

Se7en - Digital Bounce with TOP + Better Together (The Kpop Panel Review)
Now that is what I call a performance. Consistent, tight, and worth every second. You see how he just walks out with his hand up and everyone stars screaming - that's what a performer should be able to do. I pretty much have the same opinion as yesterday, I don't think I have to say that his vocals were spot-on, do I? Oh wait, I just said it. LOL.

Miss A - Bad Girl, Good Girl (WINNER)
I wouldn't say they're undeserving of their win, but I do wish that SHINee of Se7en won today. That doesn't mean Miss A are bad though, they're probably one of the best rookie groups since 2NE1. I mean it. Now JYP, stop making them sing like you and give them a better song - once you do that I might just think about worshipping you. Oh, and move them over to JYPE.

[July 30, 2010] KBS Music Bank Highlights + Commentary

*pops confetti* YAY! It was between SHINee and Miss A, so I think you can guess who won by my reaction. Not that many performances, but that's 'coz Se7en didn't show up and I've stopped writing about Narsha. G.NA performed with yet another "special" guest, and Teen Top + Infinite had this collaboration. Which I didn't include, sorry.


Video credit to UnknownCarrot150. Brilliance.

G.NA - I'll Back Off So You Can Live (review)
I'm serious, she looks so uncomfortable on stage. I mean, you can be a good performer and not really move around, but her movements look so strained and contrived. Her vocals aren't as good as they should be, but they're better off than a lot of others, so I shouldn't be complaining. And Thunder just sucked today - no question.

Teen Top - Clap
If Teen Top didn't make me wonder what the other guy's vocals sound like and if they weren't synchronized like hell, I'm pretty sure I'd be bored to death by now. Tight performance, for rookie standards, and actually, pretty decent vocals from the guys who actually sing. Not bad, not bad at all - they just don't captivate me or anything.

Miss A - Bad Girl Good Girl
It's been what, almost a month since they started promo, and I'm still not sick of seeing them perform. I've never really liked the song as a recording and I would never really listen to it willingly on my iPod or anything, but they have the ability to make me shut up, watch the performances and somewhat be impressed with them. The breathlessness has improved A LOT, so I expect them to sound flawless by the time they start promoting their second single!

Infinite - Come Back Again
It's not the band who carry the performance, it's the instrumental. Seriously! It's like the roles were reversed. The instrumental is spunky and has character, and then these guys are singing to it and they sound horrid. I do hope, for the sake of the money their agency put into them at the very least, that their second single makes them sound much better than they do right now.

MBLAQ - One Better Day
To a certain extent they do sing this better than Y, and they've improved since their debut, but do we have to go through this sermon week in and week out? I don't think they've heard me (metaphorically, at least) - they're too pre-occupied with looking good on stage to care about singing, and they don't deserve to be singers if that's all they wanna do. Please, at least give me something worth my time.

Son Dambi - Queen
Well, I like the piano loop? LOL. Her vocals have gotten probably as strong as they can get, given her vocal ability, so I think I should be content with the state she's in right now. Still not as big a fan of the song as I was before I saw any of her live performances, but the slightly better vocals have helped a bit. Even then, the only part of the song that's really any good is the chorus - it's nice and cheery and explosive and all. And I gotta hand it to her, she kinda pulls it off well.

SHINee - Lucifer (review) (WINNER)
*dances around room* WOOHOO! SHINee won today! *pops confetti* Now, this was truly a deserving win. You put gorgeous voices and fantastic performers together with a good sound system and you have magic. I love it. Right now, my only problem is Jonghyun - he's trying to jump through hoops and fire, but it doesn't always work. I mean yeah, when it does work he sounds good and it's not sloppy, but when it doesn't work, it just doesn't work. He either needs to learn to control himself, or be more consistent - either will solve the problem. But otherwise, fantastic performance - I got goosebumps again!