Boyfriend – Witch (Live Performance)
Boyfriend – Witch (Dance Practice)
Boyfriend – Witch
Reviewed on October 14, 2014
Personal Message: Firstly, things are completely out of schedule. The show review of “The TaeTiSeo” was supposed to be done today, but due to time constraints, I haven’t finished the show yet and thus, that’s delayed. However, to keep things flowing, I’ll do a song review in the meantime. On the bad side, however, I will still need to rely on “live posting” of [WORK IN PROGRESS] for now. Once the show review is up, I will gauge whether I can finally work on a separate document or not.
Anyhow, before we start, to address the links, the first is a live performance. The second, however, is the standard dance practice. Unfortunately, the music wasn’t quite edited in, so instead, the dance practice video’s audio is what the room truly sounded like. As always, though, I recommend listening to the actual audio (a quick search for the audio, etc.).
On topic, Boyfriend made a very recent comeback of “Witch”. This comeback completely matches the upcoming theme of Halloween (perfect timing for my blog). While I may be unfamiliar with these gentlemen, their label company is Starship Entertainment, the same one that holds Sistar (check out my review on their songs). These idols have left a very solid impression; their song “Witch” is an extremely pleasing song. It has been a while since I’ve heard a song that completely impressed me, but here it is. The vocals are very stunning, the song itself remains catchy, and the choreography is something I’ve never seen before. On top of all of that, fans will be going crazy over their charming looks.
Since Boyfriend members are taking the route of becoming a “Witch”, let’s see what special potion was conjured; winning the love of ladies and men seems to be the effect.
______________________________________________________
Song Total Score: 8/10 (7.6/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.
– Vocals: 9/10 – It has been quite a while since I’ve last a heard a song with very impressive vocals, but Boyfriend manages to change that. The vocals in “Witch” are phenomenal; a wide range of notes are used and their voices come off as smooth and melodic. Something to really admire is their ability to earn a high score without the need of powerful vocals. Utilizing impacting vocals aren’t always necessary for a song; Boyfriend’s melody and chemistry between members are the strongest aspects of their singing.
Very solid vocals for “Witch”. Instead of relying on highly impacting lines, Boyfriend manipulates their sweet, melodic voices to greatly amplify their singing.
– Song Structure: 7/10 (7/10 raw score) – Going to have scores for “Verse score”, “Pre-Chorus score”, “Chorus score”, etc.)
The song goes in this structure and order:
Introduction (Half Post-Chorus), Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Post-Chorus, Rap, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge (Post-Chorus), Chorus, Conclusion (Post-Chorus)
For “Song Structure”, I’m going to go through each section (Verse, Chorus, etc) and give a score per section. After that, the average is the “Song Structure” score.
1. Introduction (Half Post-Chorus): 7/10 – Time to dive into the song itself.
For the introduction, all the members are chipping in. Also as noted, the introduction is simply half the post-chorus in this song.
Initially, there is a somewhat ominous soundtrack playing; it gives off the feeling of approaching a mysterious, unknown house. Anyhow, the first few seconds do an excellent job of setting up the mood. The sinister emotions associated with Halloween come to life. After this part, “‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom” (will be discussed at the Meaning section) becomes repeated 3 times. That line has a catchy flow to it, and on a positive note, it doesn’t come off harshly. However, a solid melody isn’t attached; the lines are almost purely spoken. After all that, the song transitions into the verse.
This introduction is exceptionally quick-paced in comparison to a lot of other songs I’ve reviewed. The spooky instrumental at the start is welcomed. That section sets the atmosphere of the song perfectly. In terms of the post-chorus part (a deeper look later), it doesn’t come off roughly by itself, but considering how sudden the transition to it was, it definitely caught me by surprise. The lines’ duration were quite short, and thus, the song swapped over to the verse rapidly, which isn’t too bad considering how fast the introduction as a whole is.
For this section, above average remains as the score. The stage is definitely set, but with how sudden the song dives into the core, it becomes overwhelming. Not too bad of a start; “Witch” simply sends listeners straight into it.
2. Verse: 7/10 – For the verses, Jeongmin and Donghyun tackle the first one. The second verse is covered by Donghyun by himself. As usual, I will cover the first verse.
Jeongmin begins first. His lines showcase lower notes of the song; certain endings of “joha”, “eoddae”, and “isseo ” were stretched down to hit the lower pitches. Furthermore, each of those endings were slightly emphasized. This creates a catchy flow. The emphasized, low lines become lingering. Once Donghyun arrives, he continues to build upon the established flow. His own endings of “neoramyeon”, “nanikka”, “eobtjiman”, and “itneungeol” replicated what his fellow member started: lower pitched and stretched endings.
While the flow proves to be delightful, repetition becomes an issue (and that actually remains a prevalent issue throughout the song; will be addressed further). The flow is flawless, but using it for the entirety of a verse numbs the captivating effect it could potentially possess. The prediction of, “Lines are normally sung, but towards the end, the pitch becomes lower and the word is slightly emphasized” remains accurate for the whole verse.
Overall, a really interesting and possibly awarding verse structure and flow; the issue lies in how the same flow is repeated for a copious amount of lines. Above average.
3. Pre-Chorus: 8/10 – Hyunseong, Youngmin, and Donghyun handle the two pre-choruses.
Beginning with Hyunseong, he arrives with a very energetic line. In comparison to the verse, the intensity steps up slightly. His lines leave a very melodic and smooth flow. After that, Youngmin arrives and his vocals aren’t to emulate Hyunseong; opting to be different, his line provides a background effect via having softer vocals. Now after that, Hyunseong returns with the same energetic vocals. In addition, he throws in a solid yet short note hold at “chae~”. During his note hold, Donghyun adds in one final line to allow a satisfying transition to the chorus.
The pre-choruses in “Witch” are solid. With preparations made for the chorus, this part fulfills that role. Hyunseong’s initial line brings up the song’s intensity. That allows a shift for the song to meet its chorus’ level. In terms of Youngmin’s part, it played a key role; with energetic lines arriving, to prevent any staleness from occurring, his more passive vocals help. Adding on, by also having a weaker line that works as background vocals, it contrasts Hyunseong’s lines and thus, makes them seem even more intense and melodic. Finally, Donghyun’s quick and short line while Hyunseong performed his note hold ensured an easy switch to the chorus. It also made a clean finish for the pre-chorus as a whole.
Overall, impressive pre-choruses; 8 will be the score. The adept singing of Boyfriend becomes released, and with such a supportive structure that discloses the group’s vocal synergy, a solid score is deserved.
4. Chorus: 9/10 – Jeongmin and Hyunseong handle all the choruses.
The meat of “Witch” becomes unveiled here. Spectacular vocals are seen here from these two gentlemen; Jeongmin and Hyunseong are hitting high notes and have a plethora of minor but effective note holds.
Jeongmin starts the choruses off. His voice is full of melody and the flow of his lines exploit that. His endings were emphasized by having a higher noted pitch along with some “stretching”. While I personally won’t claim he executed note holds, it had a tint of that. His holds were extremely short and did not possess a high level of energy, but nevertheless, they became very effective at giving the chorus a spurge of intensity. When Hyunseong flashes in, he continues what Jeongmin started. The only difference, however, is that at the very end, he did a full note hold at “dwae~”. That part allowed a solid transition to the next piece.
Perhaps the best part of the song. Stunning vocals are heard here. “Witch” finally unleashes its full intensity during the choruses. Both Hyunseong and Jeongmin do a fantastic job with singing. The structure of their lines augment the energy they gave off via vocals. In addition, the instrumental also accompanies the men well. It became escalated to match up the the intenser moment, and as a result, the choruses become even more solid.
An amazing chorus.The vocal work is appreciated and respectable, and with a structure that brings out the best in that category, a high score will be given.
5. Post-Chorus: 4/10 – To be blunt: the downfall of “Witch”. The post-choruses are done by all the members. For those who weren’t as keen earlier, if it hasn’t been noticed yet, pay attention to the introduction, bridge, and conclusion. What do they all have? “(Post-Chorus)” becomes reused in all of those sections. And of course, there is the post-chorus section itself.
The post-chorus, in summary, is “’Cause your body goes boom bara boom”. If that sounds ridiculous, the Meaning section will cover it and hopefully decipher it. Anyhow, focusing on the musical aspect, that line becomes repeated 6 times (and just noticed, they cut it to solely 3 repeats for the linked live performance; still analyzing from the original audio).
Even though the line itself isn’t too poor, it doesn’t hold up as solid, either. The “b” sounds become catchy, but otherwise, vocally, nothing intensive or impressive. To have it repeated for 6 times will induce boredom; it is simply dull. In order to make matters worse, when the same old, lethargic section gets recycled in the introduction, the bridge, and conclusion, it completely razes any potential of being a solid part.
A below average section that is heavily impaired from a sheer overuse. The section itself is not too awful, but with hearing it ubiquitously throughout the song, it becomes worthless.
6. Rap: 8/10 – I’ll be honest, I thought only one member was rapping. Apparently, two members are cooperating for the rap. Kwangmin and Minwoo are the rappers.
With this rap, Minwoo and Kwangmin alternate between lines. Specifically, Minwoo will handle 2 lines, then Kwangmin gets 1, and so on. This repeats for a total of 3 times (although Minwoo does finish the rap).
The pacing remains very solid for this section; they aren’t exceeding a limit that would be unfitting, but at the same time, they manage to evade going too slowly. A middle ground is found. In terms of power, the lines came off as slightly more fragile. This isn’t an issue, however, considering power would be unsuitable. Melody and an acceptable speed are the main objectives. Thankfully, they manage to provide some melody, and with very subtle alternations, it allows a unique pace. The swapping of members add a small pause, which overall, helps their pace.
In the end, a solid rap. What prevents it from reaching a 9 is the flow wasn’t too smooth; words weren’t coming out in one stream. Instead, it felt chunky and lagging. Nothing too major, though.
7. Bridge (Post-Chorus): 6/10 – Basically, the bridge recycles the post-chorus but adjusts the instrumental. The instrumental becomes a lot more passive and calm as the members sing the post-chorus.
Although the utterly drained out and desolate post-chorus is used here, since the lines themselves are much less intense in comparison to other parts, it becomes fitting here. The instrumental is passive, and the lines/the post-chorus reflects that. The purpose of this bridge was to allow a moment for the song to relax itself, and in addition, to allow some hype for the final, upcoming sections.
Overall, slightly above average. Perfect chemistry between the instrumental and vocals here. The only issue derives from usng a post-chorus that is heard way too often.
8. Conclusion (Post-Chorus): 7/10 – Once again, the post-chorus is heard. First-time listeners may not be bothered, but for those who listen to this song often (or in my case, where I listened to it casually and then critically), it becomes exceptionally stale.
Before we peer at the final post-chorus, an impressive final chorus was done by Boyfriend. A very powerful note hold comes from Donghyun and that sets the climatic moment of “Witch”. Anyhow, in terms of the conclusion in the form of the post-chorus, some two-part singing occurs to give a climatic effect, and that does partially save the conclusion. Another aspect to consider is since the post-chorus lies on the calmer side, this brings “Witch” down from its previous, high-intensity chorus which is excellent. At the very end, the instrumental and vocals perfectly fade out.
Overall, above average will be the score. Despite how often the post-chorus occurred, the modifications of two-part singing, and considering how it brought the song’s energy down to a concluding level, it remains sufficient.
– Line Distribution: 6/10 – Six very handsome, persevering and talented gentlemen are in Boyfriend, so a high score for Line Distribution should be the case (or at least in my mind, I’m thinking of the amazing, very intelligent, hardworking and charming ladies of T-ARA who also have six members).
Donghyun got a large portion of time; he occurs at all the verses and throws in a line for the pre-choruses. Also, he gets to expend his powerful note hold at the end.
Hyunseong handles all the pre-choruses and choruses. Considering how those sections were very prevalent, he definitely has his spotlight.
Jeongmin had a part at the first verse, and of course, appears for every chorus. No complaints here.
Kwangmin had only 3 lines, and those were only in the rap. He’s missing from a huge portion of this song, and as I said earlier, I didn’t even notice his lines initially from listening. A lot more singing/rapping time could have been allocated towards Kwangmin.
Youngmin’s time consisted of adding two lines, in total, for the pre-choruses. He was the one with the background vocals part. Like Kwangmin, more lines should have been given to him.
Minwoo, lastly, was the main rapper. Since his rapping section covered a large time and played a significant, independent role, no complaints on his share.
Last thing to consider, though, is that the post-choruses are all sung by Boyfriend as a whole.
Unfortunately, even with the unison singing at the post-choruses, it isn’t enough to make up for two members being given very little individual lines. Two members out of six is a lot; one-third is the picture.
6 will be the given score; since the post-choruses are very common, the members who were lacking are technically able to get some time in. Nevertheless, a disappointing share of lines.
– Instrumental: 8/10 – A very impressive soundtrack for “Witch”. It doesn’t come off as overpowering, nor is it lacking. It’s a perfect balance.
The darker, spooky theme is given from the instrumental. It fulfills its role in that regard. In terms of the song itself, the instrumental supports the men during the intenser parts, such as the chorus, and during the calmer sections, it remains passive enough to let Boyfriend’s incredible vocals be the spotlight while still providing a foundation. The vocals and soundtrack mesh very well.
In the end, a solid instrumental. Theme fitting, helpful towards the song as a whole and to vocals, it does its job.
– Meaning: 8/10 – The title itself is already interesting, but the meaning of the post-chorus further adds onto how intriguing this song seems. Through these translated lyrics (not 100% accurate, but close enough), let’s find out what story is being told:
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
I don’t care if it’s a lie, who cares if it’s not the truth
You’re in my arms right now, that’s what’s important
Because if it’s you, I would be the victim multiple times
I can’t have you but I can touch you
When you call my name with your sweet lips
It’s you in the end, even if it hurts, it’s you
Every time your hand touches me, my breath stops
I swear I’ll give myself to you
You’re pretty because you’re rough,
you’re attractive because you’re dangerous
I know I’ll get hurt every time
but I like your games
There’s no reason I can’t do this, I’ll give you my everything
I just need to be by your side
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
(nanana nana nananana)
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
This is what I mean
whenever you say I’m too much
Whenever you say it’s over with a sad face
Whenever you make me nervous,
strangely, I get even more attracted to you
You have so much charm, yeah,
you’re so good at controlling me,
as if you’ll come to me but won’t, you drive me crazy
You know that I can’t leave you
Just like a boomerang that always comes back
no matter how hard you throw it
I try to stop but when you call me
I stop where I’m going and run to you
With a face of an angel, you shake me up every time
Is it your nice body, is it your scent of a woman?
When I kiss your lips, I bow my head
And swear that I’ll give myself to you
You’re pretty because you’re rough,
you’re attractive because you’re dangerous
I know I’ll get hurt every time
but I like your games
There’s no reason I can’t do this, I’ll give you my everything
I just need to be by your side
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
You can use me, you can play me
I know I’ll be ruined
but I choose you anyway
I don’t need your everything, I can just have half of you
I just need to be by your side
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
(nanana nana nananana)
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
‘Cause your body goes boom bara boom
A very interesting story. Although the story does take the perspective of a male, arguably, it can be gender neutral. Anyhow, the lyrics tell the story of a man who is a victim of the “push and pull” game (for America, “playing hard to get” is a similar meaning). Even though his love-interest ends up toying and abusing his emotions, he is trapped in a bind of anguish and infatuation. He remains pained by her actions, but at the same time, cannot seem to escape his love-interest’s snare. An interesting love story that both males and females can relate to (hopefully that isn’t the case).
In terms of details, most lines are different than the other and offer more perspective on the story. Now to answer the big question of, “What is the post-chorus about?” It could mean a multitude of things, but I will offer my own take (and again, the beauty of literature, no one is ever right or wrong). Considering the theme of magicians and witches and such, the line could be describing how the love-interest’s beauty is like a spell, hence “boom bara boom” (magic casting, etc.).
Overall, a different and original story. The comparison of how a love-interest locks her or his lover as if they were a magician is unique. The lover is essentially spellbound. Due to the fascinating story and solid details, a solid score.
That said, I will digress a bit. While it may be simply a story, I do want to point out a “flaw” in it: the focus on physical beauty. I won’t credit this in for the Meaning score, since the story itself and details are what I grade, but in terms of subtle messages, I want to address them still. Anyhow, the details that captivate the lover is all physical; scent, body, lips/kissing, face, hand touching, and such. Keep in mind, however, those physical parts aren’t the sole aspects that should “spellbound” a lover. There are a lot of other things: personality, attitude, intelligence, humor, and more. As I said in some other review way long ago (or perhaps I’m making this up), physical beauty should not purely define “beauty”. Beauty as a whole is who the person is, not solely on looks. How smart a lady or man is should matter a lot more than how pretty their hair is.
Anyhow, a short tangent here to keep fans/listeners aware. For this song, it’s understandable, though. I mean, out of “Your jokes keep me coming back…” versus “Your scent of being a woman/man draws me back…”, as a song producer, I’d go with the latter. For the purpose of dramatic effects and such, the last one comes off as more appealing (and another discussion for why that is). However, for an actual scenario, you better be falling for the one who makes you laugh more versus the one who smells better.
_______________________________________________________
Choreography Score: 9/10 – I think it has also been a while since I’ve last seen a choreography that blew me away. Boyfriend’s dance for “Witch” does manage to acquire that feat. Also, for watching their dance, I highly recommend the dance practice link (unless if you prefer to see them with stage costumes and make-up to fit the Halloween/magician theme). It’s very vivid and truly reveals how complex yet elegant the choreography is.
Firstly, the curtain use was outstanding. It provided a lot of transitions for the choreography, and additionally, the magician theme gets added. That itself earns a lot of highlight for being vastly different from other props used in K-Pop choreography. In terms of the backup dancers, they arrived solely for the chorus, which works out considering that’s the most intense part. For other parts, the backup dancers were managing the curtains. Paying attention towards the gentlemen of Boyfriend, their dances were quite powerful; a lot of energy flowed from their movements. Syncing was no issue, and due to the unique curtains, transitioning and different positions were executed well.
The only setback would lie in the fact of how their key points weren’t as strong; for example, the chorus’ dance maneuvers did not come off as super appealing. Nevertheless, overall, the choreography is amazing. The curtains add a new layer that strengthens transitions, adds different positions, and the song’s mood is matched. A very impressive dance.
________________________________________________________
Overall Score: 9/10 (8.5/10 raw score) – At the very end, Boyfriend’s “Witch” comes out with a 9/10 score. The choreography makes up a large chunk of the score, but the song itself is just as solid. Do I agree? I personally rate this as an 8/10 overall, but it’s still a solid song and dance.
The biggest downfall to the song is how often the post-choruses are used. Other than that, “Witch” is an outstanding song with graceful vocals. The choreography, likewise, is incredible.
As I always do at the end of every post, thank you very much for reading. I hope this review is entertaining, insightful, and that you enjoy it. I’m very grateful towards all my readers, thank you for all your time, support, and feedback. I appreciate it all greatly. Thank you. While I’m at it, recently, this blog has been growing a lot, and I am so happy and in deep gratitude for that. It’s a really awesome feeling and something I never knew I’d experience. To have people enjoy my writing/reviews and to return is awesome. Thanks once again.
This review has now officially hit the end, and that is perfect since I want to get some sleep. Reviews are out of order; I finished this review after I did my reality show review of “The TaeTiSeo” (check it out), but that shouldn’t matter. Anyhow, for my upcoming reviews, to add one more Halloween themed song, Orange Caramel’s “Catallena” is in mind (I will argue the concept is Halloween themed, even though…from stage performances, it has been about food…? More details later if I do review it). Now besides those songs, I did receive a song request and I’m glad it differs from a lot of other songs I’ve reviewed. It’s a K-Drama OST song, so that should be interesting. Another song I want to review is Secret’s Jiuen’s solo comeback of “Twenty-Five”.
Reviews will be slightly late, however. I’m booked with a lot of work, so I may take a break for a few days/one week depending. On the bright side, though, I will be able to work on my reviews on a different document, so no more live posting ([WORK IN PROGRESS]) which will be nice.
Anyhow, stay tuned and keep checking back. I will still post as much as I can. After all, if “I try to stop…when you call me I stop where I’m going and run to you”. Keep checking back. Expect either Jieun’s comeback or Orange Caramel’s “Catallena” as my next review.
AtrocityCL's K-Pop Review Blog 