Mamamoo might not have exploded into popularity like Twice or been around as long as Sistar, but they have been consistently expanding the radish farm and gaining new fans all over the world. With "You're The Best" already making waves earlier this year, we're treated to more Mamamoo goodness with the curiously titled "Decalcomanie," which is simply a mouthful. Personally, I'm hoping for some deviation from the standard formula - we've seen enough of their vocal prowess (even though it's addicting). Also, there aren't many good teaser images for this comeback so I had to resort to a random assortment of pictures.
Am I the only one who thinks that this instrumental is too loud? Mamamoo certainly have enough loudness in their voices to just power through it but for the most part it makes for a messy combination. The instrumental itself is good, but could've been toned down a bit. Either removing some layers or lowering the volume would've helped tremendously. Anyway, this is probably the first release since "Piano Man" where all three of Solar, Wheein, and Hwasa seem like they're on equal footing. Well, Solar will always have an advantage because she's that good, but line distribution and opportunity seemed quite balanced across the board. If only Moonbyul got any singing time...
The thing about "Decalcomanie" (and I've given the song plenty of listens now) is that even though the verses and chorus are both excellent individually, they don't quite go together. It's not to the extreme where each sounds like a completely different song, that's simply not true, but there's an apparent disconnect between the two that I can't quite yet put my finger on. The transition between prechorus and chorus just kinda exists, and nothing else. Simply throws you into the chorus which, in all fairness is wonderful because the Mamamoo vocals are divine, but again sounds ever so slightly different than the verses. I'd say that the chorus is more pop-like whereas the verses have more of a retro jazzy feel. On the bright side, the rap segments help bridge everything together.
It seems nowadays the tradition is to give Moonbyul two rap sections in order to break up the vocals while also giving her much-needed screentime. I'm glad that another round has passed where she doesn't have to share any rap moments with anyone else (Hwasa). Lord knows she deserves every second she gets. While the vocalists were able to squeak by the instrumental on their powerful voices, Moonbyul doesn't quite have that luxury. Her voice is strong but is unable to escape sounding clouded by said instrumental. Despite that, each of Moonbyul's raps was packed full of punch and speed, and her trademark seems to be using a few English words to lead in: "At the time," "I like eye contact," "Word up Moonstar," etc. Another of her signature styles is that Moonbyul has always had unorthodox endings to her raps, and that continues in "Decalcomanie." That first verse sort of ends abruptly. Maybe it's bad, or maybe it's on purpose, but regardless that awkward ending of the first rap verse will now be represented here. Next!
Unlike Black Pink's review, there is no early release of a practice video for me to work with...and of course as soon as I say that, there's a dance version of the MV uploaded the following day. "Decalcomanie" is one of their more interesting songs dance-wise. This song and "Mr. Ambiguous" have been their most notable in terms of the choreography, as "Decalcomanie" has moves with plenty of energy and power. While none of the moves are extremely difficult on their own, trying to blend everything together is the hard part and the girls handle it well. On top of that, there's a variety of formation changes (not to mention formations for a quartet are usually tricky) which keeps things refreshing for the viewer. I also really like the constant playing between the members, plenty of pointing and other interactions. The choreography emphasis even trickled over into the MV a little, with some of the mirror scenes. Speaking of...
For those of you who have only seen the music video recently, you're lucky. I had the unfortunate pleasure of watching the original cut, and was flat out disgusted by what was essentially a sexual assault scene for Solar in the elevator. That moment completely destroyed the MV. It seems that the general public thought the same, as that's clearly why the current version has removed it. So let's talk about this guy: was he really necessary? The logical answer is yes, and thankfully he wasn't so forced (like say, the guy in Girl's Day's "Ring My Bell") but like most videos without plot, any secondary characters are expendable. And don't even try to argue that there was some plot here - this is a stereotypical box video with 15 seconds of awkward eye contact and acting between members and the male specimen.
I really hate pauses in music videos. Even though there are some that utilize them effectively - Huh Gak MVs come to mind - that is because they have substance to them. More often than not it's usually reserved for a dance break, or worse: monologuing. GOT7's "If You Do" still gives me nightmares. There was literally no reason for "Decalcomanie" to have a break over a minute. Ugh. Thankfully, there are some highlight moments scattered throughout the video. For starters, the mirror dance scenes are awesome and I wonder how many times it took the members to record that. I know I'd be laughing my ass off. Most of the clapping moves were a treat also, thanks to Mamamoo's facial expressions. Lastly, Moonbyul finally got some shine as the best visual in this comeback. Bless their stylists for making the best decisions.
I hate docking so many points for a predominantly vocals-focused group (and industry, really) but this is the complete product we're looking at. And I never want to watch this music video ever again. Even though they did remove the really inappropriate part, the fact that this was given the greenlight on the first go is quite upsetting. Still, the actual song is going to be another Mamamoo staple, even if the jump between verse and chorus is a bit jarring. Another stellar performance from Moonbyul who also gets to shine in the MV help recover. I like to interpret the score as like 75/80 for the song, and 5/20 for the music video, so there's that.
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