[Review] KARA - Cupid Revisited

Another episode taking a look back at some of the song reviews I've done across the years. I'm not sure if I'll always stick to five year revisits, but for now it'll have to be the case. "Cupid" was the final main release for KARA and if memory serves it was quite anticlimactic. Let's see if my opinions have changed. Linked is one of their best performances of the song but unfortunately despite their amazing outfits the video quality is lying through its teeth.

• Seungyeon and Gyuri handle the bulk of the vocals, especially the excellent work at the end of the song. Gyuri has such a voice that I don't know how to describe, but regardless she shines here in "Cupid," utilizing her high range and pristine voice. Gyuri's voice definitely is "imperial." Gyuri might be the goddess but as far as visuals go in "Cupid" she surrendered that title to Hara.

In the final phase of KARA the duo always did all the work vocals-wise. Gyuri's voice has fluctuated from good to bad for me over her career but it definitely shone in "Cupid." Also funny is how I mentioned "surrendering" the appearance title but I'm pretty sure Hara has always held that crown over Gyuri. Maybe some comebacks would make the competition close but worst case Hara dangled the title only to yoink it back at the last second.

[Bonus] Best Of 2009

Now that I'm obsessed with these Timeline posts, I want to make another where I see which groups have made the most appearances in my Best Of 20XX series. But in order to do that, I'll have to go back at least one more year. That way, the compilation will cover 2009 through 2017 (this year's edition will be coming out in early December). Plus, writing this post will refresh me and act as a primer for the Best Of 2017. I've taken the liberty of tagging the Best Of 20XX with an additional "20XX" tag if only for easy organization when looking at all my Best Of posts (since they're not simply restricted to these year-end runs).

#12. After School - Because Of You
This song is great at describing 2009 Kpop. The beat, the dance pop, the haircuts (...) and the MV quality all scream 2009. It might not be the best song from that year but "Because Of You" is one of the most iconic, without a doubt. After School is a group that you can really see the evolution of, mostly thanks to the graduation system (that was somewhat legit then). Bekah Raina, and Kahi were the driving forces of After School in this era and the microscopic amount of lines from Jungah, Jooyeon, and Nana highlight that.

#11. Davichi - 8282
Davichi has been killing it for years. I can't imagine that they have been even more underrated back in the day than they are now. "8282" The switcheroo that occurs going into the first chorus is a hilarious wake-up call because you're sitting there thinking this is another traditional Davichi power ballad but instead you could dance during the first chorus. They even include a pseudo-dance break that cuts immediately back to a slower second verse. It's a classic Davichi track through and through.

[Bonus] Kpop Free Agency: End Of The Rainbow

Another group bites the dust. Rainbow is the next act to say goodbye, and with that it is time to debut a new series called "Kpop Free Agency." It will explore the landscape of Kpop groups and member changes, if only to appease my desire to make the industry more like a game. Though technically, this isn't the first time I've ever written a piece like this (though it is ancient). Also, these will be much easier to write than reviews. But rest assured, those are still coming! There are a handful of November comebacks on the way and I'll try my best to not miss many. Anyways, I'm going to pick a few names from disbanded groups and try and place them into new groups. Mostly for fun, but some decisions will be more serious than others. Let's start!

Youngji to April
Look, by now DSP is a relic of the past. KARA is finished, and Rainbow has now joined them. Youngji made her way to stardom by becoming a member of KARA, so joining April - the last surviving DSP girl group - makes sense logically. Sure, there'd be a pretty significant age gap between her and the youngest member, but that isn't something foreign to groups anyway. Plus, Youngji is certainly capable of turning to the bubblegum pop side. I'd never like it if that actually happened, but hey this is all theorycrafting anyway.

[Bonus] Best Of 2010

I may have been looking forward to the nostalgia trips of 2011 and 2010, but it never dawned on me how difficult ranking may have been. Forget that 2010 was a tough year - not only did it seem thin on hits, but of course, my memory isn't as efficient going that far back. Great songs were still found, so the list must be made. Either way, this is the last stop in the Best Of series, at least until December rolls around and I do the list for this year!

#12. G.NA - I'll Back Off So You Can Live
G.NA has been mostly a miss during her career - which is quite awkward to say, given her career is basically over or on indefinite hiatus at this point. However, her debut was what caught my attention for being a really pretty song that framed her voice nicely. This song was probably one of the best debuts for a soloist I didn't know about. Unfortunately, subsequent releases from G.NA failed to live up the expectations she set for herself with "I'll Back Off So You Can Live."

#11. 2AM - I Can't Let You Go Even If I Die
Korea loves ballads, and 2AM is one of the best at delivering them. They were the premier ballad idol group and their long history shows their pedigree. "I Can't Let You Go Even If I Die" is a lengthy title, but who cares? The voices of 2AM are beautiful and each member got to shine in their own way. This was the song that really stood out to me in terms of both their individual talent and working together with each other for harmonies.

[Bonus] Best Of 2012 Revisited

Here's a fun twist. I'm going to look at and revise my list of best songs from each of the past 4 years. Well, maybe. I'm going to start with the 2012 set for obvious reasons, and we'll see how I feel as it goes. Should be an interesting take and parallel to the Power Ranking pieces. Each entry will include a link to the MV, the original song in that position in parentheses (to make the list look prettier), and then some short comments about the song's rise, fall, or if it's a new addition to the list, why it deserves to be here and etc.

#12. B.A.P - Warrior (--)
Original: B.A.P - Warrior

Starting off the revisions with a lack of revision, B.A.P's "Warrior" remains one of the strongest and impressive debuts to date. The choreography was excellent and the rapping on another level (in terms of debuts anyway). While the team blonde look didn't help us get acquainted with the members, it's an iconic image if only for Zelo's ramen hairstyle. This introductory piece did a great job laying the foundation for B.A.P tracks to come.

#11. Juniel - Bad Man (-7)
Original: EXO-K - Angel

So I vastly overestimated Juniel back in 2012. She has had a good string of releases up until her departure from FNC, but "Bad Man" remains her best work. To put it in top 4 though was very very ambitious and as I found out over the years, Juniel's music is very niche and as a result doesn't have as much staying power as I'd want. Regardless, it's still good enough to not get outright dropped like other songs. And there's more to do with reevaluated songs being better than "Bad Man" being overhyped back then.

[Blog] 2NE1 & Girl Group Roster Changes

I couldn't really come up with a more clever or interesting title. Anyway I wanted to talk about the next "era" of some girl groups. The world of Kpop isn't like the world of esports, where people join different teams every so often, even though that would make Kpop way more interesting. The closest we have to that is just idols signing with different agencies and the like after contracts expire. Over the past year, we've seen the rising stars like f(x) lose members, and other previous titan groups like KARA fall away in disbandment.

[Bonus] Best Of KARA

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's been a fun ride. But KARA will officially disband as the contracts for everyone except Youngji have expired, and Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara will go their separate ways. In memory of their achievements, we'll look back at some of KARA's best pieces of work. Admittedly my KARA library isn't as expansive as it should be, but I believe these are the best either way.

5. Mamma Mia

This wasn't so much a great song as it was a great statement by KARA. They lost Nicole, they lost Jiyoug but they didn't lose their style. They kept the same formula going for "Mamma Mia" and changed very little. Incorporating Youngji into the lineup wasn't flawless in execution but obviously this worked out in the longer term. "Mamma Mia" has exciting vocals backed by explosive choreography. It may actually be the best dance KARA has ever had in terms of technical ability. A lot went into this song and it shows.

4. Guilty

As long we keep talking about KARA's best songs then we'll keep talking about Seungyeon's best songs, too. Even though Hara's the only member that had an official solo debut (and Nicole did after her departure from the group), Seungyeon's "Guilty" was definitely a class above the rest (in KARA). The rock influence is fantastic and Seungyeon does a great job at balancing emotion and power (sort of) through her voice. I can't say much more about this song that hasn't already been said, "Guilty" is good.

3. Mister

KARA's "Mister" is their flagship song and contains the infamous butt dance, too. The pop track was hella catchy while the choreography and visuals were a powerful combination. If this song can be considered competitive if you compare this to other girl group titan's trademark tune at the time, like Girls' Generation's "Gee" and Wonder Girls' "Nobody," then "Mister" got the job done, which is impressive by itself. KARA may not have achieved that level of popularity or craze since, but "Mister" had people going "Lalalalalala~" for many years to come.

2. Lupin

Perhaps the best KARA song during the Golden Age of Kpop was the fast-paced "Lupin." This dance track had a great hook and a great instrumental, backed by seductive vocals in the verses and uplifting ones during the chorus. Visually, Hara again stole the show, while everyone else remained consistent (especially Nicole!). This was likely the 2nd best song in terms of production from all members, as line distribution was pretty balanced, too. Oh yeah and Nicole's opening rap is all kinds of love. Definitely one of the strongest girl group raps during that time.

1. Pandora

"Pandora" is to KARA what "Crazy" was for 4minute, but in a different era. KARA has been lacking in the title track department for a while but "Pandora" came with a force. The MV was bright and even though the box sets were blatant and uninspiring, the girls made everything work (except the awkward eye makeup). The dancing was visually appealing and say what you want about Hara and Jiyoung at the time, but their vocals were absolutely passable. If anything it's a testament to show how far Hara has come in 3 years. Seungyeon and Gyuri continued to put out strong performances while Nicole mastered a similar rap to that of "Lupin." Looking back, I gave this song a score of 90 back in 2012. That's pretty incredible as "Pandora" continues to hold strong to this day.

[Review] Hara - Choco Chip Cookies (feat. Giriboy)

Okay. To be honest, Hara was one of the last girl group members I would have expected a solo debut from. Based on my predictions at the beginning of the year, I thought we'd see debuts from the likes of Taeyeon and Soyu before Hara. Even within KARA, Seungyeon or Gyuri seemed like logically better (smarter?) choices for a solo start. Well, I guess let's see where DSP takes this.

Bubblegum pop isn't really in my tastes. Hara has a sweet voice here, and is probably suspect in terms of how much tampering was done behind-the-scenes, Still, even outside of extra editing she has been on a natural progression with her singing abilities so try not to judge too hard in that regard. The major flaw with this song is that it's just not very memorable. The supposed "hook" of the chorus isn't that catchy, and there's simply nothing that interesting going on. Giriboy's feature does help a little, but ultimately only helps the song keep relevancy rather than push it towards something better.

In contrast to the vocals, the choreography of "Choco Chip Cookies" is very mature. The movements are subtle but it's a very different feel compared to the singing you hear. The inclusion of a couple dance was a nice touch, especially when you take the MV into consideration. I'm not too sure, but if the male dancer partnered with Hara is the same in the video shots as her boyfriend then well done. I always look forward to the smaller things found in MVs and there's nothing standout in a video with emphasis on Hara's looks and dancing.

As far as eye candy goes, Hara is a top girl group visual and has been for a long time. Her tanned complexion looks really good and there isn't much to talk or complain about regarding her appearances. She's enjoying her solo debut, enjoying the company of a significant other, and enjoying the fun shenanigans with summer.

"Choco Chip Cookies" delivered a surprise debut out of KARA's visual. It's a pop track with very sweet vocals out of Hara. Coupled with a good showing from Giriboy and more mature choreography, and you have a decent song. Amidst some powerful summer comebacks though, Hara fails to standout with this romantic summer song.

[ Overall: 78 / 100 ]

[Review] KARA - Cupid

The order of reviews will be a little off for the next couple of reviews as I try to recollect my bearings. For today we'll take a look at KARA. After roster shakeups and stabilizing with "Mamma Mia" and Japanese promotions, these gorgeous ladies are back with "Cupid."

Seungyeon starts off the song and immediately I get the KARA vibes equivalent to the "Lupin" and "Pandora" releases. To me, these were some of their best songs so I was looking forward to the rest. The line distribution is rather mediocre to be honest, with Youngji getting pretty much no lines but that'll be touched upon later. Seungyeon and Gyuri handle the bulk of the vocals, especially the excellent work at the end of the song. Gyuri has such a voice that I don't know how to describe, but regardless she shines here in "Cupid," utilizing her high range and pristine voice. Gyuri's voice definitely is "imperial." Gyuri might be the goddess but as far as visuals go in "Cupid" she surrendered that title to Hara.

Speaking of, Hara is definitely the superstar of this comeback. Her vocal improvement since "Mamma Mia" is very evident and I'm proud to see her progress so far. She's stable, and she just sounds good. Most of the Hara we know is rather weak in the vocal department, so this is very much appreciated for both herself and her fans I'm sure. She is also stunning in this video. I generally prefer the darker hair for KARA but goddamn Hara looks flawless. Not to mention that "Cupid" is thankfully free of the tacky hairstyles that were seen in "Mamma Mia." It's kind of a disappointment that the dance was such a letdown, because it would've been another area where Hara could shine but beggars can't be choosers.

Youngji's primary appearance is in the rapping, which came as a surprise somewhat. I was surprised since I didn't expect this song to have a rap but at the same time, with all the other members having (hogging) all the lines it makes sense that she would show up with a rap. The rap itself isn't bad. She has good enunciation and flow, but her voice is really soft, which whether intentional or not, is disrupted heavily by the instrumental. If you're watching the video, it just looks like it's some awkward dance break with various shots of Youngji.

The seemingly random spray of English in all KARA songs makes another return in "Cupid." While I've never been a fan of it, it's something I have grown used to by now and isn't bad enough to make me cringe. What did though, is the disappointment of choreography. While it didn't make me cringe per se, this dance pales in comparison to the frantic moves of "Mamma Mia" which definitely helped KARA make a statement with that comeback. The choreography in "Cupid" is just boring. Nothing is impressive and a majority of the dance is them standing in place, shaking their hips, and then walking to a new position, rinse and repeat. I know the song isn't too upbeat but surely they could find something better than this. On top of that, the instrumental is pretty neat and is a shame the dance didn't live up to potential.

I'm rather pleased with "Cupid." The song is smooth and has incredible vocal work shared between Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara's rapid improvement. A good instrumental goes a long way helping the song though it does hurt the decent rap by Youngji. What kills "Cupid" is the lack of an interesting or impressive dance. Thankfully, we don't listen to music for the dance I suppose, but the final score will definitely drop because of the lackluster choreography. "Cupid" seems stronger than "Mamma Mia" outside of the dance category, and I might even say that this might have been a stronger comeback for this new KARA over "Mamma Mia."

[ Overall: 87 / 100 ]

[Bonus] Best Of 2014 (#20-#17)

2014 was not a kind year for Kpop, as I'm sure most of you know. Contract terminations, lawsuits, drama, and member changes were ripe all year round, and we saw staple giants like Girls' Generation crumble and rising stars B.A.P suffer all of these conditions. The Kpop shenanigans were certainly at an all-time high, but not to be forgotten were the music releases. This year, I originally had a list of 12 songs, with an Honorable Mentions group, but that category grew to 8 songs, so I figured I'd consolidate all the songs into one premier list of 20. This year's list is all over the place, partly because of having more songs and partly because that's pretty much how this year went down. So here we go!

20. Sistar - I Swear

While Sistar's "Touch My Body" didn't have the same type of impact as previous summer releases. "I Swear" more than made up for that. With a solid base in the music video, which followed the girls' trip to Saipan, Sistar delivers a bright and happy "I Swear," spearheaded by none other than Hyorin's divine vocals. Seriously, her work in this song cannot be understated. Still, Soyu and Dasom make ends meet with support vocals (especially during the bridge), and Bora's rap, while a bit grating with aegyo, is still solid. It's a rather weak finish this year for Sistar, considering they clocked in within the top 10 the last 2 years, but nonetheless, they're going to be a prime group in 2015.

19. J-Min - Shine

J-Min was finally brought out of the S.M. dungeons this year after having worked in Japan. I was tempted to pick one of her Japanese works like "Sorry" but I'm being true to the Kpop name and only picking Korean songs. It's a solid number, however I can't help but think that "Shine" pales in comparison to "If You Want," but that's probably an unfair assessment. I think the instrumental is a little too loud and messy, which obstructs J-Min's incredible voice. That being said, however, J-Min's delivery is still flawless and the song as a whole is a lovely trip down memory lane to the older days of pop rock that first drew me in.

18. KARA - Mamma Mia

KARA suffered from losing Jiyoung and Nicole, but really made a statement with the addition of Youngji and "Mamma Mia." This type of high energy vocals is right up KARA's alley with Seungyeon and Gyuri. Even Hara and Youngji made waves for their work as well. I'm a bit displeased with the scattered English, and it made the song weaker without fluent pronunciation from Nicole, but man the MV was all sorts of eye candy and the choreography was pretty good, and pretty pretty. Personally, I was really interested in what direction KARA would take after another roster shuffle, but with the hilarious Youngji (literally never stops laughing) the changes were handled rather splendidly.

17. CL - MTBD

When I first saw this song on the "Crush" tracklist, I clicked with caution. After all, I wasn't impressed with the "Baddest Female" era that CL seemingly has herself wrapped in, but man was I pleasantly surprised. This song is all of what CL was that first attracted me to her style. Her charisma is still on point, lyrics and delivery are smooth and the instrumental is beast. The quality of this "MTBD" is so high that if this was released circa 2009 (the "To Anyone" era) this would've easily been a top song then, too. "MTBD" signals a return to form for CL, and I hope that her foray into the American market will have more of this and less of the "Baddest Female."

[Blog] Youngji's Debut

(Okay so I thought this was going to be posted on the 5th because I set Tumblr to automatically publish this for me but I guess that isn’t working? Anyway here are some thoughts on KARA and the newest member Youngji.)

So Youngji was recently chosen to be the new KARA member. With the departure of Jiyoung and Nicole, KARA will now be a roster of Gyuri, Seungyeon, Hara, and Youngji. I’ll admit I didn’t catch much of the audition process (at all, actually) but the placement and timing is really what I wanted to talk about.

As someone who joined the Hallyu Wave in late 2009, this is the first experience of being introduced to a new member in a staple group. I was a little late to the TVXQ and Super Junior shenanigans, though I was still too uninformed to really make note of. I shared the mentality that when first introduced to the new trainees / prospects, why didn’t DSP just make the new group with these girls and keep KARA as 3. I mean honestly, aside from transition vocals and some subpar rapping, that’s all that Jiyoung and Nicole’s roles filled from a music standpoint. Youngji doesn’t need to be a killer vocalist with Seungyeon and Gyuri still around, and KARA’s music could do without rapping to begin with. Something also of note is that Youngji’s DOB is 1994, which means she’s the same age as Jiyoung. I think it may have been a little awkward if anyone younger than her was chosen (which essentially left her and Sojin only) with such the age gap, but other groups have done that before (2NE1).

Probably what bothers me the most is that this member addition is coming after such a long period of stasis. The last time new members were added was 6 years ago (Hara and Jiyoung) to replace Sunghee. Now again, this was all before my time, but having such a disruptive moment after the stability of the group (after they have established themselves as a top tier girl group) really fogs up the future. I know most netizens and K-netizens were torn but they’re all crazy anyway so I’m not going to bother comparing schools of thought. But overall it just seems like a questionable decision to (a) add a new member at this point, and (b) have that member be from a selected pool of trainees who could easily be their own group. I think 3 or more members used to be in some project group that was disbanded?

What about Nicole and Jiyoung? Nicole’s been showing off some practice videos of choreography and the like. If the girl is going down the path of a dancer, good for her. I still value vocals the most, so I’d be pretty excited if she worked on that a little. Less rapping, more singing, honestly. As for Jiyoung I’m pretty sure the girl has disappeared off to London to become a [s]wizard[/s] student I wish them nothing but the best, and will for sure keep up with Nicole and her exploits assuming they’re good.

KARA’s music as a whole has been a little inconsistent for me since I discovered the group with “Lupin”. “Damaged Lady” and “Pandora” were good, great even, but “Step” and “Jumping” weren’t as well received. If Youngji’s addition to the team means a shift in the right direction and more solid releases, then I’m all for it. But for now I will remain neutral until given evidence to believe otherwise.

[Bonus] Best Of Pioneers

I wanted to show appreciation for a select set of songs which helped bring me into the Kpop fold. There’s a mixture of nostalgia, first impressions, relevance in time, catchiness, etc. On Thanksgiving weekend, I’m thankful for these Kpop songs, as they’re responsible for attracting and keeping me in the Kpop world.

12. Wheesung - Insomnia

- Arguably one of the first of the Kpop videos I’ve ever watched, and despite it technically being a cover, Wheesung does a delightful job with the vocals and impressed. The flashes between scenes coupled with the dance would almost make it seem as if the vocals weren’t the main sellling point. The MV was pretty boring, but being one of the first videos, I had no idea what a stereotypical MV it was just yet.

11. Wonder Girls - Nobody

- It’s hard to argue the explosiveness that Nobody had during the 2009 year. The pretty dresses, catchy dance, and equally as catchy lyrics make for one hell of a song, along with a fierce rap segment. Speaking of, Yubin made a strong debut showing for rappers of any group.

10. KARA - Lupin

- Lupin was my second exposure to KARA after Mister, and what a follow-up punch. Lupin delivers in the powerful introduction and instrumentals, with Nicole’s rapping being very strong. When I first listened to this song though, the latter half of the song wasn’t as appealing to me, for whatever reasons it may have had that effect.

9. Younha - Ima Ga Daisuki

- Okay so this song is technically a Japanese song, but hear me out. This was my first Younha song ever, and therefore also my first Younha video ever, so it as to hold a special place in my heart. It’s a addictive pop rock style that instantly drew me to her and her works.

8. Wonder Girls - So Hot

- Even though Wonder Girls’ Nobody was extremely addicting, I was drawn more to So Hot because of the standard pop sound, and the chorus was equally as catchy as Nobody’s was. Serving this song as a follow-up to Nobody, Yubin continued to deliver on the rapping.

7. Super Junior-M - Blue Tomorrow

- So just two more songs later, we’ve got a Chinese song. During early drafts of this list, Super Girl was on the list but Blue Tomorrow wasn’t, until I realized that the very foundations of what I enjoyed and was attracted to in Kpop are the vocals, and the vocals in Blue Tomorrow are arguably one of the best on the entire set. Throw in a very serious MV, and you’ve got one incredible ballad.

6. Big Bang - Koe Wo Kikasete

- I promise that this will be the last “foreign” song on the list, heh. Big Bang’s debut for me wasn’t the stellar Haru Haru or Lies, but Koe Wo Kikasete. The rapping of G-Dragon and T.O.P were easily the highlight, since not many of the groups had standout rappers, but the vocal work between Taeyang and Daesung was even better.

5. Girls’ Generation - Genie

- Yeah, Gee isn’t on this list. Believe it or not, I was turned off by Gee at the beginning, since there was way too much “cutesy sound” (ahh, how weird the term aegyo would’ve seemed if I had heard it then). Genie, on the other hand, delivered a strong chorus, and absolutely amazing vocals from Taeyeon, Sunny, and Tiffany (Taeyeon’s adlibs at the end are what essentially earned her the #1 bias spot).

4. f(x) - La Cha Ta

- My first f(x) song was f(x)’s first (title) song. Luna and Krystal were outstanding in both looks and vocals, while the dance was impressing, while Sulli and Amber would go on to be undiscovered players. Even after four years, this is still my favourite f(x) song. The raw dance pop sound hasn’t been topped by the girls since.

3. 4minute - I My Me Mine

- Can you believe it? I can’t either, but certainly 4minute places in the top 3. If I thought La Cha Ta was the epitome of dance pop, then I My Me Mine certainly was the epitome of the more electronic pop songs. There weren’t many other electronic songs on the list or drafts, but the dance and vocals complimented each other very nicely. And may I mention that (a) the video effects on the “Click click” part of the dance was awesome, and (b) Gayoon’s belt still sends chills down my spine.

2. Younha - Hero

- I’ve mentioned Hero so many times on this blog now that I reallywanted to omit this song from the list, but it simply has to be here. Badass instrumentals, beast piano solo bridge, 110% high level vocals coupled with belts and the like. I’m still amazed this was never a title track. But all this talk aside, it’s still not #1 (I even surprised myself).

1. Super Junior - It’s You

- You’ve probably noticed that there have been a lack of comments regarding music videos, and a majority of remarks for vocals, because that’s what really drew me to Kpop and absolutely It’s You. Between the overcrowded choreography, steady background music, calming choruses, and superstar belting from Yesung (won’t sell out the other members’ vocal performance either though). This song was and still is dangerously addicting and once you get this in your head, you’ll have a tough time getting It’s You out.

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“Honorable Mentions”

Younha - Telepathy

Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra

Younha - Houki Boshi

Super Junior - Sorry Sorry

Girls’ Generation - Girls’ Generation

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What about you guys? What were some of the songs that brought you into the Kpop world?

[Review] KARA - Damaged Lady

As KARA will probably cease to exist as we know it in just under three months, I thought I’d take a look at their last title track as 5KARA. Also since I was inactive during September, I’m making up for it with extra pieces this month, naturally.

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Vocals: 8 / 10

Seungyeon continues to do a lot of work for KARA, but I’m not going to dismiss Gyuri either. The chorus was powerful and easily the highlight of the song. It did, however, get my hopes up for the rest of the song, which the rap (we’ll talk about that later) disappointed me in. The verses however meshed pleasantly with the chorus, especially given Jiyoung’s soft voice (the sound of innocence) and the other girls being capable of matching that sound. Overall the vocals in “Damaged Lady” are not far off from the standards of KARA.

Appearance: 9 / 10

Gyuri, please. That short cut just won’t do. I’m not talking about the short wigs (the ones that gave them the boyish look), I’m talking about the red bizarre cut that not only framed her face awkwardly but just made her look straight up creepy. And honestly, the colour isn’t the greatest on her to begin with. Other than that, KARA lives up to their standards. Seungyeon and Hara look amazing, and Nicole and Jiyoung, too. Everyone’s outfits while on the their thrones looked amazing (again minus Gyuri), and the white T-shirt and black tie look was oozing charisma. No comment on their boy looks.

Dance: 7 / 10

There’s a lot of hip movement, but outside of that it didn’t seem like the dance was particularly interesting. The girls mostly stood straight for a lot of the movements, which doesn’t necessarily make it a bad or lame dance, but definitely affects the visual appeal. That said, I didn’t find this dance on any extreme, which I leave to you on whether or not that’s a good or bad thing. It wasn’t too boring, but it wasn’t overly flashy.

Rap: 4 / 10

I thought the rapping throughout could’ve been omitted entirely. While previous rapping in “Lupin” and “Pandora” was appropriate, I felt this one in “Damaged Lady” wasn’t. The rest of the song is very high energy and or loud, emphasized by the vocals and chorus, but the rapping never really got anywhere besides sounding low and out of place. The one “saving grace” of the rap in “Damaged Lady” is that it was probably the best closing option available to them, since the chorus was so full of energy and the verses were fast.

Music Video: 8 / 10

KARA gets a lot of free points here for not having the standard boring MV. It’s cute to see them distressed at their pathetic excuse of a boyfriend(s) checking out other girls and not paying attention to them, and the eventual ditching and getting a bit of revenge. What did Jiyoung or whoever shoot at a guy anyway…? Questionable random water sprinkler scene though, fanservice aside. This was also the first MV for KARA where I felt their fancy closed boxes were maybe a little too small. For a group that has five members, you’d think it’d be hard for them to make a box set look crowded but I felt that way for a few of them.

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Overall: 72 / 100

Despite my comments about the excellent vocal showing in the chorus, I find “Damaged Lady” lacking in terms of getting your attention. Perhaps it was because of the subpar rapping, or maybe they lost a few points in the choreography, but I don’t forsee myself coming back to this song as often as I have others, but maybe I’m merely wallowing in the nostalgia of “Lupin” and crying that KARA will lose Nicole and possibly Jiyoung for next year.

[Bonus] Best Of 2012 (#8-#5)

8. Seungyeon - Guilty

By leaps and bounds, Seungyeon’s “Guilty” outplayed all the individual songs by the other members of KARA, and is good enough to find itself at #8. Seungyeon’s voice was a little underwhelming for some parts but very strong otherwise, and the high note is very clean. The instrumentals were also excellent, especially during the parts where the intense bass and strings brought a delightful contrast to Seungyeon’s whispering. For bonus, the music video was also beautifully crafted. The scenery and effects were awesome, Seungyeon looked awesome, and the use of explosions at the chorus were awesome.

7. J-Min - Stand Up

The decision between whether Seungyeon or J-Min would rank 7th was my most difficult decision in this review. Yeah, it’s merely OST work, but J-Min’s voice is probably one of the best to sync this style of music, and the ending was swift and strong. While the ending of “Guilty” was more dramatic, this had better execution. J-Min’s high notes and power notes do not fail to disappoint, and she used energy to stand more apart from the instrumental, whereas Seungyeon’s soothing notes blended. The guitar solo / instrumental was classy, and while the music video paled in comparison to “Guilty” save for Jungmo’s appearance, keep in mind “Stand Up” is just a OST and, this isn’t a rank of music videos to begin with.

6. Psy - Gangnam Style

Yes, the Gangnam phenomenon is crazily overhyped by now, but I feel neglecting a song that has become Youtube’s most viewed ever, and brought more knowledge of Psy who was rather quiet seems unreasonable. At least placing “Gangnam Style” in the upper half does it justice if only for sheer popularity. But you’re forgetting this song is hilarious, too. Psy’s heartful rapping and singing will bring smiles to your face as you watch it alongside the music video, and my what a glorious music video. Quite simply one of the best if not the best MV I have ever laid eyes upon. One billion views have been reached, what is next?

5. Girls’ Generation 태티서 - Twinkle

S.M. proved whether it’s 9 or 3, or anything in between, SNSD will always be on the top. The first variant of the subunit system delivered a delightfully catchy pop song with excellent showing from the main vocalists Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun. It’s lighter than “Genie” but more serious than “Gee”, and the choreography is pretty cute and catchy, too. Taeyeon is nothing short of perfection, Tiffany absolutely killed it with her low husky adlibs, and I’m one of many shocked by maknae’s fierceness and charisma. The belts were so obviously strained but is only a minor error in light of such a nice song. The next subunit has some shoes to fill, in the footsteps of “Twinkle”, but I believe the members will bring more than enough hype for the song.

[Review] KARA - Pandora

Vocals: 9 / 10

Most people wouldn’t really think it, but KARA possesses one of the best vocal lineups. Seungyeon, Nicole, and Gyuri all do wonderful work while Hara and Jiyoung pull their weight via support roles. While Seungyeon has never quite impressed me in the past, her lines in this song are fantastic, and her bridge buildup / belts near the end of the song reminded me of Gayoon, which is good because she emphasizes a very distinct / unique sound. Hara’s support vocals have continued to improve and I was surprised at how well Jiyoung’s singing matched the song. The “mood” of some of the vocals is a little strange, though. The song / instrumental and music video are upbeat and powerful, and the chorus heavily reflects that. However, there are various lines which sound “cute”, most notably, “up and up ah ah~”. Considering that this song is upbeat and frantic, the cute sound seemed out of place. I feel that the cutesy vocals were more suited for a slower song like “Step”, and this song required more energetic vocals, similar to how “Lupin” was. Speaking of, considering how frequent “up and up ah ah~” was, the pronunciation could have been stronger. The first time I listened to the song I honestly thought the line was “Open it up ah~”, which would have been kinda relevant in terms of Pandora’s Box. In the end, it’s a solid performance which I cannot complain about.

Appearance: 10 / 10

Speaking of being at the top, KARA is one of the few groups who have consistently been super attractive all the time. Seriously, look at them! Hara, Nicole, Seungyeon, Jiyoung, and Gyuri are all stunning in this video and in general. KARA’s eyes have always been a trademark / highlight and this song is following suit. Jiyoung’s appearance continues to fool me into forgetting she is a 94’er, and Nicole is quite the bombshell in blonde (did you see the eye makeup during the middle portion of the video though? It looked pretty awful). Gyuri and Seungyeon are more or less the same, which is quite impressive to begin with. Hara wins the standout award with the new colour and messy bangs style. And here I was thinking Hara looked the best with long straight hair. While the sets between “Pandora” and “Step” are fairly similar, the colours for the former are darker and more serious, an appropriate touch in comparison to the brighter friendlier release. Oh, and have I mentioned how attractive KARA is?

Dance: 10 / 10

If you thought the “Halla halla halla” / “Lupin” choreography was sexy, the dance for this song ups a whole new level. All the swaying, fierce looks, etc. match perfectly (perfectly match?) with the lyrics and upbeat tempo of the song. Like with some other groups, I’d hope to see some dance breaks in the future, although one could argue Nicole’s rap segment is considered a dance break. Regardless, KARA has a group of solid dancers and while their choreography may not be the most intense or difficult, it certainly is flashy and they look amazing doing it.

Rap: 9 / 10

Somehow I feel that it has been ages since I’ve seen something even remotely rap-related from KARA, even though Nicole is already quite talented in spitting out lyrics, and Hara is also half decent, I definitely did not expect a returning collaboration of rap from Nicole, Hara, and Jiyoung! It’s very well done between the three of them, and it’s a perfect compliment to the rest of the song. Other groups should try using collaboration rap sequences, since KARA pulled this off with good success. Honestly, there really isn’t much else to say. Excellent rap and hope to see more of this in the future!

Music Video: 7 / 10

…well, it was good up until this point, haha. It’s a generic Korean pop music video, what else is there to say? The MV has all the basic components: flashy set designs, fashionable outfits, neat lighting effects, an expensive car, all sautéed to crispy state with some amazing vocals, choreography, and rap for additional taste and you have the traditional KPop video!

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Overall: 90 / 100

Honestly, I was really into KARA back when in the days of “Mister” and “Lupin”, but since the Japanese promotions and “Step” came after I haven’t been paying attention to them that much - due to my policy of not really following Korean artists’ Japanese expansion save for a select few. However, KARA has once again rebounded into my heart with “Pandora” and it’s a extremely good listen and I can only wish they ride their continuing success for the future.