[Review] Nicole - Mama

The ex-KARA member has spent months in preparation to unleash "Mama" upon us. Videos of her progress showed promise, and if anything, I was looking forward to see what the new Nicole would bring to the table as a soloist. Nicole's position in KARA was more or less subdued to pseudo-rapper since she was outclassed in terms of vocals and dance was never the focal point of the group.

"Mama" is a really soothing song. Nicole plays her voice to her strength, sounding soft and sultry, something that Jiyeon did for her piece which worked well in "Never Ever." Given that Nicole is arguably a stronger singer than Jiyeon, it's a more pleasant outcome. The instrumental is a little louder than I'd like, as it drowns out Nicole in certain parts but isn't a very big problem. Nothing extraordinary out of Nicole as far as singing, and to be honest the vocals remind me her previous solo work "Lost" with the similar structure and breathy vocals. Still, I liked "Lost" and so in transitive I guess I like "Mama," too.

Now that she's a solo artist, choreography can be her prime showcase, and that's definitely true in "Mama." Nicole struts her stuff and damn does she look good while doing it. All the various interactions between her and the backup dancers were pleasantly artful and that sort of interaction was never shown in KARA dances. I'm sure that performing this song live is the highlight for her, and am glad to see it. The music video doesn't really trail off from the standard. Nicole looks amazing and has excellent dance scenes to show off her skills. I wasn't impressed with the choice to have a toilet set. It's not as good as when Epik High did it, and especially so since this bathroom looks much more grimy. Oh well. I'm far too entranced with Nicole in the other scenes to really care.

Perhaps due to the musical similarities with "Lost," I wasn't that excited with this release. Nicole fell a little short in comparison to other solo rivals, with Hyosung having much more punch, Jiyeon bringing a better song, and even G.NA with stronger vocals. Nicole had a very specific role in KARA which I was hoping to see a different side of her with this debut. Still, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a philosophy which I can respect, and Nicole certainly isn't breaking anytime soon.

[ Score: 80 / 100 ]