It's time. Jessica Jung has embarked on her solo debut more than a year after leaving Girls' Generation. As she was the group's 2nd main vocalist, she's certainly capable of running a song on her own. The question then, is what kind of musical style would she go after, and would the results live up to expectations? Given that they debuted at pretty much the same time, I'm almost forced to try and compare Jessica and Tiffany's songs (also this clip has to be mentioned), but I'll try and keep that to a minimum, leaving those comments for maybe the final score section.
Honestly, it's difficult to avoid having a soft spot for Jessica. She was never my favorite member in the group - hell, not even top 5 during their prime - but considering the circumstances (what we know of, at least) having some sympathy for her is a given. Anyways, she does sound quite good in "Fly." Her light and airy voice works well with the softer instrumental that's mostly comprised of percussion. The song itself is light and has a bounce to it, and mixed with Jessica's beautiful soprano results in an soothing and uplifting sound. Her voice is more the selling point than anything else in the song, though admittedly I think somewhere in the mix, my newfound attraction of Krystal's voice is rubbing off on Jess now. Running in the family?
While they do have an advantage in being English speakers, Jessica and Tiffany's songs show how a little touch of English can be used to good effect in a chorus or song. AOA have role models to look to. "You're a hero you can fly" is a great hook, both in what it means and how it sounds. The repetitive "woah woah woah" that follows, is rather bland and weakens this part of the song, but overall I like both the chorus and how much of the is comprised of said chorus. The bridge is where "Fly" starts to falter a little, though that's not entirely Jess' fault...
I won't pretend like I know who Fabolous is, so let's just talk about the rap. It's not bad, and there are a few clever lines here and there (nod to Steph Curry, etc.) but ultimately, does this contribute to the total quality of "Fly?" I think the answer is no, and is yet another part of a song that could've been cut without hindering the flow of the song in the slightest (a fact that is proven with the live performance). Interestingly enough, I'm reminded of another rapper that appeared briefly in a Girls' Generation member solo who had a punctual rap with narrative. Now, I'm not saying Verbal Jint's rap in "I" was superior, but just puts said rap into perspective how both of these rap inclusions were short and to-the-point, helped establish narrative, and yet most seem to like one over the other, myself included.
I have mixed emotions on this choreography. On one end, there are good moments, like how she imitates wings during the appropriate part, and the dance for the most part is lighthearted and graceful. On the other end, there are a touch of awkward moves across the board, usually involving some weird hand motions. It's also rather unfortunate that she has a backwards wave move, as AOA also did incorporate a similar move into their choreography for "Good Luck." Lastly, the part at 1:42 ("woah woah woah") is a head-scratcher. This is perhaps the most awkward part of the choreography. I'm all for some hair porn (and Jessica's hair is gorgeous) but it just looks so silly. If you watched the live performance, you know what I'm talking about. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Where was this filmed? It's part desert, part colorful canyon? I'm not entirely sure what's going on. Also, I'm no meteorologist but I don't think you can see aurora lights in such a location. Anyway, this MV is about freedom. Jessica enjoys her time by herself and exploring the landscape. She receives some packages, enjoys a fat marshmallow, and has a photoshoot everywhere else. Spliced in when convenient are of course the dance shots, which feature backup dancers prominent to the set (and they also have good expressions). What is going on at 3:00? This is either just imagination, or trippy drugs because I don't think deserts are capable of getting snow. Another confusing bit was where she puts her arm (holding a trinket) in a mailbox and then somehow gives it to another version of herself somewhere else. So Jessica is a scientist now? If she's discovered cloning and interdimensional stuff like that why not take over the world? I would welcome our new beautiful overlord. By the by, for someone who runs BLANC, I'm not sure I can get behind some of these outfits. The white dress is the main culprit because I don't like how puffy it is. Besides, half of these don't look that comfortable and I find it hard to believe she didn't have anything better to wear. Oh well, it's a pretty generic video through and through.
Based on the teasers, I thought "Love Me The Same" was going to appeal to me more than "Fly," but after giving each a few listens, "Fly" has quickly grown on me. Jessica's voice does wonders here, and although the choreography is a little questionable, still is decent enough by itself. I'm just not sold by this rap. It's far too inconvenient and doesn't really accomplish anything. The song sounds and flows better without it in the lineup. I hate to knock a few points off for this but I can't justify giving it the same score as Tiffany when hers didn't have an unneeded rap.
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