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koganbotNot counting the rap break, there are four basic parts:
--Hook of electro robocandy. Emerging from the static and fuzz of the dancers as they awaken their electronic legs, this hook is the great musical moment of the year. Thoroughly catchy, as if to announce "We're here, we're alive again. Take that! We just knock 'em out and knock 'em down." Of course, I'm sure it was recorded pre-controversy, no statement in mind.
--Verse. Instead of following with more electrocandy, the singing is light, r&b-ish, popping along with the beats at the start, switching into nondescript, creamy sighs in the verse's second half, as if to move us into more "grown-up" Miss A or BEG territory.
--Chorus. Meets the challenge of the previous two parts, bouncy and creamy at once, a bit of a pang as the melody reaches up and makes its point, but not overstrenuous. So, very nice, typically T-ara in that it waves its hand rather than screaming in drama. A low-key seduction rather than the irresistibility that the opening hook had promised. But I was wanting irresistibility!
--2nd Half Of Chorus? Rising in an Asian melody, keening and assertive, though still light. This part is good in itself but it seems tacked-on, breaks the previous warm mood. I can see how it's a transition back to the catchiness of the hook, but I don't think a transition was needed. Or anyway, I don't see that this is the needed transition.
The break is strange, the rap vocals treated, fuzzed-up. Fits the concept "heavily electronic" but seems extraneous to the rest of the music (as opposed to every other T-ara rap ever, which always, no matter what, felt generated by the rest, even when it was there to up-end the rest). Also, at least in the vid, it's newcomer Areum on the rap. Nice to give her the spotlight, but really, this should be Eunjung's spot. She's the most forceful and talented vocalist in the group, rap or singing; and they've got to stop fucking around and give her the mic time</editorial comment>.
T-ara's previous four Shinsadong Tiger/Choi Kyu-Sung tracks — "Bo Peep Bo Peep," "I'm Really Hurt," "Roly-Poly," and "Lovey-Dovey" — all melded their parts organically, even when throwing various extremes at us (nattering bo peeps, spectral oo's). This one dissipates its feelings. I still may like it as much or more than "Roly-Poly," the hook being so strong and the chorus so dreamy-eyed, enough to carry it. And as you hear something a lot, its parts come to seem inevitable rather than stitched-together. The rap and the chorus addendum will seem normal. But they'll still weaken the track. And if they'd been dropped altogether and the hook had played on for several extra bars, everything would have been ducky.
To keep the rhyme theme going, I'd have called this "Sexy-Hexy" — also as a bit of chutzpah, in the face of Internet creeps calling Jiyeon a bitch.
I'd give it an 8.0 right now (which is an A-MINUS), where "Lovey-Dovey" is a 9.5 (A-PLUS). Note that I originally gave "Lovey-Dovey" a 7.0, and that Shinsadong Tiger tracks often take time to absorb. From the teaser I was expecting instant dominance and ecstasy.
We'll see.
I predict that with streams and sales this'll break fast from the gate, many onlookers curious and the fans there en masse. And if T-ara promote it on the live shows it'll have (and deserve) a decent run. I'd like them onstage, week-in and -out, with courage and persistence, which I'm sure they've got, the work-ethic type of courage.
I have a critique of the T-ara six (Areum not yet in the mix) for not showing courage and audacity when it was desperately needed; I assume they just didn't know what to do, had no models. I hadn't known the dance vid was due today; I expected another 30 hours to reflect and ruminate on T-ara's painful summer.
Yet more ideas topple into the category Further T-ara Posts To Come.
As for the dance, this takes me far from my expertise: But the robot concept is canny in that it gives the women an opportunity not to smile. I hope they stick with that on TV. Commenters are already carping that dolls coming to life rips off SNSD's "Gee," in which mannequins come to life. And sure, the concept here is similar while the dance has no story to match the SNSD mannequins on a girly lark. But for one thing, in "Gee," Girls' Generation really do act alive, while in "Sexy Love" the point is that the dancers have trouble breaking free from robotics. And, with T-ara facing outer disparagement and inner tension, this is appropriate: ripping through plastic covers, dancing in front of barren packages, surrounded by pale olive and gray, seven dancers gamely carrying on, occasional glimpses of cheer edited in.
P.S. New Exid single (arranged and produced by Shinsadong Tiger, written by Rado and Jun Gun) not totally clicking for me, despite strong melody. I'll discuss in comments, if I get the chance.
--Hook of electro robocandy. Emerging from the static and fuzz of the dancers as they awaken their electronic legs, this hook is the great musical moment of the year. Thoroughly catchy, as if to announce "We're here, we're alive again. Take that! We just knock 'em out and knock 'em down." Of course, I'm sure it was recorded pre-controversy, no statement in mind.
--Verse. Instead of following with more electrocandy, the singing is light, r&b-ish, popping along with the beats at the start, switching into nondescript, creamy sighs in the verse's second half, as if to move us into more "grown-up" Miss A or BEG territory.
--Chorus. Meets the challenge of the previous two parts, bouncy and creamy at once, a bit of a pang as the melody reaches up and makes its point, but not overstrenuous. So, very nice, typically T-ara in that it waves its hand rather than screaming in drama. A low-key seduction rather than the irresistibility that the opening hook had promised. But I was wanting irresistibility!
--2nd Half Of Chorus? Rising in an Asian melody, keening and assertive, though still light. This part is good in itself but it seems tacked-on, breaks the previous warm mood. I can see how it's a transition back to the catchiness of the hook, but I don't think a transition was needed. Or anyway, I don't see that this is the needed transition.
The break is strange, the rap vocals treated, fuzzed-up. Fits the concept "heavily electronic" but seems extraneous to the rest of the music (as opposed to every other T-ara rap ever, which always, no matter what, felt generated by the rest, even when it was there to up-end the rest). Also, at least in the vid, it's newcomer Areum on the rap. Nice to give her the spotlight, but really, this should be Eunjung's spot. She's the most forceful and talented vocalist in the group, rap or singing; and they've got to stop fucking around and give her the mic time</editorial comment>.
T-ara's previous four Shinsadong Tiger/Choi Kyu-Sung tracks — "Bo Peep Bo Peep," "I'm Really Hurt," "Roly-Poly," and "Lovey-Dovey" — all melded their parts organically, even when throwing various extremes at us (nattering bo peeps, spectral oo's). This one dissipates its feelings. I still may like it as much or more than "Roly-Poly," the hook being so strong and the chorus so dreamy-eyed, enough to carry it. And as you hear something a lot, its parts come to seem inevitable rather than stitched-together. The rap and the chorus addendum will seem normal. But they'll still weaken the track. And if they'd been dropped altogether and the hook had played on for several extra bars, everything would have been ducky.
To keep the rhyme theme going, I'd have called this "Sexy-Hexy" — also as a bit of chutzpah, in the face of Internet creeps calling Jiyeon a bitch.
I'd give it an 8.0 right now (which is an A-MINUS), where "Lovey-Dovey" is a 9.5 (A-PLUS). Note that I originally gave "Lovey-Dovey" a 7.0, and that Shinsadong Tiger tracks often take time to absorb. From the teaser I was expecting instant dominance and ecstasy.
We'll see.
I predict that with streams and sales this'll break fast from the gate, many onlookers curious and the fans there en masse. And if T-ara promote it on the live shows it'll have (and deserve) a decent run. I'd like them onstage, week-in and -out, with courage and persistence, which I'm sure they've got, the work-ethic type of courage.
I have a critique of the T-ara six (Areum not yet in the mix) for not showing courage and audacity when it was desperately needed; I assume they just didn't know what to do, had no models. I hadn't known the dance vid was due today; I expected another 30 hours to reflect and ruminate on T-ara's painful summer.
Yet more ideas topple into the category Further T-ara Posts To Come.
As for the dance, this takes me far from my expertise: But the robot concept is canny in that it gives the women an opportunity not to smile. I hope they stick with that on TV. Commenters are already carping that dolls coming to life rips off SNSD's "Gee," in which mannequins come to life. And sure, the concept here is similar while the dance has no story to match the SNSD mannequins on a girly lark. But for one thing, in "Gee," Girls' Generation really do act alive, while in "Sexy Love" the point is that the dancers have trouble breaking free from robotics. And, with T-ara facing outer disparagement and inner tension, this is appropriate: ripping through plastic covers, dancing in front of barren packages, surrounded by pale olive and gray, seven dancers gamely carrying on, occasional glimpses of cheer edited in.
P.S. New Exid single (arranged and produced by Shinsadong Tiger, written by Rado and Jun Gun) not totally clicking for me, despite strong melody. I'll discuss in comments, if I get the chance.
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no subject
Date: 2012-09-03 12:17 pm (UTC)In regard to the song, I really can't feel almost anything. I hate the Italodisco intro, cut&paste from the Nineties, and the "sexy [something]" chorus could be from a hundred eastern european dance songs, only less sultry or aggressive. Seems like european dance music is the current trend in K-Pop, after Wonder Girls/Akon and Evol. At least "We are a bit different" really works when you pump up the volume.
The video reminds me of the low cost MVs from early/middle Eighties, with some colorful disco lights, the platform in the sky, the robotic choreo and some weird outfits. How all this relates to "sexy love" is still a mistery to me, as well as for the connection between "Day by day"/"Sexy love" songs and their respective drama video. At least for these last two I can think that they wanted to shoot those video, regardless to the songs.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but from a aesthetic point of view, this time only Ahreum manages to endure all the outfit changes, maybe because at least she avoids the infamous micro hats.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-05 12:16 am (UTC)http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL39709DA0DA18161E&feature=mh_lolz
It's kind of a return to the Kpop of three years ago, with a video that starts like "Gee" (or "like Money" actually) and this kind of Jpop-ish production (back when Kpop was buying songs from European producers because they were focused on expanding into Japan - where, Sabina said, all the italodisco producers disappeared to).
Anyway it sounds like Jpop to me. Kpop groups adapt their sound for the Japanese market, go over there, and then neglect to switch back to their original styles after they return to Korea?
no subject
Date: 2012-09-05 12:24 am (UTC)