I just posted this on tumblr, but I decided it included enough content to warrant its own post....
OK, i've decided these are the new nicknames for everyone in Beast.
"Check Head" & "Breast Porket" still being my dreamy favourite mega babes, closely followed by "Shield" (although after yesterdays injury photograph, he's almost been promoted to #1) and then "Skull Flag" always has that special place in my heart, a special place for special people.
"Words" needs to get back on the bus already, no thanks.
Its a pity Gikwang wasn't included, lets just continue to call him "American Pelvic" but i'm sorry he can wait just outside the bus, he still doesn't do it for me.
I am here to introduce to you another wonderful post by the resident oppa here at Nunas Know Best. Rather embarrassingly it seems oppa has already caught up with our current slacking bi-monthly blog posting and is putting us to shame with his in depth articles and dedication to the K-pop cause. Rest assured, Jessica & I will be back with a vengence but first we both just have the small matter of relocating to Tokyo next month to deal with... anyway enough about us, more about oppa!
This time he is casting his discerning senses over some more girl group releases from the past few months, he even sneaks in some J-pop at the very end, but as it is some J-pop I most wholeheartedly endorse, I'm letting it slide.
Also i'd like to point out that Nunas Know Best do not necessarily agree with the views and opinions of Oppa Knows Best, more specifically - I personally cannot abide by having T-ara lumped in the "not so good" category and being surpassed by lesser mortals such as Chi-Chi, KARA and Girls Day ... but maybe that's just me.
In true k-pop entertainment style, I ask you to please give him a moment of your time...
Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to sit down and listen to some KPOP due to work and life getting in the way. However, I recently managed to find the time to ignore real life for a while and assess quite a few new tracks that have been released in the last couple of months. As with most non-mainstream genres of music, it takes a keen ear to discern between the subtleties of good songs and bad songs, and while I am not claiming to be an expert on KPOP, I know what I like and what I don’t, and enjoy writing about them both.
So lets start by getting the not-so-great songs out of the way.
Davichi – Don’t Say Goodbye
This song sounds like every melody has been taken from a different 80’s pop ballad, stitched together to resemble some kind of non-ironic motivational ballad aimed at the overly sentimental. However rubbish I may find the song, they do seem like lovely girls. I found this fan blog http://sinyanmei92.blogspot.com who has screen grabbed every different facial expression that they make during one of their performances. Here are my favourites:
She looks like she is going to cry!!!
One of the girls, Kang Min Kyung (aka Minkie) has her own blog, and it looks like she came to the UK recently. Here is a picture of her feeding some geese in York:
I really, really, really hate this type of cheesy poppy-rock song, but it’s not often you see KPOP guitarists rocking out with a flying-V guitar.
Brave Girls - Why so often?
This song has numerous problems. First off, starting the song with a random rapper non-ironically trying to gangster it up and introducing the band is a very bad idea. The song itself is a weird calypso-summer-beach-pop song that has way too much saxophone. There are also too many stupid calypso drum fills all the way through, which are just awful and really shouldn’t be used in any music made after 1982. They should have stuck with doing stuff like this song,
I much prefer them when they’re strutting about in clubs and partying. Get off the beach and into the club!!!
I liked this song when I first heard it, but listening back to it again I find it a bit too boring to really enjoy. The beat just pumps all the way through the song, dragging everything along in a quite predictable way. There aren’t enough breaks or fills or crazy vocal breakdowns, it doesn’t really have enough that jumps out at me.
T-ara - Roly Poly
I just read somewhere that this is the highest grossing KPOP song of 2011 so far, which is worrying as I really don’t think it is that great. It starts off ok with an intro and verse that is quite interesting, setting it apart from other songs which just sound like generic R+B or dance songs. Stealing the “ha-ha-ha-ha” part from the Beegee’s is pretty cool, but I always found that song annoying as well. The main thing I don’t like about this song is the chorus, which is in quite a different style to the verse, which makes the transition feel a bit out of place. Plus, there is a “rap” part near the end which is just completely pointless. So, basically I think this song has too many different musical styles battling each other, and the result is that the song isn’t very cohesive. What do you think? I am wrong to be hating the most popular song of the year?
Now that we have the slightly rubbish songs out of the way, lets get onto the good stuff!
So apparently these two girls are a sub-unit from a band called The Grace, who released a few rubbish ballads back in 05/06. Not sure what the rest of the band are up to, nor if The Grace are planning a comeback, but if this song is any indication, they have the potential to be awesome. The song starts off slowly with some catchy riffs which complement the vocal melodies really well. It builds up really well with them showing off their vocals gradually throughout the song, and it doesn’t have any annoying interludes which take you out of the rhythm of the song. This might be a future favourite of mine, keep up the good work!!!
Dal Shabat - Bling Bling
I didn’t like the last song of theirs that I heard, it just sounded really childish and annoying. I quite like this song even though parts of it remind me of Repulica’s “Ready To Go”, which is normally the sort of poppy-rock stuff that I really, really hate. Another bit reminds me of the intro theme tune to a Ghost In The Shell series as well. Apparently stealing melodies from other songs and mashing them together works, because this song is awesome. Does anyone else want to go to a Bling Bling Disco?
I only heard this song recently, but I think it’s pretty good. It’s pretty pumping and the chorus is really catchy, although it does teeter on the edge of sounding something like Shakira or someone like that. It also has a weird breakdown where it sounds like its going to break down into some kind of ballad, but it seems like they did it to trick you before going back into a chorus. Overall, good song, but lacking some dynamics between verse chorus which would have made it slightly better.
WINNER!
Girls Day – Don’t Let You’re Eyes Wander
Yes it’s true, the amazing girls of Girls Day have once again made one of the best (in my opinion) songs of the moment. This isn’t a cheesy ballad, neither is it cobbled together from lots of disparate types of genres, this is what Girls Day do best, making awesome, positive attitude dance classics. The best this about them is that they sound like they are having so much fun singing it (although they probably had to train for 12 hours a day prior to the songs release, but they still emerge smiling). I don’ t want to analyse the song too much as it would take the fun out of listening to it, so just sit back and bask in its awesomeness.
P.S.
Is it wrong of me to really like this JPOP singer? I came across きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ(or Kyary Pamyu Pamyu) a while ago, and I am slightly addicted to her songs. She has a really great vibe going on; her songs aren’t massive club anthems, nor are they unbearably cheesy pop songs, they just have loads of great melodies and really catchy vocals. The video for this song is also one of the trippiest things I have seen in a while.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy my commentary on various songs. If you disagree with me in anyway please let me know, and feel free to recommend any songs that I may have missed!
This isn't the Super Junior post that I promised (that had a few setbacks) but I had to rush this one through, priority delivery from U-KISS.
Oh U-KISS, as much as I did enjoy the "bran new kiss" and 0330 I am just so happy that you went back to what you're best at, and that is... ridiculous electro, auto tune, jarring soundbites, insane over production, lots of random english, terrible rapping (although it is getting better... maybe), repetitive dance choreography and dance moves that look like no one is quite sure how to do it right and lots and lots of guyliner.
Its a beautiful thing!!!!!
AND KISEOP ACTUALLY HAD LINES TO SING!!!
and we can tick off our checklist of k-pop video essentials with ease:
futuristic? - YES
post apocalyptic? - YES
silver/grey and all black/all white outfits? YES
some kind of smoke / steam / falling snow effect? YES
costumes with sparkling, fringe or embellishments? YES
2 tone hair on at least one member? YES
abandoned warehouse set fitted out in gleaming neon lights? YES
water floor dance? YES
at least one homoerotic moment? - YES
I am so pleased with you boys ♥♥♥♥♥♥
Lately kpop has been so busy trying to do something different but you have steered clear of the non summery summer songs and the western cloned club bangers and just went for that pure K-POP song structure insanity, like only U-KISS can.
They have done me proud. Considering they're still often the punchline of jokes (including my own) when you take a step back, its really a pretty impressive back catalog (don't forget Shut Up) seriously, every one was a winner to me, 0330 took some getting used to but it was fine for a change, they really havent disappointed once (aside from the whole member swapping thing... ) and this is perfect.
Lets celebrate with the ultimate U-KISS album intro... sing-a-long with me... Euuuurrrryyybody!!!
or try this close second for the return of the gun shots and overuse of the Brave Sound "ayyyy!" button.
Additional note!
I may have made a statement earlier today in an email to JJH that I was "over" Eli. Several repeat viewings have confirmed that of course that is not the case, but really he does need a fringe at all times. And I am thankful but amazed that Dongho's perfect hair remains undamaged for yet another promotion. (O_O)b
but do they have to always give him the lines like "and we'll stay forever young" *gulp*
UPDATE EDIT!
Eli has torn his knee ligament and won't be able to perform the comeback :(
This is some pretty bad luck considering he broke his hand at the start of the Shut Up promotions, and much as I really do appreciate an injured boy... (and I may or may not have a very creepy video stored somewhere of Eli with a sling... but lets move on)... I would have certainly preferred to see them all do this dance and not have to go with that awkward thing where you make someone sit in a chair at the side of the dancing looking like a total dweeb (sorry Minho, sorry Donghae..). They have apparently changed the choreography to avoid further injury to the other members : /
FURTHER UPDATE!
so, I am still loving "Neverland" but now i've listened to the album... TOO MANY BALLADS. There are glimmers of the afore mentioned U-KISS which I adored, but ultimately... too many tracks I want to skip. That's about as in depth as my analysis is going for today, i'm not in the mood to try and listen with an ear for constructive criticism, instead I just want to risk a knee injury and flail my arms around to Neverla-a-a-a-a-a-and a-a-a-a-and. I guess a part of me truly does miss that BRAVE SOUND "uh ohhhh, uh ohhhh".
PS. Hoping for a photo with crutches, although knowing Eli it will most likely be ruinied by some atrocious denim ware and an unwanted sleeveless shirt. Is it too much to ask for a suit and crutches?
