[Review] 2YOON - 24/7

Vocals: 10 / 10

Okay, this was definitely something new for Korean music. Country is so distant a genre but Gayoon and Jiyoon do a standout job with their voices. 4Minute isn’t really too known for their vocals but 2Yoon is quite solid and this is no exception. The B.A.P reference was utilized nicely and perhaps because of that influence, I felt other parts of the song were also pieced from other songs. I heard parts of Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” and SHINee’s “Juliette” throughout the transitions and chorus. Regardless, everything comes together nicely to create this unique blend. Gayoon seemingly continues to lose her distinct voice but more than makes up for it in the bridge and her power note is fantastic. There’s actually a lot of underdiscovered adlibs and vocal work, it’s just shielded by the crazy banjo instrumentals and stock. The plethora of English was almost perfect, surprising me since nobody in 4minute is really English capable. The timing of “rodeo” was just too strange, in fact I thought it was Korean before looking at the lyrics.

Appearance: 10 / 10

Jiyoon’s hair is too short for my tastes but I can live through it. Gayoon looks awesome and both are for the most part, blended into the scenery as well as they can be. I was originally worried that Gayoon’s iconic sharp image would hurt her in a scenery like this but hat is off to her, she looked fabulous. What else is there to say? The outfits are also as basic as can be with regards to a country theme, and all the other supporting people (dancers isn’t really the right word) are the same. It would have been pretty hard to mess this one up, and I’m glad they didn’t.

Dance: 9 / 10

Well, along with the vocals, outfits, and setting, here is another fitting number. This isn’t some crazy intense hip hop movement or moves with loving emotion, this is just two girls dancing and having fun. Certainly not complex, but the choreography has some nice attributes that make it appealing. For example, they actually clap during the bridge, and the dance is just cute all around. “Boom, clap. Boom boom boom clap~”

Rap: 8 / 10

Firstly, this rap is probably one of the most appropriately used in all of KPop history, and this isn’t even pop! I figured if there was to be rap, Jiyoon would be the one to do it, since she’s got the lower and huskier voice but Gayoon doesn’t do too poorly. It’s essentially rap singing that meshes together with the instrumental as a makeshift verse. What first came off as sloppy execution or lazy decision making turned to innovative charm as I gave it more listens.

Music Video: 9 / 10

A strong message in the lyrics is iterated by the music video, where work turns to play at the lead of 2Yoon. They’re singing, dancing, drinking, and most importantly, having fun! The sets were stereotypical enough to match “country” as a theme, but I found the fog / light filters misplaced. The extra shenanigans of people around the neighborhood added to the MV’s fun factor. Interaction between 2Yoon and everyone else in terms of performance and dance reminded me of “Like This”, which is not a bad thing. More outside influences aside, the music video was still fresh, lively, and cute, if but a little claustrophobic. Also, random white guy in the background for the win.

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Overall: 92 / 100

This song is funky, energetic, weird, expressive…and I love everything about it. The recycling parts of familiar songs makes the music friendly and creative simultaneously. Even though I thought Jiyoon would’ve done the rapping and Gayoon the bulk of the vocal work, both executed their roles superbly. This theme is something no legit group or subunit would have thought “Hey maybe we should try this out” but 2Yoon takes the gold.