[Review] GFriend - Rough

This is a weird choice of an English title. As far as I know, the Korean translates to "Running Through Time," like in the chorus. "Rough" is very odd for a group that is so banked on the cute and innocent image. Anyway, this is GFriend's 3rd major release after the success of "Glass Bead" and "Me Gustas Tu." As rookies of the year, they'll come back early this year to keep their momentum and hype train going.

"Rough" is definitely the most tame compared to past tracks in terms of how cute they sounded. This is the most mature we've seen in GFriend, and you can hear that in the vocals. Yuju and Eunha continue to deliver strong singing parts, though the final chorus isn't nearly as explosive as songs past. Everyone else is honestly pretty below average in the vocals department, but they really don't need much except to get carried by Yuju. This change in sound also affects the choreography, because at a glance this is the weakest dance we've seen from them. "Glass Bead" and "Me Gustas Tu" had energetic and extensive choreography, whereas "Rough" is much more calm and reserved. Sometimes this matches the general sound of the song, while at other times seems awkward paired with the instrumental.

Onto the MV. It's a rather generic video in terms of location, sequences, etc. but I'll comment on some random things that I took note of. Firstly, that snow is fake as hell. You can't fool anyone with that business. I also don't know why schoolgirls are responsible for cleaning (or maybe they were just playing around, in which case why). That poor teddy bear, just getting abused for no good reason. There's plenty of filler just to show more instrumental and video but there's really nothing all that exciting.

All in all, GFriend changed a few things about this comeback but they're still the same GFriend that most came to know and love in 2015. A step in the more mature direction so early proves they're not just going to recycle the same cute stuff over and over, which is always worth applauding. Having such a strong start early in their careers will only mean good things down the line if they keep the work ethic up. A-Pink might have to start panicking a little.

[ Overall: 83 / 100 ]

[Bonus] 2015 Kpop Awards: Leftovers

Here are just some short extra material that I had drafted up or outlined but never got to flushing out for the regular writeup. Most of these are pretty damn random so you have been warned in advance!

Most Engrish Song: Sonamoo - Cushion

I almost put this as the most disappointing song of the year but this award makes much more sense. "Cushion" had potential. The instrumental is pretty addicting and both the vocals and choreography are explosive and dynamic. But most if not all of this is rendered irrelevant by the excessively bad English (both ways: too much English and too terrible English) layered throughout the song. At least Psy's lines were punny, I can't say the same for Sonamoo here. "Cushion" could've been the best rookie group track in 2015 but the Engrish cancelled those plans.

Best Collaboration: Hyorin, Bumkey, Jooyoung - Love Line

This is why you don't sleep on December. Collaborations were plenty in 2015 and many were extremely amazing, but when you combine the best girl group vocalist, and established male solos known for their voice, you know you have something special. At first you'd think it a bit awkward to have 2 male voices, but truth be told Jooyoung takes more of the spotlight and Bumkey is sort of a support role, as weird as that sounds. "Love Line" starts strong and finishes strong, and that's all that matters.

Best Mini Album: EXID - Ah Yeah

BoA's "Kiss My Lips" album was an easy pick for the best album of the year (if I included said category), but the mini section had some more competition. I think EXID takes this because of the dual threat between "Ah Yeah" capitalizing off the momentum they had and the excellent lineup of B-sides. Between "1m" and "With Out U," the remaining 4 B-sides are just as good of material. Throw in another version of "Every Night" and you have a capable EP.

Most Improved Group: SHINee

From "Replay" to "Lucifer," "Sherlock" to "Dream Girl," SHINee's title tracks were diverse but shared an underlying trait: they never hit it out of the park. Every song was mostly competitive but failed to produce that smash hit their labelmates prized. 2015 dropped "Married To The Music" and "View," both electric dance songs with equally exciting vocals. Definitely a high form for SHINee, and "View" would later inspire the incredible sounds of f(x)'s "4 Walls." B2ST also had a good year but "YeY" can't hold up to the SHINee standards.

[Review] Stellar - Sting

In 2016 we're onto our 3rd review and the 3rd new group (to be reviewed). It's all about exploring new territory I suppose. Anyway we're here with Stellar and "Sting." Stellar's path from debut hasn't been exactly smooth, with criticisms left, right, up, down, front, and back about their constant skin-revealing and hip-gyrating visuals. They did finally (at least in my eyes) release a somewhat decent song last year in "Vibrato," and are back to try their luck with "Sting."

Unfortunately, "Sting" can't live up to Dal Shabet's "Someone Like U" or even their own "Vibrato" for that matter. The song is definitely different in that it incorporates plenty of changes, whether it's the inflections in the chorus or bursts of rap here and there, but the former isn't easy on the ears and the latter generally never works for any song, no matter how good the rap / rapper (think 9MUSES "Koong Chit Dak Chit"). Nobody in the group has a particularly strong voice, so they need to rely on having catchy tunes to make things interesting. "Sting" lacks that punch compared to "Vibrato" in every category, even the rapping (which has usually been short anyway). Unlike songs such as "Hot Pink" or "Like Ooh-Ahh," there isn't any focal point of the song that I can keep coming back to.

Another thing that's not working for Stellar here is the MV. Everything about it is just reminiscent of FIESTAR's "One More." The borders, bright shirts, creepy male accentuated in some way, etc. I can pretty much find similarities for almost every aspect of the video except for the pointers and bugs, which at least are related to the title / lyrics. Also what are those short leotard hybrids or whatever at the end of the video. They don't look very good haha. Minhee is supposed to be the viual superstar and she is fabulous but the rest of the members look odd to me. I can at least appreciate that even though all Stellar are doing in this video is posing as eye candy, they have staff taking pictures as if it were a simple photoshoot. If you're going to play the visual game you might as well play it to the full extent. We don't get to see much of the dance at the very end with the weird outfits but I'm sure it's the stereotypical Stellar formula. Enough to be pleasing to the eyes and enough to anger obnoxious fangirls everywhere.

In the end, a combination of a mediocre track coupled with a forgettable video leaves Stellar in the dust. They had already been struggling to maintain relevancy even amidst the sexy concept focus, and now in 2016 they fall further behind as some of the other C tier girl groups start gaining traction.

[ Overall: 65 / 100 ]

[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] Lucky J - No Love

Mixed group? Lucky J? Hip-hop? Sign me the hell up. The trio had been quiet ever since their official debut in 2014, mostly embarking on solo activities but I'm glad to see them back early in 2016. It's a shame the strings drive the instrumental and repeat those same 5 notes so much, because all I can think of is that iKON song "My Type." Since they're both being used as primary hooks it's an unfortunate result that this came after iKON, since I find this the better and more enjoyable song. If the release order was flipped, I'm sure I'd say the same thing about "My Type," though admittedly I thought the iKON song was just okay to begin with.

Say no to those bangs Jessi. Otherwise looking fabulous as always. Jessi continues to flex her might, having long proved herself on the rapping stage, her position on the team as a vocalist is great. Jessi has a very distinct voice for both rapping and singing. It's pretty awesome, honestly, though I wish they utilized her lower range more. I'm sure her versatility will be used as they release more music. Her and J-Yo's voices contrast and compliment each other so that is a pleasant combination. J-Yo's voice was made for this type of music, and would likely excel in R&B tracks, too. I'd imagine that for people unfamiliar with this group, his voice has the drawing power to reel in new fans. I don't know much about J'Kyun. The only memory I have is when he did a rendition of Big Bang's "Fantastic Baby" to showcase his inner fanboy of Sunny from Girl' Generation, haha. Nonetheless, he's more than capable as a rapper, but of course the inner vocalist in me means I'm more invested in Jessi and J-Yo's abilities.

Lucky J hit that delicate balance between rapping and singing. Because of that, it makes "No Love" extremely enjoyable in all aspects, even if you're more towards rapping or singing. You can bob your head along to this track all day every day. Each of the members are talented and they clearly work well together as a unit. If mixed groups could produce content like this all the time, there needs to be more. Lucky J can be the pioneer of a new set of groups, don't let their genius go to waste.

[ Overall: 83 / 100 ]

[Misc] Bias Power Rankings III: Early 2016

Now that there has been a 3rd member of the series, I can add timeframes to these posts. With a new year, comes more time. With more time comes the shifting around of the bias list. A few months have passed us by so I figured why not take another look and update the list. I've also expanded the rankings to 12 so that I can use my fun image spreads to cover a section at a time.

 

12. Suzy (-4) / 11. Choa (NEW) / 10. Eunji (NEW) / 9. Sojin (-3)

Suzy struggles to keep her spot as other groups are on the rise and miss A remains inactive. Sojin is in a similar situation, but she is more relevant with Girl's Day and I don't think that will ever drop her outside the top 10. Let's talk about the new additions. Choa and Eunji are both stellar vocalists so that's plenty reason enough to add them in, but AOA and A-Pink are of course no pushover groups either. Eunji is pretty much adorable in every way and has an infectious smile, while Choa is that wild card personality that just keeps you trapped. I'm sure if I was more into A-Pink's music, Eunji would skyrocket up the list. But until then she will comfortably get promoted from the honorable mentions of lists past.

8. Hwasa (NEW) / 7. Hyejeong (+2) / 6. Wheein (+1) / 5. Kyungri

Ayyy Hwasa. Fans of Mamamoo tend to split into either the Solar / Moonbyul camp or Wheein / Hwasa camp. I was naturally drawn to Hwasa's husky sassy voice and personality and Wheein's general adorableness (and that killer laugh). Mamamoo is a group with huge potential and gaining popularity fast, and with such lovable members all around they will keep going far. Hyejeong gets a slight jump in the rankings thanks to AOA continuing to do their thing, and the "weakening" of others on the list like Suzy and Sojin. She's still the #1 visual in AOA and is a competent vocalist, to boot. Kyungri maintains her spot at #5. There isn't much else to say about her, other than how gorgeous she was in "Sleepless Night." 9MUSES has been the group I've been rooting for the most, and Kyungri will have plenty to do with their (hopeful) success.

4. Soyu (-1) / 3. Bora (+1) / 2. Taeyeon / 1. Younha

Lately, Bora's Instagram has gotten me addicted, plus Soyu having unfortunately injured her back lately has put her out of commission. Sistar's dynamic duo will quietly swap places for this iteration of the rankings. They remain in the top 4 and still are the best girl group combo in terms of visuals. A few other pairs come to mind but for now the Bora / Soyu ship continues to sail strong. Taeyeon really challenged me towards the end of 2015. She came very, very close to taking the #1 away from Younha but I'm going to let Younha hang on for now. Both Taeyeon and Younha are in a class of their own, and outside of them possibly switching every once in a while I don't see either falling out of the top 2 anytime soon.

[Review] Dal Shabet - Someone Like U

What is with everyone in Kpop using "U" instead of "you?" It bothers my near-perfect English-typing soul. Anyway, Dal Shabet will kick off 2016's reviews. The group had generally been laddering in the lower tiers, releasing a few decent songs here and there over the years. "Someone Like U" is their fresh start to the year, and a new lineup, as they would lose Kaeun and Jiyul to individual activities.

Subin and Woohee and a beautiful 1-2 visual punch. Like goddamn. I know Ahyoung is the face of the group but I am definitely captivated by Subin and Woohee. Dal Shabet has always had interesting and aesthetically-pleasing music videos. "B.B.B." and "Joker" were definitely in this camp, and "Someone Like U" is no different. Like the song, the colour scheme is lively and vibrant, and the bulk of the video is just eye candy. The girls eventually track down (stalk, perhaps) the male interest together and threaten him with confetti guns. Not the most optimal weapon for the job, if I must say so myself. Plus we already saw this years ago with After School's "Flashback." Like the MV, most of the choreography is visually pleasing, though some of the parts at the end look a little awkward.

As for the song itself, it's a very upbeat pop track, which in terms of their mainstream releases hasn't been seen since "Be Ambitious." The group sounds in sync, and the chorus isn't unbearably repetitive. There's enough variety to keep it from boring you, and the instrumental is a mixed bag of goodies. I do think it's like the one in "Sleepless Night" in that it's too loud at times, making the members more difficult to hear, but whatever. The standout of the song was Serri's rap, which was pleasantly surprising. Seems like she'll be taking over the rapping reigns from Kaeun. Given that we're so early into 2016 I would obviously hesitate to call this a top tier girl group rap, but I gotta respect Serri. She did a damn good job.

While "Joker" was a little unorthodox, "Someone Like U" is a step in the better direction. They simply sound better, overall. The vocals are good, the dancing is good, the music video is good (enough), and the rapping is strong. It's a statement release, having lost members again, and Dal Shabet show much more promise with this track. Perhaps

[ Overall: 82 / 100 ]