Qri – AtrocityCL's K-Pop Review Blog

T-ARA – Little Apple (ft. Chopstick Brothers)

Reviewed on December 5, 2014

Personal Message: A small change of plans occurred; I originally planned to review Girl’s Day’s “I Miss You,” but instead, I will review T-ARA’s recent collaboration. Before this review starts, there are multiple things to address with this song. Firstly, in regards to the links, I have linked a live performance along with the regular audio. The live performance’s audio is not clear at all, so the audio link is to compensate (although props to the ladies for solid live singing; according to an “MR removed” video, anyways).

Now, in terms of discussing a current rife “fear” of fans, many will notice only four members of T-ARA are involved for this collaboration. Let me say it once more: collaboration. And if the upper left-hand corner of “Special Stage” is not clear enough, this is not T-ARA’s official comeback; “Sugar Free” is still technically their latest song, but positively, that song still holds as their latest comeback. So, for fans fearing that T-ARA has booted out Boram and Soyeon, from what I personally can tell, that is not the case and it is simply due to only the other members being a part of this collaboration.

Transitioning to the mentioned subject of collaboration, for people who are familiar with either Korean and/or Mandarin, it is noticed that this song has both those languages; Korean is heard for every section minus the chorus, and Mandarin is heard at the chorus. The reason behind this is T-ARA worked with a currently trending and popular Chinese artist/duo, Chopstick Brothers. As heard in October (not sure), T-ARA’s label company, now known as MBK Entertainment (instead of CCM/Core Contents Media Entertainment), signed up with some Chinese media company in order to begin expanding their own media to the Chinese market. Fast forward a month, T-ARA has begun that expansion; they have cooperated with Chopstick Brothers to turn Chopstick Brothers’ song, “Little Apple,” into a Korean version. Anyhow, that is the background for this song, and thus, I would not consider this T-ARA’s comeback at all. On a somewhat unrelated note, MBK Entertainment’s CEO is known for manipulating ongoing trends in order to kickstart song releases (“Sugar Free” was during an EDM trend, “Lovey-Dovey” ‘s “shuffle” dance was during that trend, etc.), and not surprisingly, the same mentality occurs here. “Little Apple” was already a soaring and popular song, so having T-ARA recreating it in Korean is an easy way to flow with an established trend.

Now that ~~sufficient~~ excessive background information was given, let’s begin talking about the song itself. As stated, it is in both Korean and Mandarin, and that is a unique and welcoming combination. Personally, although I do not know Mandarin (I do know Cantonese, however), I was able to identify it instantly when heard. For a very short and horrible language lesson, for those wanting to know how to identify/differentiate the languages in T-ARA’s “Little Apple,” Korean has a “stronger syllable/distinct word ending” in comparison to Mandarin, which has a “combining syllable/word flow.” I sincerely cannot describe it well at all, but nevertheless, be welcoming and appreciate every language in this world; each one holds a lot of cultural meaning, and each one is deserving of respect. Anyways, perhaps my ability to identify Mandarin is due to my childhood being filled with my parents watching Mandarin films at times, or, most likely, Mandarin trot songs that were occasionally played (for those who are unfamiliar with the genre of trot, to describe it briefly, it, and apologies for my ignorance/lack of better phrasing, is “festive” in terms of the vocals coming off as slightly exaggerated; I truthfully cannot describe it, but with T-ARA’s trot section during the variety show, “Weekly Idol,” I am sure people have been exposed to the genre). Although many people may feel flustered, I think it is great that multiple languages are introduced in a song. Music is subtle yet capable with allowing some minimal language exposure. Besides, the standard Korean and English combo in K-Pop songs should be slightly more diverse.

In all seriousness, on the subject of the song itself (I apologize for my huge digressions), the term I used to describe this song was “stupidly catchy” since, if we were to systematically break it down (as we will once the review begins), it should not be too promising. However, despite the numerical values that will be assigned, even if they are on the lower rating, this song is exceptionally catchy (makes me ponder over the actual science behind what the human brain deems as “catchy”).

That said, the ladies of T-ARA involved are Eunjung, Jiyeon, Qri, and Hyomin. They are teaming up with Chopstick Brothers to deliver their Korean version of “Little Apple.” From the live performance and lyrics, this song does lean towards the sillier, jocular side, but nevertheless, the ladies prove to be very charming and cute. In fact, I will even throw in the term sexy considering these four ladies are incredibly intelligent, hard working, talented, and a countless list of other amazing attributes. With adorable hairstyles and blush makeup (although I personally am not a huge fan of that) and yellow jumpsuits (is that the correct vocabulary?), T-ARA attempts to induce smiles and laughter. While they may succeed with such, does their song hold as solid? We will find out.

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Song Total Score: 7/10 (6.6/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories

– Vocals: 5/10 – If my ears are correct, Jiyeon was the only member who was singing in their usual voice. Everyone else, however, had to flip on the “ ‘Roly Poly’ vocals” as I call it; the other three members were singing in a childish, cheery demeanor. While that vastly aids the song with adding the fun, sillier atmosphere, in terms of vocals, that style is hardly impressive. T-ARA is definitely capable of achieving a 9 for vocals. “Number 9” and, especially through ballads such as “Hurt” and “Hide & Seek” (adding a biased note of how Soyeon’s voice is so soothing in those songs), it is very blatant that every lady of T-ARA is adept with singing. Unfortunately, due to the style of singing in “Little Apple,” the score is heavily impaired and does not hold their standard. The melody and flow might have been catchy, but as said before, catchiness does not correlate to how decent a song/singing is.

Overall, average vocals. The style might have been lighthearted and alluring, but in the aspect of showing solid singing skills or capturing attention via captivating vocals, the singing falls short..

– Song Structure: 7/10 (6.5/10 raw score)

The song goes in this structure and order:

Introduction, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Conclusion

1. Introduction: 6/10 – It has been a while ever since I reviewed a song with a straight-forward structure. “Little Apple” follows the standard form perfectly and thoroughly.

In focus of the introduction, the song begins with a strange “approaching” sound. After that, the instrumental’s/song’s main melody is showcased through beats and such. Eventually, the song transitions to the verse.

For an introduction, it fulfills its role of preparing the song; the main melody is given, and the “poppier,” sillier tone is also set. Specifically looking at the instrumental, it comes off with a fun and upbeat appeal. The beats provided a heavier foundation, and the main melody sounds were rather catchy. In terms of weaker aspects, the initial seconds (that warping sound at the start) could have been potentially avoided. Even without it, the introduction would have still flowed smoothly. In addition, while the background beats and bass were providing a pleasing component, the main melody sounds, while very lingering and catchy, are not delightful individually; after all, hearing “dingdingding” becomes somewhat tedious and annoying.

As a whole, slightly above average. The initial seconds and the melody remained on the weaker side, but nevertheless, the melody was definitely catchy. Furthermore, the bass and beats emphasized that. If the main melody was less repetitive or had a better tint to it, this introduction would easily reach a 7.

2. Verse: 7/10 – For the verses, the pair of Qri and Eunjung handle them.

The verses begin with Qri singing in an absurdly higher pitched voice. Although her singing style remains questionable, in light of her melody, it matched up to the instrumental’s beats and rhythm. Once Eunjung arrives, she simply emulates Qri’s singing style and melody.

Firstly, the vocals here are rather mediocre; singing in a childish, somewhat nasally style is not appealing in terms of sound. On the bright side, it does aid the song’s upbeat mood. Ignoring the vocals, the lines’ melody and pacing were still quite catchy. Furthermore, the instrumental did a phenomenal job with remaining passive yet prominent; considering it is an early stage in the song, having an instrumental come off potently would be overwhelming, but thankfully, it was the perfect quantity.

The verses structurally have a lot of potential. The melody remains diverse and fun, the pacing was aligned with the instrumental, but unfortunately, the pure mechanical aspect of how the vocals sounded bring this section down. If Qri and Eunjung were singing in their usual voices, although some of the cheerier atmosphere might disappear, the verses could easily hit an 8. Above average will nevertheless hold as the score, but a higher score is definitely in reach if the vocals were improved.

3. Pre-Chorus: 6/10 – Hyomin handles all of the pre-choruses.

The pre-choruses in “Little Apple” are relatively straight-forward and simple. Hyomin sings a line which is then backed up by a “Hey!” or such. This repeats for three times. To be specific on how the line is structured, the melody does connect to the beat, but nothing is drastic in terms of varying notes and such. On the subject of the soundtrack, as the pre-choruses progress, the instrumental does the standard format of accelerating its beats. At the very end, the section concludes with a Mandarin phrase.

While simplicity is far from being horrendous in a song (ballads are rather simple yet they possess incredible structures), in this section’s case with remaining relatively plain, it created a negative contrast between the established fun, upbeat, and joyful mood of the previous sections. Hyomin’s lines were not too exciting, and most of the generated hype derives from the instrumental quickening its beats. In focus of the lines, while the added spices of “Hey!” and such at the ending prevented staleness, they do not redeem Hyomin’s actual singing lines. The vocals were only average, and without adding onto the catchy and fun trend, her lines prove to be weak.

Overall, slightly above average. Everything here was, in the perspective of the previous sections, too simplistic and basic; the instrumental creating hype via speeded beats and Hyomin’s lines were nothing outstanding at all. The attempts of adding the jocular aspect were not successful, the ending words per line were not appealing, and the final outcry of the Mandarin phrase was moreover obnoxious than hilarious or fun. Hyomin is indeed a solid singer, but sadly, this section fails on bringing her justice.

4. Chorus: 6/10 – The chorus, as mentioned earlier, is where Mandarin arrives. For this section of “Little Apple,” both T-ARA and Chopstick Brothers are singing (the live version does differ; only one member sings the Mandarin I believe). Additionally, Jiyeon handles a few solo lines.

From the start, Mandarin is used. Every member sings, and Chopstick Brothers are adding in their own vocals as background. The unison singing comes off as cohesive, and it still holds a catchier melody. After that, Jiyeon arrives with her own lines which are in Korean. This format repeats twice. In focus of the instrumental, it supplied a consistent and constant rhythm to accompany the vocals.

Although the chorus is relatively catchy and structurally sound for the most part, it still fails to hold as solid. When it comes to the decent aspects, the vocals were not too poor; Jiyeon was able to sing in her usual voice here unlike her members, and the unison singing remains adequate. In terms of the flow, it transitioned between unison and solo singing, which does add in some diversity. Unfortunately, while the vocals and instrumental are catchy and sufficient, nothing came off as impressive. Jiyeon might have been spared of singing in the childish, higher pitched style, but even then, her vocals were not too spectacular (although in general, Jiyeon is a very talented vocalist). Likewise, with the instrumental, the beats and bassline added a supportive foundation, but that was it; no other benefit was gained nor did it shine by itself.

In summary, the choruses are rated at slightly above average. The alternation between unison and individual singing added some pleasing variety, however, in the entirety of the section, nothing sounded utterly captivating. Lacking prominent points prevents this section from receiving a higher score.

5. Bridge: 6/10 – Initially listening to this song, I feared that a bridge would be misplaced. In the mindset of the average bridge, I was predicting “Little Apple” to contain an abrupt, unsuitable bridge that would be too passive. I have been proven completely wrong; “Little Apple” utilizes the pure soundtrack for the bridge. No singing occurs.

Specifically describing the instrumental, it shifts into a funkier, treble-oriented (probably the wrong term) sound. Towards the end, the melody returns to the established one that was heard at the introduction, and furthermore, the beats quicken until the final chorus is played.

Homogenous to the verse where the structure was solid while the mechanical aspects, such as the vocals, faltered, the same idea applies here. To begin on the worse note, while the soundtrack was catchy, it was a rather weak instrumental solo. With the electronic-based and treble sounding piece, the instrumental was plain and slightly tumultuous. Even with the shift occurring, the revived melody still held as only average, and as complained about in other reviews, the standard use of accelerating beats in order to create hype or transitions is loathed. However, what vastly safeguards this section from falling into a “negative” score is how properly placed and executed the bridge is. Transitions to the bridge were very smooth, and in regards to how it was executed properly, the style used was appropriate. Instead of pacifying the song or adding a high note hold, the bridge simply added a singing break and allowed the pure instrumental to play.

Slightly above average will be the score. While that is not necessarily a strong grade, considering how the soundtrack itself was on the mediocre side, it would have been worse if not for the excellent style and placement of the bridge.

6. Conclusion: 8/10 – At last, the conclusion. Surprisingly, this song did not recycle its chorus; “Little Apple” opted to have its own finishing moment.

The song concludes with mainly the baseline lingering around with occasional snaps and beats. Eventually, at the very end, a few beats occur spontaneously before it entirely fades.

Initially I expected, and in fact, preferred that “Little Apple” would end right at the final chorus. However, after listening for multiple sessions, I have come to appreciate the conclusion. Firstly, a separate section would feel less abrupt than cutting the song off at the final chorus. Considering how energetic the choruses are, if it were to end shortly after, it would seem too sudden. Now in focus of the conclusion itself, the bassline and slower, heavier beats gave the song a concluding sense. Even the last moment with the quicker beats were suiting.

After an upbeat and hyperactive song, this type of ending properly wraps it; with minimal instrumental activity, the final and proper remnants of “Little Apple” were left. A solid score will be given. The conclusion fulfilled its role in both style and ensuring that nothing was abrupt.

– Line Distribution: 9/10 – Without Boram and Soyeon being included for this song, the score here should be a free 10/10. Chopstick Brothers will be excluded considering they are featured.

Firstly, Qri was involved with the first half of every verse. While it is not majorly lacking, in comparison to the other ladies, Qri is slightly behind. Nevertheless, it is exceptionally minor, and for the most part, no issue arises. On a slightly random note, I personally am glad Qri was given a decent amount of lines. While I confess she is the weakest singer in T-ARA, that does not mean she is incapable of decent vocals. In many other songs, Qri is noticeably bereft of lines.

Back on topic, in Eunjung’s case, her lines were practically identical to Qri’s; she handled the second half of every verse. The duration of her lines may be short, but factoring in how Qri also has the same identical length of lines, it alleviates possible issues. Similar to Qri, for the most part, Eunjung’s lines are sufficient.

Next up is Hyomin. Her spotlight included all of the pre-choruses. Now, while Qri and Eunjung had similar lengths, there is a disparity in comparison to Hyomin’s lines. Hyomin’s section was vastly longer. However, considering that every lady had her own consistent song section, this does not hold as too concerning. Nevertheless, it will be something to consider later. In short, her longs are lengthier than Eunjung and Qri’s lines, but it does not hold as a large issue.

Lastly, Jiyeon’s part included her solo time during the choruses. Overall, her lines’ time span were roughly equal to Hyomin’s duration. Nothing too drastic comes out of this, although it is definitely notable that her lines have more spotlight.

The final factor to account for is that every member sings during the chorus (in the official audio, anyways).

As of now, the overarching perspective is that Qri and Eunjung have equal lines, and Hyomin and Jiyeon have equal lines as well. However, comparing the two different combos, the Hyomin and Jiyeon pair does have a bit more time for singing. In the end, the only solution would be to have Jiyeon or Hyomin split one line or so, but considering how minor the disparity is, and additionally that they all sing during the chorus, the Line Distribution score will receive a higher score. 9/10 will be the rating.

– Instrumental: 6/10 – While this type of instrumental is not preferred personally, I cannot deny how catchy it is. A lot of the song’s energy and upbeatness derives from the soundtrack. In terms of the vocals and instrumental pair together, both aided one another; the instrumental added stable and heavy foundation for vocals, and the vocals assisted the fun and catchy aspects of the instrumental. Individually, however, is where the soundtrack falters. Electronic sounds with nothing complex creates only a plain, typical pop soundtrack. Of course, electronic-based instrumentals can still achieve high scores, and although a K-Pop song does not come in mind, songs from the Drum and Bass genre instantly come to mind. Actually, T-ARA has shown that electronic-based soundtracks can, indeed, be solid; “Sugar Free” is a prominent one along with “Number 9.”

Anyhow, slightly above average is the score for “Little Apple” ‘s instrumental. It may hold as very catchy and melodic, but considering how basic, simplistic, and even slightly dull, the soundtrack is, only a 6 is earned. Nevertheless, there is solid chemistry between the vocals and instrumental, and for that itself, the rating is not too poor.

– Meaning: 6/10 – On the surface, this song may seem to be a health campaign towards eating apples, but that would be awfully strange for a song by T-ARA. If that is not the case, then what does “Little Apple” symbolize? Through not just Korean-to-English lyrics, but also a few Mandarin-to-English lines, we may potentially answer that question. And as always, this is not 100% accurate (especially with the Mandarin piece, although I trust translation sources on that):

It was love at first sight
I fell in love, is this what love is?
I wanna go to you and tell you
that my heart is pounding
(that my heart is like that)

I’ll be happy if we’re together day by day
You are the joy of my life
I keep feeling small when I’m next to you
In case you might forget me
(don’t leave me)

You are my little apple
No matter how much I love you, it’s not enough
What do I do about my burning heart?
I think I’ve fallen for you
You are my little apple
Like the most beautiful cloud in the sky
It’s okay even if you don’t know
Because I can read your heart

I won’t complain
that you don’t know my heart,
that you’re not looking at me
All day, I think of you
You appear in my head
I miss you (right now)

Whether it rains or snows, I’ll protect you
If the sun and moon disappears, I’ll be your star
If I can stay by your side whenever
From morning till night
(my heart is getting warmer)

Out of all of the ways to describe a love-interest, I have never expected “apple,” yes, an edible fruit, to be used. As seen, a sillier yet cute mood is given. Anyhow, the lyrics describe a lover who has a “burning heart” towards their love-interest. There are sweeter details of this lover’s feelings, and it definitely shows that she/he is madly infatuated. In terms of addressing the “Little Apple” title, it originates from the lover’s metaphor; “You are my little apple” is how the lover thinks of the love-interest. Strange and rather quirky, but nevertheless the emotions and jocular aspects are seen through the use of “little apple.”

While I am in favor of ~~completely cheesy, romantic love stories~~ different, unique lyrics, “Little Apple” only holds slightly above average lyrics. A lot of the details are repeated; lines may be phrased differently, but the same general idea is given. Multiple aspects showcase the lover’s affection, but that is primarily it. Different details that prove to be compelling do not exist (but credit to having some diversity). Despite being only a 6, I am still a fan of the lyrics, and I personally find it quite jocular and sweet. So, for those in love, feel free to call your love-interest a “little apple.” Beware, though, your “little apple” might become rather sour.

Transitioning over to the part where I get to deconstruct or complain about certain lines, although the song’s general meaning is positive and adorable, there are some questionable phrases. And as always, I am not accounting this into the grading. Consider this an extra bonus to this section. On track, after reading over the lyrics once more, the very first and only line holds as troublesome; “love at first sight” is a hugely debated subject, and I personally am not in favor of it. Now, to cut straight to the predominant idea that is always thrown at me (and now that I think of it, I have gotten into too many arguments over this simple phrase): “Love at first sight is true because you cannot stop biology; if you find someone physically attractive, you will automatically love them.”

Firstly, if love is only considered a simple physical attraction, ~~it is time to re-evaluate your entire life~~ then that truly concerns me. Love is extremely complex; that should speak for itself. Love on the basis of a sheer physical attraction is not love; to love is to see beyond their physical appearance. Personality, dedication, intelligence, humor, those are all extremely crucial aspects to consider, and while physical appearance may be a factor, in juxtaposition to the others, appearance is beyond miniscule. Tying back to the main point on why “love at first sight” is erroneous, it cannot exist due to “first sights” not revealing those hidden, beautiful traits that account for a lot more than a physical attraction. Now, when the day comes where humans are psychic and can read minds, then I will accept that phrase. But, obviously, even with peering at a person, those personal attributes are veiled.

Of course, feel free to disagree. Perhaps since I have been raised with an extremely harsh culture on looks, I have become very rebellious towards the idea of pure physical attraction. Sometimes the physically prettiest people come out to be the most disgusting, grotesque looking once the cloaked aspects are revealed, and vice-versa, those considered not pretty physically are not at all; they are very beautiful and pretty once the important attributes are seen. I could go on for quite a bit on this subject, and in fact, I can even disprove the idea that physical attraction is “natural.” Yes, there may be biological/scientific facts, but they only cover the surface. I find that what is considered beauty is heavily socialized; you are taught what is “ugly” and what is “pretty.”

For a really quick example that I will create, let’s claim that science has proven that taller people are more physically attractive. Assuming there is seemingly unequivocal facts (perhaps it is consistent in thousands of animals, survey says that, people claim that, etc.), many will simply accept that as “normal.” However, let’s say the Short-Height-Only culture group believes that shorter people are attractive, and in that culture, from birth to death, that idea is ubiquitously spread. In the Short-Height-Only culture, if it is “natural” and scientifically supported that taller people are more physically attractive, then why are all the tall people deprived of affection and relationships in that culture? If the idea of “natural” is true, then the Short-Height-Only culture’s belief would not exist in the first place, yet it does. Again, I am just making the worst example ever, but going along with my silliness, that is my stance on the opinion of “natural” and why it is a pitiful excuse to use to justify certain actions in society (and for an example that irritates me: “Only men are leaders since it’s ‘natural’; try saying that to AOA’s Jimin and to thousands of other ladies who prove to be deserving and capable of a leadership position). Final thing to add, if it is not obvious yet, humans are the most “unnatural” creatures ever; unless if you find an animal that lives the exact lives as the so-called proclaimed “natural” human race, I do not think we are “natural” in the usual sense. That is not bad, however. In fact, it means we are sophisticated to the point that we are not governed by nature, but rather, ourselves. But, of course, that is not quite perfect since humans are not flawless.

Anyways, I have went on for too long, and this would even be more appropriate for a Blog Opinion post. I go on way too many random tangents, so apologies. Feel free to disagree with my own points. Being capable of seeing different viewpoints is vital, and likewise, I do see multiple stances on the idea of “natural” and such in regards to humans and beauty and whatnot. But, time to focus back on T-ARA’s song (and how I sidetracked to the different subjects, I have no idea).

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Choreography Score: 8/10 – Turning back the attention on “Little Apple,” the choreography utilizes simplicity. Despite that, it is still a decent dance, and in fact, complexity should never determine a choreography’s rating.

In focus of syncing, there were little to no issues; every movement linked to a beat or matched with the lyrics’ flow. Hyomin’s sections, the pre-choruses, are solid examples. The steps reflected the beats, the arm snaps were connecting the background vocals of “Hey!,” and the movement followed the flow of her singing/melody. Very impressive syncing in “Little Apple.”

For the key points, all of them gave off the vibrant, sillier atmosphere. None were stale, and most of the maneuvers reciprocated the song’s energy. Everything transitioned to the next dance set properly and smoothly as well. Fun and simple key points are seen.

Like in other songs by T-ARA, backup dancers are used. Considering there were only four members participating in this collaboration, they are vital to the choreography unlike in other songs (I still remain adamant on the idea that “Sugar Free” would have sufficed with purely the 6 ladies). Their role added an extra layer to the dance to prevent empty space. After all, only 4 members dancing to an energetic song would feel rather dull and vacant. As such, the backup dancers filled that gap. Furthermore, some sections needed the extra dancers; specifically, the moment right after the first chorus (it is the “pushing” dance; not sure on the official term but that should trigger the choreography scene).

Overall, with how flawlessly synced the dance was, the addition of backup dancers that properly supported T-ARA, and with fun, simplistic and chic key points, a higher score is well deserved. Seeing how the main points were hit, a solid score will be given. 8/10. In the sense of remaining simple and having a sillier and upbeat song, Orange Caramel’s “Catallena” (check out my review on it) is very similar to T-ARA’s “Little Apple”; both have a jocular theme, yet both remain simple and extremely well synced in terms of the choreography. A strong dance for this song, even if the song component is weaker.

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Overall Score: 8/10 (7.5/10 raw score) – In the end, the score of 8/10 is earned miraculously. In reality, the Song Total Score should be a 6, but a strong Line Distribution probably saved it. Anyhow, I do disagree that it is an 8 overall; 7 seems more suitable. In quick summary, “Little Apple” is slightly weaker in terms of the song itself, but what allows it to remain potent is how catchy it is. Furthermore, even with a weaker musical piece, the choreography proves to be outstanding. For T-ARA’s recent song and collaboration, not too bad. I will not consider this their official comeback since it is technically not (although it is claimed as that according to this live performance: T-ARA – Little Apple (Live Performance); and if I may add, those were some very, very charismatic fans). I have very high expectations for their future comeback with all 6 incredible, talented, exceptionally intelligent and beautiful ladies.

As always, thank you very much for reading. Huge apologies for some delay. I am currently working on multiple writing pieces, so instead of a consistent publish time, it will be burst of posts. But, everything should be on track hopefully. Anyhow, thank you once more. I sincerely appreciate the time and support. Thank you.

For those curious on future reviews, I have too many lined up. I will do a few “speed reviews” in which I will work at an excessively high rate. Unfortunately, those reviews will follow quantity over quality. Of course, however, the speed reviews are solely for songs that I just simply want to push out of the way or have little things to discuss (such as with Nine Muses’ Hyuna’s song of “I Like The Way Back Home”). I will still maintain my current style of reviews.Now instead of making digressions, to finally answer the question asked ages ago, I have received two song requests/recommendations. MAMAMOO’s “Piano Man” and Junggigo’s “Too Good” have been sent in, so I will prioritize them. That being said, my previous review of Girl’s Day’s “I Miss You” will be simply delayed. I am excited to review “Piano Man” considering, as the recommender stated, it has a style that I have yet to review. As for Junggigo, I am quite pleased to have received one of his songs. He is on my list of adept male singers; his vocals are extremely promising. Also, if I post things correctly in order, I should have posted a mini Blog Reflection about reading one of my first reviews ever: Girl’s Day’s “Something.” To personally challenge myself, I plan to review Girl’s Day’s “I Miss You” to see a contrast, but if you have not read that reflection post, I would recommend it.

Expect three reviews to arrive; MAMAMOO’s “Piano Man,” Junggigo’s “Too Good,” and Girl’s Day’s “I Miss You.” Do not forget, I will also toss in a few “speed reviews” to compensate for slower writing (then again, wouldn’t speed reviews make the writing slower overall?). Once again, thank you for your patience. Stay tuned and keep checking back. “You are my little apple, no matter how much I love you, it’s not enough.”

T-ARA – “Sugar Free” Review

T-ARA – I Don’t Want You + Sugar Free (Live Performance)

T-ARA – Sugar Free (Big Room version)

Reviewed on September 13, 2014

Personal Message: Apparently today is a writing day; lots of paperwork done along with some college essays, then a film analysis essay, and now for some blog writing. Stress level? Obviously zero. On the bright side, however, the film analysis paper was quite fun to write and of course, blog writing is always really fun. The benefit of writing here is I can technically get away with sounding extremely personal; as long as the writing is cohesive enough, anyways.

Moving on, as promised, today I will review T-ARA’s comeback song, “Sugar Free”. These ladies have made an extremely powerful return. Oozing with a club-style concept, these ladies are tackling a new music style: EDM and K-Pop. For those who aren’t familiar with EDM, I’m not too sure on what it stands for but, it’s practically electronic music. I personally am a fan of D&B, otherwise known as Drum and Bass. It falls within the electronic genre, but what’s unique about D&B is that the lead instrument/melody is, well as stated, the drum and bass.

Anyhow, T-ARA had to tackle a mixture of K-Pop and EDM and I have to say, I’m very impressed. I’ll be blunt, “Sugar Free” is not to the caliber of “Number 9” (one of my favorite songs of all-time), but it still holds its own exceptionally well. Nevertheless, these ladies have worked extremely hard and I truly admire that. They’re a very inspiring group; despite a few turn of events in the past, they are still able to continue on stronger than ever. I personally look up to these ladies. A hardworking attitude combined with persistence will lead to talent and success. Perhaps one day I will be as skilled and smart as Soyeon, and if I’m really lucky, I hope some her beauty spreads as well.

Focusing on this comeback, the ladies of T-ARA are as beautiful as ever; in addition, they are showing off even more refined singing and dancing skills. For the most part (once the review starts I’ll explain). I am still in the progress of listening to the rest of their album, “And & End”, but so far I’m pleased. In fact to address the stranger link above, I had to get an unofficial video. After days of waiting for Mnet to release their official video on a live performance, I gave up and decided to just use this person’s video of it. Anyhow, the video does have T-ARA’s ballad track at the start, but if I did things correctly, it should take you directly to the live performance of “Sugar Free”. And one last note, this is the Big Room version, which only modifies the very introduction in comparison to the “normal” version, which is technically not normal in terms of being the default track.

I have said enough about these amazing ladies and filling in some background, so let’s take a look at this song and see if it truly is “Sugar Free”, or perhaps it’s fully loaded with sweetness.

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Song Total Score: 8/10 (7.6/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.

– Vocals: 8/10 – Knowing it’s T-ARA, this should be a free 9/10 score. Unfortunately, for this song, that isn’t the case. And actually the linked video works out perfectly; the first song is a ballad which allows them to showcase their stronger vocals (“Hide & Seek” is still their best ballad, in my opinion, check that one out).

Back to “Sugar Free”, every member is capable of holding her own; for this song, I’ve been very impressed with Soyeon’s vocal work during the chorus. Eunjung was also equally impressive when she had the more vocally-demanding lines. Boram and Jiyeon were also displaying solid singing skills. This leaves the remaining two: Hyomin and Qri. Hyomin has proven to have solid vocals via her solo debut with “Nice Body”, and our lovely “cutie-pretty” Qri (literally her stage name if translated) holds her own sufficiently.

With this song, Hyomin, Qri, and disturbingly, even Eunjung and Soyeon at times, had their voices edited or modified. This becomes a double-edged sword; on the bad side, it taints the song with autotuned vocals. On the good side, it fits in with the EDM genre they’re tackling and it provides amazing contrasts during certain parts, such as the chorus.

In the end, the vocals still come out to be above average. The main vocalists, Soyeon and Eunjung, are acing the vocally demanding choruses while Boram and Jiyeon provide excellent support. Hyomin and Qri, unluckily, took one for the team and had their vocals edited/autotuned for the worse.

– Song Structure: 8/10 (7.833/10 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, Conclusion (Chorus)

For “Song Structure”, I’m going to go through each section (Verse, Chorus, etc) and give a score per section. After that, the average is the “Song Structure” score.

1. Introduction: 8/10 – For the introduction, the very start to the end of the funkier solo instrumental is what I’m looking at.

This part is rather difficult to grade. For one, the introduction is composed of multiple parts. Secondly, it’s heavily EDM based. I’ll do my best to break it down.

At the very start, there’s the usual, heavier electronic beats/sounds. After a few seconds, it transitions to a new, light melody of beats. This goes on for a bit, and from my first time listening, this section did not cut it. It’s quite plain and tedious; the melody from the lighter beat was quite dull. On the positive side, it’s still a solid setup for progressing forward. The only issue is how lengthy and repetitive it is.

Now continuing on even further, vocals are finally added. Jiyeon is in charge of that. The vocals here aren’t impressive at all, but the chopped up flow gives a great build-up effect. The instrumental does an excellent job; the quickening beats (since that’s how EDM typically runs) sync up very nicely with the chopped lyrics that Jiyeon handles. In addition, the accelerating beats also give a nice transition to the next part.

At this point, it is finally the last piece of the introduction: the purest form of EDM in this song. After a solid transition from Jiyeon’s lines, this is where the instrumental becomes quite “funky”. An electronic, heavier bassline becomes the main melody. For non-EDM fans, this part will seem somewhat obnoxious. Nevertheless, I find it a catchier part and it works well with providing an appropriate filler to ease the gap between the introduction and first verse.

Alright so to try to sound a bit more cohesive, the introduction, overall, remains quite solid. The very initial instrument wasn’t a solid hook at all, but as the song continues, the introduction slowly becomes a lot more satisfying. Jiyeon’s part was well synced with the quickening tempo and the solo instrumental of the electronic bassline filled a large void between the introduction and verse. On top of that, it gave a nice club, EDM-styled theme to the song, which is perfect considering that is the mood T-ARA is aiming for.

2. Verse: 7/10 – This is a solid example of how the edited/autotuned vocals are both good and bad.

For the first verse, Soyeon and Hyomin work together while Qri and Boram take the second verse. In terms of melody and such, every verse is exactly the same minus the ladies that sing. For critiquing, I will focus on the Soyeon/Hyomin pair.

Hyomin starts off the verse, and of course, this isn’t her natural voice at all. Then again, I don’t think I will ever meet someone who possesses a robotic voice normally. Anyhow, Hyomin’s part is unfortunately edited here to give a robotic/autotuned sound. Soyeon follows up the line, though, and thank goodness, the music producer left her vocals as is. The beauty of Soyeon following up after Hyomin is it allows extra emphasis and spotlight on her amazing vocals; she gives off a lower, rough pitch but still remains quite melodic. Since Soyeon is coming straight after the edited vocals, it provides a contrast that makes her lines sound more crisp and solid.

This happens for a total of two times. In terms of the Qri and Boram combo, Qri takes the place of Hyomin and Boram takes the role of Soyeon.

Anyhow, this verse isn’t the strongest I’ve heard at all. It remains above average, but not by much. Modifying Hyomin’s voice did more harm than good; while the contrast works well, it would’ve been even more solid if there were two solid singing heard versus solely one. It’s quite disappointing; Hyomin was one of the main reasons on why “Number 9” had a superb verse, and unfortunately here, the music producer’s decision to alter her vocals is what brings the verse in “Sugar Free” down. Nevertheless, it’s an EDM based song, so these types of modifications on vocals are the norm. I would’ve still liked to see complete, solid singing, but this is what we are left with.

3. Pre-Chorus: 9/10 – For the pre-choruses, Jiyeon, Boram, and Eunjung cooperate for it. And if I’m looking over things correctly, I believe the members remain the same for every pre-chorus.

Despite having weaker verses, T-ARA makes a strong recovery with a pretty impressive pre-chorus. This part has a lot of line alternation, excellent build up, and very solid vocals.

Jiyeon initiates it with one line. She’s bringing in solid energy and power, both of which are perfect for creating a solid build-up. Next, Boram has the next line and does the same. They alternate lines one additional time before Eunjung steps in. Once Eunjung arrives, she does a beautiful job concluding this section. She’s bringing the song intensity up quite nicely. Towards the end of her line, she does an excellent job transitioning the song through “…hana hana hana hana da~”. This part brought the energy down so that it’d be a correct match with the chorus’ intensity. Also the solid note hold at “da~” ensured a smooth transition.

While there’s a plethora of amazing teamwork and singing, let’s not forget the instrumental. Coming from an EDM genre, the instrumental here naturally does a fantastic job with building up the song. The stronger, upbeat soundtrack reciprocated the vocals here, and in addition, utilized the fastening beats to create a solid build-up.

Overall, this is an extremely solid pre-chorus. Line alternation showcases excellent coordination along with the ability to hear a diversity of voices. The instrumental was also amazing with its role; Jiyeon, Boram, and Eunjung were well supported by it. Excellent pre-chorus.

4. Chorus: 9/10 – Soyeon, Soyeon, Soyeon. Did I say Soyeon? The choruses are done by Soyeon and Eunjung, although Eunjung only sings a few lines (Eunjung is still amazing!).

Soyeon has some exceptionally stunning vocal work here; she has power, high notes and note holds, and great melody. Not to mention, her voice is very soothing.

For a few seconds, her lines are quite repetitive with, “neon syugapeuri, ije neon syugapeuri, naegeman syugapeuri, modeunge syugapeuri”. During this moment, she’s doing an excellent job maintaining the melody while “syugapueri” (means “sugar free”, to be honest, I can’t tell if she’s singing it in English or Korean, but it’s practically the same regardless) gets looped around and catchy. Her next line is where she’s putting forth some extremely powerful vocals; the flow from a middle note to a high note is quite pleasing to hear. In addition, the quick, yet sweet and powerful note hold at “…haeyo~” allowed a small climatic point. It also provided a quick transition for Eunjung’s turn.

In terms of Eunjung, her voice does get autotuned here. Eunjung is definitely capable of singing as well as Soyeon. In fact, I believe Eunjung has more power in her voice than Soyeon. Anyhow, it’s quite a shame she was autotuned. As mentioned earlier, the benefit of this edit is it provides contrast with Soyeon’s voice, which as a result, amplifies how well her fellow member sounds.

After that, Soyeon repeats her “sugar free/syugapeuri” lines once more. This time, however, Eunjung is the one who sings the powerful, high noted line. As expected, she does an amazing job. Similar to Soyeon, there’s power, melody, and a pleasing flow. Now finally after that, it’s back to Soyeon to wrap up the chorus. Once again, there’s a quick moment of autotune, and for this specific vocal edit, I highly oppose it. The ending autotuned provided no contrast whatsoever; it would’ve been best to let Soyeon finish in her full vocal talent.

Even though I have spotlighted these wonderful and highly skilled ladies, the instrumental here is interesting; instead of aiding the chorus’ vocals directly, the instrumental took a different approach. It remained passive. This works out very well since Soyeon and Eunjung were dominating with their singing. Less soundtrack focus means more vocal focus, and that’s perfect when you have two top-shot singers.

In summary, the vocals here are splendid. Fabulous. Incredible. Eunjung and Soyeon prove once again on why they are the main vocalists. The instrumental also does its role of letting the spotlight land on the two ladies. Now despite all the solid praises, this chorus isn’t flawless; the autotune part is questionable, and at the end, is utterly out of place. Also, hearing “syugapeuri” for too much and too long impairs the song. For sure, it stays in your head, but of course, the drawback is a chorus that loses its charm as the song progresses.

5. Bridge: 5/10 – Is this a rap? A bridge? Probably a bridge. A mediocre one at best. Hyomin and Jiyeon are responsible for this section.

The best way I can describe the bridge in “Sugar Free” is well, it’s definitely that: “Sugar Free”. There is nothing enticing or sweet about this section.

Hyomin is finally able to sound human, but, this part is not vocally demanding at all, so showcasing her vocals isn’t seen here. Her lines are on the slower, lower pitched side. This allows a nice break for the song after all the energetic and upbeat moments. The same light beats at the introduction make a return here. Due to how Hyomin and Jiyeon’s lines are structured, it matches the beat very well. Hyomin’s part of “yeogi yeogi yeogi yeogi” and Jiyeon’s part of “meolli meolli meolli meolli” sync up with the beat. Eventually, Jiyeon repeats “syugapeuri” multiple times until the song itself repeats it. After that, there’s the usual, quickening tempo that happens which transitions the bridge to the final chorus.

Where does this bridge go wrong? It’s simply dull; nothing exciting happens here, nor did it feel like a proper break in the song. Both the ladies weren’t necessarily singing here, so no melody existed. The instrumental was also very stale as it was just the light beats. If both of those things aren’t boring enough, the basic, speed increasing of the tempo will for sure seal the deal. That wasn’t interesting, either. Overall, a bridge section that remains too dull. Perhaps if there was some actual singing occurring, it wouldn’t be as awful. Average bridge.

6. Conclusion (Chorus): 9/10 – The conclusion for this song recycled its chorus.

Recycling the extremely solid chorus is a decent choice here; it plays out once more and at the very end, there’s a clear, sharp clip sound to end the song. Sweet and to the point for an ending. A perfect end with no abrupt cut or lingering part.

Other aspects that make this a solid conclusion is the lack of any final, climatic boosting singing, such as some two-part singing or a lengthy note hold. For how the song went and considering it’s an EDM based song, Soyeon and Eunjung’s chorus suffice for a final moment with vocals. Anything extra would be excessive.

An ending that reuses its excellent chorus without any extra features. Well done.

– Line Distribution: 8/10 – Normally T-ARA does a good job with having every member singing. “Number 9”, for example, was practically perfect minus Boram having only one line.

For “Sugar Free”, the line distribution is just as solid.

Soyeon has the majority of the choruses to herself, so no issues with her. If that wasn’t enough, she shared the first verse with Hyomin.

Eunjung appears at the choruses and pre-choruses, although for only one line. Still, she had a decent amount of spotlight.

Jiyeon has a copious amount of lines; she’s in charge of the introduction, appears in the pre-choruses, and shares the bridge with Hyomin.

Speaking of Hyomin, her lines only exist for the first verse and bridge. Not too much in comparison to the other members.

Qri is on the shorter end as well. Actually, she only sings during the second verse and is never heard after that. Not much spotlight at all.

Finally, Boram has the second verse along with the pre-choruses, so no complaints.

Looking at this, Hyomin and definitely Qri are lacking in lines; juxtaposing “Sugar Free” to their other songs, the line distribution did deteriorate slightly. Solid line distribution, but not near perfect like in their other songs.

– Instrumental: 8/10 – An instrumental that’s purely EDM based. While that isn’t personally my preference, it still comes out nicely.

The instrumental wasn’t overboard as I was anticipating it to be; in fact, the instrumental was perfectly passive during the right times, such as during the chorus. In terms of meshing with the vocals, it completely suited T-ARA. Furthermore, it provided solid transitions and build-up for the ladies. An upbeat, club-style soundtrack that fits perfectly with their energetic and powerful singing.

– Meaning: 6/10 – “Sugar Free”. An intriguing title. While most of us will probably think of gum, thank goodness that isn’t the case here. Let’s take a look at the lyrics. Here is the translation, although not 100% accurate:

Come to me, come to me,
come to me, come to me
Where are you looking? Come to me
Sugar free, sugar free

How could you change like this?
The sweet feelings are not so good anymore
Is it always like this?
You close your eyes and open them again
I’m still confused, sugar free

Actually, to tell you the truth
It’s not a big deal
but I just miss it
The sweetness you gave me before
It’s not there anymore
It’s not in your words,
even your face, every single thing

You’re sugar free, now you’re sugar free,
only to me sugar free, everything is sugar free
Why do you make my heart ache more and more?
You are hurting me, you’ve lost the sweetness

You’re sugar free, now you’re sugar free,
only to me sugar free, everything is sugar free
In just one moment, you made me pitiful
That’s what you did,
something’s missing, sugar free

What is this? What exactly is this?
So the beginning was light but the end is heavy
It becomes heavier, I wonder if my body is really my own
I’m still confused, sugar free

What can I do right now? What is this feeling?
It’s just whatever
Even the sweetness you’re giving me now
It’s not there anymore
I can’t feel it in
your words, your face, every single thing

I hate the sugar free

You’re sugar free, now you’re sugar free,
only to me sugar free, everything is sugar free
Why do you make my heart ache more and more?
You are hurting me, you’ve lost the sweetness

Where are you looking?
Look here, here here here
Where are you going?
Come here, here here here
Hold on, look at me,
far far far far
Come back to me
Sugar free, sugar free, sugar free,
Sugar free, sugar free, sugar free
Suga, suga, sugar free, sugar free,

You’re sugar free, now you’re sugar free,
only to me sugar free, everything is sugar free
Why do you make my heart ache more and more?
You are hurting me, you’ve lost the sweetness

Once again, another unfortunate break-up story it seems. Now that I look at it, though, it might not even be a break-up. Anyhow, a gentleman/lady is looking over how their love interest is no longer sweet, hence “Sugar Free”. No longer are they given the same sweetness they had long ago; instead, they’re left with an aching heart and yearning for the same kindness that was given.

Very slightly above average lyrics. To be honest, there aren’t any details that stick out at all. Sugar free is heavily repeated. The verses and pre-choruses were also quite disappointing; the lyrics for those parts weren’t sophisticated at all. The only decent aspect of the lyrics is the unique use of “Sugar Free” to describe the change in their ex-lover’s behavior.

Near average lyrics.

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Choreography Score: 8/10 – Perhaps one day CCM (T-ARA’s label company) will be generous enough to record and upload T-ARA’s choreography practices. Actually I need to rephrase that to: hopefully one day CCM records/uploads every major choreography done by T-ARA. I just recalled that Hyomin’s “Nice Body” had a dance practice video (my first ~~prototype~~ review done, it’s probably going to be fun to look back at it one day). Nevertheless, many people would love to see some dance practice videos of “Number 9”, “Do You Know Me?”, and more.

I digressed. Back to “Sugar Free”.

This dance was synced consistently; T-ARA matched up to the beats very well, and during the intenser parts, had their choreography follow suit. For example, the pre-chorus had the ladies pumped up with maneuvers; excellent execution is seen there and for the rest of the song. Positioning and transitioning went well.

Now while this dance is exceptionally well synced with both the music and energy, it still has some issues.

For one, the chorus’ key point isn’t the most entertaining at all. While the hip-sways were flawlessly synced with the beats, after seeing that for a solid chunk of time, it becomes rather dull. The bridge is also quite dull with its choreography; musically, the bridge itself is already stale enough. It’s a shame the choreography is just as lifeless during the bridge. Also, a slightly minor thing, the use of backup dancers is questionable during the choruses. The six ladies would’ve been fine with themselves during those moments. Utilizing backup dancers for other moments, however, proved to be effective. If I may rant a little bit, I miss T-ARA’s usual choreography style of how it was purely the group. “Number 9” was a phenomenal, beautiful and graceful dance that contained only T-ARA. Going back to that style would be delightful.

Back on track, a solid choreography. Accurate syncing along with matching the song’s intensity allows “Sugar Free” to excel with its choreography. The only setbacks lie within the chorus and bridge, and at times, its backup dancers.

Above average.

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Overall Score: 8/10 (8/10 raw score) – At the end of the day, T-ARA’s “Sugar Free” comes out with only 8/10, so a solid above average song.

As I mentioned earlier, “Number 9” will still hold its place as T-ARA’s best song. “Sugar Free” is an interesting attempt of merging K-Pop and EDM, and in my opinion, they managed to do that. The choreography may be sub-par to T-ARA’s standard, but it’s still entertaining. In terms of the song, the chorus is the biggest asset; Soyeon’s delightful voice allows “Sugar Free” to thrive.

Check out the linked live performance above. Currently, there are probably other live performances as well, so feel free to also search around.

T-ARA’s comeback remains solid and their album “And & End” contains a lot of other decent songs. I’m personally loving their ballad, “I Don’t Want You”.

For this review, I ended up writing over a period of three days. Hopefully this will never happen again and I am very, very sorry for readers. It must be quite agitating to see “UNFINISHED” lying around for multiple days. Please forgive me. I will do my best to bring more reviews. I am always working on trying to improve my reviews, so continue looking out for that.

As I always do, it is time to thank you for reading. Thank you. It means a lot that you stick around to read this. Hopefully it’s insightful, entertaining, and induces some disagreement.

For established readers who are wondering what my next review will be, I’m going to review a male artist. Nasty Nasty will probably do for now, even though it’s only “one-third” for a male artist. I’ve been reviewing and spotlighting only the ladies, I think it’s about time I give the gentlemen idols some respect. Remember, it’s crucial to have a variety; you’ll never know when you subconsciously discriminate others due to the lack of proper exposure. If that sounds awkward, to put it in perspective of my case, I need to give male artists some love since they’re just as amazing as female artists. If I become too accustomed to only females, I may end up hating males (not that I would; I’m very thankful to have outstanding male role models as well as incredible female role models).

Other songs I still have in mind are: “Red” by Hyuna, and a requested song which I may put out tomorrow. Not going to reveal it, but it should take only 30 minutes to review. Yes, I mean that in an extremely rude, insulting way towards the song.

The end has arrived, but I hope you “Come back to me” for more reviews. Thank you once again for reading. Stay tuned.

Jiyeon – “1Min 1Sec” Review

Jiyeon – 1Min 1Sec (Live Performance)

Jiyeon – 1Min 1Sec/Never Ever

Reviewed on August 8, 2014

Personal Message: Alright, it’s been quite a while so I’m quite sorry for that. I’ve been busy with finishing up some summer homework, spending time with my amazing cousins, and recently I’ve been bundled with re-adjusting some technology stuff. While I’m on this topic, a very special person gave my blog a shoutout/advertised it, so if you’re reading this, thank you again and love you! You rock!

Anyhow, what am I reviewing on this lovely night? Well since T-ARA is making a comeback in September, it’s time to give the “Retro Queens” some love. I’ve already reviewed “Number 9” by them, and I’ve also gave their member, Hyomin, a lot of attention. However, Jiyeon also went solo and I think it’s well deserved she gets her own review, so let’s do it. Oh and before we start, although I didn’t link the MV, I still think it’s worth checking out. It’s a symbolic, meaningful one, however, I’m personally not a fan of it. But check it out anyways. But for now, I’m just linking a live performance. And one last thing, the song title is “doubled” in that it technically has two titles: “1Min 1Sec” and “Never Ever”. For some reason, T-ARA is a big fan of those things (ex. “Do You Know Me?/What Do I Do?”, “I Know The Feeling/Because I Know”, maybe more as well) but it’s not an issue.

Anyways, let’s see how Jiyeon handles singing solo for “1Min 1Sec” and let’s hope she “Never Ever” stops.

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

– Vocals: 8/10 – Before this song, I never thought Jiyeon was too strong of a singer, but I knew she was holding up her weight at least. However, ever since I heard this song, I’ve been quite impressed with her and started to really pay attention to her singing.

For “1Min 1Sec”, she delivers very solid vocal skills. She’s not pulling off any insane talent to net her any score higher than this, but she’s definitely not falling short. She’s singing in quite a high pitch, but it’s quite soothing and soft. It has a sweet melody to it and it lingers for quite a while. Very solid vocals in this song.

– 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, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, 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 very standard song structure. Something to note, though, is that after the first chorus, there is technically a “post-chorus” with the “huuhuu~” melody part, but just to keep things simple, I’ll just consider that in with the chorus.

1. Introduction: 8/10 – I feel that lately for a lot of my reviews, there hasn’t really been a “true” introduction for songs, most just take a few seconds to warm things up and then the verse happens. “1Min 1Sec” takes a very different approach by actually having a legitimate introduction; Jiyeon is following a melody with “hoo hoo~” and eventually we hear “Never ever, ever never” and then the same “hoo~” melody continues until a final “Never ever, ever never”.

Now this introduction sets the stage perfectly; it showcases Jiyeon’s softer vocals and it builds up the mood of the song. It gives a sadder emotional feel and the instrumental does a fantastic job supporting that as well.

Overall, a solid start that prepares listeners for Jiyeon’s gentle vocals while setting up the tone of the song completely.

2. Verse: 8/10 – I’m a huge fan of this verse, it’s extremely catchy in terms of the flow and Jiyeon’s vocals are quite nice here.

For the verses, Jiyeon begins singing in a slightly fast pace, but she still remains in the higher pitched range. She’s still keeping the softer, gentle style. The flow and melody here are extremely catchy; there’s a lot of “note tossing”, by that I mean how she goes from one note to a second note, but then swaps back to the first note and then goes back to the second note; it’s quite hard to describe but if you ever try playing this on an instrument, you’ll instantly understand. Anyhow, this effect due to the flow makes this part very luring; it lingers and it just baits you in for more. Very solid verses in this song that plays off its catchy note tossing. Jiyeon does a great job with her vocals here. She remains very sweet and high pitched and that further aids the melody and tone of “1Min 1Sec”

3. Pre-Chorus: 8/10 – A short pre-chorus, but it’s to the point.

As expected from a pre-chorus, lots of build up starts occuring here. For this section, Jiyeon starts to deliver a lot more power for her singing; she’s bringing in a lot more energy/intensity. She’s still maintaining the melody and keeping the same high pitch as well. A key detail of this pre-chorus is also the final English lines used at the end: “I wanna be with you, but I will pray for you baby~”

This is a beautiful part. Firstly, it’s in English which creates emphasis due to the contrast of the regular Korean lyrics. Furthermore, the meaning of it also augments the song a lot; it adds more to the lyrics’ story/meaning and it also aids the song’s tone as well.

Now ignoring the theory/significance side, in terms of singing aspects, it still remains beautiful. For this part, Jiyeon executes it very fluently; for English speakers, it’s completely smooth. This is always a hard task for Korean speakers, so well done Jiyeon for that. But of course besides proper pronunciation, her last part at “baby~” was a solid note hold. It was on the shorter side, but it added enough intensity for a proper transition to the chorus. The note hold itself was also nice to hear since she had a few pitch changing to do there.

Anyhow, an exceptional pre-chorus that does its job with transitioning to the chorus. However, that wasn’t it; instead, we get to see some great lyrics work along with some stunning singing from our lovely Jiyeon.

4. Chorus: 8/10 – Finally, we’ve come to the center of the song: the chorus. The well known part, in both terms of dance and song.

The flow here is very melodic and it has multiple ways of getting people hooked.

The chorus kicks off with a decent amount of power. Jiyeon starts things off with “Never ever”, the key phrase of this song. Anyhow, after saying that, she resumes singing in Korean but still possesses decent power. She’s still bringing the sweet, softer melody. Anyways after that, the stronger, slower pace of “Never ever” occurs again followed up with the usual line again.

Now after that, Jiyeon brings her vocal intensity down, and has a weaker, slower paced line with “han ja han ja jeogeonaejanha ne ireumeul tto”. A greatly placed line since this allows the chorus to “reset/recycle” itself once again; the same structure starts over once again after this pause in the middle.The very last line, however, does differ. She brings some final power back for her last line of “sumdo swiji motae neo eobsin 1bun 1chorado”. It’s not too much power, but on the bright side, she didn’t abruptly drop the song’s energy. This allows for a smooth transition to the post-chorus, which is the “hoo hoo” melody that occured at the introduction.

The post-chorus, while I’m not grading it necessarily with its own score, I will say, it serves a great purpose. Since the verse is a lot slower and softer than the chorus, it’d be way too contrasting to have a verse follow up immediately after the chorus. As a result, having this post-chorus with the “hoo” melody is perfect to let the song relax itself back and to match itself once again to the verse. Well planned out.

Anyways, a very solid chorus for “1Min 1Sec”. For listeners, the key phrase “Never Ever” happens here and it definitely lingers around and remains catchy. There’s a lot more power in this area and the intensity is increased here. A well satisfying chorus.

5. Bridge: 8/10 – Now we’re at the bridge. Before we start, the transitions to and after are well done. Despite coming straight from the chorus, it merges in completely. In terms of ending it, that goes smoothly as well.

For this bridge, Jiyeon has some interesting singing to do. She would be singing in quite a high pitch for one line, but then for her next line, she’d sing in a middle-high pitch. This repeats for practically the whole bridge, but it creates a very unique contrast between lines. This boosts the intensity without going overboard. For “1Min 1Sec”, it has to stay within its borders since it’s a sadder song. Adding too much energy/intensity would ruin that balance. Anyhow, the bridge does a perfect job with adding just the right amount of extra intensity through the switching pitches between the lines. A very unique thing done here with that swapping of pitches.

Now coming towards the end, I want to highlight the instrumental work done as well. While Jiyeon is doing an amazing job singing, let’s not forget the instrumental backing her up. There’s lots of great syncs with the instrumental, the violins(?) match up completely with Jiyeon’s choppier lines near the end, but with this sync, it further increases the intensity.

Overall, a solid bridge that plays off its unique line-pitch-swapping tactic. Jiyeon does an exceptional job with carrying the flow and melody, and the instrumental supports her very well. Furthermore, the transitions to and after are flawless. A solid bridge.

6. Conclusion (Chorus): 8/10 – For “1Min 1Sec”, it recycles its chorus for the final conclusion.

I was actually afraid of some two-part singing happening here; the beauty of “1Min 1Sec” is it’s a calmer, yet powerful song. It doesn’t play off intenser vocals, but rather, it just utilizes the synergy between the vocals and instrumental along with its melody/flow.

Thankfully, nothing overboard happens here. In fact, it’s practically just the chorus once again. While this may seem plain, the top-peak climatic moment shouldn’t be anything too high; that would completely ruin this song’s tone and style. Now moving to the very last few seconds of this song, Jiyeon does her final “Hoo hoo” melody and gradually, it begins to fade out. In terms of the instrumental, the main instruments die off right when she begins the “Hoo hoo” melody but it all truly dies down when Jiyeon is done as well.

A completely sound ending; it wraps things up completely, it stays in its realm of intensity/energy level, a well suiting conclusion.

– Line Distribution: X/10 – Unfortunately, Jiyeon isn’t with her T-ARA members so can’t be scored.

– Instrumentals: 8/10 – The instrumental for this song is very graceful and classy; in fact, listening to the instrumental by itself is really interesting. Firstly, there are a lot of symbolic sounds, such as thunder and rain. Actually, not sure about the rain. Anyhow, it plays off a piano melody and other classy instruments. I’m rather shocked at how “subtle” the instrumental is; like Jiyeon’s voice, it’s gentle. Nothing too rigorous. A perfect fit with her voice and it does its role of providing for transitions and complementing her singing.

Very solid.

– Meaning: 8/10 – So we know this song contains a sad tone, but what’s the meaning? These English translated lyrics may help us. Not 100% accurate but we’ll get an idea:

huhu huuuu
huhu huu
huhu huuuu
Never ever ever never
huhu huuuu
huhu huu
huhu huuuu
Never ever ever never

Rain falls then the sun rises
The weather is just like my heart
I cry then I laugh, walk then I run
Disappearing like a dream
Rain falls then the sun rises
The weather is just like my heart
It’s cloudy then it’s clear, tears fall
Then I pretend I’m fine

I’m a nice girl, already wishing for your happiness
I wanna be with you
But I will pray for you baby

Never ever, I can’t give up on you
Never ever, I’m writing down
each letter of your name
Never ever, don’t hide from me
Never ever, don’t leave me
I can’t breathe without you, not for 1 minute 1 second
huhu huuuu
huhu huu
huhu huuuu
Never ever ever never

I hope this is a dream when I close my eyes and open them
I pray and pray then I get tired and fall asleep
I keep having the same nightmare
I can’t escape from it
I hope this is a dream when I close my eyes and open them
I pray and pray then I get tired and fall asleep
Then it repeats again
Please just leave me alone

I’m a nice girl, already wishing for your happiness
I wanna be with you
But I will pray for you baby

It’s foolish but you know I’m this kind of girl
So please, this is my last favor
If you ever run into me
Will you please smile at me, who can’t forget you?

These lyrics tell the story of a lady (although it could be a male, but in this story specifically, a female) who just can’t seem to forget her ex-partner. She seems to be attached to him and just can’t let him go. As a result, she’s all over the place. She’ll be fine one second but then the next, she’ll be in tears.

There are some notable lines such as during the verse. It describes her emotions like the weather; the sun comes out (normal, happy) but then rain comes (sad, thinking of the past again).

Now where does the title come from? The line of “I can’t breathe without you, not for 1 minute 1 second” and the second title comes from “Never ever, ——” where she’s refusing to let go of her previous lover.

Anyhow, not the most sophisticated lyrics; I do love the examples, though. It’s a sad story, but I think, although unfortunately, some people can definitely relate to the lyrics. Giving up and trying to forget an ex-partner can certainly be taxing on your emotional and mental health.

Solid lyrics.

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Choreography Score: 8/10 – I’ve never been so torn between choosing an 8 or 9. So difficult. I think overall, an 8.

The choreography is very, very well synced. It fits in completely; whether it’s snapping maneuvers to match a beat, or fitting hip rolls to match the “hoo hoo” melody, it’s all there. Lots of synchronicity between the dance and song. I’m always a huge fan for that.

There are some highlighted dance parts, such as the “mirror” dance where Jiyeon has a backup dancer reflecting her movements. There’s also a male dancer who appears a bit and later at the bridge, has a duo dance with her which was unique.

Now what does throw this dance off a bit are these smaller details. For one, the hip rolling part during the “hoo hoo” melody seems to be slightly out of place; it matches the song but it doesn’t seem fitting. And in fact, it looks slightly awkward. Another thing is one of the key dance points: bat dance! Using her own label for it (I think she called it that), it’s quite unique and the hip movements there completely sync, but it overall does look rather strange. At least it’s one-of-a-kind. Lastly, my last complaint would be the conclusion (chorus) where Jiyeon and the backup dancers all get on their knees and bring their jacket down and just fling their hair like crazy. While it’s synced and I guess arguably matching with theme (going crazy?), it just seems a bit too hectic and what it doesn’t fit, is the “classier” and gentle mood that has been established.

But other than those things, this dance is super entertaining to watch. Lots of great syncing but I wouldn’t say it’s the most spectacular dance I’ve witnessed.

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Overall Score: 8/10 (8/10 raw score) – Literally a perfect 8 everywhere. I laughed a bit since who would’ve guessed I’ve found the perfect above-average song? Although I think there was another review where it was practically pure 8s all across, but I don’t recall getting straight 8s even inside the Song Structure part.

Anyways, I think this describes “1Min 1Sec” quite well: the perfect above-average song. It’s definitely above average, but nothing incredibly out of this world. Nevertheless, it’s a song worth listening to. If you ever want a song that focuses more on the melody and pacing versus lots of build up and climatic moments, this is the perfect song. It’s a really relaxed song in comparison to a lot of other ones.

It took me 1.5 hours this time for this review, but no problem. It’s always a pleasure to write, but of course, thank you very much for reading. You reading this makes it well worth writing. So thank you once again.

Anyhow, check out Jiyeon’s solo song, “1Min 1Sec”. She does a fantastic job, and if you want to see her other member’s solo, Hyomin with her “Nice Body” (no pun intended) is also another fantastic solo release. I’m really happy with Jiyeon’s work for this song and I hope more can come from her or other members go solo. That’d be quite exciting. At this point, I really can’t pick a “favorite” member of T-ARA. Jiyeon and Hyomin have capitivated me with their solos while the rest of them are still adored. Anyhow, favorites aren’t worth picking since every single one of those ladies are beautiful, smart, and extremely hardworking. Although I have to say, I can relate to Jiyeon with not going out often since she said that she stays home versus going out. Do what makes you happy, whether that’s staying home and being a nerd or going out and having fun. Whatever makes you happy.

Anyways! T-ARA is definitely on a roll I would say, and I can’t wait for their comeback in September. Let’s see how the “Retro Queens” will return.

Hopefully I didn’t get too dull on this review. I’ll be honest, I’m writing this even though I’m in a more tired state. But it’s all worth it thanks to my readers and since K-Pop is amazing.

For my next review, I think I’ll spice things up and review a not-so-good song. Which will it be? I have no idea, although I’ll try to get a mediocre song from a group who I still consider very decent. (See my review of “Jeon Won Diary” by T-ARA N4 for an example of what I mean. Amazing group but, not quite that for the song)

Lots of ideas around, so who knows.

Anyways, the end has come, thanks once again. Hopefully I “Never ever” stop and that you guys keep coming back. After all, “I can’t breathe without you, not for 1 minute 1 second”

Hyomin – “Overcome” Review

Hyomin – Overcome (Live)

Hyomin – Overcome

Reviewed on July 24, 2014

Personal Message: I’ve wanted to review this song for quite a while since it would be a nice contrast to her other song, “Nice Body”.

Don’t quote me on this but, from what I’ve heard, Hyomin wrote this song by herself along with a few artists helping her.

And I have to say, just wow. I find the song to be very, very meaningful and deep. In fact, on any rough day, such as today, hearing this gives me some strength. Since the mood is also quite fitting, I might make the personal blog post on why K-Pop means the world to me.

Anyhow, I’ll do my best not to sound negative and to stay positive and happy as I normally do for my reviews. Just listening to this song gives a lot of encouragement and honestly, I can heavily relate to the lyrics. Just listening to it as I write right now, it really hits me personally. Today, and probably for a few weeks, I’ll probably be replaying this song.

I’m not sure if Hyomin wrote the lyrics to personally reflect her life, but either way, this rap is incredible. And actually, this is a rap. Reviewing it will be interesting, but let’s give it a shot.

So let’s see if this rap helps people “Overcome” their problems and if it provides the needed strength to keep moving on.

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Song Total Score: 9/10 (8.75/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.

– Vocals: 8/10 – While I’m a huge fan of Hyomin’s voice, she doesn’t have anything extremely outstanding. For this rap, she sounds nice nevertheless. She has great control over her vocals and provides a diverse range whether it’s soft, rougher, powerful or lighter.

Hyomin is definitely a solid singer/rapper, and this song further proves it.

– Song Structure: 9/10 (8.5/10 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, Bridge, 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: Well since it’s a rap song, the structure is a bit interesting. First of all, the introduction is going to just be the instrumental part at the start. Now, the verse is pretty much the sections where Hyomin is rapping full time. So, quite a lengthy verse. Pre-Chorus is the section right after her rapping, where she sings softer. The chorus is when the “La la” occurs.

1. Introduction: 10/10 – This introduction is beautiful. Because of how well crafted it is, I’m going to have to give it a perfect score. This part is practically perfect.

So at the start, we hear the piano melody that builds the song’s melody and flow. That isn’t it. Next we hear a pencil scribbling away; this sets up the tone of the song very well. We all know this specific sound. It isn’t the sound of writing a to-do list or homework, but it’s the continuous non-stop movement of a pencil scribbling away the writer’s thoughts. A journal, a memo, etc. An essay, even. But anyhow, this is quite a symbolic sound to hear and it truly places the mood of the song.

As for transition, there’s a moment of pausing but then beats kick in. A smooth switch and then Hyomin starts.

Overall, a very tone setting introduction. The piano melody would’ve sufficed, but the song went further, it added a very symbolic sound of a pencil scribbling. It’s also not some regular scribbling, but instead, it’s the scribbling of someone writing their pain and suffering away. The transition is also excellent. Overall, due to how meaningful the start is, I have to give a 10/10.

2. Verse: 9/10 – The verses in this song are incredible; Hyomin proves to be an exceptional rapper.

The flow of the rap is solid, there’s excellent pacing and emphasis on certain words. Hyomin’s melody is still there and it complements the instrumental quite well. For the first verse, her line of “Life is pain but I live till I die” was also extremely powerful; vocally she added a bit more intensity there and meaning-wise. Overall, there’s just so much flow and charisma from her; the lyrics had emotion, energy, and power.

3. Pre-Chorus: 8/10 – This part provided a nice break after the continuous melodic, and intenser verse.

For this part, Hyomin utlizes softer vocals. The transition went smoothly since the instrumentals became more passive. The vocals and instrumental blend well together here. In summary, though, this part was focused on as a break and a less energetic section to contrast the rapping verses. Nevertheless, the singing here was very relaxing; it was almost a whisper and her lines of “Maybe…Maybe” also added onto the calming flow.

4. Chorus: 8/10 – The chorus is a unique mix of singing and rapping; overall quite solid.

For the chorus, we do hear a repeated “La La La” followed up with some rapping. Now, while most of you may know by that I despise any chorus that utilizes non-sense with “La la la/oh oh oh”, this provides a VERY nice fit. It allows the instrumental to flow and work freely with the vocals aiding it there. The follow up rap that occurs further refines it; smooth to a rap flow and repeated is a really interesting flow.

Overall, really solid chorus that utilizes breaks through chunking “La La…” while still having rapping. Furthermore, it soothes the song into fitting its lyrics and mood.

5. Bridge: 8/10 – A solid bridge here. For this part, it’s completely rapped still. Nevertheless, the bridge follows the norm. The vocals and instrumental go passive. The rapping flow is still there, but the melody is somewhat lost since Hyomin’s voice is “filtered” a bit here. Thankfully, near the end, the filter fades away slightly and the melody is heard once again along with Hyomin stepping up the pacing and intensity to bring a smooth transition back to the song and to the next part, the conclusion.

6. Conclusion (Chorus): 8/10 – Not the strongest finish, but it wasn’t awful. I’m glad it stayed within limits in terms of intensity; with a meaningful, ruminating feel established, having a super hyped up conclusion would’ve thrown that away.

Anyhow, the conclusion practically repeats its chorus. Everything seems very similar, which is completely acceptable for this song’s mood. The conclusion plays off the piano melody that appears throughout the rap and near the end, we can hear it once again. Slowly, everything else fades out until the piano is the last one remaining. Then slowly, the piano fades out as well.

So overall, a sufficient conclusion; the ending faded out properly. The only issue is it felt like I was listening to the chorus once again, but taking the song’s tone into consideration, it’s acceptable since anything to add a final climatic peak of energy wouldn’t fit the serious, sadder mood.

– Line Distribution: X/10 – Can’t be applied since she’s going solo here.

– Instrumentals: 8/10 – The instrumental was quite solid, it provided nice transitions and it definitely accompanied Hyomin’s rapping/singing. Nothing super extraordinary, but it did its job and aided Hyomin’s vocals.

– Meaning: 10/10 – Perhaps one of the more meaningful songs I’ve stumbled upon. Here are the lyrics, not 100% accurate, but clear enough:

The life I wanted, my earnest wishes
After betraying myself and leaving far away
I became alone because the world turned against me
The last leaf that fell outside the window
It was hard even to look at myself in the mirror
So I only chased after unimportant things
It was better when I was younger
An existence that was as small as dust
What good is it if wounds heal when scars still remain?
I’m looking for a happiness that can’t be seen
Staying away from anything
other than work, money and love
After losing my way, I’ve come here
Life is pain but I live till I die
The blood and sweat I shed to make my flower bloom
I was scared in front of you and change
But when I closed and opened my eyes, morning came

The day passes and night comes, like the shining stars
Maybe Maybe
It’s a star that I forgot about for a moment
Like a star that falls for today
Maybe Maybe
I will shine from today on

La La La La La La La La La
Just like a star falling at night for the next day
I’m a star that fell just for today
La La La La La La La La La
Just like a star that shines after
the day ends and night comes
I will be a shining star from today on

The setting sun that shines through the steel window
Mixes with my loneliness
I tied my shoelaces to get ahead than others
But it gets tangled up and I can’t even go home
I can’t even resent anyone
The long haired girl now cuts up her own hair
Standing in front of a split road
Skin hardened out of emotion, heart feeling frustrated

My dreams are hidden by darkness
I barely made it alive
I wanted to hide myself anywhere, seclude myself
I thought I was being wise but I was being dull
But failure gives you new opportunities
Don’t forget how to get back up again
I’ll say it proudly after I get back up
As you can see, I can get up by myself

The day passes and night comes, like the shining stars
Maybe Maybe
It’s a star that I forgot about for a moment
Like a star that falls for today
Maybe Maybe
I will shine from today on

Loneliness reflects off of me
The pain seemed like it’ll end some day
In the end I came all this way
I trust myself in excitement rather than anxiety
Loneliness reflects off of me
The pain seemed like it’ll end some day
In the end I came all this way
I trust myself in excitement rather than anxiety

I really, really want to know her inspiration for this song. Was it to personally reflect her life? Others she knew? So many questions. Anyhow, these lyrics are very, very meaningful and deep.

Personally today’s a rough day but, looking at these lyrics and being able to relate to it and its message, it’s a really nice way to gather my strength once again and to keep pushing on with life. After all, “Life is pain but I live till I die”.

Anyhow, the lyrics tell a story or someone. Perhaps Hyomin, herself, or any other regular human being. Since I’m into the lyrics, I’ll break it down.

The life I wanted, my earnest wishes
After betraying myself and leaving far away
I became alone because the world turned against me

So the person had a certain life they wanted; it was their sincere wish. What kind of life? That’s up to you to decide. Perhaps they wanted to be successful, perhaps they wanted for once a happy family, etc. Anyhow, after the person fails with something or perhaps achieving this wish, they run away from their problems. The person feels alone since it just seems like the whole world is against them. No one is by their side.

The last leaf that fell outside the window
It was hard even to look at myself in the mirror
So I only chased after unimportant things
It was better when I was younger
An existence that was as small as dust

For this part, the “last leaf” is hard to exactly label. It could be representing how time is passing by after all the incidents this person went through or it could be symbolizing a “last chance”. Anyhow, this person starts becoming ashamed of themselves. As a result of this low self-esteem, they go after things that are unimportant in life. This could be a really useless job, chasing after another bottle of alcohol, etc. The last part is something we all can relate to. Life when we were younger. Your existence wasn’t a big deal; not in the idea of how your life doesn’t matter, but the idea of how you didn’t need to worry about the future of your existence.

What good is it if wounds heal when scars still remain?
I’m looking for a happiness that can’t be seen
Staying away from anything
other than work, money and love
After losing my way, I’ve come here
Life is pain but I live till I die

The next part is also quite meaningful. Here, there’s the sophisticated, philosophical idea on scars and wounds. I can definitely relate as can anyone else. While the initial injury always fades over time, scars don’t. They will always be there. For me, that’s something I’m still trying to get over. Scars will always be there. Anyhow, this person is searching for their happiness. It’s invisible, after all, how can there be happiness if this person is only concerned with work, money, and love. After this person has went through the unknown trauma, this is what their life has become.

Seemingly pain. But, “life is pain but I live till I die”. Very meaningful.

The blood and sweat I shed to make my flower bloom
I was scared in front of you and change
But when I closed and opened my eyes, morning came

Now here is some ruminating. The hardwork this person has done is what allowed their flower to bloom. After that that thought, this person thinks back perhaps to the incident/trauma. A figure is their fear; change was also a fear. But, what this person realizes is, that’s in the past. When they went to sleep, the morning still came. Life still continues.

Anyhow, I just wanted to show off how these lyrics can be quite meaningful and I wanted to express my own take on what they could mean.

Something to be noted, though, is this:

But failure gives you new opportunities
Don’t forget how to get back up again
I’ll say it proudly after I get back up
As you can see, I can get up by myself

In hardships, we all have to remember to get back up. And Hyomin is there to remind us of that.

Overall, very, very meaningful lyrics. These are my favorite lyrics of all time and in rougher times, songs like these is what keeps me getting back up.

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Choreography Score: X/10 – A…rap ballad…?

Anyhow, this wasn’t a pumped up, have fun rap. It was a more serious one with quite some meaning. As a result, there is no choreography whatsoever.

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Overall Score: 9/10 (9/10 raw score) – No choreography, so the Choreography Score isn’t included here.

So purely the Song Total Score.

A solid 9/10 which I agree with.

The rapping and singing from Hyomin are incredible. The rapping is very solid, there’s excellent flow, power, and melody.

The lyrics are extremely meaningful and can definitely provide the needed strength to keep people pushing on with life.

Overall, I cherish this song. For my current hardship, this will be what I need to get up. Also, looking up to Sera (my role model, former Nine Muses member/leader) and thinking about how she got through her tough periods also gives me encouragement.

Hopefully I didn’t sound too depressing, writing this ended up helping me out. Expressing myself through songs is just, it’s an indescribable feeling. As usual, thank you for reading this. That also keeps me going.

While Hyomin is known for her “Nice Body” (no pun intended), let’s not forget the intelligence and realistic side of her through “Overcome”.

I hope you find a song that gives you strength, for me, I hope to “Overcome” my problems through Hyomin’s words.

T-ARA N4 – “Jeon Won Diary” Review

T-ARA N4 – Jeon Won Diary (Dance Version)

T-ARA N4 – Jeon Won Diary (Live Performance)

T-ARA N4 – Jeon Won Diary (ft. Taewoon)

Reviewed on July 13, 2014

Personal Message: As promised, we’re going to do an interesting review. Before we get started, you’ll notice I gave two links. Why? The official dance version was WAY too hectic. Honestly, it was horrible. So much lighting and transitioning, I was getting so confused and disorientated. As such, I gave a live performance version, which allows you to truly see the choreography.

Anyways, what makes this review unique? I like to describe this song as…“guilty pleasure”. I mean that in the way of how I still find myself listening to this song, despite how it doesn’t quite deserve that. This song is FAR from solid and in fact, I’m really disappointed with how this song came out. Especially coming from T-ARA, quite disappointing. At least this was just a sub-group and not the full T-ARA group, but nevertheless, the producers behind the song could’ve gave T-ARA N4 a better song. However, props to the ladies for being able to handle such a disaster and for doing their best to make a sculpture out of dirt.

Now, “to the Jeon Won Diary…” as Eunjung says.

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Song Total Score: 7/10 (7.2/10 raw score) – Average score of the sub-categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.

– Vocals: 9/10 – I’m going to be excluding the featured rapper for this. Overall, the vocals here are actually really good. This is what I meant earlier by how the ladies tried to pull their weight through the song. Eunjung did amazing with her high notes as usual. Hyomin and Jiyeon were rocking their lines. Ex-member Ahreum also had an exceptionally impressive solo part. Despite how the song goes, you can’t deny the vocal talent behind it. Nothing is wrong with the vocals; T-ARA N4 carries the melody and utilizes their vocal strengths to improve the song.

– Song Structure: 6/10 (6.1/10 raw score) – Going to have scores for “Verse score”, “Pre-Chorus score”, “Chorus score”, etc.)

The song goes in this structure and order:

Introduction, Rap 1, Pre-Chorus (short), Rap 2, Chorus, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Pre-Chorus (short), Chorus, Verse, Bridge, Pre-Chorus 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: Before we even start…something’s already wrong when I’m struggling to decide what each section should be labelled as. But let’s keep proceeding:

1. Introduction: 7/10 – For the start, it isn’t too bad. The very prominent and powerful instrumental beats kick in. It’s almost instant, but that isn’t bad; the introduction sets the stage for how fast paced the song will be. What is not great, however, is the repeating and annoying utters of “wae, wae, wae…” (It means “why” in Korean). The vocals here just got annoying, not necessarily due to the lack of talent, but just a wrong rhythm to begin with. The beats are what allow this introduction to remain average.

2. Rap 1: 8/10 – Hyomin does this rap, and that’s an awesome choice. What’s great about this rap is it follows up the introduction perfectly; she keeps the same power and energy that the introduction gave. As such, the transition is smooth. For the rap itself, there is so much flow and melody behind it. Hyomin had words rolling off her tongue, but it was a sweet flow. Power, flow, rhythm, melody, it was all there. Personally, this is the main reason I still return to this song.

3. Pre-Chorus (short): 6/10 – This is where Eunjung makes great use of her high notes; this section is for pure build up, but it does it in a very lame method. Eunjung’s vocals here are excellent, her high pitch is well sustained and she carries forth a melody.

What does go wrong, though, is once Eunjung finishes singing, a last part is looped over and over and more quickly to create a huge climatic effect. That is beyond unoriginal; this is a basic way to build up a song. That should be kept for electronic songs (Techno, Drum and Bass, etc) but should be avoided for any pop song. It is just not interesting and its common use further reduces any specialty of it. Also, the pre-chorus (short) abruptly cuts off the previous sections’ high level of intensity. Overall, the pre-chorus (short version) was transitioned to way too harshly and it ends with the most basic in-the-book closing.

4. Rap 2: 4/10 – Taewoon finally enters the song. If only they locked him out. Before we even start on his rap, this section is horrendously placed. Horrible. It’s atrocious. After such a build up through the pre-chorus (short), having this rap ruined that climax. I was anticipating the chorus, but instead we get a rap that doesn’t compete with a high level of energy/intensity. We haven’t even started to the rap itself.

Now, the rap starts off with “Party people!” A super rough start, that line sounded more obnoxious than anything else. Taewoon’s rap is below average; I heard very little flow. It was extremely choppy and very rough. He has some power and intensity, but without any flow, it kills the purpose of a rap.

On the bright side, this rap does transition to the upcoming chorus well, but with Taewoon’s mediocre rap adding to the huge misplacement of the rap, that will cost the score.

5. Chorus: 5/10 – A very, very mediocre chorus. It’s catchy, definitely a good thing since a chorus should have a melody that attracts people, but it is one of the choruses that make me cringe. Why? There are no words. If it wasn’t catchy, this section would be 2/10, but just due to how catchy it is, a 5/10. But pretty much, this chorus is just as bad as other choruses that go “La la la la la la ~” For the love of music, please have a real chorus that contains words and lines. This chorus came off as extremely obnoxious, yet it retains a catchy melody.

6. Verse: 7/10 – Hyomin takes over this section. She brings out a lot of nice “chunked” lines, in specific, her endings of “…ya” gives off a nice lingering effect. That carries a melody and some power. Overall not a bad section at all, but with just pure chopped up lines, it won’t earn anything beyond a 7/10.

7. Pre-Chorus: 7/10 – Now for the REAL pre-chorus. Jiyeon and Eunjung team up together for this part. Sadly, this section sounds a lot like the verse; it’s stale with keeping the same amount of energy/intensity, and it keeps the chunking/choppy pattern as before, until the end that is. Towards the end, Eunjung carries it to the next section in a beautiful manner. Again, her higher notes help lift it up to the next part and with how she was softer, it really made it a gentle transition.

8. Bridge: 9/10 – Ahreum decided to carry her group through this section. Well done.

Although she’s a former member, her legacy here remains. The transition to this section was rather smooth; the instrumentals died down properly, the line beforehand was at the proper intensity level. Now her part here is stunning; she skillfully sings a sweet, gentle harmony. Near the end though, she’s able to raise her note to bring the intensity level back up, which then allowed a proper transition back into the song. This bridge is definitely one of the better ones I have ever heard, and in fact, this and Hyomin’s initial rap keep this song held up in my opinion.

9. Pre-Chorus 2: 3/10 – Well looks like there’s plenty of sections in this song. Highest count so far from any other song I know.

Anyways, to describe the second version of the pre-chorus: what the heck is this? First of all, a stale line is never fun to hear unless properly manipulated to create a break/pause in a song. Jiyeon did her one single line. From what I could tell, there was no need for that. A pause was unnecessary, and it wasn’t transitioning to anything. Next, “why you hating” repeated for, who knows how long, was beyond dumb. It’s one thing to loop a line for infinity, but to also distort it and such made it even more dreadful to hear. This was awful. For a pre-chorus, this did not do its job. It does the opposite role; instead of preparing you for the chorus, it made you never want to hear the chorus. There was no transitioning from it to the chorus, a faulty pre-chorus takes responsibility for that.

10. Conclusion (Chorus): 5/10 – This song was mainly played in high energy, so having an energetic end wasn’t a wrong choice. But then again, recycling a chorus which is mediocre and adding some electric guitar to slightly bump up the intensity wasn’t too special. Also, the song pretty much just gets chopped off at the end. There is no proper ending or decrease of the energy level. Overall, quite mediocre and average.

– Line Distribution: 10/10 – Hey, something got a 10/10 in this song! While this song was jumbled all over the place, at least the singers weren’t. Well, assuming they weren’t dancing.

Pretty much, everyone got a fair share of the cake. Furthermore, everyone was used to their strengths; Eunjung was for the high notes, Hyomin and Jiyeon provided support, and Ahreum gave a beautiful solo.

The featured rapper, Taewoon, won’t be included for this, but even if he was included, a perfect fit as well. He got his section. Done.

Overall, really nice distribution and use of everyone’s positive singing traits.

– Instrumentals: 5/10 – The instruments start becoming obnoxious after a while. The only great thing, though, is a dominant powerful beat. Otherwise, it’s purely electronic based. That isn’t a bad thing, but they were just bouncing noises everywhere. It was headache inducing.

– Meaning: 6/10 – As usual, here are the lyrics. Heads up: The lyrics provided in the Dance Version MV have lyrics that make more sense. Also, Jeon Won Diary isn’t necessarily translated as “countryside life”; it literally is just a diary called that from what I heard. However, the connotation, though, is technically “countryside”. If I recall properly, “Jeon Won Diary” is actually taken from a Korean Drama title that deals with relaxing and calming down via the countryside life.

Anyways, the lyrics in English:

Why (why) why (why)
(Mind your own business)
Why (why) why (why)
(Mind your own business)

Every returning Monday, I get so annoyed
On long days like this, why do you only bother me?
Please stop with the nagging,
I don’t wanna hear it
I just wanna leave
To the countryside life

Come to me, hold my hand,
Leave with me

Party People

Just enjoy life
Dance all night
Put away all your worries behind
(You, you, mind your own business)
Turn off your phone
Empty your head
Wash your feet and just fall asleep

Ddingaringaringa ddingaringaringa
Ddingaringaringa dding dding dding
Ddingaringaringa ddingaringaringa
Ddingaringaringa dding dding dding

So ridiculous, uh, it’s my prerogative
So ridiculous, uh, it’s my prerogative
I’ll do whatever I want, what do you care?
You don’t even know, it’s my prerogative

I’m doing just fine
So why are you butting in?
Please utter your words elsewhere
Will you just shhh
And mind your own business?
When life gets annoying sometimes
To the countryside life

Come to me, hold my hand,
Leave with me

Party People

Why (why) why (why)
Why (why) why (why)

Ddingaringaringa ddingaringaringa
Ddingaringaringa dding dding dding
Ddingaringaringa ddingaringaringa
Ddingaringaringa dding dding dding

So ridiculous, uh, it’s my prerogative
So ridiculous, uh, it’s my prerogative
I’ll do whatever I want, what do you care?
You don’t even know, it’s my prerogative

Upset feelings, bruised feelings
Everyone has at least one of those things
Don’t worry because
Even the cold wind will pass

Mind your own business

Why you hating Why why you hating
Why you hating Why why you hating
Why you hating Why why you hating
Why you hating Why why why you hating

Ddingaringaringa ddingaringaringa
Ddingaringaringa dding dding dding
Ddingaringaringa ddingaringaringa
Ddingaringaringa dding dding dding

Alright, so in summary: Screw off, haters.

That is pretty much the message. Not deep. Not sophisticated. No story. Just a way of telling off people that bother you. I like the idea of getting away from problems; in fact, everyone needs to know how to relax. Finding a “positive high” and a burning passion that synthesizes productivity from stress, anger, and negative feelings is so crucial. Otherwise, people do crazy things. Not what the world needs. Anyways, I like that message of going “to the Jeon Won Diary/countryside life” to relax. That could be anything, truly. Music, reading, video games, hiking. Just leaving all your worries and stress behind is needed.

Now that’s an awesome message but…everything else is just bland. Go away, haters. Nothing special. Heck, I sometimes wonder if T-ARA N4 had a secret message of that for their haters. Perhaps, who knows. I won’t go into the scandal stuff (although one day, I might make a blog post addressing that and give my opinion and perspective) just for the sake of focusing on the music.

Overall, very tasteless lyrics.

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Choreography Score: 6/10 – Finally, the choreography score. The dance possesses multiple key points, but I find it a headache to watch. Even with the live performance, there’s a plethora of dancers all over the place. Too many. Cut a few out. Also, although there are many key points in the dance, none of them stick out as fabulous. For example, the chorus key point, make a twirl with your upper body, that’s it.

I saw very few coordinated things, and a lot more silly, crazy, hyper moves.

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Overall Score: 7/10 (6.5/10 raw score) – Interesting. I guess I’m too friendly with grading, or perhaps, the vocals of the ladies carried the score through.

I root for a 6/10, though, to be honest. This song is just mediocre. The ladies’ vocal skill is the only great thing about this. But as stated earlier, T-ARA had to make a sculpture out of dirt. But, I’m impressed, they managed to do just that; despite how disorganized the song was along with a chaotic dance and instrumental, their sheer singing ability allowed this song to not be complete garbage.

But before we all leave with a sour taste in our mouths, just remember, T-ARA N4 is a sub-group (thank goodness). That said, they could’ve been experimenting around or just stretching or testing new places.

T-ARA in the current time is much more impressive; in fact, for the full group in action, “Number 9” (which I reviewed earlier) showcases that. They’ve definitely matured and as a full group of the current six, they prove to be a powerful K-Pop artist.

Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed a more critical review of a song. As promised, I won’t be reviewing only the good songs, but quite a few songs that don’t make it to the top.

Girl’s Day – Darling is planned to be reviewed soon! As a teaser, let me just say, “Darling” will be replaying on my phone for quite some time. Check that out if you haven’t already.

Well it’s the end, thank you for reading this, I hope you found it interesting and entertaining. Hopefully you see a critical analysis and see my perspective on certain things. I hope your own opinions are triggered, but for now, I’m going “to the Jeon Won Diary” of mine; reviewing music and such. Stay tuned for more! And don’t forget to go to your “Jeon Won Diary”

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.

Hyomin – “Nice Body” Review

Hyomin – Nice Body (Dance Practice Version)

Hyomin – Nice Body (ft. LOCO)

Reviewed on July 9, 2014

Personal Message: Well it’s time for my first review! Pretty excited, slightly nervous, but hey we all have to start somewhere. I decided to review “Nice Body” since it’s a relatively new song, and I personally have been enjoying it. What a great song to exercise to, right? Perhaps. Let’s find out what’s really in a “Nice Body”.

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Song Total Score: 7/10 (6.75/10 raw score) – Average score of the different categories, separate so Choreography Score doesn’t affect it.

– Vocals: 8/10 – Honestly, Hyomin’s voice here is pretty nice. She has a very distinct voice and she hits the melody extremely well. Everything leading up the chorus is wonderful; she’s in tune and sounds so smooth. Her high notes are decent. The biggest strength has to be just how her pitch flows, from low to high and such. I often find myself just humming to the melody of her voice. Even in T-ARA, Hyomin isn’t an awful singer.

However, while her voice itself is unique, nothing is special nor does anything stand out about her singing. In fact, there’s a “frail” sounding voice at times. During the chorus of “nae mommaen nice nice body…” I feel her voice sounds a bit on the weaker side. It’s not a huge flaw, though. Overall, it’s above average and for this song’s style, it completely fits. Unfortunately, nothing sticks out to give it a perfect 10/10.

– Song Structure: 8/10 (7.57/10 raw score) – Note: I’m pretty sure I’ll change this section up. Seems way too messy as of now.

The song goes in this structure and order:

Introduction, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Rap, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, 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.

1. Introduction: 8/10 – LOCO takes the wheel for the introduction. It’s a basic introduction, but for this song’s style, it’s fitting. Instantly singing would be way too much, rapping instantly would also be way too fast paced. Slowly singing to create build up would also not work, so just the casual “Hyomin, LOCO, let’s do this” works. Nothing bad but nothing unique.

2. Verse: 8/10 – An extremely solid verse for this song. Hyomin’s able to come off as extremely smooth and sexy with her voice; the lower-mid tones and the length of every line is perfect for a start. The pauses are also to the benefit of the verse; besides aiding the choreography, the pauses just leave this lingering effect that makes you want to keep listening. This verse also transitions to the pre-chorus extremely well. It’s well done to fit the entire song itself.

3. Pre-Chorus: 8/10 – I’m going to give the exact score as the verse. If I were to be biased, I’d give it a perfect 10/10, but nevertheless, it’s almost there. The melody here is amazing; Hyomin going to the higher notes was well executed and it just leaves a melody stuck in your head. “…geoya” definitely sticks around and becomes catchy. Also similar to the verse, the transition from the pre-chorus to the actual chorus goes well.

4. Chorus: 7/10 – The chorus isn’t awful; it still keeps Hyomin’s melodic voice going which is great, however, “give me love, give me love, give me love” is not a strong piece at all. It may be a “background” voice, but that doesn’t excuse it from being a component of the chorus. That line doesn’t give much melody nor flow. In fact, to me, it’s rather choppy. It’s a memorable line, but it just doesn’t add anything to the previous sections of Hyomin’s melody.

5. Rap: 7/10 – LOCO’s rap! His rap wasn’t too bad. It is average to be honest; flow is average, pacing is average, etc. Adding a rap here, though, was a decent choice. It fit well and I actually liked that it was in the earlier part of the song versus being near the end. Nothing shined from it, but it didn’t make me cry so that’s a bonus. A confession: I’m not too skilled nor experienced enough to truly gauge raps, but I’ll do my best.

6. Bridge: 8/10 – A part for Hyomin to shine even more. As usual, instruments die a bit down during this time, although I believe there is a nice piano melody going on. It works well and complements Hyomin’s singing and her line of “…maepsi naneun seutail gibun joha seumail…” sticks out with some added power/intensity here (slight, but still there). Above average for a bridge.

7. Conclusion (Chorus): 7/10 – Pretty much a conclusion that recycles the chorus, which is not a bad thing at all. What’s nice here is the “intensity” is slightly increased through LOCO throwing in his lines along with Hyomin continuing her singing. What leaves me a bit unhappy, though, is just the somewhat abrupt ending. It ends with the introduction’s “ooh” sounds. Not a bad ending, but it could have been stronger.

– Line Distribution: X/10 – Although LOCO is featured, I won’t be counting any line distribution for this song. Any featured artist will be excluded.

– Instrumentals: 7/10 – The electronic sounds along with a very present bass line (assuming that’s the correct term) mix very well with Hyomin’s voice. It’s nothing amazing and graceful, but it’s good. The beats can get you moving and feeling happy, but that’s just it. Nothing fancy but for this song’s style, it’s a well suited fit.

– Meaning: 4/10 – Such a bummer. It honestly is. “Mechanically”, if I may toy with that word, the song IS good. Hyomin’s vocals are great, the instrument meshes with them well, the song structure is pretty solid. But the meaning of the song is cringe-worthy. I remember the day the music video came out; comments on YouTube were on fire. It was extremely controversial.

For some examples of the lyrics, here they are in English:

Any woman would love to show off
Any woman goes on a diet at least once
When you’re a woman, you of course want to receive love
The prince of my dreams will certainly appear to me

(I take note on everything I want to eat)
I live noxiously everyday
(I endure all the pains)
I’m going to be prettier
I’m going to love you more, I’m going to show you more of it
I will change, you will see
You do deserve it

My body is a nice nice body
Legs are very slim, with my hot waist
(give me love, give me
love, give me love)
My body is a nice body
As if everyones surprised they turn back at once to look
Now, they can’t ignore me

Any man would wish for such a woman
Any man, as if they’re all the same, love pretty women
Every man thinks about sex at least once
If only they were thinking about me,
would be great if it were me

I’ve gone through so much
You don’t know hard I worked because of you
My nice style, My good feeling style
I’m also proud now

Now that isn’t the full song lyrics, and of course it’s not 100% accurate with translation, but we get the general idea.

Pretty much, a woman goes through the work of achieving a “nice body” in order to attract men. Or, from one of the stanzas, a man.

What I personally find racy about these lyrics is the fact that it implies women have to a “hot waist” or “slim legs” in order to be attractive. Also, I don’t think it’s a healthy idea to be hot for the sake of someone else; being attractive for the sake of yourself and feeling better is different than losing weight and such just for the purpose of attracting one person. Furthermore, besides being offensive towards women, it also offends men as well. “Any man, as if they’re all the same, love pretty women”. Alright, as a male, I’m pretty annoyed at that. The lyrics are subjecting males as if they are ALL animals that only seek out sex in women.

Now, the only good thing about the lyrics is it encourages, although in an extremely negative method, that working hard can potentially net you a “nice body”. Also, nothing is wrong about feeling like you have a sexy body; everyone wants to feel that way. Man or woman, feeling confident about your body is great and that is one of the things the song does shed some light on.

Overall, though, the lyrics are extremely controversial and can be deemed offensive towards men and women. I actually laughed at the lyrics when I first heard it. Just kidding, I cringed first then I laughed. To save Hyomin a bit, I know she definitely did NOT write the song lyrics. In fact, from an article or video (can’t remember), Hyomin does address some of the violence in media towards women. The idea that a women has to look this way, etc, Hyomin heavily disagrees with it but she knows that in order to compete, she has to go with the system. Note: I think it was either an article or video about T-ARA. They spoke up regarding to whether or not they had plastic surgery and Hyomin speaks up and addresses women in media and such.

Now what Hyomin DID write for a song, a rap in specific, is brilliant, and I will hopefully review that later but if I don’t, “Overcome” by Hyomin is a great song she wrote. Or at least I heard it was self composed by her with the help of other rap artists and such. Anyways let’s move on.

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Choreography Score: 9/10 – This dance is extremely fun and entertaining to watch. Sort of. I feel like bashing first so let’s do that. Butt rolling at the start and at the end: No. Yes, typical men might scream at that and be like “that’s sexy!” but, unfortunately I dislike dances that are blatantly sexual.

Somewhat off-topic, “classy” dances is what gets me and my hair on the edge; not classy like slow dancing and in dresses, but I prefer dances that work with the music versus with showing off some body parts. For example, Nine Muses (my favorite group still, despite losing 3 great ladies, one of whom is role model, I was quite saddened) remains very parallel to the song with their dances. They’re not doing any silly butt shaking or whatever, they keep it “classy” but that just makes them even sexier.

Anyways, went totally off topic. Apologies. Back to “Nice Body”, the butt rolls at the start and end is just too plain for me; yes, Hyomin’s butt along with back up dancers is sliding on a railing and going to the left and right. Nothing special at all. Another thing that just hurts the Choreography Score is the chorus. By now, I’m sure it’s a hit with “give me love, give me love, give me love”, and by that, I mean the butt shake with the tape measure when she says those words. While I confess the other butt rolls are on the sexual attractive side, this butt shake orientated part is just awkward. It’s just the dancers (and Hyomin) arching their backs with a tape measurer and doing a really awkward, and vague shake. To be honest, I didn’t see they were doing a butt shake until I watched the dance a second time.

So now you must be wondering, “Uh but Atrocity/Chris, you gave it a 9 while you’re complaining this badly, what’s up?”

While it should be an 8/10, everything else about this dance is phenomenal. Amazing. The use of the staircase is interesting. The back up dancers are a HUGE piece of this dance, something that rarely happens from my experience. Normally back up dancers are there to just fill space; with smaller groups, just having 4 people dance, for example, may seem empty, so back up dancers are added to remove such a void. In a sense they’re “props” like in a play. But for Hyomin’s “Nice Body”, the back up dancers are dancers, not “back ups”. The synchronicity with the song and movements are extremely clear and just provide a great sight. If a certain beat happened, so did a specific move. The transitions were almost flawless. Once the male dancers enter the dance, it’s nice to see the continued sync with music with an added layer to the choreography. Overall, it’s well done to fit the music with movements, little details come into play (tape measurer, etc.), back up dancers prove to be main dancers, it’s just so much fun to watch. Despite the cons of the butt orientated dance parts, everything else covers those flaws.

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Overall Score: 8/10 – So in the end, Hyomin’s “Nice Body” comes out with an 8/10 or a 4/5, whichever way you prefer to see it.

I think overall I do agree with how the numbers came out. It’s definitely a very fun dance and song. The only big issue is just the meaning; it can come off as offensive and racy, but if we’re looking at it from just a dance and sing perspective, it’s good.

So this brings us the end of my first music review, and I know what I need to revise now. I spent about…2 and a half hours writing I think? Did not expect it to take this long, so I guess I’ll end up cutting some things back.

Thanks for reading this, if you made it to the end, congratulations.

More reviews to come up, but for now, stay sexy with your own, personal “Nice Body”!

Tag: Qri

T-ARA – “Little Apple” Review

T-ARA – “Sugar Free” Review

Jiyeon – “1Min 1Sec” Review

Hyomin – “Overcome” Review

T-ARA N4 – “Jeon Won Diary” Review

T-ARA – “Number 9” Review

Hyomin – “Nice Body” Review