[Review] Secret - Poison

Vocals: 9 / 10

Secret is one of those (girl) groups that have always been decent in terms of vocals but happen to house a power vocalist so impressive it just strengthens them by so much. In this case, it’s obviously Ji Eun carrying the others on her back. Sunhwa and Hyosung (Zinger?) are by no means poor singers and they fit the verse sections quite well, both girls have soft voices which are out of place in the loud and emphatic choruses. Thankfully, Ji Eun saves the day, and completely dominates the last 45 seconds of the song with expressive belts ranging from low and powerful to high and shrill / emotional. Ji Eun’s vocals match this song so perfectly that I have to rate the vocals a 9, instead of a 5 if not for her presence and excellent performance.

Appearance: 9 / 10

Wow, they have undergone a complete 180 turnaround from the last time we saw them! The cutesy, aegyo, and pretty Secret have gone, and in place are four extremely beautiful women. Secret is a group which isn’t too skinny to the level where it can freak people out (thank you, Hyosung). This music video gives the girls the flashy old-school appearance and each of them look great. Hyosung and Sunhwa are their usual selves, with the side note that there aren’t enough eye smiles from Sunhwa (understandable, due to this song’s more serious nature) and Hyosung looks like Gain with her short cut. Ji Eun stands out a little odd, the hairstyle not really complimenting her face very well, she was much more flattering with her hair dropped and / or in bangs. I honestly think Zinger is the highlight here though, with the long hair and streaks looks, give amazing compliment to match the fierce raps. The outfits for the plot MV were very nice and flashy.

Dance: 8 / 10

<This information has been removed by the Korean Commission Of Youth Protection> Yeah, have you seen live performances of this song yet? You don’t really see any shots of anything lower than the waist. Now to my knowledge, the original choreography has not been altered, but definitely focusing cameras up there to avoid…yeah. The risqué movements / touching are definitely pushing it and the camerawork of the music video certainly didn’t help. KARA and Sistar have signature butt choreographies but this blows those out of the water. It’s honestly uncomfortable to talk about the dance. Let me put it this way, if Secret wore long pants for the dance, I’d still find the dance too provocative.

Rap: 8 / 10

Zinger shows a fair amount of presence in this video, much more so than “Love Is Move.” Also contrary to “Love Is Move”, Zinger brings a fierce and powerful set of raps, which is her specialty, compared to the cutesy rhymes of the group’s previous release. While I absolutely love and enjoy seeing more variety in Secret’s songs: where Zinger gets some more of the spotlight than what is considered “the usual” (for a rapper, anyway), a problem I have with the rap is that none of the segments really have a solid conclusion to them. Sure, Zinger comes in, spits some sick lyrics but then it just kinda abruptly ends and goes right into singing. If anything, the powerful “What” at the end of her final segment is…really awkward sounding. Oh well, some solid rapping and powerful charisma nonetheless.

Music Video: 8 / 10

Perhaps this is the first review I’ve done where the music video has some sort of noticeable plot to it. That said, I’d like to just ignore the other half of the video, you know, the stereotypical sets and attractive outfits / design, the dancing with backups in various rooms, the cars, the lights, all that. Hyosung’s bout with the detective(?) is traced through the girls’ work at locating / infiltrating a safe, and use cheeky predictable methods to do so, but they seem to stand around awkwardly when they actually reach their destination and get ambushed (poor Sunhwa). Hyosung shows up to rescue everyone with some rather hesitant shooting (did you see how long it took for her to shoot the second guy?) and they all grab the goodies and peace. A little bit confusing and open if you ask me. Perhaps I wasn’t paying too much attention to the Hyosung / detective parts, but that’s not a good thing for me to say regarding a music video. In the end though, the fact that this isn’t a boring as hell room video is good enough for me.

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Overall: 84 / 100

“Saranghae move move, saranghae move move~” Oh wait. Wrong song. That’s how I feel about “Poison”. It’s a great song, but it’s not particularly memorable, save for maybe drooling over Hyosung, unlike “Madonna” or “Love Is Move”. Additionally, the song is much too repetitive which really turns me off. I’ll find myself often starting the song and just skipping to the end to hear Ji Eun’s glorious vocals.

[Review] G-Dragon - One Of A Kind

Vocals: 7 / 10

This song is more heavily centered on the rapping and sing rapping than singing, but there are bits and pieces throughout playing around with GD’s vocals, and they’re decent enough. G-Dragon in my opinion has never had that good of a voice, but he makes use of it with help from the autotune. The various vocals towards the end of the song are more random shouts and noises than anything, so it doesn’t require too much vocal talent to do that.  It feels like I’m having unfair balance again, where I’m rating GD’s singing the same amount as say the rapping or the music video, but it helps me write the overall reviews so I’ll take it.

Appearance: 8 / 10

G-Dragon is back with the blonde and boy is it more bizarre than ever. G-Dragon’s hairstyles typically speak for themselves, so there’s no need for me to comment on anything regarding that and honestly aside from that, there really isn’t much more to talk about. The crazy appearances and outfits are pretty much a staple of GD’s (and to some extent even Big Bang now) that I’m sure most people weren’t really shocked by anything they saw. Did you see all those cute little kids and punk-looking thugs though? Quite the contrast in a single video.

Dance: 9 / 10

This dance is pretty neat. The fluidity (especially when the backup dancers have their backs turned and all have the dragon on their sweaters) and just the style matches the song quite nicely. I feel like the purpose of  the song could have been reflected more heavily on the style of choreography, to emphasize it being “one of a kind.” Doing so would require less of the common hilarity in the music video to be exchanged for more dance scenes / sequences, something I wouldn’t mind in future G-Dragon videos. But then again, if that was so it wouldn’t really be a true G-Dragon video then, would it?

Rap: 10 / 10

If I were to rank Korea’s top five rappers, G-Dragon would easily be in the top three if not top two. With nearly every release, he continues to showcase his dominance and talent. This song in particular is a little weird since it’s got a slow intro that suddenly picks up into a blitz. G-Dragon’s rapping voice for the most part is low which is good (in contrast to his singing voice). I’m kinda surprised I can’t really think of much more to write about the rap, it’s solid and pretty easy to listen to, if you can keep up with him, that is.

Music Video: 9 / 10

This music video is everything you’d expect a G-Dragon video to have and a little more. From the wacky hairstyles, to the pseudo-creepy backup dancers (both male and female), to the animals, to the strange sets, to the graphic hats, this is definitely one damn good music video. Unlike with 2NE1’s “Can’t Nobody” and the random dog, GD actually has a bear when he’s talking about it and the tiger matches with the fancy stripes GD sports. The children’s cameos throughout the video are also a cute addition, especially in the beginning where they’re talking to teach other through the cup phone. G-Dragon also reveals to us that he’s probably as athletically capable as a brick, since he gets destroyed in boxing and made me laugh seeing his tennis form. Taeyang’s appearance is…strange though. Taeyang doesn’t have any lines and is just there to kinda loaf around (he doesn’t even do any of the choreography) and lipsync G-Dragon’s lines, it’s actually quite confusing to me why he’s there. If anything, include the rest of Big Bang, not just your childhood buddy. Also, the Barbie section is hands down the best and funniest part of the music video.

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Overall: 86 / 100

“Yessir, I’m one of a kind.” Indeed you are, GD. Once again, you’re setting yourself apart from every other rapper and every other male singer out there in Korea with a nice beat, smooth lyrics, and a quality music video. But next time, leave Taeyang at home, okay?

[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.

[Review] Super Junior - Sexy, Free, & Single

Vocals: 7 / 10

Continuing on with the usual expectations from Super Junior’s vocals, the song is clearly dominated by Kyuhyun and Yesung. Ryeowook, who is usually also a standard in the Super Junior lineup, seems to have taken a more supportive role, only getting one main line and a few short belts in addition while Donghae seems to have stepped up via utility voice. This song sounds better with lower voices, favouring Kyuhyun, Eunhyuk, and Yesung (and Donghae’s first line), so Sungmin, Kangin, and Ryeowook seemed out of place. Siwon, Shindong, and Leeteuk received like three second lines, something I find strange since the previous releases have been a little more balanced in terms of line distribution (especially selections from the 5th album). As far as the English in the song goes, Yesung and Donghae received a majority of the English, and both of them are…well, to put it simply, pretty bad at English. Actually, all of Super Junior are pretty terrible at English…speaking of which, I think I speak for everyone in that “Sexy, free, and single I’m ready too, bingo” is probably the most pathetic line ever. They could’ve at least paused for half a second to create the space needed between “too” and “bingo” but no. And even if they did, it’d still be a terrible line. I’ll just pretend the line is “Sexy, free, and single I’m ready to mingle.”

Appearance: 8 / 10

Has Super Junior ever disappointed in looks? Not really. Has there always been one awkward man out? Pretty much. Lately, it seems Donghae and Eunhyuk are getting more and more of the spotlight while Siwon gets less and less (is this because of Siwon’s various acting roles? I pray he is not the next Kibum). That said, even with Donghae and Eunhyuk getting more screentime, the others are still minimal compared to them, especially poor Shindong. A mix of hair colours with that at least looked okay with the full group. The blondes in Sungmin, Leeteuk, and Shindong pull the look off better than Eunhyuk did, especially since two of the three have been blonde before. However, it seems once Super Junior departed from the days of “Sorry Sorry”, “Bonamana”, and “Mr. Simple”, their outfits have deteriorated quite heavily. Just look at Siwon, Kyuhyun, and Leeteuk if you really want to see.

Dance: 9 / 10

This dance is upbeat, synchronized, and catchy, nothing new in terms of Super Junior choreography for the past couple of years. Continuing off the success of past releases, there’s a visually appealing fluid dance style. There really isn’t too much to say except for how hilarious the dance is during “Sexy sexy sexy.” Highlight: Eunhyuk’s dance segment was amazing. The sliding and all that while the rest of the members stood solemnly behind him was very classy, so much so that during this clip from the music video teaser, I thought it was a rap / dance bridge segment and not a line from the verse. The clapping and snapping in tune with the instrumental was also neatly coordinated. All in all, impressive work per usual.

Music Video: 5 / 10

I am being really lenient on SM here with this score. EXO had interesting enough sets with dust particles flying around with their “Oh~ Oh~” and f(x) had uniquely coloured sets to match the style of “Electric Shock”. But Super Junior literally has a white room with a black section running across. Are you ****ting me?! This is Super Junior, one of the veterans of the Korean music industry and they get something like this? The other sets aren’t exactly revolutionary either, to be honest. But, then again, this is Super Junior, who seem to have made their new home in these fancy sets for the past three years. The saving grace for this music video is the complimentary if not controversial (Leeteuk) costumes. Other than that, it’s merely another stereotypical (and this bears negative meaning here) music video from SM. “Let your artists out of empty rooms for crying out loud.” Or, at the very least, show the members doing something interesting circa “No Other,” like picking up girls or something, any action is better than none at all.

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Overall: 72 / 100

The question with Super Junior and “Sexy, Free, & Single” isn’t whether or not the release is in the right direction, it’s where they will go from here. The 6th studio album is one with the absence of Heechul, the return of Kangin, and signifies Leeteuk’s enlistment to military service. Having already managed the departures of Han Geng and Kibum, how will the group approach the future? Maybe Kibum will come back? With repackaged release in “Spy” showing some more of retro Super Junior, stuff may be looking up.

[Review] 2NE1 - I Love You

Vocals: 10 / 10

There is a lot going on in this song in terms of vocals. Singing, repetition, rapping singing mixture, rhythm changes, etc. You’d think this mixture would result in a rushed-sounding song but 2NE1 does a really nice job of creating flow between the verses, bridge, and chorus. Besides, it’s hard to go wrong when you have one of the best utility voices in Korea (Dara) who is also a master of the rapping singing mix, second to Big Bang’s G-Dragon. Park Bom’s extremely unique voice continues to shine but I’d like to see more variation in her lines in the future. Minzy and CL are pretty much perfect throughout the whole song, no complaints. I do have problems with the static “Hey” and other assorted noises in the background throughout the song, but it’s not enough to keep me from giving 2NE1 a perfect score for their singing.

Appearance: 9 / 10

Almost no letdowns here. Everyone is rocking the looks and rocking them extremely well. CL has been blonde for such a long time running now that my memory struggles to remember what she looked like before going blonde. I have this conflict of opinions in which I cannot decide whether Bom is just really pretty or that her doll-like face is almost scary. Minzy’s various colours worked nicely (even purple). Dara is the star of the show, shaving half your head has never looked so good, and pink is easily her colour. The hairstyle at the rap / end of the video was also amazing. The one disappointment? Minzy’s Egyptian throwback hairstyle. There are some girls who can pull off that sort of short hair style where their forehead is covered, but Minzy is not one of them.

Dance: 8 / 10

For the short dance to go along with the rap at the end, 2NE1 does a good job. It’s a very frantic, upbeat, and hair-flipping choreography that matches well with the hype and loud / muffled rapping. Rather than merely highlighting Minzy, there is a lot of individual movement but nice group presentation altogether. The idea of using shadows was a little strange since the buildup consisted of lights turning on…

Rap: 8 / 10

Whereas the previous slower ballads of “Lonely” and “Ugly” did not have a rap, this similar styled song, “I Love You” does, and is a welcome addition to the song. This is what I love about YG! They know CL is such a powerful rapper and singer so they find ways to incorporate both into their music. It appears at the rising crescendo at the end, is short, sweet, and to the point. The rap is a little repetitive though, in contrast to the mixture of explosive vocals, and for the majority of it being in English, the last Korean line is just a reword, kinda weird. Dara (another excellent rapper) also provides some background rap during Bom’s vocal version.

Music Video: 8 / 10

This is a tame music video by 2NE1’s standards (think “Lonely”). No extremely bright lights, ridiculous sets or crazy costumes (for the most part). While the members are very frequently in various locations and sets throughout the music video, there is some flow: from the bedroom to the hallways, into the car out onto the streets, inside another building, etc. which smoothens out the quick transitions. Additionally, the sleet-like weather appearing at the beginning of the first chorus is consistent and seems to increase in severity throughout the rest of the music video, something often overlooked in others (Big Bang’s “Bad Boy”). There are some issues though. Awkward lipsyncing is seen (most evident in Minzy and Bom), which is a rare occurrence for 2NE1. Soft singing isn’t necessarily characterized by minimal lip movement but there are times where the lips don’t match the words at all. There are shots of members while they’re clearly singing in the song but they’re not in the music video, which is bizarre in my opinion. Also, did anyone else find the segments where CL and Minzy are dancing by themselves awkward? Minzy’s set I can understand to some extent since she is by herself but CL is doing a suggestive dance…to an empty chair. EXO’s Kai danced with a invisible person in a teaser, and now it seems he was sitting in the chair in front of CL. Stuff will get really suspicious if CL starts playing invisible instruments.

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Overall: 86 / 100

Honestly, I love this song. I feel the score reflects too lowly on the overall song but perhaps that’s just because the rap and dance are very short and shouldn’t be weighed as heavily as the vocals, appearance, and music video (a removal of said sections would result in a 27 / 30 score). Dara is unmistakably the highlight of this song and proves it. All in all it’s another standout song from 2NE1 to add to their collection. “I said yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah~”