[...V•O•T•E...] Week XXIII

Week of 11/8 – 11/15 (26 votes)

Well when I first posted up this poll, I kind of regretted it ’cause I thought it was pretty stupid, plus I just ended up paring up any two groups that I had thought would blend well together. I’ll try to make better polls from now on. xD

The best mash-up would be…?

1. Amuro Namie + Koda Kumi: 50% – 13 votes
2. 2NE1 + 4minute: 21minute: 15% – 4 votes
3. Utada Hikaru + Hamasaki Ayumi: 12% – 3 votes

Loser: Berryz Kobo + °C-ute / Brown Eyed Girls + 2PM: 4% – 1 vote

Morning Musume + AKB48: モー娘。48 /Wonder Girls + Girls’ Generation: Wonder Generation: 8% – 2 votes

I didn’t think people still liked Kuu, even when paired up with Amuro. Though you gotta admit, the idea of those two betches teaming up is just amayzun~ Since they do kind of share a similar style, I don’t think it would be awkward for either of their listeners.

One dream of mine since both 2NE1 and 4minute debuted was to see them on stage together. Since when they both debuted and were compared often for their wtf-y clothing and such, I was always trying to pick a favorite group. Still haven’t as of today. -o-

Of course, the J-Pop duo that everyone wishes for, Hikki and Ayu was in the poll, although it only received three votes. I’m still waiting for a duet. >:l

Losers this time were the two H!P Kids groups, probably ’cause seeing them together wouldn’t really be a big deal. BEG and 2PM also lost. See, I don’t even know why I put them together.

And wheres my Momosu+AKB48 mash-up Tsunku and AKB producer guy? >:\

2NE1 – I Don’t Care Remixes

I Don’t Care (Reggae Mix ver.) is 2NE1’s 3rd digital single and it was released on September 3rd, 2009.

♠Tracklist♠

1. I Don’t Care (Reggae Mix ver.)

Due to the huge success that the girls had performing I Don’t Care with a live band, they decided to release it digitally as the Reggae Mix ver. Personally, I think this is a great alternative to the original. The song is indeed a lot more reggae than the original and uses lighter beats, drums and jazz instruments, giving the entire song a more playful, softer feel. The chorus is great as all the instruments come together and deliver a jazzy, soulful performance. The girls also re-recorded the vocals for the song, giving it even more flavor, playing around with the melodies a bit and CL having additional rapping and singing lines.

♠Digital Single Rating♠

 

I Don’t Care (Baek Kyoung Remix) is 2NE1’s 4th digital single and it was released on September 28th, 2009.

♠Tracklist♠

1. I Don’t Care (Baek Kyoung Remix)

This second remix of I Don’t Care originated from a live performance they only did once of the song. The Baek Kyoung Remix, in my opinion, gave the original song an even more K-Pop sound. The vocals are the same but the instrumental is completely changed. It opens with a very pretty piano melody(which maintains throughout the entire song) and then adds synth and beats once the verse begins. I thought the combination was very unique and blended nicely with how the song was originally portrayed. What I also liked was how at the first half of the second verse, the song goes back to its original instrumental and then switches back to the remixed one. It adds some variety to it and flows nicely. The song, once again, has an abrupt ending, one which could have easily been fixed with ending the song with the same piano that it started with.

♠Single Rating♠

JQT – Bling Bling

Bling Bling is JQT’s debut digital single and it was released on October 15th, 2009.

♠Tracklist♠

1. I Fell For You
2. No No No

I just love the cutesy, upbeat music of I Fell For You. I thought it would be a song similar to 2NE1’s I Don’t Care from the name but it’s really all the opposite. JQT sing very cutely in the song, even the rapping having a cute touch to it and the music is just so easy to fall in love with. Let’s not forget the VERY catchy hook of the song which is used in about every line that isn’t the chorus and squished in between each melody. I was impressed that the girls were able to pull this song off so good, it’s just too bad they didn’t get noticed very well.

The b-side, while still on the cute train, is a little less energetic and not quite as great. The synth used in No No No sounds pretty good, and the girls do a great job of harmonizing during the chorus but the song is missing something to make it as near as great as the title track, maybe some type of hook or maybe some rapping(which it is completely null of).

Once again, another debuting girl group has managed to catch my attention. While most groups these days are focused on a more sexy, mature style, JQT sticks to the cute sound(not the uber cutesy stuff though) while actually making it as catchy as the rest of the competition.

♠Digital Single Rating♠

♠Favorite Track♠

I Fell For You

Suzuki Ami – KISS KISS KISS / aishiteru…

KISS KISS KISS is Suzuki Ami’s 32nd single and it was released on October 28th, 2009. It reached #28 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and has sold 2,448 copies.

♠Tracklist♠

1. KISS KISS KISS (Japanese Version)
2. aishiteru…
3. KISS KISS KISS (Extended Japanese Version)
4. KISS KISS KISS (Extended English Version)
5. aishiteru… (extended)

Compared to her last a-side, KISS KISS KISS is a much safer approach to the house/dance genre. Instead of the bipolarity that Reincarnation was filled with, this song is a lot more linear with a safe arrangement. Although some might find the repetitiveness of the chorus annoying(she repeats the song title constantly), it just sounds good enough to me to maintain me entertained. I really also like the piano in the song, which while not prominent is still noticeable and combined with the acoustic guitar, beats and(in the chorus) looping synth make for a great instrumental.

aishiteru… reminded me of what A token of love was in the ONE single. It has a more of an electropop sound to it and some gritty, loopy synth. Ami’s is sort of whispering during the verse and she sounds pretty good, though not as good as other vocoding I’ve heard done on her. The chorus doesn’t arrive until a second verse is done, thus it kicks in during the half of the song. The music gets stronger and Ami’s vocals louder(at yelling level, but not like Reincarnation). While the song’s arrangement is unique, I thought her voice could have been manipulated better and the chorus given more work.

Next are three remixes of the previous two tracks. I’ll go over them briefly as the changes are pretty small.

• The Extended Japanese Version of KISS KISS KISS uses the same vocals form the a-side, except it adds around two minutes worth of instrumentals at the beginning and end of the song. Very unnecessary if you ask me.
• The Extended English Version has the same instrumental of the previous remix, except with Ami’s vocals being in English. Personally, it was hard enough for me to understand the Engrish chorus of the Japanese Version and having the entire song in her confusing Engrish is just too much.
• The extended version of aishiteru… goes through the same changes as the last two, 30 seconds of new instrumental at both ends of the song.

Eight months after the release of her last single, Ami just managed to satisfy my urge for her electronic music. The a-side, while very safe for her, was an addictive song although might not be for everybody. I was hoping more from aishiteru… but it’s still a nice addition. Hopefully she’ll return to working with Nakata soon as that’s the best music she has released in her career.

♠Single Rating♠

♠Favorite Track♠

KISS KISS KISS (Japanese Version)

HAM – T.T Dance

T.T Dance is HAM’s debut digital single and it was released on September 23rd, 2009.

♠Tracklist♠

1. T.T Dance
2. T.T Dance (Inst.)

I’ve read that HAM’s debut song T.T Dance sounds a lot like something that could come out of H!P. I’m actually quite surprised to hear that, cause even though it isn’t your typical K-Pop song due to its cuter, rockier arrangement, it surely doesn’t sound like Hello! Project arrangement. The verses might have reminded me of Momosu’s The☆Peace! simply due to the marching sound it has(along with the clapping) and with a rock sounding arrangement but the chorus is just full-blown pop. While the rapping is a bit lukewarm, the song is still really catchy and different from the auto-tuned and synth-filled stuff released these days.

HAm took a risk releasing a song like this to the K-Pop industry and unfortunately it didn’t manage to catch on too well. If they do have future releases, it’d be nice if they maintained this style but found some better producers.

♠Digital Single Rating♠

[...V•O•T•E...] Week XXII

Week of 11/1 – 11/8 (26 votes)

Luckily, I didn’t get flamed for putting up such a “snarky” poll this time. Hey, it’s what came up in my mind atm(plus something I’ve always wanted to know), so I went ahead and did it. It didn’t take much logic on who would make it on the poll. I didn’t include ex-H!P girls(cause than that ugly-ass Korenaga[sp] Miki from Ongaku Gatas would have made it in, or H!P Eggs. My vote went to Shimizu.

Who’s the ugliest girl in H!P?

1. Linlin: 31% – 8 votes
2. Shimizu Saki: 23% – 6 votes
3. Nakajima Saki: 19% – 5 votes

Winner: Mitsui Aika(A.K.A FUG MONSTER >:o): 1% – 1 vote

Reina 4 votes, Erika 2 votes

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Linlin is not that ugly!!! Well, I only put her in the poll ’cause I knew a lot of people considered her the ugliest Momosu member, but I never thought she would lose to Saki. <_<

Saki can look good at times, but she can really have her moments. Like at concerts. That lazy eyed+nose mole thing really shine when she sweats. :x

And I’m glad theres at least 4 people out there that can see past Reina’s winks and wonks and wanks(^-^’) and vote her over all the other girls. No ass, no chest, stick legs, yuck. xp

Srry, I dun see the ugly.

3ZUMMA – Gift

Gift is 3ZUMMA’s debut single and it was released on October 8th, 2009.

♠Tracklist♠

1. No No
2. Fool
3. Fireworks

The first track of this particularly unknown group is No No. Not only was I impressed by each of the girls stronger than normal vocals, but by how great of a pop song it is. It has instruments like piano and strings at moments but it’s the rushing synth in the chorus that really makes the song. It’s catchy as heck too. I would have loved to see this group perform this song live as it sounds like something that could have a really fun step.

Going in a  totally different directions is the soothing, laid-back Fool which focuses on its wide array of acoustic guitars and emotional vocals. The verses are really relaxed, yet keep you entertained while the chorus shows off how powerful the groups vocals can get. I thought the vocals were well manipulated to match the music while not overshadowing it. Another good track.

Closing off the single is Fireworks which is totally different form the last two tracks. I would describe it as a song with a euro-pop sound but with a typical K-Pop arrangement. The song starts off with a bang of techno beats and synth, calms down in the verses and then rises again once the chorus arrives. This style for the girls is really quite unique as one doesn’t hear this genre of music much with such great vocals. Maybe this song might overwhelm listeners the first few times(which is what happened to me) but once given a chance, the songs greatness really begins to shine.

The overall package of this non mainstream group is something I don’t see a lot with the more popular groups these days who only focus on the title track instead of the individual songs. The single had a nice arrangement of music, great vocals and interesting instrumentals so I definitely recommend it to any fan of K-Pop with strong vocals(that don’t necessarily have to be made for ballads).

♠Single Rating♠

♠Favorite Track♠

No No

f(x) – LA chA TA

LA chA TA is f(x)’s debut digital single and it was released on August 31st, 2009.

♠Tracklist♠

1. LA chA TA

Breaking their way into the K-Pop scene is f(x) with LA chA Ta, a retro pop song with an amazingly catchy chorus and it’s unique, synthy instrumental. The group is composed of very talented vocalists, so their singing skills are in now way against them. Every bit of the song is just so freaking catchy, it’s almost annoying when you want to change the song because you just love the next part thats coming. In the group is Amber, their rapper. While she is native in English, all she raps is in English. While I find her rapping to be pretty impressive, she does this thing with her voice in which she heightens the pitch of her voice and is slightly annoying. Apart from that, the rap is as catchy as the rest of the song and should be no reason to put aside this great debut track.

Being labeled the female SHINee, I think they did a decent job of mimicking the groups sound while adding their own feminine, classy twist to it. The girls really worked hard promoting this track and have earned themselves a steady fan base because of it. I can only hope that their next release will be as good.

♠Digital Single Rating♠

2NE1 – 2NE1 1st Mini Album

2NE1 1st Mini Album is2NE1’s 1st mini-album and it was released on July 8th, 2009.

♠Tracklist♠

1. Fire
2. I Don’t Care
3. In The Club
4. Let’s Go Party
5. Pretty Boy
6. Stay Together
7. Lollipop w/ BIG BANG

Kicking off this amazing mini-album is the song that 2NE1 is known for, the insanely catchy Fire. It’s a crossover of typical K-Pop synth with an amazing R&B beat, giving birth to this high energy, extremely danceable and just oh so fun to listen to song. Each girl shines in their particular vocal parts, Minzi and CL take care of the rapping with their amazing charisma while Bom and Dara show their best as vocalists with extraordinary voices. Fire really is the best way to introduce someone to 2NE1, it has a little bit of everything, plus, who doesn’t love a good Dara “CHALLA CHALLA CHALLA CHALLA!”?

Next is the heavenly I Don’t Care, an R&B pop song, almost on the point of being a ballad with an infectious chorus. I really like the harp in the instrumental, it adds a feeling of gentleness to the song, which when contrasted with the R&B beats make for a very unique combination. The girls give their best performance in the vocals, particularly Bom who dominates the chorus perfectly with that infamous “I don’t care-e-e-e-e-e-e” line. CL’s and Minzy’s rap before the final chorus is also notable. The only negative thing I could say about the song is the sudden ending. I thought that the I don’t care line could have been repeated just a bit more, or at least had the song fade out, as it kind of ends abruptly.

My all time favorite 2NE1 song has to be In The Club. You could say it’s the “saddest” song on the album, and indeed it is. You’d expect an upbeat club song when looking at the song name but while it does have a very heavy deep club sound, the song is actually pretty slow-tempo’d, focusing on the vocals and emotions the girls express. I love the acoustic guitar in the background and the faraway synth. I also have to mention Dara’s outstanding job in the bridge. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Korean artist express so much emotion through their voice than she has in this track. Bom once again shines in that great chorus.

Let’s Go Party adopts that same club style featured in the previous song but instead makes it an upbeat, party track. I wasn’t too fond of this song at first but then slowly began to appreciate the above average instrumental the song has. You also can’t deny that the chorus is pretty darn catchy as well. This type of club sound for 2NE1 really works great for them. The ending of this song is something similar of what I Don’t Care should have had.

The award to fiercest instrumental is no doubt for Pretty Boy. That brass driven instrumental is made to spell out instant hit. The song, with its heavy bass, beats and synth just make for a really fierce song in the similar road as Fire. CL really makes the song though, her voice and charisma are what make the song as good as it is. The chorus is different though, as it drops the bass-line and turns more to the pop genre(with Bom leading, of course). Another great track.

finishing off the album is the half ballad/club track Stay Together. The hybrid of that club style with a slower, almost ballad like(for 2NE1 standards) make for a very special result and accompanied with each girl giving their best performance in their respective fields(Bom singing, Minzy rapping…), its one heck of an album finisher. Absolutely love the chorus in this song, “we gotta stay together”~.

Featured as a bonus track on the album is Lollipop, a duet song between 2NE1 and BIG BANG. While I really enjoyed this club-like pop, very YG Teddy like song at the beginning, it kind of grew annoying for me as the girls began to release better music. While the instrumental is in no way an annoyance, it must be because of the vocals. Maybe it’s G-Dragon’s slightly annoying rapping or maybe Dara’s “lolli, lolli, oh lollipop” high-pitched lines. The chorus can have it’s catchy moments and the song isn’t a total failure but it gets overshadowed by the rest of the tracks.

2NE1 was my first official release in the K-Pop industry and I’m more than proud to say that they definitely left me wanting to hear more of this new style of music. Every song easily had the potential to be released as a title track and the variety between all of them was just outstanding. The songs(minus Fire) are all structured very similarly but the different was the girls sing, the hooks and chorus make them all distinguishable. The girls should stick in this direction and they’ll be all set for that new album coming out soon.

♠Mini-Album Rating♠

♠Favorite Tracks♠

1. In The Club
2. Fire
3. I Don’t Care

Best PV of the Year.

I won’t go about how amazing the song itself is(thats for a future review) but the PV for Brown Eyed Girls’ Sign is just absolute awesomeness.

It doesn’t even feature the girls that much, instead of an actor who plays the main role. The action, suspense, drama, scenario, EVERYTHING about this PV is just so amazing. <3

Although my absolute favorite thing, after the girls in the tanks of water of course(it is them in those tanks, a shame that they die though), is the way that when the guy is defending himself against the men, the girls like appear in flashes after he has fallen/behind him, etc… I just find it so mysterious and really makes you wonder if the guy actually sees them, seeing as he tries to save Ga-in near the end of the PV.

If you haven’t already seen the PV, I REALLY, REALLY recommend you see it, even if you aren’t a fan of K-Pop music(although you should be, it’s the best). IN HD!

AMAZING, RIGHT?

Yea, there’s no choreography in the PV, but thats what their live performances are for. The dance for this song is on its way to being as popular as the Abracadabra “saucy hip-move”.

@ M! Countdown

@ Music Bank

I also have to mention a certain other PV that has caught my attention. Once again, we’ll ignore the great song that accompanies it and focus on the emotional, bitter-sweet video. Bom looks absolutely gorgeous and the storyline is pretty touching. The bit before the final chorus, where no music plays is also pretty breath-taking. Enjoy Bom’s solo song, You And I. ^-^