Album Review: SHINee’s ‘Odd’

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AlbumReviewSHINeeOddFeatured

SHINee is finally back after their successful “Misconceptions” saga and the hit song, “Everybody.” The quintet came back with their fourth studio album “Odd” on May 18. The whole “Odd” album makes it clear that SHINee is clearly unafraid to experiment with both old and new sounds in order to show us a mature side to the boy band. Yet again, this has spelled success for SHINee.

ODD EYE

The album opens up with “Odd Eye,” the first song out of several that were composed by member Jonghyun. As the song begins, we hear fellow member Key reciting spoken word in English. In the background, we hear dramatic violins, then electronic drums and synthesizers drop in as soon as Jonghyun starts singing. The continuous bass in the song makes this a perfect R&B tune.

The track is very sexy and rapper Minho adds a lot to the track with his rap joining Key’s. The harmonies between vocalists Taemin, Jonghyun, and Onew are amazing. The track seems more mature than what we have heard before from SHINee like “Lucifer”, “Sherlock”, and “Hello”. “Odd Eye” talks about falling in love at first sight with a mysterious person, and through the song you hear the boys describing everything they find attractive in this person. This track is a great song to start the album and prepares us for what’s to come.

LOVE SICK

As soon as “Love Sick” starts it reveals a close resemblance to one of SHINee’s past songs, “Like A Fire.” But in reality, the song is actually the continuation of the group’s debut song, “Replay (Noona You’re So Pretty.)” The track features a simple electronic beat that is consistent through the song and mixes the sounds of the piano, metronome, and drums. The theme of the album is SHINee in love. With this song, the boys talk about how much they miss the woman they love and how much they still think about her. Key’s vocals are outstanding in this track and very prominent. The chorus is sang by all of them, and is a throwback to the songs of 90’s boy bands.

VIEW

“View” is the first single from “Odd” and was also composed by Jonghyun. The song is very surprising because at first it starts as a ballad but then the beat starts building up into the chorus and explodes with electro-house and techno beats a la Giorgio Moroder that fits perfectly with SHINee. This song is different from what we are used to hearing from SHINee. It’s not as crazy electronically infused like “Everybody,” but that’s why this track seems very refreshing for them and for K-pop overall. The repeating chorus of “Nomeu Areumdoweun, doweun, doweun, doweun view” , (which in Korean means “beautiful view”) is so catchy. The beat is strong and easy to dance to, making this song very fun and a favorite in the album.

Also on KultScene: CL’s ‘Doctor Pepper’ Song Review

ROMANCE

“Romance” is a very chaotic and fast song. The beats almost seem to come out of a Mario Kart game, but it also has a few latin and tropical influences with the sounds resembling castanets. The lyrics are sung very fast and the beat continues to get faster and faster. We have never heard anything like this from SHINee before, but as crazy and chaotic as the track seems it works perfectly. The vocal arrangement through the song is great, but it seems like SHINee had to practice a lot for this song due to the fast timing. It’s a very difficult song to sing, it almost seems like they are rapping and singing at the same time but the five managed to pull the song off very well.

TRIGGER

With “Trigger,” SHINee introduces us to a very different sound. This is a complete 360 turn from the previous track. “Romance” was very happy and fun but the album takes a darker turn with “Trigger.” With R&B beats, trap elements, the infusion of xylophones, and big bass drops, the track contains a handful of sounds that are rarely mixed together but seem to work well with the lyrics. The song talks about a love affair gone wrong. The affair went crazy and there is no way turning back; SHINee metaphorically says through the song that the only way to end it all is to pull the trigger. The track is dark, sexy, and the vocals of each member also sound different. Jonghyun sings deeper, while Taemin and Onew’s voices feels stronger. Key’s “Pull the trigger” line in the background sounds very seductive.

FAREWELL MY LOVE/AN ODE TO YOU

With the next two songs in the album, “Farewell My Love” and “An Ode To You,” SHINee goes back to what we all love from them: Their romantic R&B ballads that showcases the member’s talented vocals.

“Farewell My Love” opens slowly but starts building up with a steady pace until the chorus. The beat is very sensual and the member’s vocals are showcased beautifully on the chorus. At the end of the song, Minho raps with a deeper tone that fits perfect with the nostalgic track about saying goodbye to the person you love.

An “Ode To You” perfectly depicts the moment in a relationship when you feel that everything is about to end, but there is still hope to continue on. This track is one of the saddest in the album and the music is filled with violins and pianos to enhance the sad feeling of the song.

Also on KultScene:Review: SHINee World III in Mexico City

ALIVE

With the next song of the album, SHINee brings us as the listener back to life. With the past two songs they almost made us cry, but “Alive,” wakes us up again. This is also the first time we hear the group’s iconic line, “SHINee is back”. This song uses the same formula as “Trigger,” but feels less chaotic and more controlled. The track has heavier basses that, when paired with SHINee’s choreography, will enhance the feeling of the song. With love being the continuous theme for this album, this track embodies the feeling you have when you feel completely alive and in love with someone.

WOOF WOOF

“Woof Woof” has different genres in it, a mixture of brass, jazz, and swing. This is the most similar to what SM Entertainment did with SHINee’s senior group TVXQ, in the song “Something.” The song is just very fun and it seems like the boys had a lot of fun recording the song. I can already picture SHINee all dappered up and swinging and tap dancing the song. This song feels very fresh and Key’s English once again is an unexpected pleasure for English-speaking listeners.

BLACK HOLE

“Black Hole” keeps a steady up-tempo drum beat as soon as the track starts. The techno-house feeling from “View” comes back with the synthesizers through the bridges and chorus of the song. There’s some disco and dance that seems to take you back to the ‘70s but it has a very modern feel to it. This is one of my favorite songs from the album and I can’t wait to see them perform this song live.

AN ENCORE

The album ends with “An Encore,” which is accompanied by pianos and strings that explode at the chorus. This song is a beautiful, upbeat ballad that feels perfect for a soundtrack. “An Encore” is a perfect song to end the album with. Through the song the boys have beautiful melodies and harmonies and leave you wanting more from them. It gives you the feeling of saying goodbye to someone but you know that you will see them back again soon.

Overall SHINee delivered one of their best composed albums in their career. With producers like Will Simms (producer of EXO‘s “Wolf” and Girls’ Generation‘s “I Got A Boy”), The Underdogs, Kenzie, Mike Daley and many more they achieved a more mature sound and had fun and experimented with the songs. The album is very solid and fresh and fits perfect with the members who are always evolving and outdoing themselves.

  • SHINee 'Odd'
4.8

What do you think of SHINee’s fourth studio album Odd? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

CL’s ‘Doctor Pepper’ Song Review

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CL Doctor Pepper
The time is finally here for K-pop’s greatest hope in the West to begin her attack. As K-pop fans, we have seen many before her attempt and fail to break the musical holy land, America. BoA, Se7en, Wonder Girls did not have what it takes. They, however, did not have the backing that 2NE1’s leader CL has at her disposal. Her overall style since her debut has generally taken a greater influence from the West, anyway. She seems to believe in and love her music which, whether true or not, is more common to a Western pop artist. Her performance style is more about putting on a good show than delivering crisp choreography. Moreover, she always has the famous friends like Jeremy Scott, Diplo, and M.I.A. Collaborations with them could raise her profile in the future.

It comes as no surprise that Doctor Pepper is a sleazy hip-hop track so relevant to the US musical environment right now. Does this live up to the hype of K-pop fans though? And is it going to push her career in the US?

Song

Given that hearing Major Lazer on mainstream radio stations is very common these days, Doctor Pepper is the ideal jumping off point for CL. It’s a heavily synthesized piece of hip-hop that we have come to expect from everything Diplo works on. Musically, it doesn’t deviate from its stabbing electro riff for the most part. The clip clopping drum beat behind it keeps things interesting though. It’s a far cry from what most K-pop listeners will be used to. Yet, like Diplo said, K-pop is broad enough to be able to accept and promote just about anything, even super weird Atlanta hip-hop.

This is really a showcase of the rapping talent featured with CL taking centre stage. It is here where the song really delivers. The repeating hook which CL lays at the beginning is a lot of fun. At first listen, it comes across as pretty cheesy, but there’s a wry cleverness to the lyrics that I like. It’s not a silly little rhyme about a soft drink, but an introduction of the baddest female.She’s letting the US public know how cool she is. Ice cool, if you needed help getting that.

 Also on KultScene: Artist Spotlight: Giriboy

Her rap that follows is similarly simple in its lyric. It contains, however, some slight similarities to CL’s K-pop roots. The vocal inflections and auto-tune recall for a small moment more popular elements. Not to say this is exclusive to K-pop though, most rappers do switch from rapping to singing within one verse a lot. Here though, it seems much more natural due to CL’s incredible vocal range. It appeals to CL’s die hard fans and the party loving Western fans she wants. It’s a pretty good verse to officially open up herself to the public. But in order to leave room for supporting acts, it’s her only verse though.

Those supporters are RiFF RAFF and OG Maco. Raff delivers a typically wacky and fun time while Maco has the Atlanta style flow that perfectly suits this music without overshadowing anyone else.

The Future

The success or failure of Doctor Pepper will have a big impact on CL’s future American career. How the public reacts to it will probably affect what kind of music she continues with, i.e. sticking with Diplo’s signature sounds or going in a more popular root. The success of Nicki Minaj and Diplo’s own work on the charts with Major Lazer show that the style should not be a problem though.

What will probably be the biggest issue is race, unfortunately. The public’s reaction to an Asian pop star getting involved in rap, especially Atlanta style since it’s so local, could be contentious, to say the least. Even though it’s very much in the popular realm now, rap fans have a strong loyalty to their music and artists, not unlike fans of K-pop. The roots of rap are also found in oppression and suffering, whereas CL is a well-travelled superstar who has seemingly never suffered a day in her life.

 Also on KultScene: YG Entertainment and Authenticity in K-Pop

It might seem unfair to assume that people will think this but it’s happening right now to Iggy Azaela, so we know it can happen again. Iggy is constantly being accused of cultural appropriation and it seems to have started hurting her career. I hope the difference between Iggy and CL is that CL actually makes good music. A lot can be forgiven for music that really speaks to people.

While Doctor Pepper may not work as a complete song it does give out good vibes for the future. The style is at once popular and legitimate. The big name connections are there. CL herself is devoted to her music and wants to connect with new audiences. If this isn’t enough to push CL further than those who have tried to break America before, then I hope K-pop stops trying. No one else can do it.

CL 'Doctor Pepper'
3.5

What do you think of CL’s Doctor Pepper? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

South Korean Patients Dream, and Curse, in A Hybrid Punk World [Interview]

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Korea may not be known for its rock music internationally, but just because K-pop is making headlines everywhere doesn’t mean that other genres of music are lacking in South Korea. Punk rock band Patients has had a role in creating modern punk music in Seoul, playing a role in the underground punk scene and now offers space for up-and-coming bands to play at in Hongdae, Seoul.

The band recently came back with its latest, self-produced hybrid punk album 18 ahead of a three-stop tour in England. The band, comprised of vocalist and bassist Jo Sumin, keyboardist Kwon Hyukjang and drummer Lee Jaehyuk, took their time to discuss their album, career, dreams, and more with KultScene.

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Can you introduce Patients and yourselves to the readers who may be hearing of you for the first time?
Hi! We’re Patients from Seoul, Korea. We play a style of music that we call “hybrid punk.” We just released our second full-length album. It’s called “18.” This month we’ll be heading to the UK to play shows in London and in Liverpool. We love touring overseas so we’re really looking forward to our tour.

Patients just released a new album called “18,” what’s the significance of that number to the band members?
In Korean, the word for 18 sound like “sipal” which means “f#ck.” Just like the word “f#ck” in English, the word “sipal” can be used for good and bad things. Mainly, there are two topics on the album. One is about negative things happening in society and the other is about seeking endless pleasure. When thinking about those two different things, we thought 18 would be a good title because of its ambiguous meaning. Also, we want to continue to do more and more overseas, so we thought 18 is a good title because it’s just a number and everyone can read it no matter which language they speak.


What is the meaning of your band name, “Patients”?
It literally refers to patients or people who are sick. I think everyone is a patient at some point in their life.

I’ve heard your style of music is called “hybrid punk”. What does that mean to Patients? What’s your style of music like?
We decided to call ourselves a “hybrid punk” band for two reason. The first was that we wanted to distinguish ourselves from other bands. Some punk bands just want to mimic old classic punk acts. However, I think the essence of punk is to create new things and to destroy and overturn old ways of doing things. But some people are too set on what they think the fixed image of punk should be. So that’s one reason why I wanted to give our version of punk a different name. The other reason is that by calling ourselves “hybrid punk” we have more freedom to do whatever we want since it’s a sub-genre we created! We love the DIY attitude of punk and love being able to mix elements of punk music with lots of other sounds too. “Hybrid punk” is our dream version of punk.

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How has your music changed over the years? I know you’ve had some lineup changes, leading to different sounds and style.?
In our early days, we were influenced by classic punk rock from the 1970s. So we just followed that style. But then we decided we wanted to try and do something more unique and interesting. We started experimenting more and adding other sounds and styles to our music. In 2012, we parted ways with our guitarist. Instead of bringing in a new guitarist, we decided to ask Hyuckjang to join the band as our keyboardist. So now we make music as a bass-keyboard-drum band. This set up is a lot of fun for us, helps us add lots of new sounds, and opens up many more directions for us to explore as a “hybrid punk” band!

You’ve spent some time performing abroad. Where is your favorite place to perform?
My favorite place to perform was at the Liverpool Sound City music festival. We went there last year for the first time and had a blast! Our shows went well and we really enjoyed getting to see other cool bands perform too. There was a great vibe in the city during the festival. I’m really, really excited to be playing at Liverpool Sound City again soon!

How do fans at international shows differ from Korean fans?
In Korea, the audiences we play for are usually familiar with us and very friendly so the shows are really comfortable. When we play overseas, audiences usually respond really quickly to our music which is awesome. We’re really moved by this because we know most people don’t know who we are and can’t understand our lyrics because they are in Korean. When we play outside of Korea, we communicate only by sound and energy which is a very different and interesting experience for us.

What do you think of the current Korean rock/punk rock scene? What do you think of Korean music in general?
In the Korean punk rock scene, there are some awesome and very talented musicians, and there are also some musicians who are not-so-talented or are stuck in the past. As for Korean music in general, I feel sad because the mainstream media only focus on popular artists. Musicality and creativeness seem to take a backseat to popularity. But many musicians and music industry staff are trying to fix this so I expect things will get better in the future.

In 2010, Patients began Steel Face Records. What’s that like, running a record label for rock music in a country where rock music isn’t necessarily mainstream? ?
It can be challenging, but it’s fun! Steel Face Records was started so that we could have the freedom to do whatever we wanted to. Our label is small, but we’ve released music by Patients and some other bands, and we operate a live space above our label office called Steel Face Rooftop 3639 where bands can play high above the busy streets of Hongdae. We’re always open to talented artists with a similar mindset as us joining Steel Face Records.

How do you want people to remember your music and band? What would you like your legend to be?
We’d like to be remembered as a band that took listeners to a place that made them feel better. If people remember us like that, it would be an amazing thing.

Was there a pivotal moment in your career where you realized “wow, we made/accomplished our goal/dream”? What’s your current goal?
We felt a real sense of accomplishment when we finished our second full-length album, “18,” and released it on April 29. We worked really hard on the album and are excited for people to experience all of the things we’re trying to do as Patients. As for our current goal, we want to use the songs from 18 to make some fantastic live shows for people to enjoy!

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Who are your punk influences and who are your rock influences? OR who influences your music?
Sex Pisols, Ramones, The Cure, Beethoven, and many, many more acts. We all like a wide range of music and have been influenced by many different musicians.

With over ten years in the industry, what has inspired you in the past to pursue this path and what continues to inspire you?
The late ‘90s, when the indie scene first started coming together in Korea, is what inspired me to become a musician. What continues to inspire us are young indie bands all over the world.

What can we expect from Patients in the future?
You can expect us to continue to get better. We strive to be a band that is always improving and always creating better things.

Any final words for KultScene’s readers?
It’s really nice to meet you! Thank you so much for reading about Patients! Please check out 18 and we hope to see you in Korea or somewhere else in the world!

Patients UK Tour KultScene Interview

If you’re going to be in England this May, check out Patients live:
May 19- Korea Cultural Center UK, London
May 23- The Heineken Tall Ship Stage (Kaskelot)- Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool
May 24- The Cavern Stage- Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool

What do you think of Patients and their hybrid punk sound? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts. Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Artist Spotlight: 10cm [NYC Concert Update]

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Since 2010 the Korean acoustic indie band 10cm has been making waves in South Korea, offering the perfect coffee shop tunes to the most coffee-obsessed nation in Asia. It’s no surprise that the duo’s big break came from a song about coffee.

10cm, comprised of main vocalist and percussionist Kwon Jeong Yeol with secondary vocalist Yoon Cheol Jong on the guitar, tambourine, and anything else they decide to include in their folk-inspired songs. The two worked together in the early 2000’s while part of the rock band, Hyerung. The two left that path, and rejoined in 2010.

With simple jazz and folk-inspired sounds and soulful voices, the group is one of South Korea’s most promising, musically innovative musical acts. Many of 10cm songs are filled with bits of humor, sarcasm, and evocative lyrics, matching the nostalgic feel of their music.

Americano I like I like I like

The group’s most prominent hit, Americano is an upbeat, addicting song filled with 10cm’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics, which resulted in the song getting blocked from airplay in South Korea.

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When getting some air after fighting with your girlfriend
When getting a smoke after kissing another girl

Despite being banned about a year after being released (due to the slow process to ban many songs in South Korea,) Americano became one of the most popular songs of 2010 and 2011. It, and the group’s other hit song Tonight I’m Afraid of the Dark, helped 10cm win multiple awards, including “Best Pop Song” at the 2011 Korean Music Awards.

10cm has a generally upbeat yet melodramatic, style of music, and songs like I’m Fine Thank You and You became hits in South Korea. The simple acoustic strumming of the guitar matched with and the beats of the jembe, a barehanded-played drum favored by Kwon, are reminiscent of the type of songs that made Jason Mraz and Ed Sheeren famous.

10cm occasionally introduces some new elements to its songs, and a few more rock-esque sounding are certainly in the duo’s retinue, but creating beauty out of simple chords and lyrics is what 10cm thrives at. For coffee addicts who were drawn in by the coffeehouse style (and focused) tunes, 10cm’s harmonica-utilizing Love in the Milky Way Café is an example of 10cm’s songs that offer midway point between the upbeat, faster-paced Americano and the band’s more emotional songs like Tonight I’m Afraid of the Dark.

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10cm’s latest release was 2014’s 3.0, the follow up to the pair’s previous albums 1.0 and 2.0. The title song, Missing You, is a softer song with a more melancholic, mature message while other songs on the album offer a range of sounds, including creating a unique 10cm style of acoustic-rock music on Cigarette Smoking King, which includes elements typically associated with screamo songs. The album goes together as an ode to 10cm’s experiences, but nothing is filled with as much self-mockery as the first track,3rd Album Burdens.


10cm has collaborated with a variety of artists (Leessang, Yoonmirae(Tasha/T) of MFBTY, Haha, Orange Caramel, Verbal Jint) over the years, and has teamed up with the female duo Okdal for a concert series. The two bands will be performing in New York City on June 5, thanks to Urbansiders. You can find out all of the information on the concert’s website page.

What song of 10cm’s resonates with you? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

EXID ‘Ah Yeah’ Music Video & Song Review

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Coming back after a term of great success can be a surprisingly tricky thing to pull off. EXID faced this after their sleeper hit Up and Down. The members and Yedam Entertainment alike always said they would stick to the formula that brought this unexpected rise to fame and they have remained true to their word. Up and Down’s trademarks like saxophone solos, pelvic movements, jarring tonal shifts, and Hani front and centre are all once again present on new single Ah Yeah. But EXID has not merely adopted the Up and Down formula without first reflecting on it.

Between the music video and song‘s interesting elements come up which are cause for a closer look. Not only has EXID they taken the time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t, but the Up and Down elements themselves have been kicked up a notch.

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Song

Ah Yeah is an incredibly frantic song. It sounds like it is structurally all over the place like Girls’ Generation’s I Got A Boy but it actually takes an average pop structure and packs it to the brim with clashing elements. Ah Yeah’s through line is a hip-hop drum beat which changes in intensity depending on the corresponding music. The song houses four separate vocal styles throughout its runtime: Hani’s sweet, alluring verse and its counterpoint, LE’s blistering, angry rap, Junghwa’s nursery rhyme like pre-chorus and Solji and Hyerin’s chorus. Thrown together these all seem incompatible but somehow the song makes it out in tact.

The best of these is definitely the competing verses of Hani and LE. The two make up the bulk of the song and carry it so well. Hani’s simple melody and slightly affected voice plays up to her charming strengths perfectly. Put beside LE’s forceful rap though, which is accompanied by the reintroduction of the sax and an intensifying of the drums, it seems like a parody of what brought EXID to fame in Up and Down. In many ways this what Ah Yeah is really about.

EXID’s new song reuses and makes comment on Up and Down, or rather the strange success of it and turns it into something new. LE’s rap inUp and Down wasn’t contrasting enough? Let’s have her rap on five separate occasions in Ah Yeah.

The same can be said for Junghwa’s odd pre-chorus. In Up and Down she had a small part which had a nursery rhyme vibe to it which was probably a way of getting around her seemingly weak vocals. In Ah Yeah her part is similar enough except this time it’s repeated twice and has its own twinkly melody. Again, an element from before is being reused and brought up a notch. I think this is the most jarring part of the song, nearly bringing it into incoherence. This fits into the idea of the self parody as Up and Down wasn’t exactly straightforward itself but lets down the song as whole.

The chorus is the most straightforward part of Ah Yeah. Not changing much of the original formula, it does not however, come as a surprise since we already know it so well. It shows the dearth of options EXID have at hand when a vocalist as amazing as Solji is restricted to a chorus. Amongst girl groups, I’d put her in the top five working right now and thought she’d be the person that dragged them to success; it would be nice to see her do something more than the chorus.

Also on KultScene: Primary’s ‘See You’ Song Review

Music Video

The self-reflexion of EXID doesn’t end with the song though. The music video, like the song, uses different elements to comment and react on EXID’s rise to fame.

Again, Hani and LE’s parts work wonderfully together. Hani essentially playing herself, is seductive as she makes eyes with the POV camera similar enough to her famous fancam. LE also could be playing herself or maybe just another side of the argument. Her angry counterpoint plays like a musician’s reaction to EXID’s fame, not happy that a sexy video brought them there over interesting music written by LE herself. She also addresses the POV camera but this time in an accusatory manner. The video is giving us both sides of the story, letting us know there’s more to EXID than sexiness.

This duality theme continues with Junghwa, Hyerin and Soljin’s parts of the video. Junghwa seems to be playing a cam girl of some sort, similar to what you’d see from the Babestation Babes, with pixelated images dotted around her. She appears to engaging in some explicit activities before being revealed to be a news anchor or something like it. The same goes for Solji and Hyerin who are in generic rooms with pixelated images which are revealed to be cartoon images of animals. It also features some clips of EXID’s pelvis movements pixelated. They know they are likely to be censored so went one step ahead and did it themselves, exposing the ridiculousness of TV censors. The pixelation, in a way, makes the situation even worse since it comes across as more explicit than it really is. It wouldn’t seem any way explicit if it was never censored.

Rating

EXID took a slight risk reusing nearly the identical formula as last time. Unfortunately, Ah Yeah could be mistaken as a mere rehash of Up and Down.

It could also have been a failure on the charts as Up and Down was. While Up and Down is a great song, that was not the main reason for their popularity. EXID really went for it though and came out with something very similar but on a different level. Self awareness in pop music is a rare thing and really helps a group feel more invested in their music.

This is in large part thanks to the songwriting prowess of LE. Not only is she one of the best Korean female rappers working today but she has had a hand in writing every one of EXID’s songs. Her level of artistry lifts EXID from possible flash in the pan success to a group that could become one of the all time greats.

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Primary’s ‘See You’ Song Review

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Primary‘s latest release See You sticks to a funk style that will engage you from the opening notes. Kim Bum Soo lends his absolutely beautiful vocals to the song with Gaeko making an appearance toward the end of the song. Spring is the season when love is in the air and See You tells a story about a potential relationship.

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Vocals:

Kim Bum Soo’s (BSK) vocals are smooth and a perfect fit for this style of song. His high notes are effortless and he sings each word with such ease, which makes for an enjoyable listening experience. BSK’s vocal range is also showcased in the song, with moments of low and very high notes. It’s clear that he is a talented singer with a mix of pop and R&B style vocals that will make listeners swoon.

Gaeko has a brief rap appearance in the final third of the song (he also wrote the lyrics). And if Gaeko is behind the rap it’s bound to be good, and it is. It perfectly fits into the break of the song and continues with the funk style for continuity. The rap may be brief, but it adds an extra element and more depth to the song without changing the concept or style.

Lyrics:

The lyrics of See You depict the starting stages of a crush that one party definitely wants to turn into a relationship. BSK sings the narrative of the male’s point of view. The lyrics show the beginning stages of a crush from the awkward silence to the vague “see you soon” phrase. The excitement of a crush makes the narrator question when he’ll see his crush and whether or not he should call her and make it seem like he dialed her by mistake. Then at the realization that nothing more will come of the crush, the narrator becomes confused and angry and wishes he could share all of his feelings and that they’d be reciprocated by the girl.

The Music:

The song starts similarly as other Primary songs, letting us know that primary is behind the production. Then it goes into a funk inspired sound with the bass and the horns. The percussion and keyboards work well with the funk style to incorporate a pop style as well. The two styles compliment each other and there are enough elements of both so as not to overpower each other or take away from the vocals. The music only adds to the overall story of the song and acts as the perfect backup for BSK’s vocals.

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Overall Thoughts:

Being a Primary fan, See You is a great song. Kim Bum Soo has the perfect voice to deliver the lyrics of the song. The music and production of See You is high end and has created an addictive sound. See You has a great vibe for the Spring season and is a great song to add to your music library.

Primary's 'See You'
5

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EXO’s ‘Call Me Baby’ Song Review

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Despite losing two members and various controversies, EXO is still one of the most popular K-pop boy groups, at least until Big Bang makes its eventual return. Thanks to its immense popularity, just about whatever EXO releases is bound in some way to be quite successful. With this sort of safety net and the fact that they are an SM Entertainment act, a company known to be innovative, I still expect them to go a relatively safe route. This is probably because their safest song, Growl was also their most successful and because SM need some stability during this turbulent time.

Call Me Daddy, sorry, Call Me Baby therefore was surprising to me in its understated yet strangely structured whole. It is in short, a new version of Growl with a few added bells and whistles upon first glance. Yet further inspection offers some more unique aspects to the song.

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Call Me Baby jettisons the genre and crazy structure bending of EXO’s previous songs like MAMA and Wolf, and keeps the simple instrumentation of Growl with a slightly updated song structure. This seems quite fitting given this comeback has been seen as a kind of rebirth for EXO after Luhan and Kris’ departure. The newest title song holds onto EXO’s most successful elements and lets go of now irrelevant parts.

The most notable element from before is the RnB beats that carries the song; it is instantly recognisable and fun to any listener. The horn riff that follows it is equally satisfying and recalls the earlier work of Justin Timberlake. The horns accompanied with the strings, which come in later, are the extent of the aforementioned bells and whistles. Instrumentally and musically, Call Me Baby has little else to offer listeners looking for a new style of music from EXO.

Luckily for EXO and its fans, Call Me Baby is also the group’s most interesting single vocally. As a K-pop fan I can’t really complain that there aren’t enough techniques used in songs, as K-pop is a very diverse genre of music.

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But if I were to ask K-pop acts to focus on certain elements of vocalization, it would be harmonies or vocal rounds. While Call Me Baby doesn’t exactly use these, the song highlights the members vocal talents and matches them to their respective strengths. The song also has varied vocals all at the same time as melding the members vocals together in new ways, ranging from the falsetto chorus “call me baby” to contrasting raps with screams. It adds a great deal of interest to a song that at first listen could have been left alone and seems like a very simplistic choice to be a group’s comeback song.

The chorus, if you can call it that, also takes on a slightly more complex form. Depending on how you see it the chorus either kicks in very early or has a long pre-chorus which contains the “call me baby” parts. It all makes for an interesting structure as there is no discernible chorus or hook whatever way you look at it. This again provides a slightly more challenging listen than first anticipated, something which SM Entertainment specialises in (see all of the songs from f(x)’s Pink Tape).

Call Me Baby has a number of things that warrant more than one listen but does that make it a great song?

Rating

Call Me Baby has the elements of a great, traditional SM song and a great weird SM song but comes out on the other end not really shining with either. It exists in a kind of dull middle-ground with nothing but a few interesting features to prop it up. It doesn’t play with the form enough to make a comment on pop music and doesn’t have a good enough hook to be an ear worm. Lyrically it has nothing to offer either, just another guy pining for a girl. That being said I really like the vocal contrasting and some other stuff so it’s not the worst EXO single. But it doesn’t really seem like a title track either.

What’s your opinion of Call Me Baby? Leave your thoughts on the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Unpretty Rapstar: Semi-Final Review

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I’m going to start this review off with saying that I have watched none of Unpretty Rapstar, so I may not be in the best position to really speculate on the outcome of the show. But after watching a couple of the raps, I felt compelled to listen to them all. What followed were four blistering tracks showing a great range in emotion and tone but all were personal for better or worse. I’m trying to look at these in a purely musical way ignoring the troubling mechanics of the show in order to get a better grasp of these girls as rappers. If we do that, then the show can turn out to be a force for good in giving some of these smaller female rappers a stage to shine on.

The semi final was split up into two rap battles, one between Cheetah and Jimin, the other between Jessi and Jolly V. These were less rap battles and more match ups, as they just performed one after the other.

Cheetah Coma 07

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K-Pop Songs That Should Have Music Videos

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Singers usually promote one or two songs from their mini or full-length album. And in many cases some of the songs are left without a music video or the love they deserve. Every artist has at least one song that fans think should have a music video. People’s choices will most definitely differ, but here are a few we think would make great music videos if not just for the extra promotion of the song, as long as the videos don’t look like they could feature on fulltube.xxx because music isn’t just about being sexualized, we have to grow out of that still after years.

Jay Park I Love You

Jay Park music videos can be extremely sexy and steamy, cute and sweet, or fun and having a good time. I Love You could be one of his sexy ones, or a video that goes the really sexy route, or one that plays with the chance of romance and steaminess. Jay actually did do a video that shows off a killer dance routine for the R&B-inspired song. And based on the dance, the whole music video can just focus on the dance in different settings with different outfits; keep it crisp and simple. The beat and music make I Love You the perfect song to showcase a sensual yet hard hitting dance routine. Sometimes all we need is a great dance music video to give us life.

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f(x) Spit It Out

Any f(x) song would have an equally awesome music video. They somehow manage to make most, if not all, of their songs stick with fans. Spit It Out is a fun, upbeat song that offers many different directions for a music video. An avant garde concept might work best based on the beat, use of ‘80s synths, and the video game sounds that are prevalent throughout. The heavily processed sounds would match a quirky styled music video and the ladies of f(x) can pull off any concept. Out-of-the-box hairstyles, clothing, accessories, and almost cartoon-like settings would create an unrealistic world that corresponds to the lyrics and the reaction of the narrator of the song.

SHINee One Minute Back

In all honesty, SHINee could make a video for any of their songs and it would be well received (in most cases). But One Minute Back has a different sound and musical pattern compared to their other singles. The guys’ vocals sound wonderful together and the chorus is inviting and somehow manages to make everyone sound like a great singer when they sing along. A One Minute Back music video would benefit with close-ups of each member as they’re singing and looking into the camera. A dance routine that utilizes a prop, possibly a chair, would have to be a stop-and-go type dance to match the music and the beat, but the perfect prop can create a memorable dance (similar to Dream Girl with the mic stands) and showcase different performers than what we may be used to.

VIXX B.O.D.Y

VIXX have intense concepts for their songs. They’re mainly dark, futuristic, and creepy in an artsy way. But B.O.D.Y is an upbeat song that’s not too cutesy or sugary. The video would definitely have a lighter theme than some of their most recent ones, but it would showcase the boys’ fun sides without being over-the-top bubble gum pop. For B.O.D.Y, a dance that has one or two moves as basically the whole dance might work best. The song itself isn’t groundbreaking in any way and an intricate dance wouldn’t fit the tone and neither would a super cute one. The guys don’t even have to dance in the video, just having a fun and upbeat VIXX song with a video would be a nice addition to their other singles.

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Seungri Let’s Talk About Love

Seungri did end up performing Let’s Talk About Love, but he never released a music video. In this music video, a concept that uses black, white, and red as the main colors for wardrobe and setting would create a classy atmosphere. Some silhouettes when Seungri sings the chorus and when G-Dragon and Taeyang appear in the song would create a sense of mystery and take the focus away from their facial features. Also close ups of GD and Taeyang as they’re singing/rapping with minimal lighting would emphasize their facial features and play with the shadows and angles on their faces; a sexy yet classy concept for Let’s Talk About Love.

What songs would you love to see have their own music video? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

SHINHWA “WE” Album Review

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After nearly two years and a scandal, Shinhwa is back and these legends are ready to rock your world all over again! WE is the group’s 12th full-length album and it was released on February 26th, 2015. Minwoo wrote the lyrics for Alright, Give It 2 Me, and I’m In Love, whilst Eric arranged and wrote the rap lyrics for all 10 songs on the album along with David Kim. The general theme of this album shows their maturity and sophistication but still delivers an urban pop feel.

For most artists, inspiration for lyrics usually stems from good and bad experiences. Since being in the industry for almost 20 years, I don’t doubt that a lot of Shinhwa’s lyrics come from their own personal experiences, whether individually or as a whole. With most members in their mid thirties this year, this album displayed a side to them in which they haven’t fully exposed in their previous albums. Each and every member was able to display a sexy and mature side of them, a side in which was already expected since they’re older “idols”; it is simply just another reminder to the listeners that although they’re in a “boy band”, they’re fully grown men who mean business! Long live the kings!

1. Alright

The lyrics of this song has the members of Shinhwa questioning about whether or not if this fairy like goodness whose in front of them is real or just a figment of their imagination; she’s perfect in everyway, from the “twinkling” in her eyes, to her sweet scent. This track has a feel-good vibe, one in which you’ll continuously find yourself twiddling your fingers and nodding your head back and forth. ChaCha Malone and GRAY from AOMG took part in composing and arranging this song, which lightly sprayed a swag element to the track. Hands down this is my favorite track off this album!


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