[Review] Goo Hyesun - It's You

Goo Hye Sun is known for being a jack of all trades. The actress has done just about everything: from directing and writing to composing and singing. After two months since her last self-composed single in “Flying Galaxy,” she’s back with “It’s You.”  

Right away, the song opens with Hye Sun’s bright and soothing vocals, which stays consistent throughout the whole song. There are no fancy ad libs and crazy high notes, which help make this sweet serenade all the more enjoyable. The lyrics talk about a man Hye Sun has quickly fallen for, and while the lyrics of the chorus seem overly repetitive at first, there is variety in the melody and after more listens it sounds relaxing and reflects longing in Hye Sun’s voice. The instrumentals for the song is simple, mainly consisting of guitar and other strings. It’s very complimentary, especially during the chorus where the background voices add some depth without taking away from Hye Sun’s vocals.

The MV is also very simplistic. Hye Sun spends the entirety of it relaxing at home, enjoying the time to play around with her cat (who is absolutely adorable, might I add) and the guitar which adds a nice aesthetic feel with the instrumentals. Hye Sun looks very comfortable and natural throughout, with bits of aegyo and affection towards the viewer and the cat. While the MV isn’t fancy, it is a welcome change of pace compared to the box room videos that idol groups (and even solo artists) have released for years. On a side note, is it just me or is that room relatively poorly lit?

Some people commented that they were surprised or didn’t know Hye Sun is signed under YG Entertainment (myself included), perhaps because she’s only released a few songs per year, coupled with the fact that not many actors or actresses release music (especially those under the big name labels). The song is so bright and lively that the main surprise is that it just sounds so out of place coming from YG’s Youtube. Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful ballad that is a perfect listen for a warm afternoon.
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Overall: 90 / 100

With a sweet serenade accompanied by a light instrumental and good music video, Goo Hye Sun earned her spot among some of the top idol ballads like Ailee’s “Evening Sky” or Juniel’s “Bad Man”. Cheers to you, Hye Sun. I hope there’s more in the future!

[Bonus] Kpop Free Agency: Soloists

We’ve all imagined idol group shuffling, where members get exchanged for some dream, interesting, or just downright wacky new groups. But what about solo artists? What if they had the choice to join groups? Would they go for something that they’re right at home with, or try something entirely different?
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Ailee

There’s no secret that Ailee wouldn’t mind being in a group. Ailee has stated in interviews that she gets lonely at times and thus would love being in a group. Ailee named 2NE1 as the “dream” group she would like to be in. While Ailee’s powerhouse vocals and fluency in English would certainly help out 2NE1′s foray into the US (and the thought of listening to her in songs like “I Am The Best” and “Falling In Love” are highly entertaining), there is another group more tailored to her skills. Imagine if you will, Hyorin and Ailee the powerful juggernaut vocals of Sistar’s music, with Dasom and Soyu providing supportive transitions with their lighter voices. Ailee’s addition into Sistar would not only improve the already excellent vocal quality of Sistar, but also bring some more diversity in terms of the rapping. Bora and Ailee can share parts, which will either bring more exposure to Bora or force Starship to give Bora some singing lines.

IU

While a little behind on the timing, IU’s maturity from (bubblegum) pop to more serious songs really strikes a tune with Girl’s Day’s transition to “Expectation” and “Female President.” Girl’s Day has always been one of the girl groups with better line distribution, so including IU in the mix will not leave her overshadowed or underrepresented at all. IU’s voice brings another layer to Girl’s Day’s vocals, with her higher register meshing well with Minah. IU’s distinct voice will also provide a blend from members like Sojin and Yura who have lower voices. The primary difference that would result from being in a group like Girl’s Day is the outfits in MVs which are more revealing in contrast to IU’s more conservative outfits. All in all, IU’s unique voice and charm could help bring Girl’s Day into the spotlight with the recent releases.

Lee Hi

When first brainstorming this topic, Ailee and Lee Hi were the first two that came to mind. Ailee easily found a home with Sistar, but for Lee Hi, something was different. Her rich voice certainly appeared to be a valuable asset and could appeal to any group, but when you look at her music, it is so very much “YG” that it was difficult to think of a complementing group. A group like Brown Eyed Girls would bring challenges for Lee Hi as she tackles different genres, but joining 15& would accentuate the distinct voices of the girls already in the group. Something not yet mentioned thus far is age, which Lee Hi not only fits in age-wise, but also by the age of their careers, both having debuted in October of 2012. This also was the more interesting choice since she’s going from YG to JYP, but Lee Hi’s proficiency in English enunciation will only help her with the plethora of English found in most JYP songs.
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This was just a few ideas amongst a multitude of solo artists. I didn’t mention more seasoned singers like BoA and Younha, while neglecting male solo artists like Huh Gak and Se7en entirely (although for the latter, that may the better choice). The world of group theory is a diverse and interesting one. Who are some solo artists you could see fitting into groups, and which groups are they?

[Review] Ailee - U&I

Vocals: 25 / 25

Honestly, anything less than a perfect score is really a disappointment coming from Ailee. She’s a native English speaker so the lines are perfectly pronounced, and the high level of energy in the vocals is maintained from start to finish (almost!). I also liked the use of layering her voice to add some thickness / richness so it comes off a little more powerful. Wasn’t the biggest fan of the trumpets at the beginning but with some more listens they kinda melt into the background thanks to the awesome chorus. In contrast to the opening of the song, I felt the ending was a little weak / lacking, but it’s just a small misstep of an otherwise powerful showing.

Music Video: 17 / 25

This music video is supposed to be dance-centric, and it is. At the very least, every couple of transitions is to a dance part, whether solo or with backup dancers. In and out of the dance, Ailee is showing off her charm and energy. I did not like some of the lighting choices at the beginning. Specifically, the dark grey made her look really pale / like some sort of vampire so I was relieving when the video switched to brighter scenes. The box sets aren’t anything special, and the one with all the bright flashy signs reminded me of Girls’ Generation’s “Paparazzi” but that’s just flavor if nothing else. Average music video is average.

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Overall: 85 / 100

The vocals far surpass what a number will have to say about the song. “U&I” is a strong comeback for a standout vocalist. Ailee continues to leave her mark with solid title tracks left and right. It’ll certainly be interesting to see if she’ll try a different genre for the future, just because we’ve become accustomed to what she’s released before.

[Review] Girl's Day - Female President

Vocals: 10 / 10

I love the high notes and energy that the chorus (I guess that is mainly a mixture of rapping and singing) provides. Unfortunately that’s really all there is to the vocals. Minah and Sojin doing excellent work, while Yura and Hyeri with support roles. Yura’s opening of the second verse is very good, too. Easily rivaling Sojin there. I’m going to have to rip a line off of AntiKpopFangirl in that the song “builds up but doesn’t quite reach a climax”. Oh and if the climax is the rapping, I rest my case (more on that later).

Appearance: 8 / 10

Okay. Here is what I liked about the looks: the pink outfits. Those were really nicely done, and even some of the other outfits (the blue ones notably) were really nice. However, that clear see-through-esque whatever-it-is that Yura had in her first solo appearance is…beyond words, and not in a good way. Sojin’s hair is iffy, it frames her face a little awkwardly, and unfortunately for me Hyeri has Jiyeon syndrome more than ever and it’s quite frightening, to be honest. Minah’s still got those killer eye smiles going and that’s a pleasant sight amongst the more mature image.

Dance: 4 / 10

A butt shaking dance? Really? This isn’t even a good butt shaking dance no less. The music video and angles were totally not awkward or casual at all. Leave the butt dances to KARA and Sistar, Girl’s Day, you need something different, something else. It’s just so…bad. Like with the rest of the song, it just seemed like everything was rushed so management said “Hey let’s just throw this dance on for kicks”.

Rap: 3 / 10

Ugh. I thought the rapping in “Expectation” was mediocre. This is…awful. It’s high pitched and all, kinda energetic but overall I wasn’t the biggest fan. The song could have been leaps and bounds better in my opinion if the rap was either shifted into Yura’s lower register or simply removed entirely. The high energy of the song would have done nicely by itself. But alas.

Music Video: 4 / 10

It’s a standard music video with the boxes, solos, and cars / cameras. God writing about stereotypical music videos is so freaking boring nowadays, what do I even do here. Just leave it barren, apparently.

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Overall: 58 / 100

“Expectation” really drew me into Girl’s Day, but I certainly expected better than this. It’s very powerful and the vocals support that, but the sequence of rapping thrown in and some of the chanting just seems awkward and out of place, and ultimately sounds rushed as a whole song.