[#4] Big Bang - "Feeling"

From: "Still Alive"
Format: Repackaged Album
Released: June
Territory: South Korea
Previous Best of Appearances: "Let Me Hear Your Voice" (2009) / #15 -"SOMEBODY TO LOVE" (2011)

I've always said this, but really, my affection towards Big Bang is more of a respect than anything else, and honestly to me, that's beyond just liking their music, or them. I respect them as an idol group, as an act, and as musicians, because they have proved time and time again how outstanding they are. They're an act who deserve every single success they have.

Initially, my favorite song from them this year was "Love Dust", it's fun with a pretty melody, but the moment I heard "Feeling", I knew there was something special.

At the beginning, the only part that drew me in was the melody, because you all know I'm not a rap person. I mean who wouldn't love the chorus -- it's glorious. Daesung's voice is glorious. And even if Taeyang pales in comparison to the sheer brilliance of Daesung's vocals, it's not as if he completely destroys the thing. He can stand his ground, even beside a voice as beautiful as the one before him.

The melody literally shines -- you have all these things going on behind it, synth lines and chanting and whatever else, but it basks in that. It's so, so smooth, and the placement of that high note (or high noteS rather), is so natural, almost like he's talking to you and not singing. That's another thing I love about the melody, despite the fact that it doesn't make up a lot of the song, you know that this was written by someone who's musically proficient as opposed to someone who just threw a few notes he's heard before and called it a melody. The melody alone will make you want to either dance like a madman or just melt into a puddle of goo.

After the initial shock and high from the melody wore off, I sat down and listened to the song again. I realized that the main reason why that melody works, why it's like this big explosion of... beautiful, is because of the presence of the rap part. Like I've said before, I'm not really a rap person because it's not something I was exposed to as a kid and therefore I didn't really form an ideal without other people telling me what it's supposed to be. That and even if I'm a lit major, poetry is definitely not my strong point.

What I can do is put it in the context of the sound, which is exactly what I'm going to do. Rap is obviously not sung and therefore it's rougher than a melody, but still rhythmic, so you can play around with dynamics and all that. The rap part here provides the contrast that the instrumental doesn't give, and creates a kind of friction with that glorious chorus so that once it's actually time for it to come out, we're all shocked.

But honestly, the thing I like most about Big Bang songs is that as much as you can take it apart, look into everything, then put it back together, at the end of the day it's still good music, and good music is meant to be enjoyed. Big Bang know that, and beyond the gorgeous melody, beyond the friction in the elements, "Feeling" is such a fun song. It's such a joy to listen to it, and effortlessly enjoyable. It's songs like this that remind me of why I chose music.