Hello. Huge apologies for not getting to this question sooner. I did manage to read it on time, but in terms of actually replying, it has taken a few days. That said, this is a really great question and one I have never even thought about in the realm of K-Pop.
First, for some background in case a few readers are unfamiliar, within the Korean pop music scene, it does not consist of just “dance” groups that many instantly think of when pondering about K-Pop. Indeed, there are also “band” groups–groups that, as in the label, play instruments and function as a standard band rather than a group of idols who dance. In fact, for some trivia, AOA was intended to be a band group as well but eventually went the popular route of becoming a dance group.
Focusing on the question at hand, though, I have many takes to the rise of the band scene in K-Pop. Ultimately, I personally cherish this type of variety within group types though there are multiple perspectives on this matter. But before addressing the opposing side and concern, the reason I find a positive in band groups existing (and being on the rise) is that the music they bring is definitely of a different style than the typical pop song one would normally hear. For example, I have coincidentally been listening to CNBlue’s “Between Us,” and while that song in of itself is fantastic, I also appreciate that it is not necessarily pure pop music at play–such as with TWICE’s “Only You,” a song I have been listening to relentlessly. What we find from these band groups are, typically, another branch of pop music: pop-rock. It is not pure rock in of itself, but rather these band groups tend to use the “population-friendly” structure of pop music with the sounds and elements of rock music. Overall, the point is this: I welcome the rise of band-typed groups in the K-Pop scene. They tend to adopt the format of pop music and thus deserve to be recognized in the K-Pop scene versus, say, the Korean Rock scene, but at the same time the actual sounds we hear drastically differ from the typical K-Pop songs we hear as these bands’ songs are in the genre of “pop-rock.”
Now, while I argue people should be welcoming of these band groups, there are many concerns that exist from perhaps a musical, cultural perspective. While these groups are seemingly on the rise, I admit: I fear we might see a decline in the future. The reason I have this concern is dance groups are indeed the actual pop cultural music trend for K-Pop (and even other Asian countries). Certainly many band groups are indeed popular and in fact arguably even more popular than a few dance groups–CNBlue and F.T. Island for examples–but overall, we find a much higher ratio of dance groups to band groups. Dance groups, after all, are not just enticing on an aural level, but they also have an appealing visual component. Furthermore, especially if we consider age, I would imagine dance groups are more appealing to the younger audience members while band groups might be more enticing for older audience members–more so if we tie in how there are not as many “concepts” for band groups. After all, while fans can speculate on whether BTS’ next comeback will be a “sexy” concept or a “dark” concept, band groups do not necessarily have this type of attention–even if, to some extent, they can have concepts as well. (An example is DAY6′s “Serious” where they had a “summer” concept. Though musically and visually it is that, we need to realize it is much harder to show that concept than, for example, Girls’ Generation’s “Party” as the latter is both clearly musically and visually indicative of a “summer” concept.)
But, this pessimism aside, realistically a decline is unlikely as band groups are very much cherished and do have a spot. The issue, though, is whether they will continue to be on a significant rise similarly to recent times of how more band groups are coming. In the end, I will leave this point: Band groups are here to stay in the K-Pop scene. Certainly they are not mainstream pop groups per se, but they still are within the genre of popular music and structurally we can argue that. What is unique and why they deserve to remain is that they bring in elements of rock into their songs and thus, we are able to hear “pop-rock”–a new sub-genre in a sense. Personally, while I am not a major fan, I still do enjoy band group songs once in a while.
Hopefully this answer sheds some light on my take to the rising band scene and even my overall, general take on the band scene in K-Pop. It definitely is interesting to ponder over how K-Pop consists not just of the typical dance group, but also of band groups. And of course, there are debates then on whether these groups are a part of K-Pop or K-Rock and the like, but I personally do argue these band groups are a part of K-Pop as they fall under what I would deem “pop-rock.” (After all, one could listen to actual, pure Korean rock or rock of other cultures and realize how they drastically sound different from these band groups’ pop-rock music.) This is a great question and definitely got me thinking about something I never thought about. Thank you for sending this in.
Regarding next reviews, IU’s “Palette” will be finished soon, and afterwards VIXX’s latest comeback has grabbed my attention and thus we will also be giving them a review. Afterwards, I plan to conclude this month with one or two Critical Discussion posts–one regarding a social and ethical phenomenon worth pondering over, and the other addressing another musical technicality. More will be said on those posts later. Until then, look forward to IU’s review.
For
this review, while we will always look at both the strengths and weaknesses
involved, I find that a more productive discussion will come from heavily
focusing on why the song is, indeed
from my argument, good. In particular, I wish to tune into certain strategies
employed; specifically, we will discuss the role of the instrumental’s heavier
bass, the diversity of the vocals and how said vocals are accommodated for the
ladies’ vocal abilities, and how the song itself is structured and controls its
flow for certain effects.
Personal Message:
First of all, I do wish to make this
explicit: I will not be reviewing
“Signal,” TWICE’s actual comeback song. Now, should readers or TWICE fans be
incredibly curious, I am open to reviewing it only if a request is sent. That said, to share my thoughts on
“Signal,” it sadly is a disappointing song akin to—harshly stated—the rest of
TWICE’s title songs excluding “Knock Knock.” “Knock Knock” is still one of my
favorite songs in general, and even in a more critical lens, I argue “Knock
Knock” (as I did in my review of it) is incredibly well composed
especially for how the song adopts a very “stereotypical” pop style. But
regarding the original topic, indeed I find “Like Ooh-Ahh,” “Cheer Up,” and
even “TT” to all be weaker songs in general. In fact, I have already reviewed
all of them minus “Cheer Up,” and thus if readers are curious on my take, I
suggest readers reading the respective reviews. Unfortunately, while “Knock
Knock”—again, in my argument—broke
the chain of weaker songs, “Signal” is a return back into said weaker songs. JYP’s
composition of the song is, with all due respect, highly questionable. Even
more critically and to perhaps overstep my boundaries, I will even go as far as
to say JYP’s composition skills in
general has tended to be weaker. I personally have yet to find a song
composed by JYP that has stunned me, and I am afraid “Signal” might be one of
his weakest works as of yet. (Again, this is not to say JYP is necessarily a
bad composer; he definitely is very knowledgeable and experienced, and quite
obviously, is far superior to I in this field. Thus, I hope readers interpret
my words as a form of a critical, bold critique rather than insults.)
On topic for this review, I admit I am
doing acts that are quite peculiar: for one, I am reviewing a song despite not
letting at least three days pass in order to remove instances of extreme bias
taking place; secondly, I am reviewing a side-track—a song that is a part of
the album but is not the main title. Humorously, though, I argue “Only You” should be the title track; if this was
TWICE’s comeback for the upcoming summer, this would have potentially shocked
many people in terms of music quality. (To clarify, “Signal” is “marketing”
well; their comeback, despite me rendering it as a very poor song, is
surprisingly holding number one on music charts and is garnering many sales.
The issues, though, are that other music reviewers have rated it poorly and
that many listeners find it a weaker song—this being indicated by an absurdly high
dislike ratio on the music video.) The ladies, after all, are oftentimes
critiqued for poorer vocal execution and even having overly generic pop songs.
In fact, to some extent, even I also agree with these criticisms. That said,
“Only You” is—once again, in my argument—the best song TWICE has ever released
both in terms of composition but also vocal execution. It truly is an amazing
song that showcases TWICE’s vocal skills at their peak, and the composition is
one that drastically deviates away from the more generic pop style that group
has claimed as their signature sound and style.
Finally, before getting right into the review,
I will leave a disclaimer. If readers have noticed from the blog’s side
information, “Only You” is currently my favorite song of all-time. Without
getting into the critical aspect yet, I will share that “Only You” matches my
music preferences perfectly: it
follows an upbeat pacing all while remaining “linear” akin to ballads; the
vocals consist of both simple yet complex lines and have both rapping and
singing; the instrumental focuses on a heavier bass line; and so on. The point
being, even without focusing on the actual composition at hand, I admit I very
much biasedly enjoy this song as its sounds and flow are what I prefer in songs
and I do hope readers realize I could easily be biased within this review—more
so as I am not waiting for the excitement to die down via waiting at least
three days before reviewing. However, of course, with now feeling relatively
confident in analyzing songs in a critical manner—or more realistically
speaking, me being a foolish and arrogant boy—I believe that I can review the
song without entirely projecting my biases. Regarding the composers of this
song, while I seldom do explicitly give credit, I wish to do so here: David
Anthony Eames, Debbie—Jane Blackwell, and 72 are the composers of “Only You.” These
are the men and women who authored this very song. Their work has brought what
I argue is TWICE’s best song of all-time.
For this review, while we will
always look at both the strengths and weaknesses involved, I find that a more
productive discussion will come from heavily focusing on why the song is, indeed from my argument, good. In particular, I
wish to tune into certain strategies employed; specifically, we will discuss the
role of the instrumental’s heavier bass, the diversity of the vocals and how
said vocals are accommodated for the ladies’ vocal abilities, and how the song
itself is structured and controls its flow for certain effects.
Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only you
It’s weird, I didn’t imagine it at first Just like a sugar rush You slowly approached me and knocked on the doors of my tired heart Is that when it started? I thought you were a good friend Before I knew it, I kept thinking of you My cheeks get red and I only smile The love’s already begun
You’re sweet you’re just like chocolate candy I can’t hide anymore, I want to show you how big my heart has grown Let’s go
Always stay with me, don’t leave me boy Now I know with my heart I’ve got only you Look into my eyes, boy, it’s full of hearts No matter what anyone says I’ve got only, only you
Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only you
I’ve got O-N-L-Y you Don’t ask why Real love has no reasons Call me “jelly” Call me every day Our secret code fluttering love mode Baby, baby, tell me, what do you think? Why is it so complicated, you want me too You pretend you don’t but I can tell, I can tell that’s right Now come here, kiss me, butterfly
Ooh I tremble when we brush a little Ooh When we touch a little my heart goes Kung*, kung, kung, it’s for sure L-O-V-E Let’s go
Always stay with me, don’t leave me boy Now I know with my heart I’ve got only you Look into my eyes, boy, it’s full of hearts No matter what anyone says I’ve got only, only you
Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only you
Okay, let’s go Don’t make me wait any longer, I’ve only got one answer (Only you, always you) Ticklish first love makes me feel like I’m gonna fly (Only you, always you) Hold my hand tightly, never ever let go (Only you, always you) You and me against the world, I’m not afraid (Only you, always you)
Always stay with me, don’t leave me boy Now I know with my heart I’ve got only you Look into my eyes, boy, it’s full of hearts No matter what anyone says I’ve got only, only you
Always stay with me, don’t leave me boy Now I know with my heart I’ve got only you Look into my eyes, boy, it’s full of hearts No matter what anyone says I’ve got only, only you
Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only, o-o-only, only you Only you
*Akin to how this same word was used in TWICE’s “Knock Knock,” “kung” is the Korean linguistic representation of a “bam”-like noise. English equivalents in this case would be, for examples, “pit-pat” or that one’s heart goes “thump thump.”
Analysis: Now
that all of the analytical work is actually done, I confess: I am surprised the
song in whole rates only at a seven. Not that that rating is bad at all;
indeed, if anything, getting an “above average” rating nowadays is almost a
feat when considering how I am now incredibly critical of pop songs. That said,
I personally anticipated “Only You” scoring an eight. Critically, of course,
this song does not come close to making it that far though this is not to
discredit how dazzling of a song it still is.
Onto
the review, as there are too many aspects to this song to discuss and in fact,
many of which we will not even have time for in this review (as, again, I am
focusing on being concise for reviews rather than sharing an entire dissection
of a song as I used to in the past), we will stick to what I established
earlier in the review. Already, one key element to “Only You” is its instrumental
and more specifically, how it cleverly and effectively manipulates its heavier
bass line. For example, with the bass line serving as the distinctive
foundation and even sound to the instrumental, it allows the song to easily
make core transitions. Let us take a look at the rap sections as these provide
an excellent background to why the instrumental’s heavier bass is vital. With the
rapping, they notably are somewhat odd sections in terms of not just the
initial transition, but also how the instrumental during these moments entirely
deviate from what has already been established. After all, the first rap in
particular seems to adopt a deeper and more distorted instrumental than the
rest of the song—of which features a lighter instrumental sound. While
listeners might view this as a possible point of critique, tying back to my
argument however, and we will actually find that how the composers manipulate
the heavier bass allows this moment to be saved. The first rap’s bass line—despite
its deeper sound and distortion—is still recognizable as being the same bass
line that is already at play throughout the song. Thus, this bass line serves
as reference point: it is the same bass line that listeners can easily seek
out, but merely changed in its sound. And especially if we scope out further,
we realize this bass transformation parallels the song in its entirety as the
first rap section is still following
the same flow, though with a changed sound. In other words, this example is
merely one that showcases how the instrumental—particularly the reliance on a
heavier bass line—is used by the composers in a structural sense of keeping the
song organized. Of course, though, sonic benefits exist as well such as how the
instrumental covers the lower range of sounds especially as TWICE’s vocals
focus more towards the higher end barring perhaps the pre-choruses. We will not
dive in much further details here, however.
Regarding the next focus, the vocals
and the diversity within this field are rather impressive. On a simplistic
level, there is praise for how “Only You” is able to incorporate both rapping
and singing, but more importantly, that within these very branches that there
are still variances within. For example, the first rapping focused more on
power and flow while the second rapping focuses on building up the song.
Similarly, the singing ranged from stronger vocal beltings such as at the
choruses to smooth, slower and rhythmic singing such as at the verses and
pre-choruses. Overall, then, especially as vocal variety tends to be a key
appeal in pop songs, we can already understand why “Only You” sounds great
vocally as it covers a wonderful range of styles that will very likely hold
listeners’ attentions.
All that said, this is the minimal
aspect that I wish for us to home in on. What I find more relevant for
discussion is when we actually analyze the vocals in the context of TWICE’s vocal roles and abilities. Particularly, I find
that “Only You” truly accommodates TWICE’s vocal strength and weaknesses in
perhaps the most effective way I have heard as of yet. First, though, we have
to understand what I connote when I say “vocal roles.” As some readers are
aware of, groups tend to be split with “main vocal,” “lead vocal,” and “sub
vocal.” The former, in short, are members who can handle more complex and
difficult singer while the latter are members who tend to be weaker singers.
The middle role is, quite literally, the actual middle ground between the
mentioned two. While I do not wish to necessarily begin a debate regarding which
member in TWICE has which roles (these are “official” but I personally have my
own mental list as I find this to be far more accurate than what official websites
claim), I do wish to focus on how in “Only You,” the sub vocalists are finally
singing in an appropriate context.
I think it first makes more sense to
discuss the opposite, however: discussing examples of when the sub vocalists
did not get to sing in their right
contexts. “Cheer Up” is one example in that Sana’s “shy shy shy” line, while it
is now a pop cultural phenomenon, is a very weak musical line that does not
showcase her vocal skills at all. Another example is how in “TT,” both Momo’s
and Sana’s pairing at the pre-choruses are also a moment of weaker vocals. What
is troubling—and to get to my main point—is that the sub vocalists in many past
songs have been delegated to lines that are not
musically-orientated at all per se. Finally, though, in “Only You,” the sub
vocalists have lines that are much more intensive and complex in comparison to
their other songs but most importantly, “Only You” ‘s lines that involve the
sub vocalists actually involve them singing as harsh as that may sound. And
indeed, they definitely can sing and the sub vocalists of TWICE delivered many
impressive, fluid and lower-pitched lines for “Only You” and that deserves
credit as their parts are as vital as, for example, Nayeon’s and Jihyo’s lines
at the choruses (and equally Jeongyeong’s beltings throughout the song). In
summary, “Only You” showcases not just vocal variety, but it also showcases
excellent vocal execution in the first place and that is highly emphasized due—especially
when contrasting prior songs—to how the sub vocalists finally have
musically-based lines rather than being restricted to catchy, filler lines as
they historically have been.
Lastly, for the last point I will
discuss, the song itself was brilliantly structured. Specifically for what I
wish to discuss, the composers’ ideas on how to control the song’s flow are
very impressive. Although I do wish to discuss each and every section,
realistically it would be best to discuss merely one: the pre-choruses. I will
even go to the extremes of claiming that the pre-choruses in “Only You” are the
best ones I have ever heard in any pop song. In terms of what actually occurs
during these parts, nothing mind-blowing happens at all despite how much praise
I am giving. Summarizing the pre-choruses, they follow this overall strategy: The
pre-chorus in this song, first of all, is the moment when the vocals and instrumental
begin to mix together—as indicated by the slower pacing and how the vocals are
now lower-pitched to suit with the bass line and that the rhythm becomes a
prominent feature. Structurally, though, the pre-chorus relaxes the song via
slowing down and, once again, switching focus to the beats and rhythm that soon
begin to accelerate and climax in the form of the choruses. Again, nothing is
unique at all for the pre-choruses, and yet I am very surprised. What I actually
find delightful is how the pre-choruses utilize two different types of build up: the pre-choruses both relax the
song, but equally within the same space and time, the sections soon build up
the song back into a heightened state in a very natural, seamless manner due to
how the aural component meshed both vocals and instrumental. Typically only one
type is used. Using “TT” once again as an example, in that song we find that
the pre-choruses focus on hyping up the song—but, quite clearly, the
pre-choruses in that song do not do both. Another example in mind is the recent
review of VARSITY’s “U R My Only One.” In that song, the pre-choruses “downgrade”
as its form of building up the song, and though it admittedly does heighten the
song back akin to “Only You,” it does so in a very rigid, explicit manner while
“Only You” is able to do this without even attracting attention to this very
strategy.
And, while I seldom critique lyrics
as of the late—perhaps, in once again a harsh manner, due to the fact that many
lyrics of recently reviewed songs are all average—“Only You” has solid lyrics. The
fact that the verse and raps are not repeats and that even the pre-choruses use
different details rather than typically just recycling the same section helps
bring the lyrics up in rating. Furthermore, though the following does not
account at all for the score as it is the variety of details I care for, I hope
readers also enjoyed the song’s lyrics in a romantic sense. The plot is quite
endearing and sweet and in the overarching view of “Only You,” the lyrics
holding up well serves as the final, pretty wrapping to the song.
Praises aside, however, I still find
it crucial that we discuss the faults of the song. The main fault I have is how
the last rap and final portion of the song begin to create a tedious sound. With
the last rap, we find it alternating between rapping and chanting, and though
this makes sense on a structural level, chanting in songs are always at risk
due to how they can easily create a mundane sound if not balanced appropriately
with some other factor. Now, the composers did attempt that very act of
balancing via using the chorus as the bridge—thus, it counters the chanting’s
stale phrases through a very delicate, tuneful section. However, the somewhat
comical aspect is that this solution now creates another problem: that a
follow-up chorus—the regular one—is used to get the song moving again. The
issue here, of course, is that given the nature of the choruses in that they
are lengthier and rely on a linear flow, having two back-to-back choruses
becomes overly dragging of the song. While ultimately these faults are not
significant in the main view of the song, it still is noteworthy as “Only You”
starts off impressive but begins to languish as the song runs. It is always desirable
for songs to get better the further it gets, such after all is the
iconic structure of ballads, and thus the fact that “Only You” does the
opposite can definitely be concerning.
All in all, “Only You” is an amazing
song. It personally is my favorite song of all-time, and I expect it will stay
that way for many months if not even at least a year. Additionally, regardless
of what my favorites are, I personally argue it is TWICE’s best song. Should
fans ever desire to mute the mouths of those who are critiquing the group’s
music without being critical (emphasis: without
being critical; it is fine to critique TWICE’s music as I do because I am
being critical and respectful), the song should be self-explanatory and can easily
be used to defend the ladies. What upsets me the most is how this song is not
the title and comeback track; it possesses a “summer sound” that would fit the
upcoming months, and with its style of infusing ballad-like elements while
containing the usual pop sound of TWICE, it truly astounds me that “Signal” was
chosen over this song. (But given that “Signal” is composed and produced by
JYP, their CEO, it perhaps makes sense on why that song is privileged as the
title song.)
As for final remarks, TWICE is a
group that does have music potential. Understandably, TWICE has been
historically a weaker group musically speaking as, I argue, all of their title
tracks are poor excluding “Knock Knock.” But, especially with extreme hate
spewed at the ladies on a personal level, I wish to remind readers—whether fans
or non-fans of TWICE—that criticism can only be kept in an art-based context. In other words, their dances, music
videos, and songs can be and should
be critiqued. What is not ethical is when listeners decide to attack the ladies personally (especially as some might
feel that, understandably, it is “unfair” that TWICE is quite popular despite being
relatively musically weak). Never should the ladies themselves be attacked
unless if that genuinely is a case, though the likelihood is already near
impossible. (For example, if Jihyo is found to be an abusive leader and
constantly physically beats the members, then of course she can be personally
critiqued. But of course, this is a silly fake example and Jihyo would never do
such, but the point is that TWICE can only be critiqued musically and not
personally as, from my understanding, they truly are upright women who attempt
to always do as much good for the world as they can.)
Overall, while I personally will
forever remain critical of all of their title tracks barring “Knock Knock,”
TWICE is a group I would consider myself a fan of. They do have a lot of music
potential—this we hear in “1 to 10” or in “Only You” for examples—and I hope we
will hear more of a musical TWICE and less of a “generic pop group” TWICE. It
is a tough situation, however, as sheer popularity appeal via catchy songs is
what made TWICE get this far (and, pessimistically said, music quality in the
pop scene does not get as much respect as it should be as fans care more about
the aesthetic pleasures instead—which, again, is understandable). But indeed, I
remain optimistic that TWICE will head towards a more musical-orientated side
soon. And I remain optimistic and mostly delusional that Jihyo will one day get
down on one knee and propose to me. This, though, is probably irrelevant to the
review.
Horrible
jokes aside, thank you for reading this review whether in full or short. I
appreciate it and hope, most importantly, that it sparks some deeper thinking
about music or K-Pop for readers. That is why I write reviews; I do not write
for the popularity and attention (after all, writing music reviews is a
horrible way to get attention), but that I hope I can begin discussions and
actively engage readers to being more critical to K-Pop.
For
the next review, I have received an indirect request: IU’s “Palette.” I claim it
is an indirect request as a dear friend is the one who personally asked me.
Thus, in some ways, it still is a request even if not sent in officially via
the blog. Nonetheless, that will be the next song we focus on. Afterwards, I
have mixes of Critical Discussion posts and artists that have yet to be
reviewed at all (though IU is interesting an artist I have yet to review) that we
will cover. Until then, “[a]lways stay with me, don’t leave me boy/girl”—because,
quite obviously, I am a rather clingy boy. Jokes aside, look forward to IU’s “Palette.”
Admittedly,
while for a debut song “URMOO” is definitely impressive especially as—unsurprisingly—debut
songs tend to be artists’ weaker songs given that artists are still
significantly learning and improving (and are not prepared to perhaps handle
more complex song compositions), “URMOO” in a general sense is rather average. Certainly
the song has its strength in terms of the men’s vocals and also in how the
composition cleverly handles the song’s flow and intensity, but ultimately the
sonic aspect to the song is far too basic. That shortcoming is what greatly
limits the potential to “URMOO.”
Personal Message:
As stated in the prior
post—one that focused on musical technicalities via challenging assumptions
about “MR Removed” videos—I am now on summer break. This means I will have
plenty of free time to catch up on reviews and particularly for this summer, I
truly wish to hone my writing skills in the sense of writing more efficiently.
(And for a fun side note, I am also honing my driving skills and hope to
acquire my license soon.) After all, some readers might have noticed that overtime,
reviews on this blog are slowly becoming shorter in length while, I hope, still
maintaining worthwhile content. One my writing weaknesses is that I simply
write unnecessary, excess details and thus, I will spend this summer break
attempting to ultimately bring reviews down to perhaps three or so paragraphs
on average. Of course as said, the content within the reviews will not change;
rather, I will now be directly
getting my points across without relying on massive paragraphs to do such. And,
if this works out, this will also mean readers can expect consistent reviews.
On topic with this review, however, first
I would like to thank the requester for sending this song in. The requester did
give an option of choosing VARISTY’s “U R My Only One” or “Hole in One,” and
indeed I have opted to review their debut song (“U R My Only One”) as I find it
would bring a more interesting discussion than their recent comeback. Nonetheless,
thank you to the requester for sending this in. As always, requests are very
helpful as it allows me to review songs that readers want, and it allows me to
stay updated on which releases are currently trending and that people are
curious about in a critical sense.
Now, before getting right into VARSITY’s
debut song, there are two clarifications I need to make. One is, from here on
and forward, I will refer to the song as “URMOO”; typing out the usual title is
proving to be more laborious than necessary and hence this abbreviated form.
Thus, I hope readers do not become confused and assume I am somehow talking
about cows. Horrible joke aside, for the more serious clarification, there
appears to be—from my perception—an audio fault with this song. By “audio fault”
I refer not to the composition of the song—in other words, how the song was
created via intentional sounds,
sections, layout, and so on. Instead, I am referring to how the audio that
appears in the music video (and in other sources on YouTube) seem to be of a
poorer quality than usual. This was the case with Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun’s
“Don’t Say No,” and I do wonder if the same case applies to “URMOO.” Specifically
for what is wrong, the song sounds “pushed down”; a simple example is that the
song sounds akin to what one hears if they were under water. In other words,
the audio seems muddled versus of the usual crispness that one would expect in
a song. (In technical terms, if I am correct, I think there is too much reverb.)
For why this matters and why I even bring this up, I will assume this sound
effect is unintentional. Should it actually be intended then readers should
know that I personally view it as detrimental. Of course, however, since I am
making a bold accusation, I will assume the song is “innocent” and thus will
not be using this aspect as a point of critique.
All that covered, let us finally
discuss “URMOO.” Admittedly, while for a debut song “URMOO” is definitely
impressive especially as—unsurprisingly—debut songs tend to be artists’ weaker
songs given that artists are still significantly learning and improving (and
are not prepared to perhaps handle more complex song compositions), “URMOO” in
a general sense is rather average. Certainly the song has its strength in terms
of the men’s vocals and also in how the composition cleverly handles the song’s
flow and intensity, but ultimately the sonic aspect to the song is far too
basic. That shortcoming is what greatly limits the potential to “URMOO.”
Never again I said that it’s really over Try again You got me, you got me (Please) Cut by a blade My heart will not heal I’m not fine I’m trying, the more I do, I cry
If only I can turn back time I wouldn’t lose you, who was too good for me I don’t think I can go on without you Come back to me
You’re my only one You’re my only one You’re my lover But time is over You’re my only one You’re my only one I need you, baby I want you, lady (Woo) I didn’t know the answer (Woo) Just, you’re my only one (Woo) I realized my answer (Woo) Just, you’re my only one
[Post-Chorus instrumental]
Yesterday, I told you to go Today, come back to me My broken heart needs you Tell me the way to find you When you’re not next to me (Hold up) Everything stops I don’t need anything but you Besides you, nothing’s better
If I can turn back your heart I could give you all my love that I couldn’t before I don’t think I can go on without you Come back to me
You’re my only one You’re my only one You’re my lover But time is over You’re my only one You’re my only one I need you, baby I want you, lady (Woo) I didn’t know the answer (Woo) Just, you’re my only one (Woo) I realized my answer (Woo) Just, you’re my only one
You always learn love after saying goodbye I can’t erase you You remain in my head I’m looking for you, I can’t take it anymore (Driving me crazy)
You’re my only one You’re my only one You’re my lover But time is over You’re my only one You’re my only one I need you, baby I want you, lady (Woo) I didn’t know the answer (Woo) Just, you’re my only one (Woo) I realized my answer (Woo) Just, you’re my only one
Analysis: One
of the main weaknesses to “URMOO” is simply how the aural aspect to it is far
from enticing. Now that said, it should be clarified that the song’s overall
sound suffices; it is not an unappealing
sound. The issue, though, is the opposite holds true as well: neither does the
song have an appealing sound. It
hovers in the middle—and hence the common five ratings littered throughout the
review.
For
an actual example to focus on, the instrumental provides insight on the song’s
overly basic sounds. With “URMOO” adopting a predominantly electronic-based instrumental,
one of the issues at hand already is how the song will prevent itself from
sounding mundane especially as electronic sounds ultimately all still sound
similar to each other. There are various solutions to this, and “URMOO”
definitely does have some—namely its usage of traditional instrumental sounds
(such as a piano) and “distorting” the electronic instrumental. Unfortunately,
I argue these strategies are still insufficient. For example, the composers’
usage of the two, differing sound styles—electronic versus “traditional”—are not
emphasized enough to truly leave listeners with a sense of variety. We find
this by how these two types of instrumental sounds are used less for their
actual sonic values and more for their structural values: the traditional
sounds reside during calmer sections while the electronic instrumental occurs
during the more intensive parts. Thus, the effect we get out of these two
instrumental types being contrasted is less on creating an aural effect and
simply more for listeners to be able to identify the song’s flow and intensity.
Nonetheless,
I argue this is quite problematic as the song does end up running through its
stagnant points: the electronic sounds do become dull no matter how distorted
and exciting it can get, and equally the traditional sounds follow suit.
Furthermore, if we also account VARSITY’s vocals, we also find that the
composers seem to separate this aspect as well. VARSITY’s singing is heavy on
precise tunes with the bonuses of slower moments or rapping, and though the
vocals are definitely the song’s best aural point, in the entirety of the song
we find that all these three sounds—vocals, electronic, and traditional
instrumental—do not work together. Instead, each aspect is used in their own
situation—and this we can literally hear by how the electronic-based choruses
only have “fillers” (lines of humming “woo”). Overall, if the composers at
least made it so that each distinctive sound group—vocals, electronic, and
traditional instrumental—was able to hold on its own, this composition idea
would have worked out. However, given that each one seems to rely on the other despite
clear divisions in place—such as the post-chorus having its solo electronic instrumental—it
leads “URMOO” sounding somewhat disorganized in an aural sense. That said, the
sounds in the song are not bad per se; if anything, it is the messier setup
that is the true problem as, if all three sounds were able to directly complement
each other, the song would sound
great. But, as is, “URMOO” sounds far too plain especially when all of the “sound
types” end up working on their own instead of one cohesive unit.
Regarding
where “URMOO” shines, even if the song in an aural sense is a bit stale, one
unique aspect is how the composers handle the song’s flow. Ironically, though,
the way the composers handled the song’s flow is by not handling it at all—in a somewhat figurative sense, of course,
as the composers seem to have very much intended this. Specifically for what I
am referring to, I wish for readers to notice how the song’s intensity plays
out. “URMOO” follows the usual pop music binary format in the sense of how
there is a buildup that is met with a climax, but what is quite interesting is
how the intensity naturally fades out rather than direct action taking place to
control that very fading. For example, the post-chorus best highlights this.
This section is placed right after the chorus—the typical climaxing point of
pop songs, and indeed this is the case for “URMOO.” The effects from the
post-chorus, though, is that it allows “URMOO” to relax its heightened, upbeat
state in a manner that perfectly suits with the song’s sonic component—in other
words, a chance for an electronic solo. Likewise, even on the side of hyping up
the song, we find some subtle strategies implemented. The rap is another solid
example: this moment follows right after the post-chorus, and given that the
rapping followed a quicker and strong pacing, it easily allowed “URMOO” to flow
right back into the pre-chorus—a section that begins hastening the song. And
so, even if the song’s sounds lack chemistry, we have to acknowledge that on a
structural level the song is definitely linked. Each section manages to flow to
the next fluently, and with the rapping and post-chorus, I argue their roles
were well developed and are rather effective in action.
All
in all, “URMOO” is a song that has potential. Structurally, the composers created
a very cohesive song. Unfortunately, though, when it comes to the actual sounds
used, besides already using a rather typical concept of being heavily electronic-based,
the composers come short with making all of the sounds work with one another.
As it stands, the song lacks variety in terms of its physical sounds
particularly because each distinctive sound—be it the electronic-based
instrumental or traditional instrumental or even vocals—is used merely to
indicate where the song is in a
structural sense. If the composers were able to make the electronic sounds work
directly with the vocals or at the very least so that the electronic sounds in
of themselves had more of a value besides indicating that a listener is at the
choruses, perhaps “URMOO” would be much stronger.
Overall,
VARSITY’s debut song holds as average. While fans might be disappointed as they
expected this song to be much stronger, we have to bear in mind this is their debut song. In my personal experience
and opinion, many—many—debut songs
are weaker than usual and are never a fair gauge to a group’s music qualities. This
is expected as idols are still developing their vocal skills; companies are
still experimenting with appropriate song concepts; and ultimately that more
complex song compositions—the “better” songs—are saved until artists are ready
for them. For some examples off the top of my head, here are a few debut songs
that I would review as “weaker”: MAMAMOO’s “Mr. Ambiguous”; GFriend’s “Glass
Bead”; TWICE’s “Like Ooh-Ahh”; Infinite’s “Come Back Again”; Red Velvet’s “Happiness”;
and so on. For why I am specifically mentioning these artists, despite me
supposedly calling their debut songs weaker, a majority of readers will easily
recognize that these groups are definitely now at the top and do have many solid songs. The point is
this: debut songs tend to be already weaker songs and thus, I hope fans realize
that VARSITY’s debut song being held as average is already very impressive, and
furthermore that improvement will
come. VARSITY can only improve from here and onwards, and while I am not
reviewing their latest comeback of “Hole in One” to see if any significant
improvements have occurred yet, I hope fans do not feel “discouraged” by this
review’s rating should that be the case.
I
personally find this to be one of my weaker reviews yet. That said, it perhaps
is more concise than usual reviews as I focused not on analyzing each section
in fine details, but instead focused more on the main points I wanted to make
about the song. To the requester, I hope this review provides new insights to
the song and that the review encourages all readers to be critical of it. Once again,
thank you for sending in this request.
As
for future reviews, I definitely plan to review LABOUM’s “Hwi Hwi” and perhaps
even IU as a friend did suggest I give her latest song a review. There are
definitely a lot more artists to cover besides these, of course, but the list
will begin here and more so as I have yet to review these artists. Look forward
to most likely “Hwi Hwi” as the next review. Until next time, “You’re my only
one”—which makes absolutely no sense except depicting me as an overly clingy
and desperate reviewer. Then again, that is partially true. Jokes aside, look
forward to “Hwi Hwi” and many more reviews to follow especially as I am on
summer break.
(In fact, I came across a blog post that went into the technical aspect and why MR Removed in of itself is already a process with major faults and unreliability. My video in particular focuses more on understanding the physical limitations of simultaneously singing and dancing and why focusing on MR Removed is a waste when it comes to the analysis of vocals and even pop music in general.)
Personal
Message: Indeed,
for once I am making a video to present my ideas and discussion. There are many
reasons for this sudden change—besides the fact that I am on summer and thus
have the time to be creative and have fun. (And I am currently working on a
review request, to clarify. Apologies for the delay; I hope to finish the review by May 9.) One reason for this video format is I desire to
reach the broadest audience possible; admittedly with videos, they garner many
more views than would a blog post. This is understandable given how videos
address more types of learning other than reading as it includes audio,
visuals, and the like. And as an upcoming educator, I entirely embrace this: I
am willing to definitely address all types of learning styles, and with this
Critical Discussion possessing an education-like tone, I decided a video format
would serve the best purpose. Furthermore, having actual audio and visuals for
this discussion is crucial as readers should be able to hear what I am discussing rather than hypothesizing and taking my
sheer words as truth. Additionally, this will also be the first time readers can hear
my physical voice—though this is definitely a downside and I wish I was
soft-spoken and sounded akin to the men in dramas who have the typical
charming, clear and crisp voices that everyone envies. I, on the other hand, was gifted with a less pretty voice.
Self-deprecating jokes aside, please feel
free to click the link and enjoy the video and discussion that comes with it. Finally
for a last point, readers should bear in mind this is a “simplistic” analysis
of MR Removed as I do not go into the heavy technical
aspects of why even the process of MR Removed is worthy of questioning. (In fact, I came across a blog post that went into the technical aspect and why MR Removed in of itself is already a process with major faults and unreliability. My video in particular focuses more on understanding the physical limitations of simultaneously singing and dancing and why focusing on MR Removed is a waste when it comes to the analysis of vocals and even pop music in general.)
Hello. Absolutely I can review one of VARSITY’s songs. Personally, after listening to both, I find that “U r my Only One” will most likely lead to a richer discussion and thus, I will be reviewing that song.
Thank you so much for sending this request in, and since I will be done with finals in a few more days, you can expect this review to be finished relatively soon. I am also quite excited to review this song as VARSITY only debuted a few months ago if correct. It is always a pleasure to gauge newer artists’ growth over time, and of course to always introduce new artists here. Look forward to the review and thank you once again for sending this in.
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