[Review] Solji - I'm Here With You

The end of this blog is near. Kpop as a whole has never been further down on my list of interests, and keeping up with releases and that nature. Combine that with the continuous frustration of Blogger's bullshit means it's unlikely I make it to the nine year mark. We'll have to see what happens. Regardless, I promise to keep y'all in the loop no matter the situation.

[Review] 9MUSES - Drama (Revisited)

"Drama" came out a little over five years ago, and it was yet another rebranding of 9MUSES who had suffered through their most dramatic roster shift yet, losing Sera, Lee Sem, and Eunji. Some pillars remained like Hyemi and Hyuna, while new members Keumjo and Sojin made their debuts.

• The song itself is quite good. "Drama" is carried by the pretty vocals of 9MUSES, with Kyungri and Hyemi at the top of the list. There's a variety of structure in the song and all the members do well in filling those roles out. Having said that, "Drama" is rather bland and while the "only you~" hook is catchy, nothing else really makes this song unique, per se. Past releases like "Wild" and "Glue" had a signature 9MUSES sound to them, and while this song is most like "Dolls," the chorus is not nearly as powerful and the rapping is too segmented to be very effective.

Slightly contradictory comments everywhere in this paragraph. Bland chorus but pretty vocals, segmented structure but quite good. In present day I simply revere the older catalogue too much to have much appreciation for "Drama" like this.

[Review] IU - Celebrity

Well this is eerily similar to how last year started, as this early release from a female solo act is the most exciting thing I've heard so far. Granted, I definitely have not heard much but that's what star power does for ya. IU is coming back with an album and released "Celebrity" ahead of time. Will this song hold up at the end of the year, like Younha's "Winter Flower" before it?

[Review] Girl's Day - Something (Revisited)

Despite my best efforts, here is some writing about writing of an old song. I will soldier on this year and we'll see how far things go.

• So with that said, I’m going to go ahead and review the “Something” that didn’t have me cringing, although I was first concerned on how Girl’s Day and TVXQ would be releasing a lead track with the same title. I’m pretty sure Girl’s Day is the first group to have pieces reviewed for a third time, which is impressive given I only discovered them last year.

Girl's Day were one of the most hype girl group discoveries across my many years of Kpop, and so the instant infatuation led to multiple reviews. Also, I wonder about the other various occurrences of groups releasing a song with the same title.

[Review] 2NE1 - Can't Nobody (Throwback)

2NE1 in 2020? Yessir. For the nostalgic selection of a song I haven't reviewed I decided to journey back a decade ago to one of the earliest hits in my Kpop journey. How has 2NE1's legacy held up after a whopping ten years? Let's take a time machine and find out.

Well, even though this was only their second year in the business, 2NE1 had zero shame in announcing who they were and what they're all about. This was the type of brash, in-your-face type of music that this group would become renowned for, and for good reason. They are pretty good at being loud, crazy, and aggressive. The heavy autotune cements the "I don't give a fuck" attitude that CL even echoes later in her second verse.

[Review] 4minute - Hate (Revisited)

Man, the RNG really do be blessing me with revisits while also making me nostalgic and sad as hell. 4minute's "Hate" is up for the December rerun and that title accurately describes how I'm feeling about 2020. Should we be glad it's almost over, or terrified of what is to come? Anyway let's see how wrong (or right) I was about "Hate."

• This title track was spearheaded by the news that the girls would be working with Skrillex. Considering the success of "Crazy." perhaps they wanted to keep pursuing the heavy dance rhythm. 4minute have been stuck in obscurity for a long time prior to "Crazy," so maybe "Hate" can be another good start to putting this group on the rise.

Man, Skrillex is a name I haven't heard in a long time. Granted I listen to exactly zero dubstep so that isn't surprising in any way. Regardless, collabs like this were pretty rare so it was at least some form of cool news. Now I wouldn't have called 4minute "obscure," but they definitely weren't in the highest tier of girl groups prior to the release of "Crazy," and despite some bangers in "I My Me Mine" and "Volume Up," they were never consistent enough to reach the next echelon.

[Review] B.A.P - Hands Up (Throwback)

Guess I've been in a TS mood. Well that's not really true considering how little Kpop I've actually listened to over the last few months but whatever. TS Entertainment have run into the ground every group they've been in possession of. After just talking about the disappearance of Sonamoo, there's also B.A.P to talk about. Yongguk and Zelo left TS three months after this release, and then everyone else in the group followed suit. As far as I'm aware there has been no noise from then since. Maybe a few of them have released some individual material, but as we close in on three year mark for their hiatus, any reunion or comeback seems more and more unlikely. As such we'll take a look at "Hands Up," which was their final release as a group under TS.

[Review] Sonamoo - Friday Night (Revisited)

This will be an interesting revisit since the original review was a shortened version. I'm guessing I'll pick apart lines more minutely than other normal revisited pieces, which will potentially let me expand on stuff some more. To be fair the random number generator decided this was the song to go for so you can't call me lazy on this one.

• Sadly, this piece won't be published on a Friday night.
  

But this one will! Let's gooooo.

[Review] GFriend - Mago

Fuck Blogger. This shit is impossible. No I'm not over it. Yes I will whine and bitch and complain about it every time I need to link something. Which is every single post since the site update. Looking back at September, it was quite ambitious of me to say I'd write up three reviews per month when I don't even follow the Kpop world anymore. But hey I set a precedent and I will be damned if I don't follow it for at least the remainder of 2020. So here's some GFriend for ya.

GFriend have embraced the changing of the tides over the last year. Songs like "Crossroads" and "Apple" signified that these girls have been evolving and their newest release "Mago" falls into a similar pattern. There's a heavy disco influence which works well thanks to the driving instrumental which doesn't really let up at any point in the song (aside from the bridge). People are swooning over the chorus but I actually consider it the weakest point of the song. Yes, it's catchy but Yuju still sounds like she's reaching despite the filters. Also, "mago" apparently means magician or goddess or some other term but that still doesn't really make sense fitting into the lyrics where it does. The verses are way more interesting and SinB's "it is midnight" bridge is striking, too. But before y'all attack me on the chorus, it's good haha. I just don't think it's as good as everything else.

What's up with the very light eyebrows look that Eunha has going. First Hwasa and now her, I have to say that I'm not a fan. GFriend as a whole seem to be fans of elevating themselves into that mature image, and that comes with mixed results. Yuju, Sowon, and SinB are stunning while I think the baby faces of Yerin and Umji can't quite match up. Of course it doesn't help that they were heavily marketed in their early days as the new era Apink. But regardless the aesthetics are very strong in "Mago."

As a potato it's hard to be captivated by choreography unless it's completely insane, which isn't the case here. Much like the writing about music videos, I can only see this dwindling over time and overall be a miniscule factor in whether I think the song is good or not. Both are more complimentary pieces at the end of the day. I'm not listening to the choreography, nor am I invested in watching videos. I did find it hilarious when Sowon did the kick at the final chorus, that shit almost hit me through the screen.

Given my lackluster interest and exposure to Kpop this year, any songs up for review immediately have more weight to them when considering the Best Of 2020 piece set for next month. As it stands, "Mago" has been a very complete release with consistent audio, gorgeous visuals, and a comfortable next step for a group that has come very far since their debut days. If you looked at "Glass Bead" and then this track, you'd think they weren't the same group. They've essentially gone through the Apink maturation arc in a much faster sequence. Props to them.

[Review] Block B - Jackpot (Revisited)

It has become so difficult to attach videos in this new Blogger, I fucking hate it. I don't understand why this shit has to be so damn difficult. Everything keeps shifting around whenever I try to add a video, or the alignment gets all fucked up ughhh. Anyway, just in time for the spooky holiday is a revisit of an old Block B classic. "Jackpot" has plenty of Halloween imagery from the masks to the carnival, and general creepiness of their actions in the music video. What did I think of it then, versus now?

• If there was ever a song without Taeil as the main leading vocal, I’d be surprised to see (or hear) it. Taeil’s vocal prowess is present in the chorus, which I believe is the highlight of the song, with the high energy, general sassy and fun vibe.

Block B would of course go on to have a variety of songs that mix things up regarding the chorus, but 2014 me didn't have the benefit of future sight. But what I was correct about was the absolutely powerful chorus that drives the entirety of "Jackpot." It's fun and energetic, and makes it almost disappointing when followed up on by the lackluster "lalala" chants.

[Review] CLC - Pepe (Throwback)

As is tradition, a lottery was ran to select the throwback review candidate and CLC takes home that honor for the month of October. They debuted with "Pepe" a little over five and a half years ago, which is kinda crazy to think about. For one they've been relatively underrated for most of their career, but part of that is in no small part thanks to Cube's management of this group. But for now let's take it back to a simpler time and see what CLC brought to the table.

[Review] Weki Meki - Cool

As the temperature starts to lower, my despair once again rises. Seriously though this new Blogger is awful and I don't know when I'll get used to it. This is Weki Meki's third appearance in song reviews. Outside of Doyeon, they have yet to wow me in any specific trait or category - and even then, Doyeon stands out due to her looks and not anything related to their music. Now I'm not saying they're bad, just pedestrian and not outstanding. Perhaps "Cool" can live up to its name and buck the trend.

[Review] EXID - Hot Pink (Revisited)

Doing a revisited piece for a disbanded group is like sadness and nostalgia rolled up into a burrito. Even though EXID technically are not defunct, in terms of mainstream media they pretty much are. Anyway, if not for the linked video I'd have forgotten this song existed. In 2020, I don't think it holds up well. Let's see how right my prediction is.

• For starters, "Hot Pink" has deviated itself far from the "Up & Down" formula that gave EXID their chance at glory. The only instance of similarity was at 1:12 right before Solji's part. You could probably insert the latter half of the "Up & Down" chorus from there and that'd be a seamless transition but outside of that the comparisons are lacking. This is good, since we want EXID to find success on their own without the need to piggyback of their "ultimate" song.

Yeah as far as "Up & Down" goes, EXID and their various producers milked that shit for everything possible when it came to future comebacks. In some cases it worked out quite nicely ("Ah Yeah") and in others, not as much ("Hot Pink"). It's different from a group like Dreamcatcher because at least DC has much more variation in song structure and style while staying within their signature sound.

[Review] JJCC - Where You At (Throwback)

Apparently JJCC are still active. I remember reviewing their debut track "At First" and then they quickly dropped off my radar. But seems like they had some roster changes in 2015 and have kept kicking it from then. "Where You At" is one such release under the new regime - and during their most active year. Don't count on me mentioning members by name because of the aforementioned lack of attention.

[Review] Rainbow - To Me (Throwback)

Oh man, remember Rainbow? Those were good times when all these girls groups I followed actually existed. This will only be the third time I've reviewed one of their songs, as my blog started after their glory days of "A" and "Mach," with this track coming directly after. I kinda forgot this song existed but stumbled upon it almost by chance when digging around for some old-school hits. Let's see where "To Me" stands in Rainbow's library.

Getting the MV discussion out of the way immediately: it's bland. Stereotypically bland. My interest in the world of music videos was highest during this era and I still think I'd have been bored. The girls look great and always have been: Rainbow were consistently a top tier visual threat from head to toe, from leader to maknae. Jaekyung's beauty is eternal and she'll always be my favorite.

[Review] CLC - Helicopter

CLC are back after a year of dormancy. Given the trip 2020 has been, it feels like even longer. Regardless, they desperately needed this comeback. Their 2019 trilogy was pretty solid and they have lost a lot of momentum with the long break. "Helicopter" could very well be their last chance since Cube appears to be paying more attention to the rest of their roster. As an aside, every time I hear the word "helicopter" I'm reminded of this fantastic clip of f(x)'s Luna and Amber. Y'all remember when they were in a group and released music and shit?

Gonna try something new and talk about the choreography first! While this is not the most difficult or intriguing CLC dance, it is definitely one of their most unique. They utilize many formations and change things up constantly between the number of members and backup dancers on stage at any given time. It's quite refreshing and is the main selling point of this performance. CLC swinging their arms around like a helicopter and giving the pilot salute are both hilarious and powerful. So again while this ain't their best dance, it's very memorable.

[Review] FIESTAR - Mirror (Revisited)

Not gonna lie I get excited when working on a review revisit. That's because the suspense of using random.org to pick the song gets the adrenaline pumping through my husk of a body. Anyway FIESTAR won the sweepstakes for September's revisited with their track "Mirror," which was their second to last comeback before disbandment. Surprisingly, this was their second worst peak placing on the Gaon Digital Chart, while the album tied for their career best on the weekly album chart. Anyway let's see what kind of glasses we see through "Mirror" now that four years have passed.

• I'm not sure if this is just me, but the instrumental slaps you across the face with similar key notes to "You're Pitiful." While not as delicate, they are used more aggressively but eventually after enough listens I can't really hear the comparisons anymore. Anyway "Mirror" is very much the daughter of "You're Pitiful." From the sombre overtones, soft singing, and the visual styles of the MV, definitely pays homage to FIESTAR's best song to date.

Too true! While the tempo of the instrumental is much slower, no one can deny that "Mirror" is the clear successor of "You're Pitiful," and I think the distinction is important. A successor takes the motifs and expands on it, whereas a clone is just the same concepts with very minimal changes. Also I misspelled "somber" ha!

[Review] Black Pink & Selena Gomez - Ice Cream

It's bad. The end. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[Review] Dreamcatcher - Boca

I completely butchered the last Girl Group Power Rankings by leaving out Dreamcatcher. Whoops...Gonna have to go back and do some revising. Given that I have really enjoyed their music, I'm quite ashamed of their complete exclusion from the list. There's no way it should have happened but I screwed up during the process. Also I had this draft nearly done for a Thursday release but then I lost Internet for the entire fucking day. Classic! Dreamcatcher are without Handong for this comeback, so let's see how "Boca" holds up with the six active members.

[Review] SuperM - 100

Suppose it's time for another boy group review. It's been almost half a year since the last real one - not including revisits or throwbacks in that count. SuperM have been pretty active as far as promoting like the special group that they are, so that's cool that this isn't just a one time thing. Whether the song will live up to their hype though is another story.