[#5] Ga In - "Fxxk U" (Feat. Bumkey)

From: "Truth Or Dare"
Released: February
Territory: South Korea
Previous Best of Entries: 2012: [#18] "Bloom"
Other notable song(s) from 2014: "Q&A" (feat. 조권), "폭로"

In theory, my taste doesn't usually lean towards these kinds of tracks -- I don't like IU's new sound, I think Sunmi is the epitome of pretentiousness, the list goes on. But The Brown Eyed Girls, as a group and as solo acts, have always been the exception for one very good reason -- they actually know how to carry this so-called "classy" "sexy" sound. (which they don't actually do very often)

But anyway, this trend of minimalist sexy tracks among female solo singers is extremely precarious -- it's easy for this sound to become either boring or, like Sunmi, pretentious. Ga In's "Fxxk U" is neither.

"Fxxk U" still has that "classy" aura to it -- the emphasis on the guitar treatment, the background "ooh ooh ooh"s, the short, but sweeping melodies executed by smooth vocals. But beyond the style there's an actual melody -- the hook isn't something that's possible only in the studio, actual human beings can actually sing it comfortably. And as sparse as the instrumentation is, the arrangement allows for dynamics -- you actually hear the vocal harmonies between Ga-In and Bumkey and the multi-tracking, you hear the intricacies (and repetitions) in the guitar line, the transitions and clear shifts from loud to soft. There's not much happening, but there are clear dynamic markers for the verses, the bridge and the choruses.

"Fxxk U," to me at least, is the trend done a million times better, done with substance to accompany the style.