I'm going to be sensible and use "AMUSE" as the name because what an awkward name 9MUSES A is for a subunit. The idea is that 9MUSES A stands for 9MUSES Amuse, but if that's the case why not just use AMUSE? It's a clever name, but could've been better with how they actually presented it. Anyways! After losing Minha and Erin (I'll stop crying whenever I type this eventually), they wouldn't be denied activity in 2016 with this new subunit. The quartet would comprise of the remaining muses minus Hyuna and Sungah. At a glance this seems like a push in the vocals direction, with Kyungri, Hyemi, and Keumjo fronting the bulk of the attack. Will their track deliver and help the group rebound?
For starters, "Lip 2 Lip" is a pretty standard dance track. The girls sing lightly but also with purpose, while the instrumental provides a bounce on their step. Hyemi and Kyungri take center stage, charming us with their voices from start to finish, but when has Kyungri ever been away from the spotlight? I'm pleased to see Hyemi get a fair share of the singing, because frankly she doesn't normally get these kinds of opportunities. In that vein though, I once again find myself lamenting the lines that Sojin was unable to acquire. Even though I didn't predict she'd have a rap, I still expected her to get some form of singing because we've seen her do it in releases past, even if only briefly.
I consider this Keumjo's first true "attempt" as the main vocalist of the group, and her performance was rather pleasant overall. This is the type of song that really dispells any Sera comparisons, because Keumjo's voice is very unique but not quite as powerful. That distinct vocal color is a nice contrast to the clearer voices of Kyungri and Hyemi. That final run during the last chorus is evidence that she still has some work to do regarding her high notes. Speaking of the conclusion, the song could've and should've ended immediately following the final chorus, but that extra bit by Hyemi is weird, to say the least.
Sojin rapping is quite the surprise, and I mean that two ways. The first is that the song included a rap (and by proxy that she's the one responsible for said rap) and the second is that the actual rap itself isn't half bad. There are good highs and bad lows, all of which I'll address. Sojin spends a majority of this rap in whisper mode, which paints this section of the song as a break between verses. I personally would've preferred if she didn't but I can understand the reasoning behind it. She even injects a little charisma, something that is usually difficult if you're only speaking softly. The English isn't cringeworthy per se, but to be honest with Sojin's pronunciation I could hardly tell where the English occurred. In reality, the most important part of her rap is showing that she (and 9MUSES) are capable of decent rapping in a world without Erin to guide them.
Let's get this out of the way. As someone on reddit pointed out, there is one moment where they make a blinking face and that simply boggles my mind. I think I love it, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure what it's doing there or why this even became a thing in the first place. What if the starts to become a trend and suddenly we're seeing groups with many members make intricate faces and expressions? That'd be fucking hilarious. Anyways, this choreography is nothing special outside of the aforementioned face thing. The dance contains lighthearted almost cute moments but the general air about it is still definitely sexy. Given the title, there's an abundance of lip-related pointing and etc. which would show negligence if excluded. All in all a safe choice of choreography; nothing boring, but not breaking any new frontiers either.
When watching this MV, the first two thoughts that immediately jumped out at me were: "this reminds me of Dal Shabet's video" and "Christ this intro is way too long." There was plenty of dead time in the beginning of the video, for reasons unknown. I understand the purpose is to establish the narrative and setting but it definitely didn't need to be 50 seconds. Not to mention the sound effects were way too cheesy and could've been overlooked. Anyway the premise of "Lip 2 Lip" is basically a 9MUSES sleepover. The girls go diary digging and eventually (after much daydreaming) they realize that the boyfriend is really just a cheating scum. That specific plot detail, the bedroom setting, and the soft color scheme are what give this song the "Someone Like U" vibe from Dal Shabet.
Still, there are moments that make "Lip 2 Lip" stand out on its own. Highlights of the video include Hyemi's reaction to abs which was basically "Oh," Keumjo and Hyemi's near-kiss, and Kyungri's general fabulousness. Unlike with Fei, I was pleasantly surprised by how good Kyungri looks in blonde. She's not had light hair color since "Dolls" and even then this is a bright blonde that she wears proudly and beautifully. The "Lip 2 Lip" video definitely falls into the category of "light plot MV," and that's fine. And in a nostalgic way, all the lip service is almost like paying homage to "Wild," though the lips in "Wild" were way weirder.
The release of "Lip 2 Lip" provides two important statements for the future of 9MUSES. The first is that they're able to recover quickly from the loss of more members by dropping a good track. "Lip 2 Lip" is a fun and delicate song with a pretty great vocal performance. The second (and to me more impactful one) is that the group have the tools to keep on rapping post-Erin. Sojin showed promise even without truly rapping all that much, and I forsee her and Sungah splitting rap duties. Even though they'll never reach Erin's level, I have solace knowing they are capable of getting by on their own to the benefit of 9MUSES. Members come and go, but 9MUSES' music continues to be solid regardless of the lineup they bring to the table.
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