Dancing – AtrocityCL's K-Pop Review Blog

MAMAMOO – “Piano Man” Review

MAMAMOO – Piano Man

Reviewed on December 27, 2014

Personal Message: After a delay of multiple weeks, I am finally starting this review. As mentioned, I have been requested to review this song. Firstly, to the requester, deep apologies. Due to poor prioritizing and scheduling, this review has become quite delayed, and for that, I am very sorry. With requests, they deserve top priority and I find that it was extremely rude of me to delay it for this long. Thankfully, here it finally is.

Anyhow, I am glad to have received this song. As the requester stated, this song has a style that varies from other songs reviewed here, and I can definitely agree (although once we systemically take it apart, there may be closer resemblances in reality). The concept for “Piano Man” gives off a musical play aura; the vocals, instrumental, and even some aspects of the dancing give a theater theme to the song. While personally I am not a huge fan of this song’s style, I can still appreciate it and, at the very least, feel completely stunned at MAMAMOO’s vocal capabilities. Nevertheless, I will remain unbiased when reviewing this song.

A final note to add, considering my previously failed attempt at compacting reviews (AOA’s “Miniskirt” was supposed to be a “speed review”), I will proceed with another trial. This time, my plan is to whittle down the Song Structure to solely my reasoning on my scores; I will remove both the description and summarizing piece that I have included in the past. This time around, I feel a lot more confident in a shorter review due to that, but we will have to find out. My current plan is to produce more reviews at the cost of shortening them, but if things are done correctly, the quality will remain practically the same, but the quantity of reviews should be vastly increased.

Progressing on, MAMAMOO may not be a popular group, but I hope that will change. Their concept is unique, and more importantly, their skills with dancing and singing is exceptional. That said, “I’m ready for some action,” but “are you ready for perfection?” Assuming “perfection” is in the form of MAMAMOO’s singing and not my writing, I am completely prepared.

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Song Total Score: 8/10 (8/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories

– Vocals: 9/10 – Strangely, MAMAMOO’s popularity is relatively low despite how incredible their vocals are. For “Piano Man,” the group showcases versatile vocals; high notes and low notes were heard, and going from a gentle tone to an impactful, powerful one was no issue. Additionally, to suit the classier theme of “Piano Man,” the ladies sung with a soothing, slower style. This works out perfectly as it aids both the atmosphere and their general singing voices. Lastly, as expected, their vocals were exceptionally melodic. Different notes were utilized constantly, and as a result, besides further proving their skills as singers, it provides the song with a delightful flow.

Although I will not factor this into their grading, for this live performance, they were, indeed, singing live. An “MR Removed” video (a video that reveals live vocals for a performance) was made to showcase such, and considering it was uploaded to an official “MR Removed” channel, I will give it a decent amount of credibility (but, as always, they should be questioned; refer to a previous Question/Answer post for further information). Anyhow, MAMAMOO are all very adept singers. Every member individually holds exceptional singing, and for the song, their hard work and talent definitely reflects in this song’s fantastic vocals. A high score will be given.

– Song Structure: 7/10 (6.88/10 raw score)

The song goes in this structure and order:

Introduction, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Post-Chorus, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Post-Chorus, Rap, Bridge, Chorus, Conclusion (Post-Chorus)

1. Introduction: 7/10 – With this review being the second test to concising reviews, we will see how it goes. Hwasa handles the introduction.

While the introduction might not be musically charged, it is still a valid introduction. Instead of the standard protocol of seducing listeners via catchy vocals and sounds, “Piano Man” opts for a different route. Setting up the stage, literally with the performance and figuratively with “stage” being the song, is the main priority. Hwasa’s lines in addition to the instrumental created the classier, jazz style of the song. Focusing on Hwasa’s lines, they displayed a lower pitch along with being soothing. This creates subtle build-up along with potentially hooking on listeners due to soothing vocals. Later, the introduction does transition to piano keys, and this prompts an appropriate and fluent switch to the verse.

Above average will be the rating. The slower paced setup in terms of both the soundtrack and vocals were effective.

2. Verse: 7/10 – Side note, to already address the concising idea, it is definitely a struggle, but with more practice, I can see this potentially working (or back to outlining different ideas). Anyhow, Solar and Hwasa handle the first verse, and Wheein handles the second verse.

In terms of the first verse, Solar and Hwasa showcase excellent vocals. By remaining on a slower pace and using lower pitches, the song develops naturally. In addition, the vocals themselves prove to be catchy; vocals remain lingering due to the lower notes and a pacing that accommodates to the instrumental. To focus more specifically on the singing, the two members executed a small, lower note stretch at the end of every line. Not only were the endings soothing, but the song’s overall style was also well supported. For what could have been slightly better, switching the format slightly would augmented the verses even more. Both Solar and Hwasa followed the same structure, and as a result, it does become slightly dull.

Nevertheless, the overall score for the verses will hold as above average.

3. Pre-Chorus: 6/10 – Everyone chips in for the pre-chorus.

The pre-choruses are contradicting in the sense of being unique yet standard. For what is rather typical, the build-up relies on the ladies’ vocals’ looping over and over. Now, for what is different, the use of vocals to create the hype differs from the norm; usually the instrumental’s beats are responsible for this format of pre-choruses. To discuss the actual pre-choruses, a strong point is utilizing MAMAMOO’s high-tier vocals in this form. With their melodic voices complementing the lighter instrumental, not only does build-up occur, but the overall gentler and classy concept is safeguarded. Diving into the weaker aspects, the most prominent one is the format itself. Even with MAMAMOO’s vocals, structurally, the pre-choruses are not thorough; the chanting (if I may label it as that) is plain, even if melodic vocals are added, and the instrumental is equally dry.

Slightly above average will be the score. Mechanically, the vocals save the section slightly, but overall, this format was slightly disappointing. Catchy as it may be, it lacks depth in terms of being an actual structure. By being a simple textbook-version pre-chorus, its sole purpose was hyping the song for the chorus.

4. Chorus: 8/10 – Wheein and Solar team up for the choruses.

Despite a weaker pre-chorus, this section does compensate. The choruses of “Piano Man” unveil MAMAMOO’s stronger vocals. Up until this point, their singing was based on remaining serene, but with this section, the opposite occurs: impactful vocals are heard. Peering more closely, besides powerful singing, a key aspect is how the vocals were guided; the vocals in the chorus retained the established melody, and additionally, remained within the boundaries of the song’s intensity. Blind, unrestricted vocals were nonexistent; instead, vocals that can still be considered powerful yet purposefully aimed are heard.

Due to being rather solid, a relatively higher score will be given. It lacks extra quality and aspects to push it towards a 9, but nevertheless, an 8 will suffice for MAMAMOO’s strong yet controlled vocals.

5. Post-Chorus: 6/10 – Moonbyul handles the post-choruses, although technically the other members are involved for the background vocals, and thus, everyone, in short, handles the post-choruses. Realistically, however, Moonbyul is the one receiving the spotlight.

Considering the post-choruses’ role here is to aid in a smoother transition back into the song, be it the second verse or even Moonbyul’s own rap, it somewhat fails in regards to that. Ironically, the post-choruses undermine that idea, and instead, the transition can be seen as somewhat rigid. Firstly, Moonbyul’s solo lines did the proper job of returning “Piano Man” to a slower, calmer state. However, the added background vocals negate that; the other members’ background lines involved chanting “yeah” in an impactful manner. Since the background vocals replicates the choruses’ style of powerful vocals, Moonbyul’s lines lose their functionality of transitioning the song back into the gentler tone. Focusing on the singing aspect and not entirely the format itself, Moonbyul’s lines possessed little melody. The background vocals do supply satisfying vocals, but as stated, they are out of place.

Homogenous to the pre-choruses, the post-choruses are mechanically sound, for the most part, with decent vocals, but format-wise, the section does falter. Perhaps removing the background vocals, or at the very least, lightening them via reducing the power, would aid the section.

6. Rap: 8/10 – Moonbyul is in charge of the rap, and although her lines in the post-choruses can be considered weaker, she utterly redeems herself through this section.

Surprisingly, even though this song is orientated towards regular singing vocals, this rap section completely suits the song. Moonbyul’s rap contains power, melody, and flow. Of the main factors for a rap, all are present; her words possess a heavier presence due to a mixture of Moonbyul’s charisma and voice, her rap carries a tuneful component similar to the usual singing heard, and most promisingly, her flow holds as extremely smooth and fluent. Ignoring the sheer mechanical aspects, the structure of the rap remains varying, and as a result, the rap as a whole becomes augmented. For example, the initial moment of the rap emphasized the flow and tune, and towards the end, power becomes highlighted.

Overall, a very impressive rap that is deserving of a higher score. Every aspect, whether it is the mechanics or format, are all solid.

7. Bridge: 6/10 – While there are solo words, the vast majority of the bridge is sung by MAMAMOO as a group.

On the surface, this bridge is seemingly rather solid, but once everything becomes accounted for, that is not quite the case. Initial moments of the bridge were decent; the unison singing gave the usual pacifying effect heard at bridges, and Wheein’s background vocals came off powerfully. What proceeds after that, however, is questionable. Specifically, the line of “We are MAMAMOO” provides an unnecessary contrast to the bridge’s established pacing and power. When factoring in even the moment after that line, powerful vocals were always present, and while that line could have been for emphasis, in the entirety of the bridge, it is moreover misplaced than suiting. Furthermore, the overall structure was not too appealing. Repeating “let’s swing, let’s groove” became stagnant, for example.

In the end, the mechanical aspects, as expected, prove to be impressive, but for the section as a whole, the format was weaker. Slightly above average will hold as the rating.

8. Conclusion (Post-Chorus): 7/10 – The post-chorus is recycled for the conclusion.

While the post-chorus in general is not individually spectacular, for concluding the song, it proves to be effective. Rather than following the traditional route of bringing the song to a relaxed, finishing state, “Piano Man” concludes with power. Moonbyul’s lines recur, and as anticipated, the other members’ background vocals are included. In this case of having no section afterwards, the impacting background vocals, unlike in the main part of the song where transition was a concern, become viable to use as a strong finish. This leaves “Piano Man” closing with the final impressions of MAMAMOO’s adept vocals, and overall, the energetic atmosphere is kept.

Overall, a solid conclusion due to a properly reused post-chorus. Above average will be the score.

– Line Distribution: 10/10 – With only four members in MAMAMOO, the Line Distribution score should be a free 10. Adding on, with every lady possessing incredible vocals, everyone is capable of superb singing, and thus, the share should be equal.

Solar’s lines involved the first verse and the choruses. While that may seem lacking, considering the duration of lines and how the choruses occurred three times, there is no issue with her share. She had sufficient spotlight.

Moonbyul’s moments include the post-choruses and, most prominently, her solo rap section. Since the post-choruses were replayed multiple times, and including how her rap section was solely for her, there are no issues with the line share. Moonbyul left a solid impression throughout the song.

Next is Wheein. Her lines included the choruses and a solo verse. Noticing the current trend, so far, it seems that every member is responsible for two sections. Her moment at the choruses were lengthy, and to ensure her presence was acknowledged, an entire verse was also given. No issues exist here.

Finally, for Hwasa’s lines, she was involved at the introduction and the first verse. Amazingly, the trend still holds true. Like her group members, she had two sections to handle. The introduction had a longer duration, and with the first verse, even her singing was showcased. A perfect amount of time was given.

Adding an excessive factor, a lot of moments involved everyone singing. Whether it was in the form of background vocals or two-part singing such as in the final chorus, even these additional parts had equal share.

A perfect score will be given. This is outstanding for line distributions, and although numerically MAMAMOO is at an advantage, it is nevertheless quite impressive to see a perfectly shared song.

– Instrumental: 8/10 – For the instrumental of “Piano Man,” thankfully and correctly, the piano is the main instrument; after all, with a song title of such, a piano soundtrack should be included. Focusing on the soundtrack, it provides solid support for the song. In terms of creating the song’s classier atmosphere, strictly utilizing instruments that reflect a classy, jazz style aid that purpose. Additionally, individually, the instrumental is pleasing. It holds a soothing and catchy aspect; the beats and main melody from the piano complement each other to deliver a lingering effect. On the subject of complementing, the vocals and soundtrack meshed exceptionally well. With stellar vocals, the instrumental ushered attention towards the singing, but nevertheless, a supportive layer was still supplied to reciprocate the vocals’ power and energy.

A solid score will be earned here. Individually the soundtrack holds well, and with helping MAMAMOO’s singing, that is also covered.

– Meaning: 6/10 – With an intriguing title, people are most likely pondering over its meaning. “Piano Man” might be praising, as the song title goes, a man who is very talented at the piano. Or, instead of praising, it might be flirting with a “piano man.” To end the speculations, here are the Korean-to-English translated lyrics. While they are not 100% accurate, the general idea should become uncloaked:

I’m ready for some action
Are you ready for perfection?
Hey piano man
Hello, um

Such boring conversations
Such senseless guys
My high heels and carefully applied lipstick,
they don’t even notice, how boring
I think it was then you walked in
A piano man who doesn’t fit in this place
When his white finger touched the keys
My eyes were wide opened

(bumppappara bumppappara bumppappara bum
bumppappara bumppappara bumppappara)

Hey piano man, your dancing hands
The piano man, your unpredictable body movements
What can I say, I want only you and me to be in this place

To the right, to the right, to the right
To the left, to the left, to the left
(yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)

When your fingers brush against the keys
I keep getting naughty thoughts
My heart beats staccato
Hey Mr. Ambiguous
Play my body like a piano

(bumppappara bumppappara bumppappara bum
bumppappara bumppappara bumppappara)

Hey piano man, your dancing hands
The piano man, your unpredictable body movements
What can I say, I want only you and me to be in this place

To the right, to the right, to the right
To the left, to the left, to the left
(yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
(Word up, Moon Star)

It starts with the trumpet
Can I get that?
In between is the sound of the hi-hat
Drum drum kick
on top of the sweet dish of rhythm you place in the piano
Let me introduce myself
I like jeans instead of skirts,
but they’re still crazy about me

Oh swing, let’s groove, singing
Oh swing, let’s groove, my baby
Oh swing, let’s groove
Let us introduce ourselves, we are MAMAMOO
Darling you are my own

Hey piano man, when this song ends, come to me
(Come to me piano man)
The piano man, the conversation is now over
The last melody, I want it to be just you and me
(Just you and me)
I want to listen to it

Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, wanna keep meeting?
(yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)

My latter prediction holds as somewhat correct; the lyrics depict a flirtatious love story involving a lady and her love-interest, a “piano man.” Unlike the other males that have passed by, the main character becomes captivated by the piano man. His talent with the piano is what drives her interest; his “dancing hands” become an interest, and the act of his fingers “[brushing] against the keys” leads the lady to have “naughty thoughts” (perhaps such as him flirting with her instead of solely playing the piano). Other details further support the lady’s infatuation, and overall, the most unique aspect to these lyrics is the focus on the piano/music to reflect the lover’s feelings.

Between deciding a 6 or 7, I lean moreover towards a 6 due to weaker details, although they are numerous. Some details are miniscule, or somewhat irrelevant. For example, the rap section’s lyrics are not only confusing (although that may be due to translating), but it does not relate back into the flirting concept; music is related back to, but the piano man or the lady’s infatuation are not mentioned.

For “Piano Man,” unfortunately and fortunately, the ~~“Critical Corner”~~ label-to-be-decided section where we dive deeper and question the lyrics is not too relevant here. I admire that this song does shift away from the typical flirtatious stories where physical appearances are the catalyst for attraction. Instead, the main character is attracted to a certain man due to his talent with the piano, not his looks. Realistically, though, love and attraction should come over time; infatuation should not be an spontaneous emotion, but rather, developed overtime and building up due to understanding and finding out more about a love-interest. Anyhow, I cannot pinpoint anything to critically discuss for this song.

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Choreography Score: 7/10 – With this final section left, we have the choreography to grade.

Factoring in “Piano Man” ‘s concept, a flashier, upbeat dance is not expected. Simplicity and calmness are this dance’s stronger points. Peering at the syncing, most of the choreography relates to the song; the beats matched movements, and even the flow was synchronized via different gestures and such. Unfortunately, for what is weaker in the choreography, the key points proved to be slightly lacking. While they varied at times, most of them were rather plain. For example, the piano playing key point for the choruses were clever in terms of matching to the song and lyrics, but visually, the dance itself remains insipid. Other key points were also equally uninteresting. Nevertheless, the slightly weaker key points are miniscule, and considering there were some strong key points such as the pre-choruses’ tap dancing, the key points, overall, still hold as decent.

More appealing key points could potentially bump up the score to an 8, but taking a different perspective on the choreography, nothing should be altered; the dance remains less physically demanding due to simpler key points, and thus, more stamina is allocated towards singing. As a result, for MAMAMOO’s purpose, the choreography perfectly suits their main objective of showcasing their dominating vocals. Ignoring this side note, the grade will still hold as above average.

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Overall Score: 8/10 (7.5/10 raw score) – In the end, a high score of 8/10 holds. This is definitely reasonable and agreeable to. “Piano Man” discloses amazing vocals due to the members’ skills, and for the song itself, with decent song sections and a phemenonal line distribution, a high score is expected. Furthermore, even the choreography holds well.

As always, thank you very much for reading. I appreciate that you are willing to spend some time reading this review, so thank you. For the person who requested this, I hope I brought justice to this song in terms of genuinely grading it and with decently explaining. Also, apologies for a huge delay on this review; this song was requested weeks ago, but I have finally got to it. I will ensure future requests are heavily prioritized. Due to having some work to clear, my schedule has not been complete leisure time. Nevertheless, I still expect to finish strongly for December, and with my last week of break, to catch up on all my work. It is time to be like T-ARA’s Soyeon and to push through everything.

For other news, I have been recently getting a copious amount of positive feedback, and for that, I am very grateful. It is great to hear from readers and your thoughts on my review structure and writing. However, do not forget to also bring in criticism; while many shudder at that word, criticism is not necessarily bad at all, especially if it is constructive. Hearing how I can improve vastly aids my reviews, and from the past with feedback, I have learned a lot.

More important information, or at least, for those curious, I have two special reviews in mind. It has been a while since I have done show reviews, but I have two in mind. These will provide a welcoming change after a barrage of purely songs. To give hints on which shows they are, one is somewhat older, but the other one is new and ongoing (which makes me wonder if I can accurately review it). Anyhow, the first show focuses on my favorite male group, and the second focuses on one of my top groups in general. They will both hopefully be out within a few days.

This seems like an appropriate place to close, so once again, thank you for reading, for those who send in feedback, I appreciate all of the support and kind words sent. Although “the conversation is now over,” for “The last melody, I want it to be just you and me.” Stay tuned for the two upcoming show reviews (and usual song reviews). Keep checking back.

Nine Muses – “Wild” Review

Nine Muses – Wild (Live Performance)

Nine Muses – Wild (Dance Version)

Nine Muses – Wild

Reviewed on August 12, 2014

Personal Message: Well a double change of plans. So earlier I was doing this review, and got all the way to the Song Structure part, only to have to restart due to a crash. Pretty upsetting and on top of that even more upsetting was realizing how I’m always handed down the “broken” things to use; or well, things I would consider very usable but then torn down since people are expecting too much instead of being glad with what they have. So that was really upsetting but whatever, back to my own personal laptop to use for this blog.

But, like the K-Idols, regardless of how terrible a day, time to put on a smile for the others who are having a bad day. Anyways, I originally planned to review f(x)’s “Rum Pum Pum Pum” since that’d be quite an interesting, critical review. However, today is Nine Muses’ 4 year anniversary! Well technically it happened yesterday in Korea time but, for my place, it’s today. They’ve had an amazing year with 2013 with releases of “Dolls”, “Wild”, “Gun”, and “Glue”. Although this year is a bit rough, I hope to see these ladies continue to shine with even better songs. Anyways to celebrate their anniversary, I decided to review the song that got me into Nine Muses: “Wild”.

Besides being one of Nine Muses’ top songs, this song is very, very meaningful to me. To me, this is what started it all; this is what really got my passion for K-Pop, and from that, a complete change. Good change. Change for the better. K-Pop has given so much to me, and without pouring out a list, it has given me positivity. I won’t get too personal, but K-Pop has done so much. Whether it’s due to the incredible songs and choreography, hilarious and sweet group members, or even the darker, shadier side of the industry, it has definitely made an impact on my life. I am very thankful for it, and it all started thanks to these nine, amazing ladies.

I still remember the first time I watched the MV. Although I didn’t link it, feel free to YouTube it and such. It’s a very sexy MV, but not sexy in terms of pure body-revealing scenes, but rather it has a classy, passionate type of sexy. Anyways, the first time I watched it, it was a bit too much for me to handle, I was honestly disturbed (although now I am completely accustomed to Nine Muses’ style and concept). However, on the bright side, I loved the song. It was very interesting; classy yet electronic based and rocking with amazing vocals. On top of that, a fantastic choreography.

From there, I became interested in the group. And gradually, I became more and more attached to the members after seeing their dorkier sides, and after seeing the hardships they went through. In fact, former member/leader, Sera, became my role model. Anyhow, I wasn’t just interested in Nine Muses; eventually, I wandered out and found more K-Pop groups and such, and before I knew it, I found a burning passion for K-Pop. Again, it’s more than the beautiful singers/dancers and amazing song, but even the hardships and darker side of the K-Pop industry keeps me staying. This passion and what I have gained out of K-Pop is all thanks to “Wild”. It was what started this all, and without it, this blog wouldn’t be here at all nor would a lot of positivity in my life exist. For that, I am very thankful and as a result, I cherish “Wild” as a very meaningful song to me that started off this amazing journey.

But let’s forget all that stuff for now and focus on the actual song itself. “I’m burning for love love” and that love is for “Wild”, let’s venture in and take a look.

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Song Total Score: 8/10 (8.2/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.

– Vocals: 9/10 – Incredible vocal work by the beautiful, intelligent ladies of Nine Muses. As expected from them. The vocals for this song is excellent; they’re hitting a variety of notes and flow. For “Wild”, we can hear the lower notes and the exceptionally higher notes. Their singing style also varies; we can hear a slower, sexier kind of singer, but we also get to hear some very powerful, confident, impacting vocals.

Overall, a huge diversity of vocal work is done and it’s all well executed. Beautiful singing here.

– Song Structure: 8/10 (8.43/10 raw score) – Going to have scores for “Verse score”, “Pre-Chorus score”, “Chorus score”, etc.)

The song goes in this structure and order:

Introduction, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Rap, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Rap, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Conclusion (Chorus)

So 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.

Note: So a pretty standard song structure. The only funky thing is the chorus before the final chorus is different lyrically, but melody-wise, is the same.

1. Introduction: 9/10 – If it’s the introduction’s job to get people hooked, this one did that for sure.

The introduction of this song is the “Oh oh oh” part. From their vocals, they give off a catchy melody for the start. It definitely gets your attention and it starts to produce a small build-up in anticipation for the first verse. Furthermore, the instrumental is well done here. The strong beats are kicking in along with the key instrumental piano melody.

A very solid start.

2. Verse: 9/10 – I will be grading the first verse, which involves our beloved Kyungri. The second verse is with Minha and Lee Sem, but they replicate the same structure.

Already I’ll say, this is incredible. This song does an excellent job of luring in listeners. Anyhow, the verse is fantastic. Kyungri starts things off with some very solid singing. Her first two lines have a unique “tonight” pause/break at the end of a line that provides build-up and a well-crafted contrast. It’s a nice spice for listeners. Progressing on, she continues the same style of bringing a catchy melody through her vocals and finishes off the verse with a small note hold at “ dwae~” That allows a smooth transition to the pre-chorus.

Overall, very impressive work by Kyungri, and Minha/Lee Sem towards the later verse. The lines are very sweet and catchy due to the unique melody and the “tonight” provides a nice contrast which prevents any dullness to occur for the verse. Probably one of my favorite verses of all-time.

3. Pre-Chorus: 8/10 – Hyemi and Sera take the first one while Sungah and Kyungri take the second. Again, I’ll cover the first combo since the second pair practically do the same.

Heading into the pre-chorus, Hyemi kicks things off with a very fluent English line of “I’m burning for love love, junbidwaesseo”. This allowed an even smoother transition to the pre-chorus, and it adds to the song’s mood. Passing that, she sings another line in a similar format as above, except it’s purely in Korean. Hyemi’s lines were on the lower pitch side, but that’s great for building up hype and creating a sexy atmosphere. Sera follows up with the same, lower pitch style. However, she modifies things with her final line. For her last line of “neon useumeul juneun danbi gata~”, she adds some extra power for “ta”. It’s enough to give the song the needed intensity boost to transition it to the chorus, so a smooth flow into the chorus thanks to Sera.

Overall, not the most fancy pre-chorus but it definitely showcases their adeptness at singing different notes and styles. They showed off the lower notes here with Sera providing some nice power at the end.

4. Chorus: 8/10 – Wow there are a lot of choruses. I’ll be covering only one, thankfully. Pretty much, Hyemi takes the first one. Hyuna takes the next, followed by Sera. The final conclusion involves quite a few members, but I’ll cover that one separately.

For the chorus, Nine Muses puts forth high power/intensity. They’re singing with a higher pitch in addition to lots of power, so quite a lot of vocal work here. The instrumental coincides well with the chorus; the vocals and instrumental complement each other quite well. The main point of the chorus is overall the intensity; they’re putting forth a lot of that. Towards, the end, there are some great chunking of the lyrics to help relax the song for a smooth transition to the next piece. On top of that, there is a strong note hold done to further aid that transition.

Overall, I’ll be honest, not the strongest chorus I’ve heard, but it holds very well, nevertheless. The strength lies in how the song built up, and how now it finally gets to release all that hype. The instrumental plays a key role and there is still a melody going.

5. Rap: 9/10 – Although the two raps are different, they’re closely related enough for me to not make a different score. Anyhow, hot-shot Euaerin takes the first one while smart, sexy, husky-voiced Eunji takes the second.

Euaerin is killing it with her rap. How murderous can she be? Who knows but her rap was very, very nice. She had a very solid flow and pace going. Words were definitely sliding off smoothly. On top of that, it still matched up with the melody and instrumental. Lots of power and speed for her rapping. Extremely well executed and knowing Euaerin, this is to be expected. She’s a solid rapper by far and she proves it here.

Eunji’s part was solid as well; the use of her deeper voice suited her rap well, especially with the pause in the middle with “Hot Spotlight feels right”. Anyhow, she had lots of flow. Nothing was abrupt or choppy, it was quite fluent and she definitely incorporated the melody and instrumental.

Very solid rapping work done by these two stunning ladies.

6. Bridge: 8/10 – Hyemi and Hyuna form a duo for this part.

Firstly, the transition to the bridge was somewhat rough. Coming from the high powers of the chorus’ vocals, swapping to the calmer singing in the bridge was pretty rough. At least the instrumental transitioned well.

Moving past that, Hyemi sang in a slower, weaker style in comparison to the chorus. Her lines were well executed and they definitely “relaxed” the song down quite a bit. Hyuna then steps in and does the same for one line. Now at the final line, she has chopped lyrics of “no way, no way, no way…ok?” This was very well synced with the instrumental; the soundtrack followed the same flow and pacing and at the end, went completely quiet at “ok?”. Hyuna sings this part very well and still maintains the melody. This part was used as a way to fully relax the song for building up to the conclusion.

Overall, a decent bridge. Nothing too strong, and in fact the transition to the bridge wasn’t the smoothest. Hyemi and Hyuna were able to calm the song down in preparation for a final, climatic chorus and that they managed to do.

7. Conclusion (Chorus): 8/10 – So this is quite an interesting ending. So before we get further, the ladies handling the final chorus are Kyungri, Hyemi, Hyuna, and Sera.

Keep in mind, before the final chorus, there was another chorus beforehand. Although lyrically, it’s different, it follows the same structure and melody. So already, there’s a repetitive dullness feel attached to the conclusion. On top of that, the final chorus plays out exactly as the other choruses in the song; the only difference is there is a noticeable added power. That gives a solid, final climatic effect. In fact, the switch between singers is very interesting and further gives off that final, top-peak of energy effect. However, the biggest issue is how repetitive this part feels. A chorus, and then a final chorus with 4 members singing it.

Now moving past that, on the positive side, once Sera finishes her final words, the piano melody solely plays out. The key instrumental plays one final time and finally the song fully comes to a stop.

Overall, while the final, climatic effect is great, this section comes off as rather dull and repetitive. Thankfully, though, the graceful piano ending helps quite a bit but this isn’t the strongest ending at all.

– Line Distribution: 8/10 – As seen in other groups, sharing lines among 9 members is a daunting task. However, as seen in “Glue”, Nine Muses was perfect with that. For “Wild”, let’s glance at how lines were shared.

Kyungri had her own verse at the start, and appears throughout the song, so she’s covered.

Hyemi had plenty of lines and appears in multiple sections, such as the bridge, a chorus, and more.

Minha only appears once, and that’s for only two lines at the second verse, so she is lacking a bit.

Lee Sem is in a similar case. She appears in the second verse with only two lines as well. Not looking too well here.

Sera had a fair share of lines. She appears near the beginning and makes a completely return towards the end of the song.

Euaerin had her own rap section in which she excelled vastly at, so she definitely had her time.

Eunji had her own rap time, and definitely had a “Hot Spotlight” that certainly “feels right”. Alright maybe that was overkill, sorry.

Sungah appears at the second pre-chorus for about two lines, so like Minha and Lee Sem, she didn’t have too much time.

So overall, the support vocalists are a bit absent for this song; it’s understandable, though, since “Wild” is quite vocally demanding. Nevertheless, having their support on the lesser side will bring this score down to an 8/10. In the future, they thankfully managed to correct this with a perfect 10/10 for “Glue”, but for “Wild”, not quite.

– Instrumentals: 8/10 – The instrumental for this song is very different; in a good way. It utilizes both electronic and classy instruments. There’s the very prominent piano melody as well as the special electronic “screeching” noise. Overall, the soundtrack provided a lot for transitions and it accompanied the ladies’ vocals very well. On its own, however, not the most solid, but nevertheless, a very graceful and catchy instrumental that fits perfectly for “Wild”.

– Meaning: 8/10 – “Wild”. Where does this lead to, especially with a very sexy MV? I expected some racier lyrics, but let’s see if that’s the case through these not-100%-translated lyrics:

Drunk by the captivating scent tonight,
I am excited by the thought of you tonight
I am looking alright today,
I am anticipating something special might happen

I’m burning for love love, I am ready,
You are quite a sweet counterpart
You are a much needed rain which gives me laughter
For a moment in my dull life

You have become the only exit in my heart,
I become refreshed every day because of you
Two is stronger than one,
We have to stay together

I am slowly falling for you
more more and more
I fell for your trap
and I am floundering for you
Oh! my baby come on closer
You’re getting more drunk on me
You continuously cannot let go
In order for us to become one

Under the captivating moonlight, tonight
I am resting on your shoulder. Tonight

I am a little excited right now,
I am anticipating about what will happen if our lips brush

I’m burning for love, love do you know,
try to get more drunk in the perfect moment.
You’re going to melt for me more
and you will keep me inside you so you can dream

Getting saturated and slowly infiltrating,
This is my secret and
Feeling I wanted from you,
The thing that shines us uh!
Hot spotlight feels right,
moment by moment, u makin’ me high!
Our relationship is getting deeper now,
you cannot escape me you’re, you’re mine

You have become the only exit in my heart,
I become refreshed every day because of you
Two is stronger than one,
we have to stay together

The days I have passed without you,
the days I always wasted
I cannot progress further alone
No way, no way, no way… ok?

You become the long lamplight in the dark,
The light shining inside my heart
We make each other more special,
We have to stay together at all times

You have become the only exit in my heart,
I become refreshed every day because of you
Two is stronger than one,
we have to stay together

So…we have some interesting lyrics. In summary, a person (gentleman/lady) is talking about how their partner is their “only exit” for their heart and that they should stay together, since their love is so strong and they’re quite passionate for each other.

I guess I would label these lyrics as a love story, but not so much a story as is a moment. Anyhow, the big question of “is this about a couple getting ‘Wild’ at night?” It could be, like in literature, implying is all we can do. Either way, passionate love is what these lyrics focus in which is a nice change to the usual stories in lyrics. “Wild” focuses on a moment, versus a story, and I like that change up.

There are interesting details, but nothing too deep in meaning. Anyhow, solid lyrics about a “Wild”, romantic, deeply-in-love moment.

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Choreography Score: 8/10 – I’m doing my best to stay unbiased, so I’ll lean towards an 8.

For the choreography, this dance is very impressive. Throughout the entire song, they’re constantly in sync with the music which is always pleasant to witness. Transitioning members around go flawlessly and spotlight positioning is excellent with the other members becoming the support dancers. There are some great key dance points as well.

What does hold it back, though, is there’s nothing too unique with the moves; while they sync very well, it feels as if the choreography doesn’t reflect the power in the song. The syncs well with the music, but not with the intensity if that makes any more sense. The choreography feels quite “plain” when juxtaposing the song to it. There isn’t any fix for that to be honest (just how the song runs and the dance to mesh with it), but overall, a really solid dance full of grace, sexiness, and charisma.

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Overall Score: 8/10 (8/10 raw score) – I’m really confused on how this song hit an 8/10 instead of a 9.

Perhaps the choreography should’ve been a 9/10, but it just lacked the slightly needed “spice” to make it more interesting.

Anyways, “Wild” is still a fantastic song and I still hold it on top for my own personal list of best songs of all-time. It’s quite a shame that Nine Muses lost 3 members. Compare this review to “Glue” and you’ll notice how much they’ve improved; it’s insane to see that much growth. But anyways, “Wild” still holds its own and it’s still an excellent song. The vocals are outstanding here and it has a very unique instrumental. The choreography is also excellent; lots of syncing between the music and moves.

The issue in this song would overall lie towards the repetitive nature at the end, and that the choreography needs to have a unique twist added to make it stand out even more.

It’s still worth checking out, though. Definitely an excellent song and dance still.

Well the end has come once again, and I would like to say, thank you very much for reading. Making these reviews are quite fun, and I hope you enjoy them as much I do. So thank you.

My future review is most likely “Rum Pum Pum Pum” by f(x), so stay tuned for that.

It’s quite late now, but this is what I get for having my earlier entry getting discarded. Anyhow, “You have become the only exit in my heart, I become refreshed every day because of you” I hope you keep reading this blog, after all, “Two is stronger than one, we have to stay together"

Hello Venus – “Do You Want Some Tea?” Review

Hello Venus – Do You Want Some Tea? (Live Performance)

Hello Venus – Do You Want Some Tea? MV (w/ Eng Sub)

Hello Venus – Do You Want Some Tea?

Reviewed on August 3, 2014

Personal Message: I might do two reviews in one day, I’ll see. That’ll be really interesting but I doubt I have enough time, although it’d be great if I did that since then I would have a day off posting. Oh and also a funny note, I completely forgot to add “Review” to my last review of “Mr. Mr.”. That has been fixed, thankfully.

Anyhow, today I’ll be reviewing a song by Hello Venus. And I didn’t say “Hey time to review this group since they’re losing two members!”, it was pure coincidence. In fact, I actually feel slightly bad since this review is around the time Hello Venus lost their two members: YooAra and Yoonjo. I won’t be going over the news since I’m not too sure and haven’t kept up, but from what I heard, pretty much there was a company split and that meant YooAra and Yoonjo had to go to a different agency or something. Don’t quote me on this at all, just go look it up if you want to find out the real story.

Looking at this song, I believe it was their latest song and I have a say, it’s a shame that Hello Venus lost their members. They actually had quite a bit of potential; the song isn’t bad nor is their singing.

With that said, let’s see how much “potential” they had with their last song. Get comfortable for this review, and while you’re here, “Do You Want Some Tea?”

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Song Total Score: 8/10 (8.2/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.

– Vocals: 8/10 – Hello Venus is not lacking in terms of vocals at all; the six ladies are all quite talented. They each provide for the song. For “Do You Want Some Tea?”, they showcase sweet, softer vocals along with being able to hit some higher pitches. Very gentle and melodic voices are heard, a solid score here.

– Song Structure: 8/10 (8/10 raw score) – Going to have scores for “Verse score”, “Pre-Chorus score”, “Chorus score”, etc.)

The song goes in this structure and order:

Introduction, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Rap, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge (Rap), Conclusion (Chorus)

So 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.

A pretty standard structure. The bridge is a bit interesting; it’s a mix of rapping and some singing. More will be covered with that later.

1. Introduction: 8/10 – A super solid introduction.

“Do You Want Some Tea?” (I’lll probably abbreviate that…) starts with a sweet, gentle piano melody. YooYoung then starts to throw in some questions and such. There isn’t much melody to her words, but that’s not the purpose at all; her purpose was to set the stage and that she does. It sets the mood of innocence and builds some small hype. In addition, the instrumental does a great job with transitioning to the verse.

A very solid introduction. Sweetness and great transitioning from the instrumental.

2. Verse: 8/10 – YooAra and Alice take the ~~first~~…only verse in the song. A very solid duo and verse.

YooAra starts the song by adding some sweet lines. She’s building the melody and already, we can hear YooAra’s solid singing by witnessing her following through with a slower pace, maintaining a sweet melody, and some small note holds with “iljjae~” and “hagimanhae~”. The two short note holds were also very matching, with the “ae” sound at the end. This subtle detail gave a small lingering effect, nevertheless, so a neat feature here.

Now moving to Alice, she continues the sweet vocals. The pacing is still on the slow slide, but it starts picking up near the end. After her first line, there’s a unique pausing, slower moment with her saying “eotteokhae…eotteokhae…” (What do I do is the meaning). Now her final line has a small note hold, but here, it is noticeable that she adds some slight power to her singing. This is perfect for a transition.

Overall, a solid way to start the song off. YooAra and Alice provided their sweet vocals. Their ability to follow the slow pacing and to craft the melody was well done. They got the wheels moving for sure.

3. Pre-Chorus: 8/10 – Now this is some nice build up for the upcoming chorus; for the first pre-chorus, we have 4 of the ladies singing. Nara, Lime, YooYoung, and Yoonjo are responsible for it. The second pre-chorus is done by Nara, Alice, and Yoonjo.

I’ll be covering the first one as the melody is the same for both pre-choruses.

Nara is the one to start things off for the pre-chorus. Her line of “Every day! Every night! eonjejjeum deo gakkawojilkka” was quite powerful; through stronger vocals, she added intensity to the song. The English words were quite impacting with power. Lime’s part followed up with stronger vocals, but, she kept a very nice, high pitched melody going. This was very nice to hear. Next is YooYoung, and her part replicates Nara’s part in a way; YooYoung has English words of “Stupid boy, silly boy” and the flow is quite similar. Her voice isn’t as strong, but her part still fits very well. Finally we have Yoonjo finishing things off with some higher pitched, short note holds. This allowed a great transition into the chorus.

The beauty of this pre-chorus is the build up done; the instrumental was a huge piece; it accompanied the vocals very well and at Yoonjo’s part, it supported her with the transition. Overall, a solid pre-chorus that does its job of creating hype for the chorus.

4. Chorus: 8/10 – Now we’re at the chorus. I’ll be covering the first group that handles it, which is YooAra, Alice, Yoonjo, and Lime. The other choruses are the same minus different members singing.

Anyhow, YooAra initiates this part. Her singing is vastly stronger here; this is to keep the chorus in a high intensity state, and it works perfectly. She still maintains the sweet melody as well. Alice then continues YooAra’s part by providing her power-filled vocals as well. Alice’s lines are quite similar in terms of keeping up the melody along with adding to the chorus’ energy. Next, YooAra comes back and brings the intensity back down through lowering her pitch at the end of her last line and by having a mini note hold there. The sweet melody is still kept.

Despite this, though, it isn’t the end of the chorus. Now there is a small break in the middle of the chorus; in the background, we can hear “Oh baby my boy” and such repeated for a few seconds. The instrumental is still somewhat strong here. Anyhow, after this break, Yoonjo comes in with solid singing. She’s continuing the intensity with stronger vocals and carries the melody. Lastly, Lime finishes off the chorus with slowing the pacing and by ending with a lower pitched, short note hold.

Overall, a solid chorus. Nothing too spectacular but it was good. The flow was great. Seeing the ladies offering stronger vocals to increase the intensity was awesome. The melody was still very sweet and catchy. The pause in the middle was short enough to not cause any problems, but I found its use there fine. It allowed a quick pause and allowed the instrumental to be highlighted for a bit.

5. Rap: 7/10 – Time for YooYoung’s rap.

The instrumental allowed a smooth transition to her spice of “Hey, boy listen”. Her execution wasn’t bad at all, but this rapping wasn’t too solid. She didn’t give too much melody nor was her flow/pacing extremely catchy. It felt like a filler part; with the instrumental still being in a relaxed state, YooYoung’s part felt like it was there just for the sake of having vocals. Not the most solid rapping I’ve heard, but it wasn’t terrible. The placement could’ve been better. After coming from an energetic chorus, having a slower, dull rapping part gave a really rough switch.

Not too bad, but it wasn’t anything special at all. Executed and forgotten.

6. Bridge (Rap): 8/10 – Now this part is really unique; it has a blend of singing and rapping. Alice, Lime, and YooAra cooperate for this part. Pretty much, Lime does the rapping while Alice and YooAra support her with regular singing.

Alice starts things off. Her part wasn’t to show off any fantastic singing, rather, it was to provide a smooth transition to Lime. Alice’s part was her starting from a high pitch, but gradually, she lowers her pitch. Doing so brings the intensity down, which then would allow Lime’s rapping to fit in quite well. Once Lime starts rapping, she’s on faster side and is on the low pitch. An interesting thing done here is YooAra provides some two-part singing here in order to layer/back up Lime’s rapping. For example, Lime rapped “naenae gominhaesseo” but YooAra also sang that line. This created a layering effect and a small energy boost for this section. And finally, YooAra finishes up the bridge with a sweet yet extremely powerful line. At the end of her line, she does a very high pitched note hold with “…tende~ Oh oh~”. This allowed a quick transition for the final chorus.

Overall, lots of great chemistry here. Rapping mixed with some powerful vocals was awesome. Lime did an excellent job of executing her rap and YooAra finishes it all up nicely.

7. Conclusion (Chorus): 9/10 – The conclusion reuses its chorus.

Now, the ending is just the regular chorus however, for the final peak of intensity and to follow up YooAra’s previous work in the bridge, there’s a lot of two-part singing done here. This allows a final climatic moment, very satisfying work here.

Now towards the very end, YooAra does her final line and has a small note hold and slowly it dies out. The instrumental has also emulated that; it dies off only a few moments after YooAra’s voice does. A very nice conclusion. The amazing two-part singing brings it all together for a final peak of intensity. In terms of ending the song, the instrumental dies out properly along with YooAra’s final note hold. A very strong ending.

– Line Distribution: 9/10 – 6 members, let’s see how the lines were split.

Alice had plenty of lines throughout the song and had some impacting parts, so no problems for her. She and YooAra were the prominent singers.

Nara was heard at the first and second pre-choruses. However, that was it, so a bit lacking in comparison to the other members.

YooAra had plenty of lines, and similar to Alice, had lots of vocal spotlight for her amazing talent; no issues here.

Yoonjo was heard throughout the song; her lines weren’t lengthy, but due to how ubiquitous she was, she had her fair share. She appears at first pre-chorus and chorus, the second pre-chorus, and the conclusion.

Lime had a few short lines, but she did have a rapping section all to herself (excluding YooAra’s two-part singing of course).

Lastly, YooYoung has her solo rapping part along with a line at the verse. Let’s also not forget she was the one with the introduction, so she definitely had time to shine.

Overall, pretty solid line distribution. The only issue is Nara is a bit absent at times, but she’s still there. Lime is also a bit lacking, except her bridge section redeems that.

– Instrumentals: 8/10 – A very solid instrumental soundtrack. The piano melody is a huge component; this instrumental backs up the ladies’ vocals extremely well. Transitions are also helped with thanks to this. Furthermore, the instrumental perfectly reciprocates the intensity of the vocals; if the ladies sing softly, the instrumental does the same. Once the ladies pick it up, so does the instrumental and it becomes more intense.

A very beautiful, sweet and joyful soundtrack. Solid for sure.

– Meaning: 8/10 – “Do You Want Some Tea?”, an interesting title. Let’s see what story is behind the title through these translated English lyrics, not 100% accurate:

Hey, listen up!
Where you at now?
You ready to tell me, boy!

It’s been 100 days since we started dating
It’s still a bit awkward between us

Today I have a date with you for the first time in a while
What do I do, what do I do,
The sun is already setting

Every day, every night hen will we get a bit closer?
I can’t even say it because I’m the girl
Stupid boy, silly boy, I can’t wait any longer
Today I will be courageous and tell you

After the evening sun sets, after the darkness falls
Will you take me home?
I don’t want to say goodbye yet
Do you want to get to know me more?
Then do you want to come in and have some tea?
This night is too long by myself
I want to know you more
I ask of you until the morning comes

Hey, boy listen,
I went to that cafe with you
But now let’s be together at my place
It’s embarrassing but I will take courage and tell you
Do you want to have some tea at my place?

That’s strange, I’m curious,
Do you even love me?
Or are you just caring for me?
No, stupid, this isn’t what I want
I will throw away my pride and tell you

Want to have some tea? Come on in
I want to be with you alone together
I thought hard about this on our way home
Don’t just stand there like a fool and come to me
It would be nice if you would notice this first

A really innocent story. Pretty much, a lady is wanting to ask her boyfriend out on a date (a tea date, etc.); however, due to stereotypical gender roles, shyness, and a bit of awkwardness still among the couple, she’s reluctant to ask.

Now before we get any further, I do want to be critical and rant a bit about “Do You Want Some Tea?” with its story. In specific, the gender stereotype. Regardless of your gender, I think there should be absolutely no shame whatsoever when it comes to who asks who out; does it matter? If you two are in love with each other, whoever asks is whoever. Both people should be taking each other out, not just the man or woman.

However, ignoring that, I find the story extremely cute. It’s very innocent with how the lady is mustering up the courage to be the person to do the asking, hence, “Do You Want Some Tea?” The question and offer of being the person to take her boyfriend out.

There are some interesting details that further construct this story, but nothing too sophisticated. Nevertheless, above average lyrics.

Oh and before I end, there are some people who believe this song could be somewhat racy, and to be honest, looking over the lyrics, that’s potentially true. However, Hello Venus themselves addressed it and that was not the intended idea. Nevertheless, even if it does lean that way, the same sweetness and innocence is kept in terms of the lady gathering the strength to be the first one to ask.

So overall, very solid lyrics. An interesting and adorable story. My only complaint is the gender stereotype situation, but other than that, not an issue.

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Choreography Score: 7/10 – The choreography isn’t bad at all; don’t get me wrong, it’s decent, but it feels really repetitive.

The dance for this song has quite a decent amount of syncing between this and the music, it’s lacking at some points but otherwise great connections. Transitions are smooth and spotlight positioning is great. The biggest issue though, is as I said earlier, it gets somewhat repetitive. While the dance matches the mood of the song very well with staying sweet and innocent, due to the more passive moments, it does become dull. A lot of the moments seem too similar to one another. As a result, it starts getting a bit boring near the end.

All in all, a decent dance that does everything perfectly when it comes down to the mechanics and staying in theme. It just becomes a bit too repetitive with staying all soft and gentle.

It’s a tough situation since adding a bit more power/change up to the choreography would most likely ruin the theme, so there’s no easy solution. Anyhow, I feel that Hello Venus did their best with executing the dance, so props to them for that.

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Overall Score: 8/10 (7.5/10 raw score) – This leaves us with a 8/10. I can agree with that. The choreography is actually on the weaker side when it comes to this song, but the musical piece itself is very solid.

The vocals are extremely sweet, powerful, and melodic. The instrumental is also just as solid. A really great song.

It’s quite saddening to hear that Hello Venus lost two valuable members. “Do You Want Some Tea?” proves that they had potential; this song wasn’t the best, but it was far from the worst. They definitely could’ve kept growing. While I am not a fan of the cuter concepts, Hello Venus managed to get me despite that. Perhaps in the future we will see them overcoming this setback. Hopefully, we get to see Hello Venus again with an even stronger song.

So the end has come once again, thank you for reading this. Hopefully you enjoyed this and I do apologize if this is subpar to my other reviews. I was a bit rushed and in fact, I did the song section but then had to leave for a few hours and then once I returned, I finished the rest. Apologies if anything seems off.

I’m not sure on what to review next although I still am going off that list from way back in July, so perhaps one of those songs. Anyhow, expect more reviews to come. I might change it up and do a male group since I’ve been focused on only the female groups for the past reviews.

Anyhow, thank you again for reading. “I don’t want to say goodbye yet” but I do want to ask “Do You Want Some Tea?”

Girls’ Generation – “Mr. Mr.” Review

Girls’ Generation – Mr. Mr. (Dance Practice)

Girls’ Generation – Mr. Mr.

Reviewed on August 1, 2014

Personal Message: It is now the time of August! Time to look back at my Archive page to see how hectic July was. But anyhow, a new month, a new chapter. I started this blog on my birthday of July 7, and seeing how time flies by is scary; I hardly expected much to come out from this blog but, that’s been proven wrong. Anyhow, let’s keep the journey going, shall we? Oh and on a smaller note, I’ll probably be busy for a few days so reviews may become scarce for the time being. I’ll try my best to keep posting, though.

As promised, today I’m going to review “Mr. Mr” by Girls’ Generation. Personally, I’m not exactly familiar with them. I think they’re an excellent group, but I sadly don’t quite follow them. Anyhow, they’ve been one of Korea’s top groups. They’re stylish, talented, cute, and dorky. Very talented and experienced, seasoned ladies by this point in time, so let’s see how well their latest song fares.

“Let’s go!”

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Song Total Score: 8/10 (7.8/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.

– Vocals: 9/10 – After listening to this song for a copious amount of time, I’m confident to say that the vocals are excellent.

Every line holds its own; from what I can tell, every member does their part. There are some more intense vocal work done in this song, most notably, at the later parts. At the bridge section, for example, there are some crazy singing skills at play.

All in all, very solid vocals from the nine ladies of Girls’ Generation. Extremely talented singing was done.

– Song Structure: 8/10 (8.43/10 raw score) – Going to have scores for “Verse score”, “Pre-Chorus score”, “Chorus score”, etc.)

The song goes in this structure and order:

Introduction, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge 1, Bridge 2, Conclusion (Chorus)

So 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.

Note: A “standard” song structure. There’s the verse, then pre-chorus, then chorus, then repeat. Of course, with the usual introduction, conclusion, and a bridge. So quite normal for a song and the syntax/order of it is normal as well. The only differing part would be the bridge; I’ve classified it into two types: Bridge 1 and Bridge 2. Both are in the bridge category, but there’s a momentous change from the first to the second.

1. Introduction: 7/10 – The introduction I’m referring to here is before any singing occurs at all. Just the instrumental; the electronic bass, distorted sound.

I feel guilty to label this part as the sole “introduction”, since to be honest, the first verse is practically the introduction as well. But, just to keep it consistent with how I’ve reviewed songs in the past, I’m following the same trend.

The introduction here isn’t extremely solid. It’s average. The moment the song starts, the key instrumental is given away, but it’s very stale by itself. It’s the bass-line sound; distorted and “electrified”. Later once the vocals accompany it, it works very well, however, on its own for the start, very plain.

A standard start. It sets the key instrumental but nothing else is brought up. While this may a rough initial score, it does get better.

2. Verse: 8/10 – There are two verses in this song; the first is the pair of Taeyeon and Seohyun while the other verse is with Jessica and Tiffany.

I’ll be grading the first pair since Jessica/Tiffany replicate the other verse.

As I’ve stated earlier, the harsher introduction perfectly slides in the song once the vocals kick in. Taeyeon kicks things off with a very powerful “Let’s go!”. This was a perfect line as it connected the introduction to the verse. In fact, thanks to this, the introduction by itself isn’t necessarily bad anymore; “Let’s go!” attaches itself to the introduction in a way that meshes the first verse with it.

Anyhow, the verses in this song are excellent. Taeyeon’s first lines give off quite some power and that already starts establishing the intensity of “Mr. Mr.” Seohyun’s line are quite similar; although her vocals are slightly weaker, she still brings in the same effect.

A really key feature about the first verse is there’s a play on words, or more accurately, the sound of words, from English to Korean.

Taeyeon’s line of “Let’s go!” has the same sound as her second line of “dwaetgo”. Both “…go” were parallel in sound and in power; a really subtle but amazing detail added here. Adding on, Seohyun follows that pattern with the words “jaego” and her “Oh oh oh…” ending. Now speaking of Seohyun’s “Oh oh” ending, that allowed an easy transition to the next part of the song.

In total, a solid verse. Lots of powerful vocals exchange in addition to a great play on the ending of words for the first verse. Solid singing from the ladies.

3. Pre-Chorus: 9/10 – For the pre-chorus, there’s quite a bit of variety in terms of singers; for the first pre-chorus, Sunny, Yoona, and Jessica take it. The second pre-chorus has the trio of Sunny, again, along with Sooyoung and Yuri. As usual, I’ll be grading the first squad of Sunny, Yoona, and Jessica. The second pre-chorus is different lyrically, but musically, it follows the same melody and pacing and such.

The pre-chorus is definitely a very solid part of the song. Let’s break down the different aspects.

So the moment the pre-chorus hits, the instrumental morphs itself; it has the “build up” sound quality to it in terms of getting passive in order for a build up to occur. This works to the function of the usual pre-chorus, the standard hyping up for the chorus.

In terms of singing, Sunny takes the lead. She brings a softer melody to the song, in contrast to the powerful vocals that the previous section has given. Yoona follows up and emulates Sunny’s line. Both the ladies are bringing the intensity/energy level of the song down slowly. This is perfect for creating a climax. After Yoona, we get to hear Jessica. Her singing is on the slower pace, and her pitch is on the lower side. This is just adding on to the build up process. Her final lines, though, are quite catchy. “You bad bad bad boy, you so bad”.

So far what we can notice is Sunny and Yoona had normal paced lines, but Jessica gradually slows down the song with her part. Her final line made the song feel like it came to a complete stop; now this is stretching out a build up process for sure, but at least it wasn’t over done. The last word of “bad” was editted and distorted and had its pitched lowered and lowered, so even more work towards reaching the chorus. This part is fine. It granted a smooth transition for sure.

In short, the pre-chorus was a very, very extensive build up process. The 3 ladies worked together to slowly bring the song down which would then allow an extremely energetic chorus. Thankfully, it worked out; the build up was excellent and it definitely gets listeners hyped for the chorus. The only risk is it can be considered too long for a build up, but since it was mostly Jessica bringing the song down, it didn’t feel too long. Overall, solid work by the ladies.

In terms of the other pre-chorus, it follows the same trend, the difference, though, are the lyrics.

4. Chorus: 9/10 – Looking at the song lyrics, I could’ve made a post-chorus section, but I think overall, just keeping it was one chorus would make life a lot easier. Anyways, it’s time for the chorus. After such a dramatic hype for it, will it disappoint? Let’s see.

It definitely does not disappoint at all; an extremely catchy and solid chorus.

There are so many powerful aspects to this song’s part, but before we continue, I’ll be covering the first chorus. Every other chorus follows the same format, except different members sing.

Moving on, the best way to describe the chorus is through one word: teamwork. Firstly, everyone is singing the chorus (or at least it seems that way, if I’m wrong, then well free credit to Girls’ Generation).

Now, through the chorus, there are some nice two-part singing. Nothing intense, but it’s a nice added layer. To be specific, every time the ladies sing “Mr. Mr”, some other member sings. Yuri does that for the first chorus with “Mr. Mr. (nal bwa)”, for example.

Continuing, after the first 4 initial “Mr. Mr.” have passed, a member has a solo singing part. For the first chorus, Taeyeon was that person. Her part brought back the song to a single voice versus the entire group singing. She sang with sufficient power to match the chorus’ high intensity but she still managed to carry the flow and melody perfectly. After her, Tiffany comes with with a small line to carry out the flow and power, but quickly after her, Seohyun steps in and does the same. That isn’t the end, though, now both the ladies finish the chorus together with “Geuge baro neo Mr. Mr.” They continued the same melody and pacing as well.

Finally, the chorus ends by repeating “Mr. Mr.” until it fades into the verse. A perfect transition for the next part. Adding on, the instrumental also provides a lot of intensity to the song and it aids the vocals very well. Great synergy between vocals and instrumental.

The real beauty behind this chorus is probably through how lines are shared. Everyone is singing, then a member has her spotlight with two-part singing. After that, a member has a few lines to sing alone. Then after that, a member takes a few words followed up by another singer who takes a few words. However, after that, they both sing the same final line. Just the switch up between the singers in the group is fantastic; it provides a really climatic moment for the song in addition to hearing a diversity of sweet voices. An impressive chorus for sure.

5. Bridge 1: 7/10 – This is the part with the countdown. Err, count…up? We’ll just call it counting.

Ignoring the terrible joke, Bridge 1 honestly felt like a bridge, for the bridge. This part is where the counting occurs and then the funky instrumental begins. There’s very little singing although words are thrown in such as “Hey, hey” and “Mr. Mr., Mr. Mr.” Bridge 1 isn’t quite the strongest, especially for a bridge, it doesn’t seem to be a bridge for the song as a whole, it seems to be building up towards another part, which actually seems to be the intended goal. Either way, the funky instrumental is unique yet useful. It allows the song to calm itself and to recycle itself so that another top-notch intense/energetic part can occur again.

Why Bridge 1 is somewhat weak is due to it relying upon a weaker instrumental; the same distorted, electrified bassline is heard. It’s a bit more…distorted and it gives it a powerful funky tune. Hearing this alone, though, isn’t enlightening. As stated earlier, the instrumental works well WITH vocals, but not without. The transitioning to and after are great. Previously, the past section had the instrumental down down properly. Now transitioning to the next part has the instrumental changing into a different tune. It becomes lighter and perfectly fits for the higher notes to come.

6. Bridge 2: 10/10 – I love this part. For sure, this is my favorite part of the song.

For this section, there’s a lot of support role done along with very, very outstanding vocal work done.

Bridge 2 kicks off with Sooyoung and Yoona singing their lines together. They sing in a high pitch, but they do it quickly and quietly. They provide support for Taeyeon’s singing that occurs. Taeyeon’s line are extremely powerful; the melody is carried by her as well through her strong singing. Sooyoung and Yoona are aiding their vocals to back her up. Now next up we have Hyoyeon and Yuri doing the support role. This time, Tiffany is adding her powerful vocals at work. It isn’t over yet, though. Once Bridge 2 transitions to the final chorus, Tiffany adds the final climatic peak of energy through an extremely powerful, high pitched, and lengthy note hold of “Mister~ Oh~”

Bridge 2 does a fantastic job with having a main singer then back up singers. Teamwork is showcased here. Furthermore, Tiffany’s final note hold was an astonishing, satisfying, last-top-peak energetic line. An amazing bridge that utilizes extraordinary vocals along with great supporting vocals as well.

7. Conclusion (Chorus): 9/10 – A perfect ending. After such an energetic Bridge 2, “Mr. Mr.” manages to wrap itself nicely.

For this part, the chorus is recycled once more, but it is a lot more energetic. The instrumental is also “lighter”, this helps augment the higher pitched vocals at this point. For the last chorus, it’s homogeneous to the other choruses except this one has some great two-part singing to add the final sprinkle of intensity. There are lots of “Oh~” and “Whoa~” parts added. The ladies here are adding everything they can for a final shot; higher pitched note holds, very melodic voices, lots of power, it is definitely a solid punch for an ending. Very satisfying. At the very end, the instrumental dies out properly as well. A quick, but smooth end. No cuts or abruptness.

– Line Distribution: 8/10 – Nine members, so let’s see how the ladies had their lines shared among each other.

Taeyeon had so much spotlight, but she wasn’t dominating it. She was used when powerful vocals were needed, and serve she did. Excellent vocal work done by her, and her given lines proves it.

Jessica had a lot of lines as well; she was seen at the verses, pre-choruses, and does some two-parting at the conclusion. So for sure, she had her spotlight.

Sunny was heard in multiple sections; although she lacks near the end, she was quite prominent through the other parts.

Tiffany was similar with Taeyeon in that she provided a lot of powerful lines; she had a huge impact on the song. Positively, she had her time.

Hyoyeon is on the quieter side; nevertheless, we hear her with two-parting at one chorus along with tagging up with Yuri towards Bridge 2. I think she’s also in the conclusion, so she wasn’t exactly left out.

Yuri seems to be on the quieter side as well. She does some two-parting but also has a great solo part for the second pre-chorus.

For Sooyoung, she had some tag-teaming with Yoona for Bridge 2, and she seems to have added the “Mr. Mr.” during Bridge 1. Also, she had one line at the second pre-chorus. Not completely ditched.

Yoona probably has the least from what it seems like; she had one line at the first pre-chorus and then later partners up with Sooyoung for Bridge 2. She could’ve used maybe one more line, though.

Seohyun is the last on the list, but she definitely had some lengthier lines. She is in the first verse, has a few words at the first chorus, then makes a return at the conclusion. She had her time for sure.

Overall, I’ll give an 8/10 since some members are lacking and could’ve had some more, but we have to remember, everyone does sing the chorus, so props for that. Not disappointing, though, and as always, sharing lines among nine members is extremely difficult. Their line distribution was the best it could be with allowing the stronger singers to strive while still allowing everyone else lines. And of course, everyone sings along in the chorus.

– Instrumentals: 7/10 – As mentioned earlier, the instrumental by itself is quite weak. Electronic based. It serves its job on the bright side, with aiding transitions, which it does extremely well, and it complements Girls’ Generation’s vocals very well.

Average instrumental alone, but with the singing of the ladies, it works very well.

– Meaning: 7/10 – Many of you may be inquiring, “Mr. Mr.”, what could the lyrics be about? I had no idea, perhaps a way of flirting with a mister, or maybe a way of telling off a mister. Who knows, but let’s find out through the English translated lyrics. Not 100% accurate, but close:

Let’s go! What are you worried about?
What are you afraid of?
If you keep measuring things out, it’ll be too late
Oh oh oh~, Oh oh oh~

Every day brings a different kind of nervousness
I want someone to take the lead
But you ignore it and close your eyes
You bad bad bad boy, you so bad

Be stronger
Mr. Mr. (look at me)
Mr. Mr. (yes you, you, you)
You made my heart race
Mr. Mr. (the best man)
Mr. Mr. (that’s you)
You make broken glass from scars
turn into stars Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr.
The chosen one to make me shine,
that is you Mr. Mr.

Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr.
Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr.

Why can’t you believe it yet?
I’ll tell you the real secret
Of why you are a special Mr.
Oh oh oh~, Oh oh oh~

You have the key to open the future
So have a dream that is bigger than a little boy’s
Place me in your shining eyes
My Mi, Mi, Mister, Rock this world

1, 2, 3, 4
Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey,
Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr.
Hey, Hey, Hey
Wooh~

(In this world) in front of you
(before anyone else) throw yourself
(More intensely) more intensely
(Mr. Mr.) Mister
(Only you) can fulfill
(just one thing) for the tomorrow
(That you and I will live inside) Mister

Alright, the meaning seems to be about a lady telling the gentleman she’s in love with to, well, be a “Mr. Mr.” and to make the move. What’s the move, you ask? Proposing to finally be girlfriend/boyfriend, marriage, etc.

The lyrics are average; it’s just the lady explaining why she loves him and that she’s urging him to make the first move and to “Be stronger” and take that chance.

There are some interesting details, but nothing sophisticated at all. A love story, or a give-me-your-love story as I like to call them.

Average lyrics.

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Choreography Score: 9/10 – “Mr. Mr.” does contain a very fun choreography to watch; it’s classy and stylish, and therefore sexy. It’s also quite powerful when the chorus hits.

The syncing is dead-on, lots of connections between the music and movements. Transitioning goes very smoothly. Positioning also highlights the singers, which is always awesome. Later, male dancers do come in as back up, and normally seeing SO many people dancing would seem chaotic, but “Mr. Mr.” has it in check; they’re there to provide the ladies someone to dance with for certain parts. Some background filler it seems, but fitting.

The only part I find out of place is the single male dancer part; while Jessica and him share a specific scene, once Tiffany comes in and knocks him to the ground (not literally, of course), he does a roll and the ladies walk over him. Not the smoothest transition to get out, and it would’ve been nicer if Tiffany’s entrance had pushed him out versus placing him on the floor. Would’ve made the transition easier and then the dance would possess no awkward rolling-around part.

Overall though, very solid dance. The bridge dance part is also quite badass if I may use that word; lots of power there and great execution.

Check out the video above to see!

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Overall Score: 9/10 (8.5/10 raw score) – A 9/10, I agree with that.

“Mr. Mr.” is an awesome, fun song. Lots of incredible singing done by the ladies of Girls’ Generation. The song itself is quite catchy and solid, and the choreography is amazing. I highly recommend this song.

Considering the ladies are practically veterans in the K-Pop industry, I think this song does them some justice; I haven’t heard all of their other songs, though, but I heard enough and I think “Mr. Mr.” does show off their very skilled singing abilities.

As always, thank you very much for reading this review and my blog. I sincerely appreciate it, so thank you very much. Before we end, like I said, I may not have anything up for a few days since I’ll be away. On top of that, I have some other things to do and I personally might be grinding and training hard for my E-Sports thing for a bit. BUT, knowing how much I love Korean Pop and reviewing songs, I doubt I’ll be away (if at all) for a while.

Cheers for a new month! A brand new month so a time to hone in some stronger, entertaining and thought-provoking reviews. I will work even harder for my readers, so expect that.

And before I forget, I have to do my obligated advertisement of “Jessica & Krystal”, watch that show if you haven’t checked it out. That show follows the daily lives behind the sisters. Very cute, heartwarming, and funny. K-Pop idols are truly one of the most hardworking people out there and they provide a great example for others.

Anyhow, time for me to get off soon since I’m going to have to wake up super early. Thanks once again. “You make broken glass from scars
turn into stars” and “The chosen one to make me shine, that is you”

F(x) – “Electric Shock” Review

F(x) – Electric Shock MV

F(x) – Electric Shock Live Performance

F(x) – Electric Shock

Reviewed on July 30, 2014

Personal Message: So a bit late with reviews, but it’s just one day. Right? Anyhow, I’ve finally done the Guitar Tabs Tutorial post and have a YouTube video linking to it, so that’s fancy. Hopefully people enjoy that.

Anyways, what am I reviewing tonight? None other than F(x)! And heads up, it was quite hard finding a live performance video that had decent quality/camera angles. Thankfully I found one, and I totally forgot, though, that the music video of “Electric Shock” has a lot of the dancing in it, so that can also be used to see the choreography.

So “Electric Shock” was…two summers ago? Yup. Two years ago and actually, this was one of the very first K-Pop songs I heard in my life. As a result, personally, this song is meaningful in that regard.

What brings me to review it you may ask, well, my answer is I’ve been a huge fan of Krystal and her sister’s show: “Jessica & Krystal”. It’s heartwarming, cute, funny, it’s a great show.

Anyhow, I’ve become motivated to give F(x) and Girls’ Generation some love through reviews, so off we go.

It’s time to get an “E-E-E-Electric Shock” from this review!

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Song Total Score: 8/10 (7.8/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.

– Vocals: 8/10 – Definitely solid vocals from the ladies. All 5 of them can be ~~seen~~ heard singing and their vocals are above average.

There’s nothing too intense or straining from the look of the song; nevertheless, they showed off great control. From building up a melody or to hitting the higher notes, F(x) proves they can sing. All of them also have really unique voices.

Overall, solid vocals. Nothing too impressive but it’s not lacking at all.

– Song Structure: 8/10 (8.29/10 raw score) – Going to have scores for “Verse score”, “Pre-Chorus score”, “Chorus score”, etc.)

The song goes in this structure and order:

Introduction, Verse 1, Verse 2, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Verse 1, Verse 2, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, Bridge (Pre-Chorus), Chorus, Conclusion (Chorus)

So 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.

Alright so, a very basic song structure. The only wonky thing is how there are two consecutive verses (two types, though) and that the final pre-chorus acts as a bridge, although I won’t be grading that part directly.

1. Introduction: 8/10 – F(x) decides to shock the listeners from the start.

This introduction starts off on a pretty upbeat pacing already. Krystal and Amber both take turns saying “Electric” and “Electric shock”. The stuttering “E-E-E-Electric shock” also takes place here.

So overall, a solid introduction. It gets the instrumental flowing, which is electronic (Go figure, right? And it’s F(x)’s style so twice as fitting). And now I’m really wondering on how often I’ll say electric. Anyways, the vocals here aren’t the strongest; it’s just Krystal and Amber saying “electric shock” and eventually all the members chip in at the end.

The good thing of this introduction is how it sets the stage; the electronic instrumental is given away along with the key phrase and the stuttering of “electric shock”.

2. Verse 1: 8/10 – So there are two verses for this song. Verse 1 is the first one and type. Verse 2 is the one with the two-part singing of “Haha” and “Yeah” added in between the regular singing.

Anyways, for Verse 1, Krystal and Sulli handle the first one while Luna and Victoria handle the second.

The chemistry with Krystal and Sulli was exceptional; both of them backed up each other, and as a result, a solid Verse 1.

Krystal kicks off the song with stronger vocals; she follows a choppier rhythm and flow. This perfectly syncs up with the song’s beats and helps build the unique, “electric shock” melody that is crafted. After Krystal’s part, Sulli steps in and continues what she started. She follows the same, powerful and pausing flow and continues the melody.

Overall, for Verse 1, this part is still setting up the song; there isn’t much vocal work being done here necessarily with hitting higher/lower notes or having to hold a note, it’s all about following the instrumental’s flow along with the beats. Krystal and Sulli do a great job at that, though. A solid verse in the song.

Later in the song, Luna and Victoria have this part. It’s relatively the same as what Krystal and Sulli did, so I’m not going to cover it.

3. Verse 2: 8/10 – Verse 2 follows right after Verse 1. In contrast, we can see that in this part, the flow is changing. Instead of choppier, pausing lines to follow the beat, it slowly melts away into a regular pacing.

Amber and Victoria take the first Verse 2 while Sulli and Amber again take the second Verse 2. For the second Verse 2, Sulli and Amber follow the same format as their groupmates did earlier, so I won’t cover them.

Verse 2 is quite interesting; what sets it apart from Verse 1 is the two-part singing done. Amber does an excellent job singing; like the earlier format, there’s power, some pausing/choppier flow to match the instrumental, but she executes it well nevertheless. What’s unique here is the rest of the ladies add in a “Yeah” or an “Oh” or a “Haha” after Amber finishes one line. This creates a nice build up effect and a small lingering background voice. Completely suitable here. A very unique verse with its own spice thanks to this added feature.

In terms of Victoria’s line, she does the same as Amber. Powerful, pausing lines. There is still the unique two-part singing. Now looking at the verses as a whole, a great melody is slowly but surely being constructed. Towards the end, Victoria’s singing makes it clear on the sweeter melody that’s being made. This is great since it transitions to the pre-chorus perfectly. From choppier, powerful singing to a slow, soft and graceful singing type, it suits the upcoming pre-chorus.

4. Pre-Chorus: 9/10 – Luna does the first one while Krystal does the second. Both do a fantastic job, however it’s quite identical. I’ll just be covering Luna’s work.

Now usually the pre-chorus is there to build up for the chorus, and this is exactly what “Electric Shock” does with its pre-chorus.

Luna takes charge with this. Her execution of it is excellent. The instrumentals die down here. That aids the build up effect and it allows for some pure vocal spotlight. Excellent since Luna and Krystal are both skilled vocalists.

Luna sings in a softer voice, yet it still retains a touch of power. She’s hitting the higher notes and has some mini note holds, so phenomenal vocal work here. Near the end before she says “electric shock”, she hits quite a high note as well as a decent note hold with “neomeoseon~”. This was definitely great to hear and provides a lot more power and intensity for the song. She’s not done, though, as her final line is a last intensity boost for the song with her line of “I’m in shock, electric shock”. Furthermore, the other members chipped in their voice for “electric shock” which emphasized the key phrase of the song. A unique effect there.

A perfect transition to the chorus thanks to Luna’s note holds and a final “electric shock” phrase.

A really solid part that showcases excellent vocals with a solid ending to it.

5. Chorus: 7/10 – While this is where the catchphrase of “Electric Shock” comes in, it isn’t quite the most solid. It’s definitely catchy, but being catchy doesn’t necessarily mean it’s automatically amazing.

For the chorus, every members sings it. That’s a really nice thing to see; solo parts for everything else, one full team for the chorus. In this song’s case, it works out.

The chorus is definitely catchy with its key phrase of “Electric Shock” and the “nanana…” is catchy as well. Transitions to and after aren’t issues, either.

For this song, yes the chorus is fitting. However, tedious is the issue. Repetitive. Hearing “electric shock” and “nanana…” for quite a while does get repetitive. It’s definitely catchy but with using only those words and the electric emulated noise of “nanana” does become dull. In addition, the instrumental does become slightly headache inducing; the really high pitched zip-zits electronic noise adds on to the repetitive nature.

On the bright side, though, it matches the song’s theme for sure. The stuttering part of “E-E-E-Electric shock” was a nice play off being shocked. That goes, too, for the “Nanana…” part. The instrumental also got more intense since it was the chorus, so that’s another plus. Again, the biggest issue is just how repetitive it gets since there are essentially only two words (electric shock) and then a bunch of electronic-based emulated sounds (nanana).

6. Bridge: 9/10 – A solid bridge for sure.

One issue I will point out already is the somewhat abrupt transition; it’s nothing major at all but it’s there. Coming straight from the energetic chorus, the instrumental had to die somewhat quickly. Unfortunately, it was a bit too sudden. Nothing bad, though. Just a minor scratch.

Anyhow, moving past that, the bridge is done by Victoria, Krystal, then Amber.

Victoria’s part was to say “electric shock” but in a very slow, calming fashion. This greatly brought the intensity/energy of the song down by quite a lot. Krystal sings next and looking at this, I can see why the two ladies of Krystal and Amber were used: English. Krystal comes after Victoria and adds some power back along with a nice sprinkling of English words of “Energy” and “Laser, laser”. Amber then replicates what Krystal does. She adds back some power and adds an English word of “Synergy”. Speaking of that, there is definitely some synergy. Krystal and Amber do a great job with keeping the same flow as one another.

Now I will also give some bonus for the following pre-chorus. Sulli and Luna sing the next part, which is the pre-chorus. However, this part still follows the structure of a bridge; it’s still calming and slow. Sulli does a great job with keeping a soft voice. She builds up the song slowly and brings back the melody. Next, Luna steps in and starts singing with strong vocals; this brings the song back up for a final conclusion. A very solid conclusion.

Overall, a really awesome bridge. English was tossed around to create an extra lingering effect. The extended bridge part of the pre-chorus was beautiful; it added a graceful part and a great build up and transition for the final chorus/conclusion. Very solid vocal work here along with an awesome structure.

7. Conclusion: 9/10 – A final chorus was all it was, but that’s perfect.

Having any two-part singing to add a final, climatic top peak of intensity for the song would’ve been too much and out of place. Instead, a final chorus to wrap up the electronic theme of “Electric Shock” was done. The ending was also perfect; the instrumental died out and there was a final, pure vocal line of “electric shock”. A solid wrap up.

Overall, a great ending. Nothing overboard with adding final touches of intensity. It was a solid, concluding end. Well done.

– Line Distribution: 10/10 – Honestly very impressive. A perfect 10/10 for line distribution.

Victoria had her sections, whether it was at the bridge, a verse, she was heard quite a bit.

Amber definitely had her spotlight. Her part at the bridge or verses were definitely significant.

Luna had incredible moments with showing off her great vocal abilities thanks to the pre-chorus. She also had parts with verses and a moment at the final pre-chorus.

Sulli was heard a lot as well; from the start of the song and in other verse to the final pre-chorus, she was there.

Last, but not least, we have Krystal. She certainly had her share. A solo pre-chorus, time at the start, and a moment in the bridge were highlights for her.

Overall, fantastic line distribution here. Everyone offered their incredible adept vocal skills and they all had equal time to shine.

– Instrumentals: 7/10 – A very electronic based song, as to be expected with the title “Electric Shock” and since F(x) has grown to this style of music. Electronic based. It definitely wasn’t bad, but it’s not necessarily an impressive soundtrack by itself. It accommodates the vocals extremely well and aids in transitions and such, so a solid piece done by the instrumental here. However, by itself, the instrumental is just average.

– Meaning: 6/10 – “Electric Shock”…what on earth does that mean? Let’s find out, through these English lyrics of the song. Again, not 100% accurate but close enough:

Electric (Electric Shock)
E-E-E-Electric E-E-E-Electric Shock

The electric shocks are flowing down my body
About to faint, risky, electrifying
It’s enough, your love is too much for me
I know you violently value me

Like a black hold (yeah) I get sucked in (haha)
I can’t see the end (yeah) I fall, boom (oh)
Where am I? (yeah) Ding dong ding dong
Who am I? (a-ha) My head is spinning

The beat is getting faster
It’s beating louder more and more
I’ve already gone past the limit
I’m in shock, e-electric shock

Nanananananana (Electric)
Nanananananana (Electric)
Nanananananana
E-E-E-Electric Shock

Set the voltage, love me
Don’t shock me without any notice
Don’t crash into me but slightly avoid me
Protect me from this sudden changing world

Doctor (yeah) What is this? (haha)
I’m out of breath (yeah) and I have a fever (oh)
I can’t speak (yeah) in my ears are ding dong ding dong
My eyes are blinded (a-ha) My head is spinning

The beat is getting faster
It’s beating louder more and more
I’ve already gone past the limit
I’m in shock, e-electric shock

Nanananananana (Electric)
Nanananananana (Electric)
Nanananananana
E-E-E-Electric Shock

Electric Electric Electric Shock

This energy takes up everything of me
In your eyes are strong laser lasers
Deep in my heart, the synergy is amplifying
It’s endless, your gauge gauge

The beat is getting faster
It’s beating louder more and more
I’ve already gone past the limit
I’m in shock, e-electric shock

Nanananananana (Electric)
Nanananananana (Electric)
Nanananananana
E-E-E-Electric Shock

Electric (Nanananananana)
E-E-E-Electric (Nanananananana)
E-E-E-Electric (Nanananananana)
E-E-E-Electric Shock

In summary, these lyrics describe a person getting “shocked” from a lover/crush. Not literally shocked, of course, but it describes that speechless moment you may fell seeing your crush.

Anyhow, the lyrics definitely don’t possess anything sophisticated at all; there are great examples and metaphors and such, but the meaning itself isn’t too special. Being in shock from seeing a crush/lover is the story.

There are fancy details related to the feeling of being shocked and such, but otherwise, nothing too special at all.

Average lyrics.

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Choreography Score: 9/10 – Now this dance is super fun to watch. The music video depicts it pretty well. That’s always something I love seeing, the MV based on the choreography.

Anyhow, this dance is incredible. There are lots of syncing, amazing transitions, really unique formations and such. Even the theme is matched, with the chorus dance having a jitter/shocked dance part. Overall, very fitting to the music. Spotlight positioning is also great. In fact, it’s as if the other members become back up dancers for the person who’s in the spotlight/singing. An awesome thing to see. It’s a fun dance to watch and seeing this much synchronicity is pleasant.

I highly recommend you check out the music video to get a taste. You won’t be disappointed.

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Overall Score: 9/10 (8.5/10 raw score) – Well the Choreography Score definitely saved it quite a bit.

Overall, though, I believe it’s an 8/10 song.

It’s not the best, but it’s still up there. Unfortunately, though, I feel that F(x) hasn’t been able to hit its higher standard of “Electric Shock”. Their recent comeback of “Red Light” didn’t get to me one bit at all. Their other comeback after “Electric Shock” was “Rum Pum Pum Pum” and even that was a weaker song. Maybe F(x) will get their shock back.

Either way, they’re a solid group.

For this song, the tedious chorus seems to be its biggest downfall. Otherwise, there’s incredible dancing and superb line distribution.

As usual, the end has come and as always, thank you very much for reading. It means a lot and I hope you find this entertaining and thought provoking. Hopefully you disagree with me, I hope to encourage that musical light to turn on.

Anyhow, thanks again for reading. Next review is most likely “Mr. Mr.” by Girls’ Generation. Again I recommend checking out “Jessica & Krystal” to see the lives of the sisters of the two different groups. Probably my favorite show. (Then again, it practically is the only show I watch currently).

It’s getting very late, so off to sleep soon. I hope you enjoyed this and that my music review passion gives you an “E-E-E-Electric Shock”

T-ARA – “Number 9” Review

T-ARA – Number 9 (Live Performance)

T-ARA – Number 9

Reviewed on July 12, 2014

Personal Message: It’s been just one day since my last review, but we’re starting another one. This time, it’s going to be about one of my personal top groups, T-ARA! They’ve been promoting solo for a bit lately via Jiyeon and Hyomin (both with exceptional songs) but as a group, they are amazing. I decided to review one of their better songs, “Number 9”. I’m a huge fan of this song, it’s just so nice. But, I won’t let myself be biased towards it (I hope) and I will give an honest review, so let’s begin.

Note: By the way, the linked video this time is not quite a “dance” version, but rather an actual live performance of it. After searching for a while, I just couldn’t find a dance version so I had to go with this one. It’s not bad, though, and in fact, this performance is probably my favorite one by them.

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Song Total Score: 8/10 (8.2/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.

– Vocals: 9/10 – T-ARA does a great job with handling the vocals for this song. In fact, their AGAIN album really showcases matured vocals; juxtaposing their previous songs such as Roly Poly, Lovey Dovey and such, you can see how much they improved by.

What’s incredible here is that EVERY member chips in their amazing vocals; all vocals are showed off. “Number 9” showcases fabulous high notes, a well sustained melody from singing, and just an overall great tune. Definitely really solid vocals here.

– Song Structure: 8/10 (8.375/10 raw score) – Going to have scores for “Verse score”, “Pre-Chorus score”, “Chorus score”, etc.)

The song goes in this structure and order:

Introduction, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Post-Chorus, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Post-Chorus, Rap, Bridge, Conclusion (Post-Chorus)

So 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: 8/10 – Alright before I start, the linked video DOES NOT include the full introduction. The true introduction has Eunjung with her “Ooh” start. So I’m going to be counting that part as well. Anyhow, this introduction is extremely solid. Eunjung has always provided T-ARA with her high notes, and she makes no exception here. Her “ooh” start already delivers a melody and it perfectly transitions to the solo instrumental that follows up.

While Eunjung does a flawless job, the follow up can be seen as an issue; while I’m actually a fan of the electronic beats and sounds that happen for the introduction, it’s just very plain to use as a start; on the positive side, it carries forth a lot of build up in anticipation for the verse to begin. As a result, this gives the introduction an 8/10. The instrumental part brings it down, but thankfully Eunjung carries the weight and pulls it back up with her vocals.

2. Verse: 9/10 – There are two variations of the verse: there’s the Hyomin and Eunjung combo and then there’s the Qri and Boram combo. I will be analyzing both combos, so let’s start with the Hyomin/Eunjung pair.

This part was what truly made me love this song; I’ll be honest, I’m a sucker for lower pitches when female singers go there. Hyomin starts off with a melody but what’s awesome is it ranges from the medium to low pitches. Hyomin executes it well and her final lines were in the low zone which, not only made her part sound sexy and lingering, but it transitioned to Eunjung perfectly. Eunjung’s part contrasts Hyomin in the viewpoint of how Eunjung sings in a much higher note. However, she still delivers the melody and just the way she carries out her part with sounding smooth and bringing intensity made the first verse so meaningful.

As for the Qri and Boram combo, they practically replicate the same thing as the earlier pair. Qri continues the melody and does the same, low pitch ending. It keeps that part sexy and lingering. Boram’s sweet voice provides a lot of benefits for the second verse; she is in the higher ranges but it’s perfectly done just like Eunjung’s part. In fact, I found Boram’s version to be even more clear and sweeter than Eunjung’s part, so that’s an added bonus.

3. Pre-Chorus: 9/10 – Jiyeon handles this entire section all by herself. Definitely a solid choice. Jiyeon’s singing is extremely solid (further proven by her single, “1Min 1Sec”) and as such, was able to give a great pre-chorus. What’s nice about this section is how the melody is continued with the addition certain pauses and breaks. This starts building up a melody that loops around for a bit and finally towards the end, Jiyeon’s high notes brings the song’s intensity and power up. A great transition especially since the next section is the chorus. For a pre-chorus, it’s job of bringing up intensity was well done and Jiyeon’s vocals definitely helped aid the sweet melody heard.

4. Chorus: 9/10 – So far we’re seeing an incredible streak of Number 9s for scores. Sorry. I just HAD to use that at least once. Anyways back on topic, Soyeon is the one in charge of the choruses and that’s a fantastic decision. I’ve always been a huge fan of her voice, it’s just so sweet and elegant. For the chorus, Soyeon brings forth a lot of intensity and power. She keeps a melody going and her lines of “…neombeonain…” (Number Nine) become looped and catchy. Definitely solid. Now that isn’t it, Eunjung appears for the final line. This is an overkill; but a good one. It’s definitely the finishing frosting on top since Eunjung hits an exceptionally high pitch but that further augments the chorus’ established power and intensity. It’s a great ending to what Soyeon has started. Well done.

5. Post-Chorus: 8/10 – Okay before anyone says something, YES I wrote “post-chorus” Although it is rather late at night, that doesn’t mean I’m going crazy. For this song, there is a section right after the chorus, and thus, post-chorus was born. From what I know, that doesn’t truly exist, but for the sake of writing and explaining, I will call it that and it honestly works as a “post-chorus” so might as well label it as such.

Anyways, Qri and Eunjung are the first combo. Hyomin and Eunjung, again, are the second combo.

Qri/Eunjung do an excellent job, for the most part. Qri’s section isn’t bad due to her singing; but the structure of her lines aren’t quite suiting. After coming from such an intense chorus, having this middle ground of intensity doesn’t prove well. High intensity to a sudden transition to just average intensity doesn’t flow well. Qri’s melody is fine, but her lack of power doesn’t bring the chorus down properly. Again, not necessarily her skills at fault, but rather the sung structure itself. Now what does redeem this is Eunjung; she brings back the intensity to the chorus’ level. In a way, the post-chorus was a dive that then went back up. Eunjung brings a lot of energy and intensity back. After the post-chorus follows the solo instrumental of electronic beats and sounds, and that works very well to let the song “relax/calm” itself.

Hyomin’s part is practically identical to Qri, so I won’t go over her part.

6. Rap: 7/10 – This rap wasn’t too awful; but it wasn’t too strong. Hyomin handles this section on her own. The first chunks of “I’m addict, I’m addict…” weren’t good transitions from the post-chorus to the rap. Eunjung ended the post-chorus that occured before the rap. As we know, she was in a high level of power/intensity. Hyomin’s lines of “I’m addict” were very abrupt ways to bring back down the intensity. It works, but it wasn’t the most effective nor smooth method.

Now onto the rap, Hyomin raps in a lower, quieter tone. It keeps it sexy and offers an ominous feel, which matches the lyrics of “I’m in the dark…” Seeing that connection is really unique. However, her rapping wasn’t special; it was just executed and that was it. Of course, there weren’t many rap styles that would fit so I feel that Hyomin did her best.

The biggest con is just how abrupt transitioning to the rap is.

7. Bridge: 8/10 – Definitely above average for a bridge. Since Hyomin’s rapping brought the intensity down a considerable amount, Soyeon’s job became easier. The transition from rap to bridge was well done; it fit perfectly. Soyeon shows off a softer, yet still powerful vocal. Her vocals here were on the high side, but it completely fits and this section’s job of taking the song back to the conclusion/post-chorus works perfectly.

8. Conclusion (Post-Chorus): 9/10 – For the end, the song recycles the post-chorus, which isn’t bad at all. Hyomin does the first part while Eunjung tops off the song’s intensity with her two-part singing. The added high notes of “whoa” by Eunjung and her taking the last lines brings the song to a top peak of energy. The well known electronic beats and sounds take over once again to conclude the song.

Overall, the end was quite satisfying; ending with a final high level intensity that slowly died down by having the electronic instrumental play allowed a solid finish.

– Line Distribution: 8/10 – Lines were distributed based on their members strength; Soyeon got the chorus and bridge due to her well sustained vocals, Hyomin and Qri gave great support roles, Jiyeon’s solo job of the pre-chorus was excellent, Eunjung was utilized for her incredible high notes, but there’s one issue: Boram.

She’s not the issue at all. Far from it. Our adorable, dancing and singing (and eating machine) artist didn’t have much spotlight. It’s quite unfortunate since she has very sweet vocals and can definitely bring forth a lot. If she had a few more lines when softness was needed (perhaps at the bridge, for example) I’d be glad to give a 10/10.

– Instrumentals: 8/10 – Electronic based, not exactly my taste, but the instrumentals here provide a lot of work for the song. It’s above average for sure. The solo instrumental part played a huge role for the song. It allowed certain breaks and a “reset” of the song’s intensity. In addition, the famous “retro dance” (I think they call it a retro dance) is utterly based on that solo instrumental part. As a result, the instrumentals played a huge role for the success of the song.

– Meaning: 8/10 – As usual, before we get started, let’s take a look at the English lyrics. Again, not 100% accurate but close enough:

Ooh Ooh
Number nine

You put me in so much pain Do you remember
us back when the stars were shining?
You hateful person, who has stolen my heart
Hey, it hurts so much right now

(Number nine) Only you can make me laugh
(Number nine) Only you can make me cry
(Number nine) You are my tuxedo mask
The hero who protected me
But you left me and I hate you

I need you number nine, number nine,
number nine. Don’t leave me
Did you forget me number nine, number nine
number nine Without you,
I can’t fall asleep at night

It’s because I’m in so much pain
It’s because I’m in so much pain
You, who has taken all of my heart,
where are you? Come back to me number nine

Stop playing games with me. It’s hard
being played with Do you remember the
days when we made the figs bloom into flowers?
It hurts so much right now

(Number nine) Only you can make me laugh
(Number nine) Only you can make me cry
(Number nine) You are my tuxedo mask
The hero who protected me
But you left me and I hate you

I need you number nine, number nine,
number nine Don’t leave me.
Did you forget me number nine, number nine,
number nine Without you,
I can’t fall asleep at night

It’s because I’m in so much pain
It’s because I’m in so much pain
You, who has taken all of my heart, where are you?
Come back to me number nine

I’m addict I’m addict I’m addict I’m addict
I’m addict I’m addict I’m addict I’m addict
When I close my eyes and open them,
I’m still here alone I’m in the dark in the dark
I’m dancing in the dark

I need you, don’t leave me
Without you, I can’t fall asleep at night

(Oh~ Woah~) It’s because I’m in so much pain
It’s because I’m in so much pain
You, who has taken all of my heart,
where are you? Come back to me number nine

From what we can see, it’s about a break up. Or a heartbreak, whichever one seems more fitting. The pain and suffering of losing your love is described through this. Overall, I’d give it a 7/10 since the lyrics aren’t the most sophisticated, but the story is interesting. What really bumps it up the an 8/10 is the key phrase: Number 9.

“Don’t leave me Number 9, Number 9…” and “I can’t sleep without you, Number 9…”

Now T-ARA addressed the big question: Who or WHAT is “Number 9”.

The beauty here is there are infinite answers; like in literature, you must imply.

T-ARA gave an answer, though, for those wanting the artists’ opinion. Number 9 is either a person, or a medicine. According to them, Number 9 is considered the highest level of painkillers; now doesn’t that amplify the lyrics’ story? A lady, or in fact, even a gentleman, needs such a powerful painkiller to dull out their emotional pain.

Another great thing about the lyrics is it is arguably gender neutral; we think it’s a female in pain since T-ARA sings it and they’re all ladies (and, although I didn’t want to go here, as a society, we stereotyped women to be the ones in emotional trauma after a break up, which, in my opinion, is utter…garbage. Keeping it rated PG with words.) but from a look at the lyrics, nothing stops it from being a man’s perspective.

Now back to the topic of “Number 9”, why would a person be called that, if it’s not the medicine version? I have my implications; Number 9 belittles and labels a human as just that; a number. 9. How degrading that is, to be referred to as a pure number. Now, it wouldn’t be “Number 1” since, that’s the only numerical label with a good connotation. Instead, “Number 9”, the farthest on the “rank” list (1, 2, 3, 4, etc) is used to show the meanings of:1. You’re just a number to me 2. You’re the least valued thing

Overall, these lyrics can be very intense when thinking of the meaning of “Number 9” and any heartache story is interesting. Solid lyrics.

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Choreography Score: 9/10 – In terms of the dance, I’m a huge fan of it. The syncing is excellent; this can be vividly seen through the “retro” dance when the electronic instrumental takes place. Their formation is excellent and how they all transition for their spotlight zone is just amazing. It’s a very excellent dance that plays of simplicity; it’s simple. Watching the dance, there’s no complex maneuver whatsoever. Simple yet classy, stylish, and as a result, sexy.

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Overall Score: 9/10 (8.5/10 raw score) – Wow so overall, we get 9/10 which is 4.5/5. Near perfect. Do I agree? It’s definitely one of the catchier songs I’ve heard. Being biased, that’s a score I agree with, but on a realistic view, I think some flaws of the songs should bring the the song to an 8/10 overall.

Nevertheless, it’s a fantastic song and I hope you guys enjoy the song and T-ARA.

So I ended up writing for almost two hours, which isn’t too bad. At this point, I’m fine with spending this much time being loquacious about my K-Pop passion. I’ll probably start writing my posts much sooner so that I can catch some sleep, but it’s not issue. Hopefully you guys found this review interesting and fun. Check out T-ARA and “Number 9”, the dance is fun and that live performance is impressive. The ladies did exceptionally and the crowd was just insane.

Anyways, prepare for upcoming reviews! I actually plan to post a few…not-so-good songs. But these songs aren’t any random songs; in fact, some of them are from my top personal top groups. In fact, to contrast this beautifully crafted musical piece, I might review a mediocre song by T-ARA. Keeping it realistic.

Well, the end has come, thank you very much for reading this if you have read it entirely. It means a lot, and I hope my passion and zeal rubs off and you enjoy the reading as much as I, the writing.