[#22] Shinhwa - "고양이"

From: "We"
Previous Best of Entries: 2012: [#31] "Venus"
Other notable song(s) from 2015: "Alright", "Sniper", "Don't Cry", "Memory"

I love my old-school 90s boybands, and Shinhwa is one of those 90s boybands who've managed to survive for this long. But I think a big reason why they've stood the test of time is because they also know how to move with the times. As much as I love the bubblegum pop and BSB/NSYNC-esque of the 90s, a group who keeps giving me that will eventually run out of steam.

Which is why I think "고양이" is the perfect combination of both past and present sounds. At its core, the track is 90s pop/R&B—the melody, the choice of instrumentation with the sharp bass line and funky synths, the distinctly 90s boyband harmonies at the chorus and hook, and even the arrangement with the very pronounced dynamics despite the packed instrumental, which all happens in the transitions. But "고양이" also sounds very current—the sharp production, the vocals that are on the same level as the instrumentation (90s tracks tend to have the vocals above the instrumental).

So rather than Shinhwa plainly moving with the times, I think it's more of Shinhwa being able to adapt their generation's sound to the present and embrace new technologies and trends.



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