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Seventeen’s “Pretty U” Music Video & Song Review

April 25, 2016/in Entertainment, MUSIC /by Joe Palmer

I’m probably alone in wanting the old kings and queens of K-pop to step side for new groups to rise. Big Bang, Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, and 2NE1 have had their time; I want new blood. 2015 was a great year for offering new groups who were not just talented enough to take the reins, […]

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4 Modern Takes on Traditional Korean Hanbok That We Love

April 22, 2016/in Fashion /by Tamar Herman

Music, films, television shows, and food are some of the mainstays of Korean pop culture nowadays. With more and more interest in South Korean society than ever before (just open up Sephora’s website!), it’s hard to avoid some aspects of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) in our daily lives. While Japanese kimonos and Chinese cheongsams being […]

Seventeen’s “Pretty U” Music Video & Song Review

April 25, 2016/in Entertainment, MUSIC /by Joe Palmer

4 Modern Takes on Traditional Korean Hanbok That We Love

April 22, 2016/in Fashion /by Tamar Herman

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Seventeen’s “Pretty U” Music Video & Song Review

April 25, 2016/in Entertainment, MUSIC /by Joe Palmer

Pledis Entertainment’s newest boy group have a slightly harder time at the big leagues than some of their contemporaries. Pledis have been around for a while but never really broke past the precedent set by After School in the early 2010s. Yet Seventeen are garnering a big fan base, especially internationally, thanks to their innovative choreography and exuberant faces. Seventeen with “Pretty U” have lived up to their predecessors in the best possible way, by being completely weird.

Also on KultScene: 4 Modern Takes on Traditional Korean Hanbok That We Love

The Song

Style and sound wise, “Pretty U” is not a big departure for Seventeen. Like “Adore U” and “Mansae,” it’s a pop song in the classic sense. Sounds come primarily from guitars and a simple drum beat. Other instruments add inflections or are there to let us new parts have begun, the piano key changes, strings for the chorus. It really works well again, especially with this boy next door image of Seventeen; it’s unself-conscious pop fun at its best.

I can’t decide yet if the one thing they change dramatically makes me like “Pretty U” more or less than their earlier work. Structurally, it leaves behind the classic verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge with big hooks in favour of something almost improv-like. After an a capella and rap intro, the song moves into its standard verse, which even has two parts itself, helped to transition by the funkiest slap bass. It builds to what could have been a chorus or short pre-chorus but ultimately turns into an extra verse or a really long pre-chorus. Once you get used to it, it’s actually the highlight of the song. The key change with the pianos comes alongside the slap bass to move into a rap and then changes again into a vocal part. Vernon’s rap brings the song down a bit letting it be mellow before Seungkwan’s vocals tee us up for the chorus. Both of their vocals mesh perfectly with the music in that moment. Alongside this the chorus is disappointingly flat. .

The rest of the song is mixed in a way that puts the vocals and music at the same level. Not quite lo-fi but it makes the chorus that has no hook feel pretty flat. Hooks were what got me into Seventeen in the first place, so it’s difficult not having them. Seventeen’s youthful sound is especially conducive to big hooks. Hooks fuel their energy, giving us big cathartic moments. “Pretty U” is a different song though.

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At first few listens I kept waiting for the hook to pop up and yet, by the end of every listen I find I like the song more and more. The distinctions between each part are clear yet not jarring. The vocals climb beautifully towards the end, bouncing off each other with gleeful falsetto and harsh raps. It feels like more of a collective experience rather than ever focusing on individuals. Slightly more subdued than usual, but “Pretty U” still feels like a group of friends having the time of their life.

The song is about young love similar to how Seventeen always do it. The lyrics hold a possible key to making sense of this whole song. There’s so much information there about just how much these boys love a girl. They are so excited that everything is coming out at once, almost too hard to keep up with. “You’re so ice ice baby, At the same time you melt me down” Vernon raps as he can’t quite get his head round how he feels. There’s more confusion “What to do, What to wear, I should have studied hard like this,” Seventeen, just like us listening to this song, are experiencing a multitude of emotions. The song is an honest representation of this, it’s not trying to be anything other than a release for these young boys’ pent up emotions.

The Music Video

Their video is also a slight move away from the familiar for Seventeen. Gone is the focus on choreography, replaced by a small story of the boys putting together a party. The camera doesn’t linger long enough at any stage for us to get a clear look at them. What seems at first like a frustrating mess, like the song, is another extension of the themes previously expressed. Everything is fast, not just the camera but the members too, who run around a city putting up posters and indulging in antics as they go. Slow motion is used at the height of their fun to give us at least a moment’s glance at them. They are always together, bouncing off each other, having the time of their lives. The video is essentially the culmination of everything that makes Seventeen the most fun group in pop music today.

Overall Thoughts

Coming out of 2015 as my new favourite boy group, Seventeen had a lot to live up to. “Pretty U” is exactly what I did not expect from them. I don’t expect it to lose much fans for them though, as the same tone and style remain even though the song does its own thing. Best of all it shows they don’t have to rely on big hooks and choreography to carry them. I’m already excited for what they do next.

The choreography, seen at their live showcase, is another marvel of talent and fun. It is their fastest to date, at times they look like blurs running across the stage. The childlike nature of the chorus movements and the use of a schoolbook as a prop are lots of fun. They also mix well with some of the lyrics and the confused nature of the song. Seventeen’s choreography completes them.

3.5

What do you think of Seventeen and “Pretty U”? 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.

4 Modern Takes on Traditional Korean Hanbok That We Love

April 22, 2016/in Fashion /by Tamar Herman

Music, films, television shows, and food are some of the mainstays of Korean pop culture nowadays. With more and more interest in South Korean society than ever before (just open up Sephora’s website!), it’s hard to avoid some aspects of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) in our daily lives. While Japanese kimonos and Chinese cheongsams being recognized around the world and often inspire modern styles, Korean hanboks (lit. “Korean clothing”) are starting to slip by the wayside. What was once worn daily has become something meant just for traditional holidays and even that is becoming less popular, no matter how many K-pop stars put on hanbok for the Seollal and Chuseok celebrations. But some fashion-forward people, including Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld, are looking back and designing clothing that incorporates the flowing styles to create hanbok for the modern-day and age. Furthermore, walking down the Cheongdam Fashion Street is one of the top things to do in Gangnam making South Korean fashion a force to be reckoned with in the modern fashion industry.

1. Modern, Everyday Styles

The designers at the clothing store Sonjjang create the traditional colorful hanbok’s worn on Korean holidays, but also offer updated styles that can be worn every day. Taking the simple folds of hanbok and modifying them to imitate today’s styles, Sonjjang’s Leesle line is simple but sweet and a new take on an old fashion. The pieces often come off as hanbok’s cut down, incorporating shorter skirts (chima) and tighter jackets (jeogori). While many are relatively clean cut and meant for daily wear, some of the hanbok utilize embroidery patterns to make them really pop while others are meant for parties and aren’t all that dissimilar from some prom dresses. Sonjjang even sells hanbok for couples and others based off of dramas, such as what was seen in “The Moon Embraces the Sun.”

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2. Designer, With Time-Honored Touches

Karl Lagerfeld is a big fan of Korean fashion, but it wasn’t until Chanel’s 2016 resort line when he incorporated Korean elements that people realized how enthralled the designer is by Korean clothing. Not only did the fashion show take place in Seoul, but many of the designs showcased that night featured hanbok styles and hairstyles similar to those worn by noblewomen during the Joseon era (1392-1897.) During the show, multiracial models walked down the runway wearing flowing dresses inspired by hanbok, and Chanel even featured multiple modern takes on the hanbok. With a lighter, airier feel than most hanbok, which typically offer full coverage and are made out of rather weighed-down fabrics, Chanel’s take on a classic is an outsider’s proposition on a style of clothing that is starting to get lost over time.

3. Combination Hanbok

While many guests wouldn’t really imagine wearing hanbok around a hotel, a recent photoshoot for the Four Seasons Hotel Magazine took place at in a South Korean palace, Unyeonggoong, and paired modern clothing items and accessories with modernized hanboks. Throughout the shoot, the model wears an amalgamation of east-meets-west fashion, often putting classically-inspired chima with modern blouses and designer shoes.

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4. Traditional for Today

The hanbok designed by Kim Hyun Jung can’t be worn, but they’re the most modern of the bunch. Kim, an artist, designs art that explores the modern South Korean woman’s obsession with beauty and fashion through a more nuanced, older lense. In her work, women wearing hanbok pose for Instagram photos, talk on the phone, go rock climbing, and much, much more, all while wearing presumably out-of-date hanbok. The drawings, while anachronistic, reveal a contemporary side to the presumably out-of-style garb.

Fortunately, there’s been a resurgence of popularity in hanbok in South Korea recently. Many young South Koreans have been seen wearing traditionally-styled hanbok as they hang out with one another downtown and at Seoul’s tourist hotspots including Korea’s royal palaces. For instance, on my last trip to Korea I was able to rent a hanbok with my friends while we explored the hanok (classical Korean houses) village of Jeonju, where we were just three of many walking around in hanbok that was easily accessible from vendors. It’s socially accepted dress up for adults and is reviving interest in the hanbok industry by giving a fantastical element to the older fashions.

What’s your favorite update of traditional Korean clothing? 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.