Pop Reviews Now

After School - "Because Of You" (Japanese Version)

2012-01-30T08:02:00.000+08:00

[MV Commentary] SNSD/Girls' Generation - "The Boys"

2012-01-27T20:02:00.000+08:00

So all hell breaks loose when I make my lit major college friends, who are probably the farthest you can get from kpop fans, watch SNSD's "The Boys". But at least it makes for good entertainment! And a vlog while I can't type properly! ^_^

Let me cut to the chase

2012-01-26T20:45:00.001+08:00

The HoMin/JYJ Divide: Does it apply to the music as well?

2012-01-19T20:03:00.000+08:00

Yes, I'm back! With the first actual, not-2011-related, post! Something I managed to whip up between all the whacked out critical papers and the mountain of Japanese verbs I've had to deal with over the past few weeks.

A note before we start. This was not originally written for Pop Reviews Now, so the tone of the piece is a lot more serious and there are a lot more examples.

Whatever you choose to think about DBSK, you simply cannot deny the fact that they are an extremely musical idol group. While other groups put a premium on performance, on looks, or on gags, DBSK are one of those who put a premium on the music, on their vocals, their material, and their identity as a musical group. In doing that, they have, whether subconsciously or not, created a “DBSK sound”, which is both consistent and dynamic, and which has ultimately cemented a place in K-Pop history for them. However, that sound took five members to build and deliver, and with the original five members parting their ways leaving only two to promote with the DBSK name, things are bound to change, right? Well, musically at least.

Looking at DBSK’s discography with five members, from 2003’s “Hug” in Korea, all the way up to 2010’s “Time, Please Stop” in Japan, there’s quite a mix of different styles and sounds, and that’s the first thing DBSK’s music possessed -- versatility. Although there are certain sounds that they’re more known for, like ballads, and the likes of “Rising Sun”, they’ve had their fair share of experimentation too. Looking at promotions for their first album alone, which included songs such as “Hug”, a mid-tempo, “I Believe”, a ballad, and later “Tri-Angle”, a heavy, rock and orchestra-inspired song which was also the album’s title track, the group is very well-rounded in terms of musical styles. Looking even further, the jump from their 2006 hit single “O - Jung. Ban. Hap.” to “Balloons” was rather shocking, but they still managed to carry it well. While they were promoting in Japan they also showcased numerous different sounds, including a retro-inspired “Choosey Lover”, a modern “Purple Line”, and a dark but auto-tune heavy “BREAK OUT!” among others. Their ability to challenge different styles without losing their identity can be put down to my next point.

Despite all the different sounds and all the experimentation they did, what remained constant with their releases was that they were all melodic, they all required actual singing. Their singles put weight on the melody, the type of melody that required more than three notes, and actual vocal ability. Even “Hug”, which sounds very unassuming, is actually quite difficult to sing, because it’s slightly higher than the normal male range. When their songs featured catchy hooks, rap parts and dance breaks, like those in “Mirotic” and “O - Jung. Ban. Hap.”, they were all still melodic, and that’s mostly because the five members have the vocals to carry very difficult melodies. They even had releases which were all singing and no rapping, such as “Forever Love”, “Picture of You”, and even “BREAK OUT!”. This showed that while they were proficient in rap and all of them rapped at one point of their careers, they are, first and foremost, singers.

In addition to difficult melodies, DBSK are well-known for their high-intensity, elaborate lead singles, “Rising Sun” and the aforementioned “O - Jung. Ban. Hap.”. These songs have become somewhat the epitome of DBSK releases, because aside from the fact that the songs themselves are very ambitious and sounded very epic, the five were actually able to consistently do them justice. There are only a handful of actual live performances of these songs in Korea, but their performances of these songs in Japan provided us with the proof we need, that DBSK can indeed sing, and sing well. The five members all have unique voices, they’re all very competent, but they also have the technique and the training to aid what comes naturally to them. It’s that technique which has ultimately allowed them to sustain the difficult melodies and carry the very elaborate song structures, that not only demanded them to sing, but also to simultaneously dance and rap.

“Rising Sun” demands a whole range of vocals, from Yoochun and Yunho’s rapping, to Jaejoong
and Junsu’s strong, melodic verses and almost savage choruses, all the way to Changmin’s now- legendary scream and his and Yoochun’s Indian-inspired middle 8 turned dance and rap break, but in addition to the technique they have, the right parts were assigned to the right members, and the song managed to fit all of them, while bringing out what they did best.

Speaking of Changmin’s screams, another thing DBSK are known for is their ability to belt out high notes on-demand. While they were indeed trained and they indeed possess the proper technique to carry themselves through a range of different styles, at the end of the day they were trained for pop music, and in pop, it is almost mandatory for a “good singer” to hit the highest notes possible. DBSK can do that too. The likes of “Bolero” and “Love in the Ice”, especially the middle eights where everyone takes turns hitting high notes, prove that all of them, even Yunho who is sometimes considered the weakest singer in the group, are capable of pop music’s demands.

The usual idol group has maybe one or two very consistent and able voices, three if they’re lucky, and so basically those people get center stage on stage and the other members just let them. Not DBSK -- they have five good voices, some stunning. However, having five trained and naturally able voices doesn’t always mean that they’ll be able to work together well. Most of the time, putting even just two strong vocalists together can mean a power struggle if they can’t put aside their big egos and diva attitudes. That’s definitely not the case with DBSK. What they’ve managed to do is take that “let the star take the lead” mindset, without forgetting that they can all sing, and that’s exactly why their a capella work is so good. Look at the likes of “Always There” and “Whatever They Say”, and even their impromptu a capella, and it works because they have a strong group dynamic, not only in the way they treat each other and live together, but in the way they sing. They are very good solo singers, that has been proven time and time again, but all of them also know how to stand back and let the guy beside get his few seconds of fame. If they didn’t know how to do that, if they had no concept of helping each other out with tempo and key, there would have been no such thing as an a capella version of “Hug” during their 2007 “Five In the Black” tour in Japan. For a pop singer, it’s hard enough to stand in the background while someone else takes the lead, and it’s probably the hardest thing to actually help that guy taking the lead, but to DBSK, as shown by their strong a capella work, it’s second nature.

The last feature of DBSK’s musical identity shifts our focus away from the finished product and in to the production side of things. All five members have, one way or another, contributed something to the production of their material. Although only a few of those songs were ultimately released as singles, unlike the likes of G-Dragon and other songwriting idols, the simple fact that they were writing their own songs while under an agency like SM Entertainment where they could have just sit back and let in-house producers like Yoo Young Jin hand them songs on a silver platter means that they had the incentive to try, and that they were actually succeeding and producing release-quality material. While they were still spoon-fed lead singles and majority of their album tracks, they made an investment by learning how to do things themselves. They still have a long way to go, and the songs that were ultimately put on major releases were still tweaked and fixed by professionals from their record labels, but you really can’t run before you learn how to walk. This served as the beginning of much more control over their music in the future, and a chance to further their musical identity, which is definitely a priority to them.

Examples of their expanding roles in production are Jaejoong’s “Don’t Forget” (Japan), Yoochun’s
“Kiss The Baby Sky” (Japan), which was the theme song for the Japanese TV program “Zoom In”, and both songs received A-side billing in Japan. The single which featured the two songs topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart and after less than a month was certified platinum for sales of over 100,000 copies. Jaejoong and Yoochun’s collaboration, both in production and delivery, “Colors ~Melody and Harmony~”, was the theme song for Hello Kitty’s 35th anniversary and topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart in 2009. The five of them also had a hand in album tracks such as “White Lie” (Junsu, Korea), “9095” (Jaejoong, Japan), “Don't Cry My Lover” (Jaejoong, Korea), “Love Bye Love” (Yoochun, Korea), “Evergreen” (Yoochun, with lyrics by Changmin, Korea). As well as lyrics like Changmin’s Korean version of “Love In the Ice” , Junsu’s “Picture of You” (Korea), and numerous rap parts by Yoochun and Yunho, among others.

To sum up the “DBSK sound”, their strong vocals allow them to one, experiment with sounds and styles, two, carry difficult melodies placed in three, elaborate and technically-demanding song structures, while four, fulfilling the demands of pop music, such as catchy hooks and five, constantly showing off their ability to sing in much higher ranges than what’s comfortable, and six, doing that while keeping in mind that there are four other talented singers in the group and thus delivering solid harmonies and a capella work. And lastly, they have the initiative to further that “DBSK sound” by doing it on their own and learning how to compose and write material by themselves, which will better reflect who they are, not only as vocalists and idols, but as musicians.

So, which of these characteristics were more evident in “Why? (Keep Your Head Down)” and “IN HEAVEN” than the others? That’s not to say that one song is completely devoid of a certain characteristic, but it’s just that it’s more evident in the other. However, before we get to the two songs, we have to remember that what was once done by five is now being done by groups of two and three, and so many things have changed in the individual members’ roles that do affect the delivery, and even the songs themselves.

“Why? (Keep Your Head Down)” is similar in sound to the likes of “Rising Sun”, in the sense that it demands a lot from Yunho and Changmin, not just in terms of dancing and the over-all performance, but more so in their vocals. In addition to both of them having to rap, they also have to deliver a very powerful and demanding melody, that can’t just be sung with one kind of voice. It’s still melodic and it still has flow, but it’s also a bit disjointed and shifts quickly so breathing, and technique in general, is crucial in the delivery of this song. What Changmin and Yunho took from the five-member DBSK sound is the technique and their ability to pull of very elaborate melodies. Breathing at the wrong place will sound awkward, and singing the wrong way will completely defeat the purpose of the song. Also, Changmin’s screaming at the end is more than just belting out a random note, it’s all about technique and pacing and, again, breathing. While Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu also have technique, and it’s what made them even better singers than they already were, Yunho and Changmin were more of the learned voices, in the sense that they may not have been the best at the beginning (and also, Yunho has a throat problem), but they put emphasis on their technique and ultimately become the singers they are now.

They are literally jumping through hoops and fire with their voices on this track -- it’s an elaborate melody with a catchy hook, it requires a lot of energy and learned technique to pull off, but it’s still melodic and still requires actual singing.

“IN HEAVEN”, on the other hand, is a ballad, and so it’s really dependent on JYJ’s belting and harmonies. The first two choruses, which are usually devoid of extremely high notes, are sung higher than the comfortable men’s range, showing off their vocal ranges. The entire middle eight is a parade of high notes placed over a chorus of JYJ’s vocals, somewhat similar in structure to those of “Love In The Ice” and “Bolero”. In addition to the very obvious harmonies throughout the verses and choruses, the last line of the middle eight is a two-part harmony of high notes by Jaejoong and Junsu. Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu’s vocals are all very proficient, Junsu is known as one of Korea’s most beautiful voices, and Jaejoong was the lead vocalist for DBSK, so while the screaming has always been up to Changmin, the high notes are definitely not a problem. It’s not just their vocals though, because the dynamic of the three voices, and their delivery, is crucial in the song making sense. While the melody should be the dominant line, the harmony can’t just slack off and disappear -- it has to be audible, but not overpowering, and It was just that.

While “Why? (Keep Your Head Down)” makes the vocals obey the song and really follow everything to the last detail, “IN HEAVEN” is much less structured and elaborate, it’s a simple verse- chorus-etc. template, and so the vocals carry the song. The song requires technique, but more of how to scream your head off without actually losing your head, about letting it go, but with control. And lastly, the songwriting angle. “IN HEAVEN” was written, composed and co-arranged by Jaejoong, who, along with Yoochun, was one of the more “published” composers during DBSK’s time as five.

But then again, another way to look at the divide is that circumstances have changed. Even if the two
groups’ roots lie with the five-member DBSK, and even if that’s all they knew prior to the split, as musicians it’s also inevitable to grow artistically. They’ve changed since their last Korean and even Japanese release as five, and so they would’ve moved forward as separate entities and add certain elements which the old DBSK would never have done. That’s completely valid too -- that was the past, this is the present. However, at the end of the day it’s really inevitable that JYJ and the two-piece DBSK take things from the “DBSK sound”, because that was their foundation, and maybe for Yunho and Changmin, that's what SME wants them to do. All their basic knowledge in singing, of performing, and of their artistry, all of that came from the training they received and their work in and out of the studio, on and off stage. DBSK taught them the rudiments, and although foundations are extremely important, so is growth.

[2011 Gayo Daejun Special] KBS - The Okay, The Boring and The Sleep-Inducing

2012-01-03T19:29:00.000+08:00

I think the title alone is a big giveaway of how the KBS Gayo Daejun was. Sometimes sleep-incuding, most of the time boring, and occasionally okay. Yup, that's about right. It was a smaller venue than the SBS and KBS ones, which means that KBS should've had an easier time handling the sound quality and such, but I'm afraid that was not the case, because vocals during the latter parts of the show were horrid. Plus the fact that the people in the audience were practically zombies, and the acts looked bored out of their wits, as if they were forced to appear on the show. Which they probably were.

I wanted the acts jumping through hoops and fire, KBS, HOOPS AND FIRE. I got none of that. At all. Even from my beloved DBSK. How dare you.

Two things before we start. This recap focuses only on idols, so the other acts who appeared on the show, rappers and the like, will not be included in the selection. And also, I wanted to get this out as fast as possible before everyone forgets about the Gayo Daejuns. So due to the fact that today is a school night and I have a mountain of readings to tackle (ALREADY!! *sobs*), plus I'm about to collapse from fatigue and stress and general exhaustion, the videos and other formatting details will have to wait until tomorrow when I'm a bit more alive. Please don't ask me for the videos, because writing this up took a so much effort, and a lot of strong coffee.

Before we get to the three main categories of this recap, there is one performance that deserves a special mention. Not because it's amazingly good, but because it was horribly blasphemous.

Kim Hyun Joong - "Rainism"
If Rain saw this, he'd bawl his eyes out because it's so bad. It's even too bad to be a parody, because parodies are deliberately made bad, so they can be funny (did anyone see that Kim Shin Young parody where the lyrics were about food?), but Kim Hyun Joong was as serious as serious can be. And really now, even if Rain wasn't exactly K-Pop's best singer, at least he could sing his own songs! This performance was LIP-SYNCHED, and it was STILL bad. The dancing wasn't that hot, the vocals were pathetic and painful, especially towards the end when he tried to do those runs, and this was a useless performance. Absolutely useless.

THE BORING

Davichi - "Don't Say Goobye"
It's a gorgeous song, and a gorgeous arrangement, with those epic drums and the stunning and flawless harmonies, but it was soooooooooo boring. The only thing keeping me awake was the thought that their voices were really gorgeous, and the harmonies kinda gave me little slaps on the face to keep me from drifting to sleep. And it didn't help that they were the only ones on stage and they were just standing there. I don't talk about it much, but I've always believed that the visual aspect of a performance is important too. Always second to the music, yes, but without the visuals you get performances like this.

4Minute - "Mirror Mirror"
It was interesting enough until they started singing, with all the back-up dancers behind them and the white coats against the dark backdrop, but it just got boring once they started singing. The dance break was okay, and Gayoon standing alone on stage kinda woke me up a bit, but once the singing started again there were nothing special, even with the remix and all the flashing lights.

U-Kiss - "Neverland"
I understand that they were trying to do the "epic" sound with this re-arrangement, but it completely sucked all the life out of the song. That's not just because their vocals were muffled, but because the instrumental was so one-dimensional. They tried to put some kick in it, but failed miserably. The entire performance sounded like U-Kiss were submerged in a tub of jello, and all you hear are muffled screams.

f(x) - "Danger"
Everything about this performance looked, and sounded, so robotic. Except Luna's line, but everything was so stiff, and Amber looked bored. There's a difference between orchestrated down to the last detail and robotic, and this performance was robotic.

Secret - "Shy Boy"+"Love is MOVE"
I adore the re-arrangement of "Shy Boy", it had spunk to it, but what ultimately bored me to death was the fact that "Shy Boy" was lip-synched. Their vocals were too clean for the performance, too smooth for something that should be really high-energy and lively, because of the nature of the processing. But on the other hand, their live vocals on "Love is MOVE" were weak, and that bored me too, because it sounded just like a regular weekly music show. I'm better off watching an episode of MuBank, the sound might even be better.

SNSD - "The Boys"
This was just like any other performance of "The Boys", and it wasn't even done extraordinarily well, in fact, they sounded even more strangled than they usually do, and that was the only thing that kept me awake, to be honest with you.

2PM - "Electricity"+"Hands Up"
"Electricity" was okay, but when you slow "Hands Up" down, it sounds even worse. It's repetitive, it's monotonous, and the instrument is very one-dimensional, so it literally sounds like you just slowed the song down at home and played it at a New Year's Eve party with your family and friends. It just goes on and on and on and on. If not for their stage presence, this would've put me to sleep from the very beginning.

THE SLEEP INDUCING

f(x), 4Minute, Infinite, IU, Super Junior, - K-Pop Shuffle Dance Special/K-Pop To The World
Oh dear. The lights gave me a headache, and the dubstep overload just put me to sleep. Gee, thanks KBS. You clearly didn't want me to watch the rest of your show. Seriously, even with the hooks under the heavy looping, the thing just went on and on and on and oooooooooooon. And they were essentially just doing a bunch of dance steps over and over and over and overrrrrrr. Although, the one thing that amused me was the fact that "Mr. Simple", without the heavy remixing, fit right in to the medley. That just goes to show how shallow that song is.

BEAST - "Fiction"
You know, when the performers themselves look like they're bored out of their wits and scream half-hearted "let's go!"'s, it affects their entire performance. Everything. And BEAST performed - sang, danced - like zombies. It's not even funny or incredibly bad, it's so pitiful that I just wanted to sleep through it to not see it. And it doesn't help that Hyunseung completely destroyed his high note. Even when they changed the arrangement towards the end, they still looked half-asleep, and the guy singing looked like he was about to cry. There was absolutely no kick to this performance, and it's such a shame because I expect a lot from BEAST.

Kim Hyun Joong - "Lucky Guy"
This is definitely a better choice, over "Break Down", because it's just that much more lively and fits Hyun Joong's vocals, but it STILL put me to sleep. It didn't help that this came over that horrid shuffle dance medley, so I was still half asleep. Even if it's a lively song, Hyun Joong's vocals have absolutely no sense of dynamics, nor do they have any body, and so he effectively made this performance flat. The best part was the end.

IU - "Good Day"+"You and I"
Strong, consistent, vocals, but the remix was so boring and generic that, once again, it sucked out all the life out of the song. And even if IU's vocals are nice, they're pretty thin around the edges, and so she needs kick to her arrangements. This was just flat, so her vocals turned too cute and too weak, albeit okay. And it put me off for the rest of the performance, so when "You and I" came on I was already knocked out and asleep. And no amount of bouncy, IU could've erased the boring arrangement she just did beforehand.

The Okay

Infinite - "Paradise"+"Be Mine"
The lights on the suits, although not exactly original, were a nice touch and an okay way to open the show. Nothing especially spectacular happened on this performance, but their vocals were pretty solid for Infinite standards, the dance intro was well-prepared and practiced (no one forgot anything), and the transitions, from the dance to the remix of "Paradise", to another dance break and finally to "Be Mine", were clean. The fact that this is one of the best performances of the night should not only be a compliment to Infinite, but an insult to KBS.

SISTAR - "SO COOL"
I never thought I'd see the day where I'd put a SISTAR performance among the best, but really, after the boring performances that came before, this was a welcome relief. And it's not like SISTAR are completely talentless, only 3/4 of them! Hyorin's vocals were incredibly strong as usual, and for the first time I didn't notice their lack of grace that much. I see improvement!

Miss A - "Goodbye Baby"
Brilliant re-arrangement. I loved the drums during the intro, even if they were pretty useless for the rest of the song, but I also adore the arrangement of the song itself, with just that hint of rock elements, including real drums (!!), but also enough of the original, familiar, arrangement! And they pulled this off much, much better than the SBS re-arrangement! Strong vocals, good concept, fitting re-arrangement. Best performance of the night? Best performance of the night.

Wonder Girls - "Be My Baby"
The beginning was messy, I don't know if it was on purpose or what, but their choreography was all over the place. Their vocals were strong, and up until the dance break it was actually really boring. All I could think of was that if I wanted to see a performance like this, I could've watched a weekly music show. Even their comeback was more flashy than that. But the end kind of resurrected them, and it was so amusing to hear Ye Eun and Sun Ye actually singing what should've been autotuned. I'd say, as a whole, this is okay verging on boring.

DBSK/HoMin - "Before U Go"+"Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
This was not their best. It wasn't, and I'm disappointed, but their heavily overdubbed vocals could've been because this was pre-recorded and SME couldn't help but show off their flashy studios. HOWEVER, if you listen well enough (like I know many of you did!), it's rather clear that they're actually singing and not just relying on the overdub because their vocals were actually consistent. And that's something these new acts have to learn. Like what I said about their SBS performance, DBSK are, first and foremost, singers, and so even with the overdub, it's courtesy to the audience to sing live for a live performance. And that's what separates them from their back-up dancers, that's why they're the featured artist on their albums. Not because they look good, go on variety shows, and dance on stage, but because they sing.

[2011 Gayo Daejun Special] SBS - The Good, The Bad, and The Promising

2012-01-01T18:57:00.002+08:00

It's January first pretty much everywhere now, I guess, so happy new year to all you guys! Thank you for making 2011 such an amazing year for me, without you guys and your constant pestering and all your tear-jerking comments, as well as all the trolling I got this year, I would've never been able to get through the year in one piece, and win my very first Philippine Blog Award! Thank you so much for taking time out of your lives to read my work, and even more time out to comment on my posts. I may not answer your comments, but I read every single one of them. You've made Pop Reviews Now one of the leading critical K-Pop review blogs, and although I still have a long way to go, I promise to make an effort to repay you guys this year for all your support. Also, thank you for reading this, because it means you're sticking with me this 2012!

Allow me to explain this post first though. I really meant to do a recap of the 2011 Gayo Daejuns, but the original plan was throwing everything in to one huge post with all three networks' shows divided into several categories. However, due to the fact that I want to get the Gayo Daejun post out as fast as possible before it becomes stale news, and also the fact that I'm still in the process of getting a copy of the MBC show (which I've heard is the best out of the three), I've decided to split the posts by network. Today's recap is of the SBS show, which was broadcast on December 29th. Tomorrow I will be recapping the KBS show, and on Tuesday the MBC show (hopefully I have a copy of it by then), if everything goes as planned.

The first of the three Gayo Daejuns this year, SBS delivered a solid show with 170 singers packed in to three and a half hours of running around stage. The show was divided into several themed stages, including a special suite for SM Entertainment artists (and the debut of several EXO members), one which featured CN Blue and FT Island collaborating with f(x) and the Wonder Girls, and a hip-hop stage. The SBS show was a balance of familiar, hit singles from 2011, and special stages.

But that doesn't mean it was immune to disasters, because there were quite a few. And there were those performances that could've been really amazing, but didn't really come out right. I won't be recapping the entire show, instead, we'll talk about the best, worst, and the most promising performances.

THE BAD

B1A4 - Beautiful Target
And the award for the worst performance of the night? Well, that goes to none other than B1A4. For several reasons. First, obviously the song itself is a complete and utter disaster. It's all over the place in the most spread-out way possible. You look away for a while and the song sounds completely different, plus, about 99% of the song has to utilize a backing track, because the vocal treatment changes every five seconds, so basically all these guys are doing is screaming "yeah!" and running around stage. I'd hardly call that a performance. Second, what is with that choreography? My eyes. And third, when you put the song, together with the horrid choreography, and the fact that they're actually trying desperately, it's hilarious.

Gain (Brown Eyed Girls), Jiyeon (T-Ara), Hyun A (4Minute), Sunhwa (Secret), Fei (Miss A), G.NA - "Run the World"
Oh wow. Where do I start. Well, I appreciate the effort, and I appreciate the fact that they included Ga-In (even if she forgot some of the choreography), but this performance was another mess. Too many girls, and I guess they didn't have enough time to learn the whole song, because for the majority of the song they danced in shifts, and yeah, choreography was forgotten. The dancing in shifts really irritated me though, because it really shows how unprepared they were, and it's like the performance was half gyrating all over the place, and half dead air. At the same time. It's inconsistent, three or four of them are dancing, then there are two or three just standing there on the side. What are they, mannequins? If they didn't have enough time, then they should've just done one verse and a chorus or something. I'd rather they did that then haphazardly do a full, 3-minute performance. And really, people can only take so much of that kind of dancing.

G.NA - "Top Girl"+"Black&White"
It really breaks my heart to see G.NA like this. With that horrid choreography at the beginning, those pretty weak vocals throughout, and the cheap repertoire. She's talented, she shouldn't be singing songs like this, because they do her absolutely no justice.

KARA and 2PM - "Every Little Step"
Everyone was so dead during this performance. I mean I understand that KARA and 2PM aren't the best singers around, but what makes this so bad is that it was already lip-synced for heaven's sake, and yet the singing was wimpy and lifeless. I would've written it off anyway if the vocals were fixed up, but not as much as I am now. If you're going to lip-sync a performance anyway, at least use all those studio tricks to make the track sound damn good. Such lazy, lazy people.

THE PROMISING

Miss A - "Goodbye Baby"
I adore this arrangement, I really do. It's so fierce, and it matches the melody so well. It's obvious that this was thought about. However, their vocals on this were so disappointing, bad almost. Like, really, they were weak and everyone sounded like they were being strangled all the way through. I've dealt with the regular Miss A breathlessness since they debuted, and they got better this year, but this performance was so painful to listen to. It's such a waste though, because the arrangement was really good.

After School - "Diva"
This was a really interesting song choice, but also a very logical one, because "Shampoo" would bore people to death. Just the idea of hearing them perform "Diva" after so long is enough to get people interested, but in true After School fashion, they failed to deliver. Add the fact that line-stealer Raina struck again, STEALING LINES FROM JUNG AH (HOW DARE SHE), and that they didn't do the entire song and it just disappeared into them and Pledis boys dancing to dubstep (snore..), the originally good idea turned into bad execution.

KARA - "Step"
This is another arrangement I really like. "Step" in itself is already a big performance-ready song, and there's little you can do, but I like how they made the percussion sound a lot more real as if they had a live band behind them. They didn't lose that high-energy, yet girly, sound, but they made it a lot more apt for a live performance, and the transition to and from the dance break was very smoothly done. The let down? Again, the vocals. I'm not surprised, in fact I was expecting worst, but just because this is the best they can do, doesn't mean I'll forgive them for being inferior. They can't sing live, and it's such a shame because their material is really, really good, fun, pop.

T-Ara - "Cry Cry"
If this was done completely live and pulled off just as well as it was lip-synced, this would've been one of the best performances. But no, the backing track wins and you hear next to no live vocals. The arrangement is brilliant, the dance break is different but not disjointed and they kept the distinct piano line, even a bit of the original feel of the song, but made it fresher, and interesting. And believe me, after looping this for over 200 times this year, thus making the original arrangement pretty stale for me, this is really a strong, new, but faithful take on the song. It's an amazing arrangement ruined by bad production decisions and possibly the lack of solid live vocals.

CN Blue and The Wonder Girls - "Tainted Love"
First of all, Yoobin shouldn't have been the first to sing, because I was turned off right away. Yoobin isn't a bad singer, but you have to have a certain level of proficiency to sing songs like this, and she doesn't have that. She sounded like she was drunk and singing this on karaoke or something, not on stage. But Sohee and Lim don't have that proficiency either. Lim needs more power and this is a song she can't get away with because she has an American accent. And really now Sohee, why do you even try. Her line was all air and no singing, she was useless. It should have been just Ye Eun and Sun Ye doing this, because if it was it would've been an amazing performance.

Wonder Girls - "Be My Baby"
It was a classy performance, with decent vocals and a very polished arrangement, but even if the arrangement was fresh, it was boring. Pretty piano line, yes, and if you think really hard it's actually not a bad performance or anything, it surprisingly matches the lesser members' vocals even if it's now more dependent on the melody, but this is a performance, it's supposed to really catch your attention from the very beginning. In a sense, this arrangement was so predictable, but on the other hand, had they done a rock remix it would've been boring too considering all the other rock-ish arrangements that came before them. But actually, I liked the track that was playing during the intro, if they turned that into the remix things would've been interesting. Basically, what this performance lacks is shock. I know I have very high expectations of them, but after "Wonder World", why wouldn't I?

SMTOWN - "The Sound of Hallyu"
I loved the idea of this, and I loved how, even if majority of them weren't playing live, it was made very obvious that the people who played instruments actually know how to play them in real life. And I like how the people who sang were actually the people who can sing, and they didn't force people who are dancers, not singers, to sing. Like Taeyeon and Changmin's duet. Even if Changmin out-screamed Taeyeon, she was definitely the right choice for the song. If it had been Jessica I would have raised hell. The Shinhwa and H.O.T. covers were tame, and that's one of the two reasons why this is a "promising", but not one of the best performances. The songs they chose need savage vocals. Raw, powerful, with minimal processing, but seeing as the people they got to sing those parts, although good singers, simply don't have the vocals to do those songs justice. Of course the Exo members were a big part of the thrill of this suite, but they, or actually just one of them, are the second reason I didn't put this down as one of the best performances. Towards the end, the second guy to the left of Changmin, I think he was the one who danced after Victoria, was TALKING to the other Exo guy beside him. That's such horrid stage deportment. It may not be a lot to you guys, because the standard reaction is "So what's wrong with that? They're just talking.", but this is one of the most basic forms of courtesy towards not only the audience, because they have a responsibility to give their full attention to the audience and their performance, but also towards the other artists on stage. How would you like it if the guy beside you was talking to someone during your big solo? If, this early, that kind of behavior is just let go, forgiven and forgotten, it will get worse. Trust me, I've seen it happen, and it definitely doesn't end pretty. And considering how Exo are being hyped to be extremely talented, if they don't have basic stage manners it will be a huge waste of their talent.

THE GOOD

Yoon Mirae with Gary, Dynamic Duo, Jun Hyung (BEAST), Hoya (Infinite), Mir (MBLAQ), Taecyeon (2PM) - "Get It In"+"Monster"
And the award for the best singing of the night goes to Yoon Mirae. All these idols should be ashamed to call themselves singers after Yoon Mirae, who I believe raps majority of the time (the new times I've heard her material), out-sings them all without lifting a finger, by just by singing a few lines. Backing track, yes, but you know she's rapping and SINGING live, it's so obvious, but she does it so well that to untrained ears it may be a bit confusing. But apart from the strong vocals, she has the stage presence to not have to jump around too much. She still does towards the end, but she has a certain air to her that you know she's having so much fun and you want some of it too, but she still commands the stage, and all the guys sharing it with her. This, my friends, is a true performance.

2NE1 - "I Am The Best"+"Ugly"
I didn't like "I Am The Best", but like I always say, you have to watch 2NE1 for their material to make sense. It's not that their recordings are bad, because the production on them is outstanding, it's not that they can't sing, because my God can Minzy and CL sing, it's that their material is made to show off their strengths, and 2NE1's strengths lie in performance. They don't exactly run around stage because the majority of their performances are choreographed, but they have a command of it that's like no other. It's not just stage manners, or presence, it's really a command and it shows in everything -- the way they move, the way they sing. Pair that with a very creative and accommodating talent agency, and you have familiar, but stellar performance.

Brown Eyed Girls - "Sixth Sense"
I noticed that hardly any of my favorite performances were full remixes. But I guess that it's harder to perform a familiar arrangement and still make it sound interesting. But that's exactly what the Brown Eyed Girls did. Apart from adding a few bits and pieces (literally pits and pieces) all over the place, and adding a dance break, the base is still the same. This is one of the best girl group performances, and, like the entirety of their "Sixth Sense" promotions, performances, songs, singles, this is girl group master class. To all the girl groups trying to be sexy with skimpy, but cheap, outfits, to all the girl groups trying to be fierce but failing, to all the girl groups trying to sing while dancing, this, girls, is how it's done. Watch and learn.

BEAST - "Fiction"
They didn't really do much to the arrangement of "Fiction", just softened a few parts, added bits and pieces here and there, and switched some things around, but the basic mould of the song is still the same. And that's the selling point of the performance -- it's familiar. However, despite it being pretty simple, the modifications were enough to keep things fresh and not bore people to death. It's also a very straightforward performance, but in being simple it's also very well-sung. And considering how good a song "Fiction" is to start with, it's a good thing that they didn't experiment too much, but still had the foresight to prepare for it. Like I said a while ago, I prefer a simple, but prepared performance over an elaborate but haphazard one.

DBSK/HoMin - "Keep Your Head Down"+"MAXIMUM"
Call it unoriginal, because the dance part most probably is, call it boring, because there were no significant changes to the arrangements, but what you can't deny is that Yunho and Changmin know how to perform, and they showed it. They hold the audience in the palm of their hands and they know exactly what to do to make them go wild, but they never, ever, forget the musical aspect of it all. Screaming, yes, chanting and interacting, yes, but stopping to sing just for the sake of it? Never. That's the kind of stage deportment that newer acts, even Super Junior and SNSD, lack -- they lack concentration and choose dancing, waving and being cute over singing. Image is important, yes, and they take care of that too, but they are singers before anything else, and singing should always be first priority. Yunho and Changmin are what idols should be, and THIS is how it should be done.

[#1] DBSK/HoMin - "Back To Tomorrow"

2011-12-31T08:47:00.000+08:00

From: "TONE" (Album)
Released: September 2011, Japan
Rating: 5.00

Surprised? Nah, you know me well enough already.

I tried really hard to keep a DBSK/HoMin/JYJ song off the top spot this year, and I even thought of just revealing the top 5 songs out of order, because I know that there are people who will write me off and start raising hell if DBSK end up on top. Again. But after certain events, like hearing "TONE" in CDQ on extremely nice speakers, screw that.

Everyone has to understand that unlike other people, or even the people who raise hell at my choice, I like DBSK because of the music. My fangirling works the other way around -- I hear a song I like, I do my research, I hear more songs I like, I recognize their voices, I start learning about the members, I hear entire albums of brilliance, I pick a favorite voice, which becomes my favorite member altogether, and I begin spazzing on Twitter over their cats. For me, the music always comes first, and I'm a Cassie because of all the brilliant songs.

So if DBSK, or any part of, keep coming on top of my best of lists, it's because they really deserve it. I have explained time and time again that I KNOW DBSK aren't perfect, I know they have their flaws, I know they've had some really bad songs over the years, and before "Mirotic" they couldn't really hold a solid live performance in Korea, but the good outweighs the bad. At the end of the day they are immensely talented, they can carry themselves on stage like no other boyband in K-Pop right now, and they have some of the best material the Asian pop music industry has to offer.

"Back To Tomorrow" is one of those songs. It's epic, it's well-sung and well-arranged, and above all it's a beautiful song. I wouldn't describe it as stunning or gorgeous, because there's something lacking in those words, something inferior. Beautiful is a more apt term. Simple, but straight to the point, like the song itself.

You have all these heavy instruments, a bass line you really feel in your bones, a confident yet gorgeous string section, this very light, but firm, piano line, and despite everything happening, the song has such a strong sense of dynamics. The verses are quite packed, but them literally there's a BAM and everything explodes. And that explosion will literally reduce you into a puddle of goo because it's so beautiful.

The melody is jaw-droppingly beautiful, and Yunho and Changmin do it flawlessly, but one thing I noticed is that the melody is actually pretty tame compared to the epic instrumental. It sounds so humble and effortless. It's as if Yunho and Changmin are like "you want epic, here you go" without lifting a finger. Of course the song still has conviction, but unlike other acts, they don't have to try too hard to deliver something amazing.

With everything going on all over the place, you'd think that either the elements clash, or the melody will sound disjointed from the instrumental. They don't, and it's not. Everything gels together in the most natural way possible. Kind of like when you mix the yellow and white of an egg, and the mixture turns out yellow, but a little lighter than the original yellow. "Back To Tomorrow" is exactly like that.

To put it simply, the songwriters, and the arranger, knew exactly what they wanted, and they knew exactly what they were doing when they executed it. And Yunho and Changmin went in and executed it flawlessly, to make my favorite song of 2011.
[FULL][AUD]Tohoshinki - Back to tomorrow from manaras on Vimeo.

[#2] Lee Haeri - "Can You Hear Me?"

2011-12-30T07:44:00.001+08:00

From: "Tears of Heaven Soundtrack" (OST)
Released: March 2011, South Korea
Rating: 4.95

In this world, there are emotionless ballads, there are ballads that give you goosebumps, there are also ballads that make you cry, and then there is "Can You Hear Me?".

"Can You Hear Me?" is beyond crying, it's beyond goosebumps, it's a million light years above emotionless -- it literally makes you want to crawl under a rock, curl up into a ball and curse everything for making something beyond stunning. It's as if you want to cry because it's so gorgeous, but your body says otherwise, because it's above gorgeous.

The song was for "Tears Of Heaven", and basically the reason why I even know of this song is because I wanted to hear a Junsu-Haeri duet recording but ended up with a Haeri song. Not that I'm complaining.

It's a very simple song, if you listen carefully. There's nothing out of the ordinary, nothing outside the standard piano, drums, bass, electric guitar here and there, and some strings later. However the song's beauty lies in the way everything was put together and executed. How Haeri's vocals were literally made to float above the very simple and light instrumental, and how the arrangement was made in such a way that the song builds up in an excruciatingly slow place, then dies down right away, leaving you stunned and wanting more.

And Haeri's voice is of no help to the situation, as usual (for those who didn't get it and might lash out on me because of that, I mean that it's just as stunning as the rest of the song). It's gorgeous, smooth and very feminine, but at the same time it's also mature, and her technique is really something else. The maturity, the stability, the control she has over herself to keep from just screaming her way through the entire song, now THAT is singing.

Like I said, the song itself is actually really simple. And if you notice, she doesn't really have any extremely high notes either, just a few at the tail end which she executes flawlessly, but apart from that the melody is very basic. What Haeri has is one, obviously a stunning AND learned voice, and two, emotion. I know I probably sound like a broken record already, but really, music is half heard and half *felt*. And this song, Haeri's vocals in particular, is the epitome of that.

[#3] DBSK/HoMin - "Before U Go"

2011-12-29T18:15:00.000+08:00

From: "Keep Your Head Down Repackaged" (Album)
Released: March 2011, South Korea
Rating: 4.75

It was a fierce battle between what's now my #2 song and this, but in the end, I'm afraid my beloved HoMin, and their gorgeous Korean single, will have to settle for #3 this year. But #3 is incredibly high too!

I really meant to publish this later in the evening because of my "11 albums you HAD to hear in 2011" post, so throughout the day, I was thinking of an appropriate food analogy for this song. I had a few ideas, including (leche) flan, and even royal icing for a while, but then I thought that maybe I should rest from comparing songs to food for a bit.

Not.

"Before U Go" is definitely not butter because even if butter is really smooth, it's kinda gross once it's melted and oily. Definitely not. So I went through the other possibilities, and I eventually settled. "Before U Go" is caramel. The hot, thick, incredibly sweet kind. It looks unsuspecting, it actually looks like your standard confectionary, but when you eat pure, newly-melted caramel it's so sinful. But so amazing, so much so that sometimes you need a sip of water because it's too much, but you still keep eating.

And because it's so sweet, caramel actually becomes a bit salty sometimes. It has dimension. "Before U Go" has dimension.

The song itself is so smooth, the orchestration, the melody, the background vocals, everything is so polished and smooth, but done with conviction -- that's the smooth, sweet part. The instrumental is very basic, but the melody oh my gosh the melody. It's a difficult song to sing, you have long lines that don't allow for much breathing, and high notes all over the place, but when it's sung well, the heavens rejoice.

The salty part is courtesy of Yunho and Changmin's vocals. They're not smooth like Kyuhyun or Jaejoong, they're not big like Junsu or Yesung, they're a bit thin around the edges, and not too flexible either, kind of like a thin sheet of plastic. You can bend it a bit, yes, but you can't really make it a completely different shape if you don't melt it or anything. But it's that firmness and the character of their voices that gives the song the dimension it needs.

But even with the dimension and the sinfulness, caramel is very basic. It's classic. You can put it on anything and everything, just like how "Before U Go" has the ability to transcend time. The song could very well be a classic, because despite everything going on, the foundations of it are very basic.

"Before U Go" is truly one of the most stunning, yet classic, songs you will hear.

11 Albums You HAD to Hear in 2011

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000+08:00

I thought of mixing things up a bit this year, so instead of just laying down the best albums that came out in the past twelve months, I'm going to be talking about the albums that caught my ears, and maybe even eyes, this year. They are on the list not necessarily because they're amazing albums (but I have those too!), but because they've been talked about, or they've broken records, and basically because they've caught my attention. Therefore, I won't just be talking about the music, so I hope it's a welcome change!

The rules:

1. This list is exclusively for releases which contain FIVE (5) or more tracks. A mini-album must have the minimum five tracks, whereas a full-length one should feature at least TEN (10) original tracks. Only cuts which were released for the first time in 2011 are eligible to be counted. For example, in SNSD's Japanese album "GIRLS' GENERATION", "Genie" and "Gee" were Japanese singles in 2010, not 2011, and so they will not be included in the final, technical, count (exclusively for eligibility and classification), however they can be talked about in the review proper.
2. The featured artist must be an idol or idol group and of Korean nationality, regardless of where the album was released and what nationality the production staff were.
3. The featured artist must be the sole artist on least 75% of the songs on the album. So, for example, G.NA's "Black and White" (let's pretend rule #1 doesn't exist for now, because half of that album was from 2010) contains TEN (10) tracks. However, in SIX (6) of those ten tracks, she shares credits with other artists. Therefore, the album is disqualified.
4. One album per artist, regardless of territory. If the artist had two albums this year, only one can appear on the list.

I will not be writing full reviews for the eleven albums on the list, however, if available, I will refer you guys to my reviews of the albums, or singles. I don't have enough time to write eleven full reviews, but I hope the 2-3 paragraphs I wrote will suffice.

The Album: Super Junior - "Mr. Simple"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: August 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Mr. Simple"
The PRN Review: N/A
The Reason: Because according to Hanteo, and several other Korean sales charts, this is the biggest-selling album in Korea for 2011. So far. Do I think it deserves that title? Honestly, no. And that's why it caught my attention, because this is the business side of the industry at work -- you don't just have to have superior material to be popular, you also need buying power and armies of fans who will buy anything you release at the drop of a hat. And sometimes, you can't have both. The material on "Mr. Simple" aren't the dregs of the earth or anything, but so much more could've been done, considering that one, Super Junior aren't completely lacking in talent, and two, SM Entertainment clearly have the money and manpower to get better material. I mean, if you put together a sub-par album then put Super Junior's name on it, since the buying public is stupid, then no one will really notice how bad the album is, right? "Mr. Simple" also demonstrates how stupid all these capitalists are for thinking that we're stupid.
The Recommended Track(s): "Opera", "My Love, My Kiss, My Heart"

The Album: Wonder Girls - "Wonder World"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: November 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Be My Baby"
The PRN Review: Full Review, Best of 2011 - "Me, In"
The Reason: Best album of the year, and most definitely worth the long wait. I went from being this close to absolutely hating their Korean material, to worshipping the ground they walk on. I don't do that very often. But somehow, in this massive shift, the Wonder Girls managed to keep the sound that makes them, themselves. "Wonder World" is cohesive yet diverse, it's fresh yet familiar but confident, and the material is not only top-grade, it's also well-executed. Outstanding song selection and strong production, but not too strong, giving the album some character. Catchy hooks, simple melodies, a whole array of synth loops, and everything your standard pop album has to have these days, but done in a sophisticated and musical manner. "Wonder World" is pop down to the last note, and it's not ashamed of that, but it also has kick. With tracks like "Me, In", why wouldn't it? It's one of those albums that you have to listen to from start to finish over and over and over again.
The Recommended Track(s): "Girls Girls", "Me, In", "Stop!", "Sweet Dreams", "G.N.O."

The Album: BEAST - "Fiction and Fact"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: May 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Fiction"
The PRN Review: Full Review, Best of 2011 - "Though I Call"
The Reason: BEAST are solid proof that effort can, and will, go a long way. They have talent, they have good songs, but unlike other acts, they also put in actual effort to make up for what they lack in. Even if they got what is possibly the best material Cube ever provided, the album was a success because they knew how to deliver the material and how to make it work for them. The songs on "Fiction and Fact" have the potential to be classics, and it's not exactly impossible now that BEAST have the influence they have now. And also, the material allowed us to both look at how far BEAST have come, but also see what they still have to improve on, and something to make us look forward to their next release.
The Recommended Track(s): "You", "Virus", "Though I Call"

The Album: DBSK/Tohoshinki/HoMin - "TONE"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: November 2011, Japan
The Lead Single: "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
The PRN Review: N/A
The Reason: It's DBSK, that's why. Even if it's just Yunho and Changmin now, doesn't mean it can't be brilliant. Despite the fact that DBSK are of Korean descent and thus are eligible for the "K-Pop" categories of major Japanese retailers' charts (like other Japanese-language releases by K-Pop acts such as SNSD and KARA), they do not appear on them. Instead, they are counted as a J-Pop act and are the only K-Pop group ranked alongside J-Pop artists. (see: my soompi article on HMV Japan's year-end rankings) Despite the influx of Korean acts in Japan, DBSK (and BoA!) are still much, much higher up the respect ladder than everyone else, and this album is solid proof of that. While the rest of the Hallyu wave is merely scraping the surface of Japan, DBSK are already a part of the Japanese industry. "TONE" is an amazing album, whether you hear it in CDQ or MP3, because every single track matters, and every single track was thought through and delivered outstandingly, but with such ease. Filler tracks, what filler tracks?
The Recommended Track(s): "Back To Tomorrow", "Thank U My Girl", "Duet", "I Don't Know"

Tohoshinki - Superstar PV from cTVXQmusic on Vimeo.

The Album: SNSD/Girls' Generation - "GIRLS' GENERATION"
The Format: Full-Length
The Release: June 2011, Japan
The Lead Single: "Genie"
The PRN Review: Single Review - "Mr. Taxi", Best of 2011 - "Let It Rain"
The Reason: It was SNSD's first Japanese album, the best-selling K-Pop album in Tower Records Japan during the first half of the year (despite being out for only a month prior to the chart), and it was their ticket to this year's Kouhaku Uta Gassen. In short, it was massively successful. And it's probably one of the most cohesive SNSD albums. Ever. With material from Swedish producers like Jörgen Elofsson, strong A&R, and generally okay vocals from the girls, this is probably the best album SNSD have ever released. Of course "Gee" sticks out like a sore thumb, and so does "Genie" at times, but the album proper, and the new material first heard in Japanese, is really good. Months after it's release, and a few hundred plays later, the good songs are still as good as they were back in June.
The Recommended Track(s): "you-aholic", "Let It Rain", "BORN TO BE A LADY", "Mr. Taxi"

The Album: MBLAQ- "Mona Lisa"
The Format: Mini
The Release: July 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Mona Lisa"
The PRN Review: Best of 2011 - "Mona Lisa"
The Reason: Apart from actually being a good, solid album, "Mona Lisa" was what I had been waiting for since day one. Like I said earlier this month, this EP is still not enough to make up for the disaster of the debut they had back in 2009, but it's a step in the right direction. We have actual songs now, people, ACTUAL SONGS! They've managed to deliver good, solid songs, without losing the MBLAQ sound, a bit thin around the edges and trying to be a Michael Jackson song, among others. And, I never thought I'd say this, but the album is filled with gorgeous songs. Stunning, almost. Everything, from "Mona Lisa" down to the last track, they're all such a pleasure to listen to. "Mona Lisa" is as cohesive as it is gorgeous, and it's also one of the few albums I can listen to without skipping a single track.
The Recommended Track(s): "Mona Lisa", "One", "말하지 말걸.."

The Album: Brown Eyed Girls - "Sixth Sense"
The Format: Mini
The Release: September 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Sixth Sense"
The PRN Review: SOOMPI - single review ("Cleansing Cream")
The Reason: "Sixth Sense" is girl group master class, courtesy of the Brown Eyed Girls. Even if you don't like their music, because even I'm very picky with the BEG songs I like, you have to hand it to these girls because my gosh the attitude is literally spilling out of the album. Even for a toned-down song like "La Boheme", which is also my favorite track. It's half the material, because the songs are so distinct yet tie together nicely, and half their strong vocals. They pull off the material because they actually have the vocals to jump through hoops and fire. While all the other girl groups were either going the cute route or trying way too hard to be edgy and "fierce" (I'm talking to you, SNSD and "The Boys"), the Brown Eyed Girls don't even have to lift a finger and BAM you have "Sixth Sense", both the album and the gorgeous, gorgeous single. Listen to it for the sake of hearing what kind of attitude everyone else should be channeling, regardless of the song.
The Recommended Track(s): "La Boheme", "Sixth Sense"

The Album: Big Bang - "The Fourth Mini Album"
The Format: Mini
The Release: February 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "TONIGHT"
The PRN Review: The First Quarter Report
The Reason: Big Bang not only did a lot for their careers this year, they also did a lot for K-Pop. I know I kept quiet about their EMA win, but I'd rather it be them than a lot of other acts who could've very well been nominated as well, because even if I don't worship Big Bang, they, as musicians, have my respect, something I don't give out a lot in k-pop. Their 2011 offering was tight, cohesive, strong, and distinctly Big Bang. Catchy hooks, synths all over the place, and your usual Big Bang chaos were all present, but with a fresher, more current sound. Even without watching their performances and just listening to the album, I could literally imagine the five of them running around and going wild on stage.
The Recommended Track(s): "SOMEBODY TO LOVE", "TONIGHT"

The Album: Infinite - "OVER THE TOP"
The Format: Full-length, counting the repackaged tracks
The Release: July 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Be Mine"/"PARADISE"
The PRN Review: N/A
The Reason: To the industry, and the fans, Infinite's success was one of the year's biggest surprises. You have here a group from a rather small talent agency, with okay, but not brilliant or stellar, vocals, and they actually won Inkigayo and M!Countdown this year. And who were they up against on Inkigayo? Oh, no one. Just the Brown Eyed Girls, KARA, Super Junior, B1A4, Davichi and Sung Shi Kyung. Although 4 wins is a far cry from the likes of DBSK, Big Bang, SNSD, BoA and a host of others, they have laid down the foundations, and they can only go up from here. "OVER THE TOP" is not the year's strongest album, but it's a solid effort, and a solid base to take off from now that Infinite are no longer rookies. It's a well-rounded and well-done album, that's very sure of itself, but it also leaves a lot of room for Infinite to grow with their subsequent releases, which I'll be eagerly waiting for!
The Recommended Track(s): "Amazing", "Julia", "Be Mine", "Paradise", "Because", "Tic Toc"

The Album: G.NA - "Top Girl"
The Format: Mini
The Release: August 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "Top Girl"
The PRN Review: Best of 2011 - "Banana (Feat. SWINGS, JC지은)"
The Reason: Because everyone should know of the injustice that is being done to G.NA. Sure, she's not the best singer in k-pop right now, she's a bit flimsy around the edges, but she's probably the most stable and one of the best voices in Cube! And she got *this* as a "big comeback single"? Blasphemy. The rest of the album, although the two recommended tracks are pretty, sound like leftovers from BEAST and 4Minute (and 4Minute didn't exactly get good material this year either) and even if I like "Banana", G.NA can't sing that song live even if she tried really hard. It's such a waste, because k-pop finally gets a young solo artist that is more pop than ballad, and who is actually from a talent agency with actual influence in the industry, and they just ruin her. "I'll Back Off So You Can Live" was light years better than this, I want that back.
The Recommended Track(s): "싫어", "Without You"

The Album: JYJ - "IN HEAVEN"
The Format: Full-length
The Release: September 2011, South Korea
The Lead Single: "IN HEAVEN"
The PRN Review: Full Review
The Reason: With all the intrigue that surrounded JYJ this year, and will probably continue to surround them next year, it's good to know why SME is so afraid of them that they take all these drastic measures to ensure that JYJ never promote this album on Korean TV, including banning "Pierrot" for mentioning "PSM", which apparently means "President Soo Man". JYJ denied it, and even if it's most probably true that it has something to do with SM, they didn't explicitly state it for heaven's sake! A "guess" cannot be grounds for banning a song. It's also good to know why, even amidst all the stupidity JYJ were faced with, this is still one of the biggest-selling albums of the year. Despite not being spoon-fed prime material from local and foreign songwriters and not boasting of "foreign producers" (they've already had their fill of that, thank you very much), JYJ deliver a solid effort with "IN HEAVEN". There's much to improve, yes, and it's only right that they learn to walk before they run, but for what it is, "IN HEAVEN" is a good album.
The Recommended Track(s): "Get Out", "Boy's Letter", "IN HEAVEN", "You're"

Agree? Disagree? What albums did I miss out on? Comment away! ^_^

[#4] Infinite - "Nothing's Over"

2011-12-28T08:41:00.003+08:00

From: "INSPIRIT" (Single)
Released: March 2011, South Korea
Rating: 4.60

I must keep surprising you guys. Don't think that I didn't have an extremely hard time deciding which song to include this year, because believe me, I did. So before you start raising hell about how it should've been "Be Mine" or "Paradise" or even "Before the Dawn", I bring you a food analogy. (I couldn't help myself, I'm sorry!)

"Nothing's Over" sounds like a steaming hot bowl of ramen, whether Japanese, Korean (Ramyun) or even Chinese if you want (La Mien). It sounds like ramen because ramen's quite unassuming, I mean a bowl of soup with some noodles and a few bits and pieces of meat isn't something to write home about, right? Wrong. Ramen may be simple in theory, but getting the elements, the soup, the noodles, and even the toppings, right is truly a science. I didn't think that way when I was a kid, but when I went to Shanghai and Xian last year and tasted the real thing, MY GOD was I missing half of my life (the other half of course is Xiao Long Bao, but I'll save that for another song).

But we deviated a bit on that last bit. My point is, you may *think* that ramen is a very simple dish, and "Nothing's Over" a very simple song, but they're not, because it isn't the idea that carries the package, it's the execution.

And "Nothing's Over" was spot-on.

It matched their vocals extremely well (we're talking about the recording here, not the live performances), so much so that even the possibly boring chorus wasn't as boring as it could have been. So let's just say that the vocals are the noodles -- it seems like they're very basic to make, but making them well, so that they're nice and firm but still soft and chewy, is extremely difficult. Then you have to match the noodle to the specific type of soup stock, which in this case, is the melody and song itself.

And the instrumental is stunning. It's kinda like the toppings, meat, dumplings, whatever else, it gives the food dimension, but also choosing the wrong toppings for the noodles and soup can completely destroy the dish. Not in this case. Everything, from those warm electric guitar lines to the trumpet-like sounds to the percussion, they make sense together, and gel the entire song together.

But also, to take things a bit more literally, "Nothing's Over" sounds very familiar, it sounds very warm. The vocal treatment and instrumental sound like they can envelope you in a hug any time now. It sounds like a bowl of your mom's (Or dad's!) homemade ramen on a cold, rainy day.

So, apart from probably making you all salivate with hunger over ramen, that is also exactly why Infinite are the most junior act in the top five this year.

[#5] Seungri - "What Can I Do"

2011-12-27T07:20:00.000+08:00

From: "VVIP" (Mini-Album)
Released: January 2011, South Korea
Rating: 4.50

Surprised? You shouldn't be, because I believe I've made it clear in the past that Seungri's "VVIP" is one of the few albums I will gladly shell out money for, just to hear in CDQ. His entire solo effort this year was so strong and cohesive that I had a hard time choosing which song of his to put on the list!

From the very beginning, "What Can I Do" was my favorite track from the EP, and months later it's still as glorious as it was when I first heard it.

It's very synth-heavy, with the instrumental packed beyond belief and Seungri's vocals just adding more to the mix, but everything just works together. The melody breaks the very stiff and packed instrumental, and Seungri's strong vocals carry both the airy and powerful sounds so, so well and that hit of nasal-ness actually adds to the sound instead of turning people off -- it's as if this song was made for him.

One of the main things I like on the song is the use of dynamics all throughout. Everything is packed together, yes, but the instrumental isn't ALL in your face, it pulls back at times and lets the brilliance of everything sink in, before completely letting loose, and even then you can still hear everything that's going on. And it sounds so sophisticated when you take a step back to just take everything in.

"What Can I Do" sounds like a cup of Filipino hot chocolate, the really, really, reaaaaaaaaaally thick kind that you can either drink or dip churros in. It's kinda like you boiled a bar of dark chocolate with 2 or 3 teaspoons of water. It has this really thick, almost gooey, texture, but it's still fluid and it isn't just flat sweet, it's a bit bitter around the edges, but by the time you're done drinking it you're literally O.O And it's for that reason that this song has to be heard in 320kbps AT LEAST, and if possible, physical CD quality.

[#6] Wonder Girls - "Me, In"

2011-12-26T04:43:00.000+08:00

From: "Wonder World" (Album)
Released: November 2011, South Korea
Rating: 4.40

I've made it no secret that I think "Wonder World" is one of the best albums of the year, and that initially, my favorite song was "Girls Girls", which they're now promoting (and we see the return of my knack for predicting post-album singles!), so you must be wondering, why is "Me, In" on the list and not "Girls Girls"?

Apart from the fact that I genuinely like "Me, In" just as much as "Girls Girls", no matter how much I like "Girls Girls", even if I overplayed it a bit and now it's pretty generic for me, any other girl group can put out something like that, and there are a host of other girl groups who can actually pull it off too. Some better than the Wonder Girls, live at least. And it's stupid how they gave Sohee so many singing parts when they probably already knew they'd be doing this live.

"Me, In", however, is a different story. It's a cover of a Korean rock classic, so I've heard (both figuratively and literally), and I'm not very fond of the idea of covers altogether, but for the Wonder Girls it works. And it's not like they're putting out multiple albums full of covers (*ahem*WESTLIFE*ahem*), so all is good. And really, there are only two our three other groups who I can imagine pulling "Me, In" off as well as the Wonder Girls. Yes, BEG is one of those groups.

I watched a live performance of the original version of this, and it was all loud, high-intensity, near-screaming (in a good way) and it came off really as a hardcore rock song. The shift from that to this is really something else. It still sounds like a rock song, but much tamer around the edges and slightly more pop.

You have attitude, spunk, class and a hint of pop all rolled into one. That, paired with Ye Eun and Sun Ye's stunning and powerful vocals, which were vital to the success of the delivery, and wow. Just, wow.

And what I find even better is that even if, when you think about it, it's really out of sync with the rest of the album because everything else is so pop and then you have this rock song in the middle of it all, it actually blends with all the other tracks on the album, due to the production and the vocals, but without losing some semblance of individuality.

So it's only right that they're the highest-placing girl group on my list this year.

[#7] SNSD/Girls' Generation - "Let It Rain"

2011-12-25T17:11:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a great day spent with your loved ones, and that you got lots of presents and ate a truckload of food! :D But on to today's matter.

From: "GIRLS' GENERATION" (Album)
Released: June 2011, Japan
Rating: 4.30

Despite the fact that I'm not your biggest SNSD fan, and there are so many things I find unfair in the way their Japanese career is going, their Japanese album was clearly light years ahead of anything they've put out, and so I had quite a difficult time deciding which song to put on the list. For a while it was "Mr. Taxi", then it became "Bad Girl", then "you-aholic" then actually "I'm In Love With The HERO", before I settled on "Let It Rain".

This is something I don't think they'd ever make a major release in Korea, and that's one of the main reasons why I settled with "Let It Rain" as somewhat the representative Japanese song (even if I hear there's a Korean version). It's something they'd do only in Japan, not because this is better or anything, but because this is simply not Korea's taste. It's too slow to be danced to so it will never be a lead single, but on the other hand it doesn't fit the standard ballad OR midtempo formula, so it'll just be another overlooked album track in Korea.

In one word, the entire song is epic. The bass line is felt rather than heard, and all the instruments, though amazing in themselves, are slightly dulled to let the vocals float. The structure is simple, but the melody is gorgeous and flows so well with the rest of the song. And, above all, "Let It Rain" is so easy to listen to. It has some bite around the edges, courtesy of the vocal treatment, but as a whole it's so smooth.

I have another food analogy for this song. The instrumental kinda reminds me of plain tortilla chips, which are okay on their own, but a bit flat and more focused on texture than taste. But then you add in this awesome tomato or garlic cream dip, which in this case is the melody and vocals laced together, and everything explodes in your mouth. Or in this case, your ears.

[#8] DGNA/The Boss - "Lady"

2011-12-24T07:30:00.001+08:00

From: "Lady" (Single)
Released: October 2011, South Korea
Rating: 4.20

Laugh at me all you want, but I actually liked "Lady", and this is a list of my favorite songs, so this belongs here. "Lady" is a gorgeous song, but it also made some kind of statement -- that just because The Boss come from an obscure little agency, doesn't mean they can't be talented, because my goodness are they amazing.

And actually, this is their first formal ballad release. Which is surprising because they've always been pushed as an "idol group who can sing" and usually in Korea that equates to ballads. But I'm not complaining, because I liked their uptempos!

Everything starts out simple enough, with minimal instruments and their gorgeous voices, but slowly, the entire thing just explodes into a glorious mix of epic instrumentals and a gorgeously sung melody. By the end my jaw dropped, and when the resolution came around everything just went blank. The good kind. The kind where you're literally stunned and can't say anything cohesive anymore,

The vocals, oh dear Lord the vocals. They may not be up to par with older, more experienced singers, but for their calibre, my God. The harmonies, the solo lines, the belting -- stunning. Their vocals literally shine, and after hearing this, I don't think anyone can discount the fact that, vocally, they're one of the best idol groups in a long time. Like I said earlier this year, there's still so much they have to improve on, but put them beside any of the newer idol groups and they crush them.

Which is why, even if "Lady" in itself is pretty generic, and if you're not listening well enough it can bore you, they've made it work. The arrangement is simple, but the vocals carry the entire song.

[#9] BEAST - "불러보지만 (Though I Call)"

2011-12-23T09:54:00.001+08:00

From: "Fiction and Fact" (Album)
Released: May 2011, South Korea
Rating: 4.10

I swear, I keep changing the songs at the last-minute. When I locked the list, the BEAST song I chose was "You", and it's a gorgeous song, but as I listened to it throughout the month, I got bored. Here comes "Though I Call" to the rescue. Actually, this song was one of my first favorites on the album, but I guess time when against it so when I was choosing songs last month, I completely forgot about it. Thank goodness I remembered it in time.

2011 was amazing for BEAST, with "Fiction and Fact" easily being one of the best albums of the year. The A&R was spot-on, and the delivery impeccable -- they tried hard, and it shows. Of course that probably cost Cube an arm and leg, thus leaving nothing for everyone else under them, but I can deal with that. Cube has a lot of redeeming to do in 2012 though, and it better start with G.NA.

But anyway. "Though I Call" is a lot like me other favorite BEAST songs, actually -- "내 여자친구를 부탁해 (Say No)" and "Oasis". They're the songs that really show them putting an effort into their vocals, because let's face it, they weren't the best when they debuted. But, once again, hard work pays off, and their vocals have greatly improved.

The song sounds so BEAST, with the synths, the rapping and the melody all thrown together, from the opening alone you know it's a BEAST song. But it also has grace in the delivery of the vocals and the instrumental. All the elements explode when they need to, but also know when to hold back.

And really, the sweeping melody and the simple but well-orchestrated instrumental make the song such a joy to listen to.

[#10] Kim Junsu - "You Are So Beautiful"

2011-12-22T16:41:00.002+08:00

From: "Scent of a Woman Soundtrack" (OST)
Released: September 2011, South Korea
Rating: 4.00

Screw all the other drama theme songs that came out this year, "You Are So Beautiful" is ballad master class with the god of ballads, and you really can't do better than that.

It has a quaint melody, with some quirk around the edges, and it's not all tear-jerking melodrama. It's also not too big on the high notes, but not completely lacking in them either. Reminds me a lot of slightly creamier fro-yo, a bit creamy, but still tart.

Junsu's vocals are the highlight and focus of the song, and everything is stunningly perfect -- from the technique, to the belting, to every single little detail of his vocals. Not too much screaming, but not too much airiness either. It's just the right mix of dynamics to leave you stunned at the end of it all.

That, laced with a straightforward, what you hear is what you get, instrumental that goes straight to the point, makes Junsu's voice stand out even more. The instrumental is still gorgeous though, with a touch of electric guitar behind the gorgeous strings and the crisp piano line.

Throw all of those together, and you have one of the most stunning ballads of the year.

[#11] Brown Eyed Girls - "Sixth Sense"

2011-12-21T17:32:00.001+08:00

We're finally at song #11, which means that starting tomorrow, up until new year's eve, I will be revealing my top ten songs of the year. One by one. Oh the agony. Mwahahahahahah! So which song just missed the cut?

From: "SIXTH SENSE" (Album), South Korea
Released: September 2011
Rating: 3.98

And this, my friends, is how you sing a song. It is also how you make a song with attitude. And to top it all off, I actually adore "Sixth Sense". Kick, attitude, punch, whatever you want to call it, "Sixth Sense" is it.

Basically, the reason why this song works so well is that they can actually sing. Extremely well. If they didn't have the vocals they do, this song would have been a pure and utter failure, not to mention a disgrace. And the good thing is that they actually show it off, but not too much.

The chorus is a mix of screaming and melodic singing, and although it's a bit anticlimactic (not as much as it was when I first heard it though), it does the trick. It's a scream-fest, yes, but it's a melodious and ever so slightly feminine, scream-fest. They scream enough to wow you (and make you go O.O), but they also dilute it enough to keep your eardrums alive, and let you recover from the shock.

Let us take a moment to drop everything and worship the verses of this song. They are stunning. Smooth, melodious, slightly interesting, but powerful and catchy at the same time. But they're also rather simple, with the right amount of repetitiveness, simple enough to remember after a few listens here and there.

The entire song has a pinch of arrogance to it, but that's exactly what it needs. The arrogance leads to punch, and the punch leads to power, and the power leads to a strong, literally stunning, song.

[#12] Kim Jaejoong - "I'll Protect You"

2011-12-21T08:14:00.001+08:00

From: "Protect The Boss Soundtrack" (OST), South Korea
Released: August 2011
Rating: 3.95

I like ballads. I like sweeping melodies and gorgeous string sections and I like it when they're put with stunning vocals. And thank goodness Jaejoong got some sort of solo song this year, and that solo song was stunning, or I would've raised hell.

If you didn't watch PTB but listen to "I'll Protect You", it doesn't come off as one hundred percent an OST song, because it has a little more than your generic piano, strings and maybe some canned drums in the arrangement, and the melody is out of the ordinary. It has character, and can actually stand apart from the drama.

"I'll Protect You" is smooth, courtesy of the instruments AND Jaejoong's voice that is the epitome of smooth, but has punch, courtesy of that gorgeously real, yet smooth, drum part, and again, Jaejoong's flexible voice that goes from smooth to powerful in a single song. I know I don't say anything much about how voices express emotion, but really, Jaejoong captured it perfectly, and instead of his breaths being annoying and his technique over-the-top, they add to how the song feels over-all.

Everything starts out simple. Minimal instruments, a piano and guitar line, but then the chorus hits and the instrumental gradually explodes, but Jaejoong's vocals don't, and he keeps that tone for majority of the song, until of course, it's time for everything to just go wild, and those gorgeous high notes he does at 2:38 and especially at 2:58 make me ready to kill to see him sing this live.

"I'll Protect You" is a stunning song, done gorgeously, by a gorgeous and learned voice. What more could I ask for?

[#13] Brave Girls - "Do You Know"

2011-12-20T19:07:00.001+08:00

From: "The Difference" (Mini-Album), South Korea
Released: April 2011
Rating: 3.89

The Brave Girls are the highest-placing rookie group on this year's list, and believe me, they deserve it. "Do You Know" is simple, it's clean and unlike all the other idol groups who make a contest out of their debuts, this is like the Brave Girls saying that they're above competition. Because they are.

Again, a very simple song, but it does the trick. It's sophisticated, it's graceful and it's laid-back, but it has conviction. Nothing on this song sounds lazy, nothing sounds half-baked, and that alone betters a handful of other girl groups. The smooth sound doesn't bore you to death, it relaxes you, and lulls you to sleep. This sounds like white chocolate -- smooth, creamy beyond belief, but convincing and sure.

Put together the fact that it was actually sung well, and that they can actually perform this live, and this is a recipe for a brilliant song. And what I really appreciate about the vocals on this is that they're not forced. No excessive belting, no trying to out sing everyone else in the band, and the vocals really match the sound of the entire song.

I can listen to this for weeks and not get sick of it. Strong production, and a simple, yet effective and well-done sound.

[#14] IU - "Someday"

2011-12-20T16:50:00.000+08:00

From: "Dream High Soundtrack" (OST), South Korea
Released: January 2011
Rating: 3.85

"Someday" was actually the very first song I put into this year's list, and no, this is not on the list just because IU's releases have always managed to miss the cut-off date by a few days/weeks, because really, "Someday" is a stunning yet simple song.

Scrap all the fancy studio effects, the vocal gymnastics and whatever other frilly things people add to songs these days, and you're left with a gorgeous melody accompanied by a simple, yet timeless arrangement and good vocals.

One of the things I value the most in a song is simplicity. You have a point to put across, I understand, but there are many times when less is indeed more. The simpler it is, the more people can imitate it, and the more people imitate it, the closer it is to becoming a classic. I always raise this point, but it's true -- even if arrangement and technology and effects are very important, the melody is the part that will ultimately transcend time. In pop, when you remix a song, you take the melody and slap it on top of another arrangement. Again, the melody.

"Someday" shows off IU's vocals, not in the screaming, "I can hit notes this high" way, but in how she delivers something simple. The true measure of a singer is not how high he/she can go, but how he/she makes use of his/her vocals and technique to deliver the simplest melody. A good singer doesn't show off, but doesn't shy away either. And that's exactly what IU did with "Somebody".

[#15] Big Bang - "SOMEBODY TO LOVE"

2011-12-20T16:08:00.000+08:00

From: "BEAUTIFUL HANGOVER" (Single), Japan and "BIG BANG 4TH MINI-ALBUM" (Mini-Album), South Korea
Released: August 2010 (Single) and February 2011
Rating: 3.75

Up 'till last weekend, the Big Bang song sitting on my year-end list was actually "Love Song", but when I looked over the list again the other day, I realized that I put "Love Song" in because I liked the idea of it, what with it being pretty far from the usual Big Bang sound, and not because I genuinely liked the song. So here we are, and my favorite song from them this year is indeed "Somebody To Love".

Although originally released in Japan last year (and was it just me or did majority of the sound sound like it was in English?), they re-recorded it and put it on this year's Korean release. And I adore it, because I genuinely like it, and also because it sounds like the Big Bang I came to like, and respect.

You see, that's the very reason why I respect Big Bang. They can experiment with God knows what, they can jump through hoops and fire, but at the end of the day they know how they are, and they know how to show people that they haven't forgotten.

The song is synth-heavy in the sense that the song revolves around them, but the synths themselves aren't that heavy, so you have enough room to both hear the instrumental, and the melody itself. It's kind of like a chewy cookie - even if it's really creamy and packed, there are little gaps/holes for it to breathe.

Gorgeous melody, well thought-of arrangement, and over-all, a song I'd gladly listen to over, and over, and over again.

[#16] 2NE1 - "Ugly"

2011-12-19T07:22:00.001+08:00

I apologize in advance, but I'm having a hoard of friends over for lunch and a sleepover today, so my mind is in a different place right now. D:

From: "2NE1 2ND MINI ALBUM" (Mini-Album)
Released: July 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.70

I've been really quiet about 2NE1 this year, but in my defense I was so busy that I hardly paid attention to the acts I didn't genuinely like to start with. However, listening to the EP a month late, I found this gem.

The really cool, no actually, amazing thing about "Ugly" is that when you look at the individual elements, it sounds nothing like 2NE1. The heavy synths (although there are still synths) have been replaced by an electric guitar line, no studio-made loops, instead there are actual, real drums, and the vocals have no extremely obvious processing. AND CL IS SINGING. It's about the farthest you can go from the 2NE1 sound, just before heart-wrenching piano ballads, and yet when you stop thinking of all the nitty gritty, it actually *does* sound like a 2NE1 song.

I have several guesses as to why it still sounds like a 2NE1 song, but they're far too tentative so we'll skip them altogether. However, there are a few elements that 2NE1 couldn't do without on this song. Despite the differing lyrics, the chorus is actually repetitive, and so is the middle 8.

The selling point for me was the melody. It's gorgeous. Simple, repetitive at times, but gorgeous. And they're all singing! I move to get rid of Dara, because CL and Minzy should just take over, with Bom having the occasional singing part. That would be perfect, thank you.

[#17] After School - "Bang!"

2011-12-18T15:30:00.000+08:00

From: "Bang!" (Single)
Released: August 2011, Japan
Rating: 3.70

Even if "Because of You" will forever be immortalized as one of the most brilliant After School songs on the face of the earth, and for just writing it, Brave Sound was resurrected in my books, "Bang!" made me realize that given the right material, the girls in After School actually have talent. "Bang!" single-handedly proved that repertoire is crucial to a band's survival, and it frankly, they haven't released anything better since then.

So you could imagine how much I freaked out when I heard this Japanese version.

The Korean version of "Bang!" was very stiff, with the chanting AND the in-your-face-and firm drum rolls. Everything sounded so.. angular. I liked it, and the drums were indeed the focus of the song, but there's only so much of it that you can take, especially when you hear a much more fluid version, courtesy of the Japanese re-arrangement.

Basically, what happened between the Japanese and Korean versions is that a bunch of new instruments were added, everything was made much more intense, but they also made the song much more rounded and less stiff. However, all of that was done without losing the attitude and a bit of the crisp sound of the Korean version. And, like the Supernova song, the Japanese lyrics had something to do with it too.

It's a fresh take on a now-classic After School song, and it takes the fluidity of the new After School sound and incorporates it into the package. What you get is again, a balance.

[#18] MBLAQ - "Mona Lisa"

2011-12-18T12:23:00.000+08:00

If this, or any of my recent reviews, sounds a bit off, you'll have to forgive me. We're right on schedule, yes, but it's a pretty tight schedule until we get to the top ten songs, so I'm writing all these reviews with the flu and migraines left and right. I'm sorry. D:

From: "Mona Lisa" (Mini-Album)
Released: July 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.65

Again, I was debating between this song, and "Cry" from their earlier release this year, because really, "Cry" is stunning, but I believe "Mona Lisa" is the song that really put them somewhere musically. The possibilities of them ever completely making up for the travesty that was "Oh Yeah" are next to none, but at least now we're assured that MBLAQ are capable of actually making a good song.

Not just decent, but good. They can't sing it live to save themselves, but as a recording, and as a song, it's really good. And actually, it sounds a bit like what "Oh Yeah" should've been, had it not been blasphemous, what with the Mexican thing going on.

Vindication? Maybe. Does it make up for "Oh Yeah"? Again, definitely not.

They were given that oh so valuable second shot, and kudos to MBLAQ, because they got it spot-on. It has sophistication to it (which MBLAQ are in dire need of), but it's also not afraid to pack a punch. Strong production, a tight, yet fluid arrangement, and something that can actually make use of their arrogant vocals. It has enough K-Pop to make it familiar, but enough of the guitars and the Mexican-ish sound to make it interesting. It doesn't bore us to death, but it's not completely alien to us.

The entire song is very tight, clean where it's supposed to be, and chaotic where it's called for, but it's not too crowded. It's packed enough to give you an entire song, with a catchy melody, instruments running around all over the place and everything in between, but it has enough "air", so to say, to allow you to take everything in as it goes.

It makes you want to press repeat, not because you didn't catch a few of the gazillion different things happening throughout, but because you liked what you heard and you genuinely want to hear it again.

[#19] T-Ara - "Cry Cry"

2011-12-18T07:19:00.001+08:00

From: "Black Eyes" (Mini-Album)
Released: November 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.60

So many acts proved me wrong in 2011, including T-Ara in the latter half of the year. I've never really liked T-Ara singles, and apart from a few album tracks I liked here and there, none of their major releases were really exceptional songs to me. They were almost always exceptionally bad, to be completely honest with you, what with "Bo Peep Bo Peep" and "Yayaya" leading the pack.

However, "Cry Cry" is in a league of it's own as far as T-Ara singles are concerned. First of all, it completely disregards my theory that Core Contents only knows how to produce two kinds of songs - cheesy, cheap uptempos, and stunning ballads - because even if this is kinda like a ballad, it doesn't fall into the likes of Co-Ed School's "The Words That Make My Heart Beat", and it most definitely isn't a cheap uptempo either.

It's like they put together the two styles, took the best, and added some finishing touches here and there. It's catchy, it has this cool dance break, and it's sophisticated. That sophistication is what I've been looking for from T-Ara for like forever.

This song also finally, truly, convinced me that T-Ara CAN indeed sing (I can hardly remember them from their debut, actually, I don't know who's who), and that all those cutesy songs weren't just to hide the lack to talent, but were a disgrace, because they're a lot better than a handful of over female idols. It's probably more of an injustice than Luna's injustice on practically every f(x) song, because it concerns majority of the band.

I get the impression that they're trying to make "Cry Cry" some kind of mexican-ish song like MBLAQ's "Mona Lisa", but they failed and settled for a late 1990's Britney/Christina/every other Maratone and/or Max Martin-produced boyband/pop princess sound, which works for me too! Clean, but not too clean, production, a smooth, well-sung, melody, and everything in between make for a song I've looped countless times.

It's the last stretch of 2011...

2011-12-17T18:29:00.000+08:00

We're already in the second half of December (!!!!), and so before everything gets chaotic, both on Pop Reviews Now and in real life, I think it's best if I lay out everything that's gonna be happening on the blog during the last few days of 2011. Believe me, there's a lot happening this year.

So today is the 17th of December, so right now we're at song number 20 on this year's top 50, and we are right on schedule. Songs #19-#11 will be revealed between tomorrow and December 21st, and from December 22nd to December 30th, songs #10-2 will be staggered, one a day. On December 31st, I'll reveal my favorite song of 2011, as well as a few of YOUR favorite songs (deadline to send in your reviews is December 25th!).

If you'd like to place bets on what the rest of my top 50 is, like McRoth and Ree did the other day, just for fun (I'm too broke to give anything away!), you may do so on this post and I WILL give out clues. ;D

I also kicked off this year's Holiday special today, with a review of "2011 SMTOWN Winter: The Warmest Gift". Part 2 will be published any time from tomorrow to the 24th, just in time for Christmas day. I may or may not do episode recaps of music shows that do Christmas specials, I'll think about it.

And, of course, after Christmas everyone will be fussing over year-end specials and Gayo Daejuns. I WILL be doing recaps of all 3 music shows' year-end specials, and by the first week of January I'll put out something like what I did for last year's Gayo Daejuns.

[#20] JYJ - "소년의 편지 (The Boy's Letter)"

2011-12-17T17:37:00.002+08:00

From: "IN HEAVEN" (Album)
Released: September 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.58

So. Here we are. It's time for me to talk about a JYJ song. I notice that whenever I say something positive about JYJ, I'm labelled as an obsessed "fangirl" (which I am, but in this sense it's most probably derogatory), however when I point out that they're people too and they have flaws, either people call me an anti-fan for "putting them down" and/or "not encouraging them", or tell me I'm over-thinking things. So I assume, the solution is shutting up about anything JYJ-related, which, of course, I refuse to do. So I'll go on with this review.

I'll say flat-out that this song is far from perfect. It is, but just like why I like DB5K in the first place, the good far outweigh the bad, and so this is on the list, at #20, whether anyone likes it or not. It's imperfect because of how the song is structured itself -- it's too long in a bad way, and it drags on at the end.

In my opinion, the song should've ended at the 3:36-mark, after, or during, Yoochun's part. It should've been done by then, because essentially, that piano part, and even Yoochun's solo itself, was actually already the resolution. It's like having your happily ever after in a story, then having this really useless, fluff-fest, of an epilogue that involves the main characters having a kid. It's like a sequel - it's not necessarily that bad, but it's as if you're milking a dry cow, nothing will come out of it.

Don't get me wrong, those extra 2 minutes are stunning, with all their voices soaring in different, yet cohesive, directions and really showing off just how talented all three of them are, but one, like I said a while ago it drags, and two, it hardly has anything to do with the song proper anymore.

But, again like I said a while ago, the fact that it's a gorgeous song in itself far outweighs that. In fact, I kinda like cheesy, fluffy sequels. For fun.

"The Boy's Letter", despite being dragging at the end, when you pass that, the song is really something else. It was made to show off Jaejoong and Junsu's vocals, and it's one of the few songs on "IN HEAVEN" where they got Yoochun's part spot-on. It's a very JYJ ballad, with all the strings and whatnot, and it's really what these three do best.

I'm getting carried away here, aren't I? Basically, the reason why this is on the list is because I like it. Because it's a joy to listen to a well-sung ballad, and because the good qualities surpass the bad.

[#21] Miss A - "Goodbye Baby"

2011-12-17T17:14:00.002+08:00

From: "A Class" (Album)
Released: July 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.53

2011 was very good to Miss A in terms of success, and even if A Class was half-unoriginal, the new tracks were actually pretty good.

"Goodbye Baby" gives off a very nonchalant attitude. It's edgy, it's smooth and it's somewhat sophisticated, but it sounds very effortless. It's right smack in between heavily-orchestrated and the wild, running around stage-type songs in the sense that it's still structured and it's still serious, but it's also very second nature to both Miss A and the people behind the song.

There's a thin line between effortlessness and laziness, but this song is certainly far from lazy. Very far. Their vocals, although very smooth and somewhat laid-back, still manage to pack a punch, and the instrumental has enough quirk to sustain. And, despite the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of the singing style JYP forces down his acts' throats (literally!), it actually works for this song, because if it was sung straight without the "JYP technique", one dimension of the song would've been lost in the shuffle, and this song is all about dimension.

Let's backtrack a bit. I said that "Goodbye Baby" is smooth, and that's another really important element of the song. The vocals, even if they're slightly disjointed due to JYP, are very smooth, silky smooth even. They add to the over-all sound, and laced with the instrumental this entire song sounds like a smooth cup of coffee, with just a little extra creamer.

Bottom line is, "Goodbye Baby" is catchy, it's an effective pop song, but above all it's well-done. In being well-done, it becomes a pleasure to listen to, and that's a really important trait in a song - it has to be easy to listen to.

[#22] Secret - "Neverland"

2011-12-17T07:32:00.001+08:00

Just a quick reminder of what this list actually is -- it's a list of my favorite songs this year. So whether that is "credible" or not is really none of my business, these are the songs I enjoyed listening to this year, along with justifications on why I liked them. That's it.

From: "Moving in SECRET" (Album)
Released: October 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.5

The deal-breaker that ultimately put this on the list instead of "Together", is that horrid rap part on "Together" that really doesn't match the song and makes me cringe every single time. If not for that, "Together" would've been gorgeous from head to toe. But "Neverland" is too!

Again with the balance -- parts of the song remind me of pre-"Magic" Secret, with that hint of innocence and that somewhat generic R&B sound. But actually, they pull off that sound pretty well! And you can see that their sound now, albeit not that much more mature and still a bit confused around the edges ("Shy Boy" sticks out like a sore thumb, I tell you), is definitely much more sophisticated in terms of production and execution. In short, they have more money now.

But really, the melody is gorgeous, and the instrumental, though simple, does the trick. With those seemingly distant strings and that thumping, yet gentle, bass line. And actually, the whole song sounds very gentle, even how they treated the higher parts, everything sounds rounded and gentle. Kinda like a chiffon cake, to be honest with you. (I'm sorry, you guys must be saying "AGAIN WITH THE FOOD ANALOGIES!")

So that's why I used to use this as my lullaby!

The 2011 Pop Reviews Now Holiday Special Part 1: "2011 SMTOWN Winter: The Warmest Gift"

2011-12-16T18:00:00.000+08:00

Just a quick explanation of how I'm doing this year's Christmas posts. So, obviously this SM TOWN Christmas album is part 1, and for part 2 I'll be reviewing some of my favorite K-Pop Christmas offerings, both old and new. Rules and stuff will be discussed in part 2. But now, on to more important business.

It's been a good three years since any sort of SM Town release, the last being the half-SM Town Summer 2009 EP with Super Junior, SHINee and DBSK. If you remember correctly, we were told that the other half of SM Town, namely the girls, would be featured on the Christmas album. Well, clearly that didn't happen. But FINALLY, SM has decided to put something out in time for Christmas. Is it any good? Well, that's a pretty long story.

When news of this album first broke, I was ecstatic. Of course, SM Town isn't SM Town without a fail Yoochun English rap, a Jaejoong/Lina or Jaejoong/BoA duet, or some goofing around courtesy of Shindong and Eunhyuk's rap part, but I could do without that if it meant getting one song with everyone thrown in, acting happy in a fake-snow wonderland. Right? That was until I found out that not only was there no group song this year (WHAT KIND OF BLASPHEMY IS THIS?!), but the album would be 100% English. Let's just say that if Yoochun, who actually spent more than a few days in the US, manages to epicly screw up all his English parts, what more the others. And let's face it, there are only a handful of SM Town artists who can actually speak good English. I'm still thinking of whether or not BoA is in that handful.

And once again, my psychic powers did not fail. The English is horrible. I'm an English major(well, comparative literature, but I'm still under the English department), I know. But the bad English isn't really the big problem, it's the fact that it's in English.

Let me put it simply, the album is too Americanized. It's hardly K-Pop anymore. Say all you want to say about how K-Pop is just a rip-off of Western music, but you know, even if majority of the songs probably are, you can tell the difference between K-Pop and American pop. You know why I'm into K-Pop? It's because I'm so sick of US Pop, and here we are, back to the very sound I want to avoid.

The problem with it sounding too American is that one, obviously they're not American, but two, really now, what good, distinctively Christmassy POP songs have the Americans contributed to the standard Christmas repertoire? "All I Want For Christmas Is You"? Seriously now. "Last Christmas"? You have got to be kidding me. They're merely pop songs with Christmas lyrics about gifts and snow. There’s so much more to a Christmas song than that. This SM Town album sounds like a confused Rat Pack-turned-makeshift Christmas album, to be completely honest.

This album is massively confused. Massively. So either the song itself isn't K-Pop enough, or when they finally get the song choice right, they screw up the execution. My prime example? Jang Ri In's version of "Oh Holy Night", which is actually one of my favorite Christmas songs. The girl has a gorgeous voice, she really does, and what does she do? She murders the song. All those runs and those strange sounds she makes with her voice. No, just no. There's a reason why the Christina Aguilera Christmas album was a complete failure.

Yes, I'm very picky with Christmas songs, but that's only because my childhood was filled with some of the most gorgeous Christmas songs anyone will ever hear. I grew up not only listening to them, but singing them as well. I know my Christmas repertoire - everything from the classic Handel's "Messiah" to Filipino novelty Christmas songs where you make sounds out of combs and pieces of wax paper, to the most tear-jerking, yet most distinctly Filipino Christmas song you will ever hear, I've sung them all. So imagine going from all those, to a bunch of pop songs that don't even sound like Christmas. They are inferior not because they are pop songs, there are some gorgeous pop Christmas songs (DBSK's "Winter Rose" for heaven's sake!), they are inferior because they don't sound like Christmas, they don't serve their purpose.

You want me to tell you what Christmas sounds like? Christmas sounds like a cup of hot chocolate, rich and creamy and sweet, it sounds like a thick blanket wrapped around you, keeping you warm. It sounds like bells ringing in the distance and lights all over, it sounds like you're being surrounded with your family and friends and you're all happy. Christmas songs literally wrap you around in a nice, warm, hug, and refuse to let go. Christmas is such a simple feeling, but it overpowers everything else. Now regardless of how that gets translated into music, that's the standard framework of a Christmas song, and the minute you deviate from that even a bit, you lose the Christmas. All of it.

I don't care if you want to add electric guitars (like Aly&AJ's "Greatest Time of the Year"), go all-out with synths and loops and the works (surprisingly, JYP Nation's "This Christmas"), make everything epic and waltz-y (a-la DBSK's "Winter Rose"), keep it to a bare minimum (Josh Groban's "Thankful), or even make it kinda reggae-ish (like the brilliant Nota a cappella version of "The Little Drummer Boy", complete with a RAP PART), bottom line is that it has to leave people warm and fuzzy.

With the SM Town album, I felt nothing. Nada. Zilch. The entire album sounded like a pop album released any time BUT the holidays, it sounds so clean, too clean almost, and Christmas is not a cleaning contest on who can use the most sanitized production, it’s a contest of who can make the most emotional, goosebump-inducing song. No feeling whatsoever, they all sound like robots. Don't get me wrong, there are gorgeous songs on this album, namely BoA's "Distance", that song is stunning, but they're just not Christmas. Let me put this nicely, even T-Ara's "O My God", which I'm not even sure if it's a Christmas song, sounds more like Christmas than this entire album put together.

Unlike your usual pop song which lasts for a few months before becoming completely irrelevant, when you release a Christmas song, the standard shelf life is forever. Yes, forever. For the good ones, at least. My Christmas playlist this year includes pop Christmas songs that were released as early as 1998. 98 Degrees, BSB, that staple *NSYNC "O Holy Night" 5-part a cappella arrangement, Blue's "Gift", Aly&AJ, and even the DBSK Christmas EP - they're all still relevant. That's because Christmas never grows old, and people will always have a need for a Christmas repertoire. Which is why no one should be surprised that the most familiar "classical" pieces are in fact the Christmas offerings.

In simpler terms, "2011 SMTOWN Winter: The Warmest Gift" is more novel than it is lasting. The arrangements are faddish, the over-all sound very current, but under those you have nothing that can transcend time and cement these songs as Christmas staples. In colloquial Filipino/Taglish, this album is a "one time big time", and does not have the lasting qualities of other, better, Christmas releases. And actually, some of the songs on this package sound more like they belong on the acts' respective albums, and not a CHRISTMAS-themed compilation.

Super Junior's "Santa U Are The One", excusing the horrid English on the chorus (Ear after ear? Seriously?), sounds like a pop song they just slapped some bells on, and some lyrics about happiness and Santa. That's it. It's SO Big Time Rush (but even BTR made a better Christmas song than SuJu)/One Direction ala-"What Makes You Beautiful". I mean it's an okay song, nice and happy and upbeat, and I'd probebly listen to it a lot if it were not for the "ear after ear", but that's all it will ever be, and that's not it's purpose. When I first heard this, I thought it sounded nothing like Christmas, as in nothing at all, but actually, after listening to the rest of the album, this is probably the song that's closest to getting what Christmas songs should be. But still not enough.

I hate the covers on this thing. I hate them. DBSK's "Sleigh Ride" is the biggest disappointment. Because seriously, we went from "Winter Rose" to this monstrosity. This is one of the rare instances that I will consent to a version in another language, because seriously, DBSK should've just done an English version of "Winter Rose". Now THAT is a song that can be milked for all it's worth, because it’s shelf life is literally forever. But no, they had to give DBSK a cheesy cover of "Sleigh Ride", that actually makes them sound sleazy, to be honest.

And really now, SHINee's "Last Christmas" has got to be one of the worst covers of one of the most cheesy, cheap Christmas songs ever released.

It was bad enough when Wham! did it, for heaven's sake. Then they SM-ify everything? Oh dear. The production is okay, and I kinda like the outer space-like synths, but you mix those with some of the most uninterested, boring and lazy vocals I've ever heard from SHINee and you have a disaster. I'm serious, they all sound bored out of their wits, which they probably were, and for once, I would've liked Jonghyun to go wild, because seriously, I fell asleep listening to this song, and not in the good way.

J-Min's cover of the John Lennon song "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)" is okay, nothing special, and the girl has a nice voice, but once again, it sounds so uninspired. And boring.

As far as "The First Noel" covers go, DBSK win by light years. So I thought that since SM was behind their cover, the Jang Ri In verson would be really good too. Boy was I wrong. I like some parts of the arrangement, like the simple piano part, those gorgeous strings, and the drums, but you know what it sounds like as a whole, including that oriental-sounding instrument? It sounds like an American's attempt to make something "oriental", like "Ninja Assassin" or whatever. And that really disturbs me, because Jang Ri In is CHINESE, and SME is a KOREAN company. I don't get it, and don't think I ever will. To top it all off, like I said earlier, the vocals totally ruined the song. Totally. Why do you have to put all those unnecessary runs and strange vocal techniques into a song that's supposed to be nice, and quiet and simple then it's supposed to explode, but in the really big and tasteful way. Then Ri In just does a Christina/Mariah on it.

BoA's "Distance" is gorgeous, it really is. I love it and I'll probably be looping this for the next few days, but it's still not Christmas enough. "Distance" actually reminds me a lot of a Stacie Orrico/Young CCM-type song, in terms of treatment. The harmonies, and even the instrumentation, sound like something straight off Stacie Orrico’s self-titled album. Which is very, very, VERY far from Christmas. And that bugs me. There's a difference between "gorgeous pop song" goosebumps and "Christmas song" goosebumps, and the goosebumps I got this time were the "gorgeous pop song" ones. Basically, the only part of the song that made it remotely Christmas is the lyrics, and that's a foul. Which is such a shame because BoA has had some really amazing, really Christmassy, releases over the years, and even if "Distance" does match up in terms of gorgeousness, it fails at being Christmas. When you talk of BoA Christmas songs, "On December 27th" is still, hands-down, the best of them all, not even "Meri Kuri" comes close.

SNSD’s “Diamond”, and I'm not sure if I've ever used this analogy, but it kinda sounds like something that would fit right in to the Christmas talent show set list on "Mean Girls", you know, when the slutty, popular girls trying to sing and dance at the same time in skimpy Santa outfits and high heels? Maybe not that drastic, but the chorus is EXACTLY like that. However, the middle 8, and that small bit before it (which I presume is Sunny's part) is gorgeous. Stunning, almost. And actually, it's probably the most Christmas I've heard on the entire album, but then we go back to the uninspired chorus. It's not as boring as the SHINee track, but even for SNSD they can do better.

f(x)'s “1,2,3” also sounds nothing like a Christmas song, bar those strings which were probably just thrown in last-minute. It actually sounds more like the theme song for a FRIENDS rip-off, like, really. It sounds like it belongs on a Disney chick-flick soundtrack (Kinda like that song that's on the "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" soundtrack, which, conveniently, is also called "1,2,3"), not an SM Town Christmas album.

While we're on the topic of songs that sound like they belong elsewhere, CSJH (DANA&SUNDAY)'s "Amazing" sounds more like a charity single ala-Destiny Child's "Stand Up For Love". Pretty far from Christmas, if you ask me. Not that I oppose to Christmas ballads, but again, there's a way to do it without completely missing the point. And it's not that I don't like the song either, I do, it's gorgeous and Dana and Sunday's voices are stunning and the middle 8 kills me every single time, then by the time that stunning piano line comes in just before everything explodes with the chorus behind I die again, but yet again, THIS IS NOT CHRISTMAS. Same goes for Kangta's "For The First Time", Kangta's voice is stunning, but this sounds more like a Disney animated fairytale song that plays just when the prince is about to kiss the princess/girl. It actually sounds like something straight out of Aladdin. Again, pretty far from Christmas, if you ask me.

TRAX's "Like A Dream" sounds like what I kind of expected TRAX to do, but it's too clean, like they sucked all the emotion out of the song and left it to rot. In terms of "band"-ish K-Pop Christmas offerings, actually Infinite's "Lately" takes the prize. I'm sorry, TRAX, but this song sounds more like those tracks you put behind a montage of tour videos and screaming crowds and bands going wild on stage. All in back and white. And in reality, those tracks are usually the cheesiest, filler of filler tracks.

And, of course, a special Christmassy wrap-up:
The most Christmassy song: Thankfully, "Santa U Are The One"
The great, but not Christmassy songs: "Distance", "1,2,3", "Amazing"
The worst song: "Last Christmas"

[#23] Kim Bum Soo and Lena Park - "사람, 사랑 (Person, Love)"

2011-12-16T09:35:00.001+08:00

From: "Hwang Project Vol.2 - 사람, 사랑" (Digital Single)
Released: August 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.45

The only non-idol entry on this year's countdown is from Park Bum Soo and Lena Park, and it's their gorgeous duet "Person, Love". You all know that I love gorgeous ballads, and these two gorgeous voices are enough to send me through the roof. Stunning.

"Person, Love" is SO "A Whole New World"-y, with the very simple, but epic, instrumental laced with Park Bum Soo and Lena Park's smooth, yet full voices, which actually have character.

I won't say much, because I want to let the song do the talking, but really, THIS is how duets are done, people. It's a simple, quaint song, but what really makes it soar is not only their individual voices, but the chemistry they have when they sing together.

That is all.

[#24] CSJH (DANA&SUNDAY) - "나 좀 봐줘 (One More Chance)"

2011-12-16T08:32:00.001+08:00

From: "나 좀 봐줘 (One More Chance)" (Digital Single)
Released: July 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.42

The SM sound this year was heavy synths, a slightly more natural, but still obvious autotune, and monotonous hooks, which aren't anything new. Those three elements, majority of the time, produced very stiff, albeit very full and well-produced, tracks, because of the nature of SM acts' voices, and the songs themselves. However, because CSJH are queens (yes, even this half), even if they are given a song like "One More Chance", it still turns out better than the rest of the songs in this style.

CSJH can sing, even through all the autotune, so in reality, the autotune of this song serves it's actual purpose and it serves a more artistic purpose and it's not a treatment used on inferior vocals. When you watch the live performances of this they're still spot-on, most of the time better.

You must be wondering, if that's the case, then do I approve of autotune? That's a little more complicated. I approve of autotune if, and only if, it's used for aesthetic purposes and not because the act can't sing. However, we can only start talking of autotune as an artistic thing if the act in question has proven it's worth and can actually do without the autotune on regular days. Like CSJH.

But back to the song. It's very similar to the other SME songs this year, namely the f(x) releases, but of course, again, what sets this apart from f(x) is that Dana and Sunday's vocals are not only much mature, but they have much more body and are less generic than their younger counterparts, so when their vocals are put through all that processing, they still retain majority of the qualities that make their vocals, well, their vocals. That and SM didn't screw up the only girl in the band who could sing (LUNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA), but then again, even if Sunday's voice isn't exactly my favorite, she's still a lot better than at least half of the girls in SME these days.

So is "One More Chance" a good song? I seem to think so, yes, because once again, it's a balance. It's how the SME sound should've been done this year, and it's proof that it DOES work to a certain extent, but only when you have people with actual voices do it.

[#25] Davichi - "Love, My Love"

2011-12-15T19:30:00.001+08:00

We finally reach the halfway mark, conveniently, halfway through December! And despite all the set-backs, we're right on schedule!

From: "Love Delight" (Mini-Album)
Released: August 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.40

Unlike other artists who continuously have to prove their worth by singing their heads off and making the fanciest, most over-produced song in the industry, Davichi are doing the opposite, because they can do all of that. After proving their worth with scream-fests in the form of "8282" and "Time, Please Stop", this talented duo go on to a lighter song this year.

But that's not to say that it's a more inferior song. If anything, it's actually harder to sing a straight melody without deviating from the script. "Love, My Love" has a similar feel and sound to that Gummy song from last year, but with a much lighter, smoother execution, courtesy of the girls' (especially Haeri) gorgeous vocals.

You know what this song literally sounds like? It sounds like those Nature Republic commercials, with sunlight hitting your face while you're standing in a really, really, really green forest, and the photos turned out a bit blurred. Actually, this song sounds like the album cover. If that sentence made any sense to you guys.

Basically, the entire song is kinda blurred, but the good kind of blurred. Instead of coming off very strong and sharp, the instrumental just lays back and lets the smooth, gorgeous, vocals do all the work, with just the right amount of high notes to keep people interested 'till the end.

[#26] 2PM - "모르니(Don't You Know)"

2011-12-15T19:06:00.001+08:00

From: "Hands Up" (Album)
Released: June 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.37

Surprise, surprise. After a rather dismal year in terms of material, 2PM manage to sneak their way onto my best of list. But it's not without grounds of course, because "Don't You Know" is possibly my favorite 2PM song ever, tied with "Like A Movie", and it was another situation where I was literally debating about the two songs just before I started writing this review, because I like them both equally and they both have their merits. But of course, you know which won in the end.

The reason why I chose this is that even if "Like A Movie" is a really gorgeous song with epic-ness slapped all over it and a gorgeous melody, it's not fun. And if you guys remember the "10 Points Out of 10" days, you know that 2PM was ALL about flipping around-happy, and, like a lot of other songs on this list, "Don't You Know" is a balance between the mature 2PM now, and the fun 2PM they used to be.

But of course, it in itself is a gorgeous song, with a gorgeous melody, that has managed to use the guy's not-exactly-amazing voices to make the song work. Extremely well. "Don't You Know" is catchy, it's fun, and despite the heavy instrumental, it sounds very light and it literally feels like you're gliding through the entire song. Even during Khun's singing parts, yes.

And, another very important aspect of the song is that it's singable. The melody, although it sounds high for the guys, is actually in a comfortable humming and/or whistling range, which makes it even catchier than it already was to start with.

Throw everything together, and really, you have your staple "end of concert let's run around stage pouring water all over each other tralalalalaaaaaaa" song, which, in this case, is a gorgeous song in itself.

[#27] Supernova - "クリウンナレ"

2011-12-15T18:48:00.000+08:00

From: "4U" (Album)
Released: June 2011 (Single) and November 2011 (Album), Japan
Rating: 3.35

I will seriously find every possible way to include this song in every single year-end list I make, because if you remember, this was also #24 on last year's list. But really, after two years and three versions, it's become one of my all-time favorite K-Pop songs.

There's nothing much to say anymore, because I've said everything in my two other reviews of this song, but I do have to say that the Japanese version has a much better flow, courtesy of the nature of the Japanese language. That flow provides a really nice contrast to the very stiff, slightly packed instrumental.

And those drums, my gosh those drums. They not only sound real, they FEEL real. It's the type of drums that literally makes your heart pound along, but they also give the song much-needed dynamics. The type of drum, the rhythms it plays, and the manner in which it was executed was spot-on.

Lace all of that with a smooth but punchy piano line, strong vocals and an exploding chorus, and well, you have brilliance. How this song was not a hit will forever be beyond me.

[#28] U-Kiss - "Baby Don't Cry"

2011-12-13T20:30:00.000+08:00

From: "NEVERLAND" (Album)
Released: September 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.30

Up to just before I started writing this very review, I was actually debating on which U-Kiss song to put on the list. For the longest time, it was actually "0330" sitting on this very spot, but then I realized that I didn't really LOVE it as much as I did another song from U-Kiss this year. Another two songs actually, this and "Take Me Away". However, there's more to talk about if I put this one in, so "Baby Don't Cry" it is.

Basically, the reason why this is on the list and not the gorgeous ballad that is "Take Me Away", is that U-Kiss have achieved a sort of balance with "Baby Don't Cry", and you guys know that I am ALL about balance. They've managed to take the distinct, although sometimes cheap and too repetitive, U-Kiss sound, and make it more melodic, and epic.

Yes, epic. Yes, U-Kiss doing an epic song. I know, I never thought it was possible either, but here we are, and here it is.

The first line is epic enough, followed by the nice verse that gradually gets bigger and bigger, and eventually explodes into this epic, but ever so slightly controlled chorus. The entire song sounds so dark and whatnot, but this is one of those times when the autotune does a song good, because it gives "Baby Don't Cry" a lighter, slightly flowy, sound, that's a good contrast to everything that's happening in the background.

Balance. That's all I really want from k-pop, to be honest with you. I want all these acts to figure out that too much of anything tends to make a song go haywire, but it's possible to take who you are, and what you like, and turn it into a strong song.

[#29] After School Red - "In The Night Sky"

2011-12-13T20:04:00.001+08:00

From: "The 4th Single Album - RED" (Single)
Released: July 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.20

Yes, I know the loop they used was the same one on "Shady Girl", and I know that this is definitely not the Brave Brothers' best song ever, but one, I LIKE "Shady Girl", and two, I LIKE "In The Night Sky". It's catchy.

Of course, it's blasphemy for ruining Jung Ah's amazingly strong vocals, and it's already served it's punishment. If they hadn't made Jung Ah sound like a mouse on this track, it would've been in the top half of my list. But they did, so it's not.

But really, even if it wasn't the "fierce" we were all expecting, it's actually a pretty good song. It's melodic, it's catchy, and it's not the type of song you get sick of after a few hours of looping it. I know, because it's the most-played song on this year's top 50 list. You'll have to wait to see if it's my most-played song of the year over-all, but yes, that means a lot.

I think more than "fierce", "In The Night Sky" is fresh. It has a relatively simple instrumental, with a few loops here and there, matched with light, high-pitched but rounded, synths, and surprisingly, a piano line buried under the verses. Also, I love the transitions on this - clean, but they always find a way to make them like tiny explosions.

Now I think I have another food analogy for this song. Instead of cookies, or a cheesecake, or decadent chocolate, "In The Night Sky" is kinda like Nerds. Yes, the candy. They're really sweet, they taste good, but instead of completely taking over your mouth and killing you in the process, they have all these mini-explosions. Yup, definitely Nerds.

[#30] Rainbow - "Sweet Dream"

2011-12-12T18:16:00.000+08:00

From: "Sweet Dream (SO女 Repackage)" (Mini-Album)
Released: April 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.15

Yes, I know, I was one of those people who laughed at Rainbow when they debuted with the ill-fated "GosSHip Girl", but they've really come a long way since their debut, enough to warrant them a spot on my 50 favorite songs of the year.

This Daishi Dance-penned track actually manages to really capture where Rainbow are at the moment. Dance-y, but still structured and melodic songs, that aren't just one note repeated over and over again. The melody is gorgeous, especially the bridge, and the chorus gives the very flow-y and pretty verses that much needed dose of contrast and kick, even if it's basically just "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in a minor key (don't think I didn't notice that Daishi Dance, you're not as clever as you think you are). They're actually singing, even on such a dance-influenced song, and actually, the melody, in the key they're singing it in, isn't that easy to pull off. I know, because I tried. It's actually pretty high for the run-of-the-mill person.

And that's exactly why they're on the list. What has made me like Rainbow even more is that even if they're easily out-sung by a lot of other female idol group singers, they try. And if you know me, you know that I give points for trying, because majority of acts these days don't. And you know, the acts who really put in effort to push themselves are usually the ones who come out victorious. My prime example? BEAST. They tried, and look at where they are now.

Bottom line is, even if "Sweet Dream" sounds very unassuming, what with the generic club beats and the sometimes thin vocals, it's actually harder to sing that it looks. And that just goes to show that there's more to Rainbow than meets the eye, and that everyone should just forget about their horrific debut single and focus on the now. The good now.

[#31] Super Junior M - "Destiny"

2011-12-12T17:56:00.000+08:00

From: "Perfection" (Mini-Album)
Released: March 2011, China
Rating: 3.05

I will neither confirm nor deny the presence of any other Super Junior songs on the countdown, but if you've read any of my tweets concerning their releases this year, you'll probably be able to guess whether or not you'll see them on my list. But anyway, Super Junior M were brought back this year, complete with a mindless and empty lead single, but I managed to find this gem buried in their mini-album.

It was actually between this and the Chinese version of "My All Is In You", but seeing as I'd heard that song way too many times in both Korean and Chinese and apart from the lyrics there wasn't that big a difference in the versions, I went with "Destiny". It's fresher to the ears, and has a heavier, but ever so slightly more epic sound.

"Destiny" sounds like it came straight out of the soundtrack of "Meteor Garden", or some Taiwanese drama that was blown out of proportion so they made this really elaborate opening sequence, complete with a song by this HUGE star. Yup, sounds about right. I mean come on, can't you imagine this montage of all the actors and their characters flashing during the chorus? Can't you?

It's got a really pretty melody, accented by all your standard soundtrack instrumentation, complete with a string section. And really, who can go wrong with such a gorgeous song?

[#32] f(x) - "Hot Summer"

2011-12-12T06:42:00.001+08:00

From: "Hot Summer (Pinocchio Repackaged)" (Album)
Released: June 2011, South Korea
Rating: 3.00

Despite being a cover of Monrose's forever legendary "Hot Summer", f(x) (or SME, rather) managed to give the song a definite f(x) sound, what with the processed vocals and synth-laden sound. It's a pop song in the trust sense of the word, and it's one of those songs that best represents the SME sound for this year.

Of course I crave for something like "Lachata" again, and basically everything between this and that was blegh, but SME has paved the f(x) sound pretty well. Trendy, edgy, not too sexy, and youthful with just the right amount of fun. Even with the heavy synths and autotune, "Hot Summer" manages to sound fun and a bit fresh, actually.

I cry for the injustice served to Luna's vocals, but on the other hand, Sulli has really shaped up and gotten better in terms of vocals. Now all we need is for Amber to get more singing lines, and Victoria to not get any until she learns how to sing and not whisper.

In standard SME style, everything about "Hot Summer" has been choreographed to oblivion - every note, every little bit of vocal gymnastics, every little detail meticulously looked after, and it shows. But then again, that's what SM is, and it works for their acts. "Hot Summer" is one of the songs I couldn't stop listening to earlier this year, for that very reason.

[#33] KARA - "Jet Coaster Love"

2011-12-11T17:38:00.001+08:00

From: "Super Girl" (Album)
Released: April (Single)/November (Album) 2011, Japan
Rating: 2.95

I have both fond and not-so-fond memories of "Jet Coaster Love", because it came out during a very stressful time for me. Remember when I got that tropical virus earlier this year? Yup. The video for this came out just before I got admitted to the hospital, and I listened to it throughout, all the way up to the week I made up ALL my final exams, my thesis defense, and basically everything I needed to graduate. So whenever I listen to JCL I get all tingly and whatnot. But enough about me.

"Jet Coaster Love" is probably the best single KARA's released in Japan all year, because once again, it's a balance between what they were, and what they should think about becoming. Instead of being all-cute, JCL is more on the whimsical and/or girly side, with the instrumental and actually even the melody being a bit more serious than usual, but nevertheless still fun.

If you've been reading my recent tweets, you might've come across some "why can't I write" or "I have nothing to say about a song" tweets. They were for this song. But now I realize why I don't have much to say about JCL -- that's the point.

I admit that sometimes I tend to over think songs, so much that I miss the point altogether. But I didn't miss it this time. "Jet Coaster Love" is fun, mindless pop music, and that's the way it should be.

[#34] Gahee - "Come Back You Bad Person"

2011-12-11T07:36:00.001+08:00

From: "Come Back You Bad Person" (Mini Album)
Released: February 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.90

Well, well, well, Gahee manages to land on this year's list. Surprised? I was actually debating between this and another track from her EP, but somehow this one managed to stand out more.

Okay sure, the song is a mess, the hook is blegh, and she can't sing it that well live, but I'd take this over Orange Caramel and a host of other cute-wannabe groups, because it's got kick. Gahee has attitude, and the song actually has a concept of dynamics! It's not a barrage of one note throughout the entire three minutes, and at least they bothered to make variations throughout the song.

And I don't know about you guys, but that kept me at the edge of my seat, which is always a good thing.

I like how they used the bass on the song, especially when they laced it with those gorgeous piano lines throughout -- the effect was slightly creepy, but more on the epic side. And of course, the melody was a big factor as well, apart from the non-melodic hook, I really liked the melody! Like the instruments, slightly creepy, courtesy of the true nature of Gahee's vocals, with a bit of kick in them. And I also like how they layered the vocals in some parts, because you can tell they actually really thought about how to go about it.

As a whole, I like "Come Back You Bad Person" because it's convincing. Because it bothered, and because it has kick, despite having a melody.

[#35] KARA - "STEP"

2011-12-10T18:00:00.001+08:00

From: "STEP" (Album)
Released: September 2011, South Korea and November 2011 (As part of "Super Girl"), Japan
Rating: 2.85

I know not a lot of people will agree with me when I say this, but Japan has worked wonders for KARA. They may not be aware of it, but after they began their Japanese career, majority of their singles have been strong, with the likes of "Jumping" (which was #20 on last year's best of list)

"STEP" dropped nearly half of it's initial score when I reviewed it earlier this year, however it's still one of the best KARA singles ever. The most important thing to take note of is that with "STEP", KARA managed to find a balance between the cutesy image they were known for, and a more current, albeit technology-dependent, sound. And balance is all I've ever really wanted from KARA, to be honest.

I understand that the concept of "cute" will never leave, because of all the money and fans they've made with it, but KARA themselves have to understand that they won't be in their late teens/early twenties forever, and once they get past that age, cute just won't work anymore. Can you imagine 30 year-old's singing "Rock U" or "Pretty Girl"? I think not. They have to think for the future, and "STEP" is the beginning of that.

And a portion from my review earlier this year, which I'd like to point out:

It's nice to know that after all the complaining I've been doing these past few years about the fact that all these idol groups have no sense of musical identity and cohesion, everyone in kpop is finally, slowly, finding their ground, and their niche. I've been waiting for more than 2 years for this, it's about time!

And of course, that middle 8 is stunning. They can't sing it live to save themselves, but on the recording it's a much-welcome pause from the synth-laden, chaotic song.

[#36] SNSD/Girls' Generation - "Sunflower"

2011-12-10T07:47:00.001+08:00

From: "The Boys" (Album)
Released: October 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.78

Yes, yes, I know. As an album, "The Boys" was an epic failure, but that doesn't stop SM from sneaking in a decent, but still out of place, song or two. And that song was "Sunflower". Taking off from After School's "Play Ur Love", it's another one of those gentle-sounding songs.

The difference is that although I don't like the vocals on this, I like the instrumental a lot better, because it's a lot more raw. What with the real drums, and the guitar lines, laced with the barely-there harmonies throughout. And really, the singing during the verses was pretty spot-on, it's just that the chorus is really anticlimactic.

Basically, "Sunflower" sounds like an SNSD-fied rock ballad, ala "It's Only My World" and the likes. What makes it SNSD-fied are the really bland, and ever so slightly cutesy vocals. Of course I would've personally liked it if the song had a lot more punch, but that's just not SNSD. Actually, looking at it objectively, it's actually a good thing that they did the appropriate adjustments to suit the SNSD album track sound more.

That and as a whole, the song actually sounds really gentle, even with these somewhat "hardcore" elements. Pretty good. And something I'd listen to in the morning when my ears can't take too much noise.

[#37] After School - "Play Ur Love"

2011-12-09T17:41:00.001+08:00

From: "Virgin" (Album)
Released: April 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.75

And here come the slightly bigger-named artists, after a slew of small-time, rookie groups. Mind you, this isn't the only After School song on the list, so don't freak out over "injustice" just yet.

It took me quite some time to decide which Korean After School song to include this year, because as far as "Virgin" is concerned, majority of the better songs on the album are practically on the same level. For the longest time, it was between this and the gorgeous new arrangement of "When I Fall". So, once again, I let my mind take a backseat and I just chose what I felt was right, which is "Play Ur Love".

The reason why I chose this over "When I Fall" is because even though it was re-arranged, After School doesn't sound like that anymore. What I want to do with this list, hopefully, is capture the sound of 2011, and the re-arrangement wasn't so drastic as to capture the essence of the "new" After School sound. "Play Ur Love" is.

The melody is gorgeous, and the harmonies throughout the song bring it to another level. It's got a lot more going on than the previous ballads I featured, but that's the point. And I like that even if there are so many different instruments doing different things, they're not only tied together well, but they still manage to not clog up the song. You hear everything as it happens, and you know exactly what's happening.

Everything sounds so gentle, so serene, but Gahee, Jung Ah, and even Raina's, vocals give the song that pinch of kick that After School have always been known for. Earlier this year I was complaining about how "Virgin" was so bland, but listening back to this, I realize that the "kick" I had been looking for wasn't necessarily in the material, it was in the way they carried what they got. And believe me, if someone else sang this song it would've been even more boring and flat.

(Note that I'm reviewing the album version, which does not have the guitar part at the beginning. The video is merely for visual purposes. :D)

[#38] G.NA - "Banana (featuring SWINGS, JC JiEun)"

2011-12-09T16:46:00.001+08:00

From: "Top Girl" (Mini Album)
Released: August 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.70

I know I hated the album, and I know I said that this song was the most disappointing of them all, but for a lot of decisions on this list, I went with my gut feeling, not my brain, so you'll have to forgive me. However, that doesn't mean I can't justify why I like it. I can. And I will.

"Banana" is a slow burn, it takes time to appreciate the monotonousness of it all, laced with the slight bits of melody and the too-low verse. I still think she should've sung the verses in a higher range, based on both the recording and the pathetic live performances, but the song has good points too.

For starters, the bridge is gorgeous, AND in the right range, and when you play the chorus in high volumes it sounds amazing. The bass line, although not very audible, sneaks up on you. It makes you feel more than think, and remember what I always say? Music is half heard and half felt. If you can't feel anything while listening to a song, you're only getting half of the picture.

And as a whole, sound-wise "Banana" reminds me a lot of something the likes of the ill-fated Paula DeAnda, Samantha Jade, and maybe even Cassie, might sing in order to unsuccessfully relaunch their non-existent careers. And Cube did a REALLY good job with the teaser for this song, it made me think it was a lot better than it actually is.

But "Banana" isn't that bad. It's actually pretty good, the more you listen to it.

[#39] Park Jung Min - "Not Alone"

2011-12-09T16:29:00.001+08:00

From: "Not Alone" (Single)
Released: January 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.65

And the third (and from what I remember, the last) SS501 solo track to come up on the list is from none other than Park Jung Min, one of the guys who can actually sing in the band. And while Kim Hyun Joong and Kim Hyung Joon (WHY are their names so confusing. WHY.) both had ballads enter the list, Jung Min comes in with his solo single "Not Alone". Surprised? I'm not.

I stand by my statement that a singer is not only measured by how well he/she sings ballads, but also by how he/she carries uptempos. More often than not, for a good singer it's actually harder to sing an uptempo and do it well, what with all the dancing and running around that has to happen while the singing takes place. Therefore, I'm not really surprised that Jung Min, who's actually not that bad a singer, was able to carry a song like this.

Anyone who regularly reads my reviews will know that I absolutely adore string sections. I adore them. Mix them with light drum rolls here and there, and the faint sound of real drums, and I die. To be honest with you, the instrumental of "Not Alone" overpowers the melody once the entire thing explodes, which is about 80% of the song. Partly because the people who mixed the track were a bit stupid, and because Jung Min's vocals are low and soft. For a song like this, the vocals should've been a bit higher, and they should've soared. But, had they made Jung Min sing higher it would probably sound bad, so this will do.

But anyway, basically the reason why this is one of my favorite songs this year is because of the gorgeous instrumental that everyone has to take time to actually listen to and appreciate.

[#40] Rania - "Goodbye"

2011-12-07T19:15:00.001+08:00

From: "Time to rock da show" (Digital Single)
Released: November 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.60

Rania are the unfortunate product of capitalism, and K-pop's desperate attempt to "work with foreign producers", when they actually mean American producers who aren't that big in the US anymore, so they seek refuge in a random Asian country. It's a shame though, because even through the horrid material, you know these girls can sing.

Because let's face it, "POP POP POP" was as low-budget as low-budget can get (and judging by their canes in the background during some of the dance cuts, it looks like the entire video was shot exactly once), and it's even worse than ZE:A's ill-fated Mazeltov. And that was pretty sad in itself. Thankfully, "Goodbye" is a much better song. It sounds like something from 9837893729 other girl group albums, all probably produced by the Brave Brothers, but it makes a point.

When you give talented people a generic song, they make it sound decent.

You have got to give it to the girls for sticking it out, to be honest with you. They're talented, they could've just left the group, put themselves through another round of training, but turn out much more popular than they ever were with Rania. I'm not saying they're talented because I pity them, I pity them because they're talented, and if they weren't toyed around with by everyone around them, they could've gotten far.

But anyway. Back to "Goodbye". Like I said it's generic verging on boring, it's probably one of those Brave Brothers songs the guy composed in like ten minutes (see what I did there? no? okay.), but it was well-sung. And at the end of the day, at least the guy knows how to make a pretty melody.

[#41] HITT - "한참 (feat. 이루마)"

2011-12-07T19:02:00.001+08:00

From: "Here Is The Top" (Mini Album)
Released: July 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.56

And we continue with the simple, but stunning ballads. Basically, today is ballad day, because even the song ranked 40 is on the slower side. But really, a ballad like this HAS to be heard. You can't not hear this, because it's stunning.

A single piano line, rich, soothing vocals, well-done harmonies, and that one tasteful falsetto note at the end make for a gorgeous, gorgeous song. Actually, when I was stressed out earlier this school year and I couldn't sleep because my body was too used to cramming stuff, I used this song as my lullaby. There are only two reasons why a song will make me fall asleep, and they're extremes. Either it's boring (like half of "Bonamana"), or it's so stunning that I literally fall asleep with a smile on my face.

I could go on and on about these things, but I won't, so basically what I want to happen is I want you guys to listen to the song RIGHT NOW, and revel in the beauty of it all.

[#42] Kim Hyung Joon - "Heaven"

2011-12-07T16:34:00.001+08:00

From: "My Girl" (Mini Album)
Released: March 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.55

If you asked me last year if I thought Kim Hyung Joon would ever make it to my favorite songs of any given year, I would've laughed at you for asking such an absurd question. And now I'm laughing at myself, because here I am, counting down my favorite songs of 2011, and here he is with an entry.

But then again, it's not like I have no reason to put him on the list, now that he's released a song as stunning as "Heaven". It's very stereotypical, like a lot of other songs it's nothing new, but being out of the ordinary is getting a bit boring as well, to be honest with you, and it's not like I've heard anyone do it especially well.

The melody is simple, it's singable, it's hummable. Bar that one, kinda iffy, high note at the end, it's in a very comfortable range for majority of people, which makes it an instant selling point. That and it's stunning.

It really is.

Stunning melody. Stunning instrumental. Stunning production. Stunning dynamics. To be honest with you, the worst thing about this song is the singing, but it's actually pretty okay. I would've liked the song to be sung by a more capable singer with a much nicer timbre, but Kim Hyung Joon gives it a sense gentleness, and I prefer gentle over flat-out horrid.

What I REALLY like about "Heaven" is that it's not afraid of be quiet. It's not afraid to stop for a while and let everything sink in, but it still delivers something gorgeous. It explodes, but it doesn't leave you sprawled all over the floor, having seizures all over the place. You know very well what's happening, and the way the dynamics were arranged makes you able to process all the stunning elements. By the end, although you're left with goosebumps and deep down you're probably exploding, you know exactly why you're freaking out.

[#43] C-Real - "내 남자친구에겐"

2011-12-06T19:25:00.001+08:00

From: "Round 1" (Mini Album)
Released: October 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.46

I know, I know, I was one of those who laughed at them because of their name, but the minute I heard this song I took it back. Their debut single may not have been that ground-breaking, it wasn't actually that good either, but if I managed to give them a chance after hearing this brilliance, then you can try too. (Not that I'm forcing you to, but you get my point ;D)

The song itself isn't anything new, it's your typical slow jam-slash-R&B midtempo verging on ballad, but the way they pulled it off, especially for a group of their calibre, deserves all the praise they can get. The vocals are raw and young (for lack of a better term), but you know they have potential. In fact, one girl sounds like a deeper Sunny when she's not whining or trying to be cute.

Like "MY MY", this song was made for it's purpose. The lines are very fluid and require a certain type of restraint that incapable vocalists will never be able to do, while also demanding a few pushes here and there.

One of my theories is that this is, in reality, a song meant to show off their vocals. Their debut single didn't do them any justice, so if their agency has any brains whatsoever, they'll settle for putting an "exhibition" song on the debut EP.

Smart choice, because C-Real are now on my list of "acts to judge when they either sink or swim on their sophomore releases", and believe me, there aren't a lot on the list right now.

[#44] A Pink - "MY MY"

2011-12-06T19:08:00.001+08:00

From: "Snow Pink" (Album)
Released: November 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.45

If you're interested, I also wrote a much more tame and simplified review for my soompi column here.

One of the few reasons why this is on the list, and rather high up for a song, and act, like this, is because I absolutely adore the idea of this recording. Never mind the pathetic live performances or the saccharine sweet music video, the song brings me, and you guys too, back to the late 90's/early 2000's golden age of your ultimate Swedish-produced, wannabe pop princess debut single, complete with the "Baby One More Time" rip-off video.

Those were the days.

What I like best about the song is that it's managed to take the girls' really shrill, to the point of annoying, vocals and make use of them. First in the way they were treated, which created a bit of an echo and I assume their vocals were double-tracked, and second in the actual melody and structure of the song. Short lines, lots of breaths and breaks, and the turn-over between member solos is pretty fast. That and the verses are pretty short, actually, or at least the line distribution makes it seem like that.

The song itself is really lively, kinda like "Love Power", but female vocals, A Pink's soft and sometimes incompetent vocals in particular, give it a much gentler sound. "MY MY" sounds really warm, and if I may say so, the way everything was mixed and put through post-prod made the song sound like a fur ball.

I kid you not.

If fur balls were a sound, this song would be one with slightly sharper fur, but the fur ball nonetheless. AND, that makes it the perfect alarm song. In fact, when I'm not in a hurry to wake up (in which case I blast "Rising Sun" or "Me, In" from my alarm), this is the song I use. Fur ball. Enough said.

[#45] The Boss - "Love Power"

2011-12-06T18:58:00.001+08:00

From: "Love Power" (Single)
Released: April 2011, Japan
Rating: 2.41

Last year, The Boss was the rookie group I placed my bets on. As we all know, they haven't exactly achieved commercial success, but they've grown so much as a group this year, both as vocalists and performers (and I have both bases covered on this year's countdown, just to let you guys know) that it would be wrong to not have them on the list.

Their Japanese releases have, so far, been more of uptempos and happy songs and less ballads, however that doesn't make them any less of an outstanding group. It actually makes them a better group, because in Japan they show people that they can do all this jumping through hoops and fire in terms of performance, and in Korea their thrust now is on showing the market that they have some of the best vocals you'll hear in an idol group these days.

"Love Power", despite being really bouncy and lively (and actually a little cheap during some parts), is actually really light and doesn't really depend on a gazillion different layers of synths to make a point. Though they played around with their synths, the instrumental is very basic and you can actually clearly hear the bass line. You don't just feel it buried underneath all the other, sometimes unnecessary, elements, it's very obvious, even to the untrained eye.

The vocals don't really show off their wide ranges and whatnot, but they do show that they don't have to depend on screaming their heads of and running around screaming like headless chickens to deliver solid, consistent and pleasant-to-the-ears vocals.

[#46] SISTAR - "New World"

2011-12-04T16:02:00.001+08:00

From: "SO COOL" (Album)
Released: August 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.35

This is the one good (new) song SISTAR put out this year, that still sounds like SISTAR. Slightly cheap, probably a disaster when performed live, but catchy and melodic. Can't go wrong with that combination, can you?

I mean okay, I have no idea what "Just be snooty baby" is supposed to mean in relation to the rest of the song, and believe me, 90% of the time I find myself laughing on the inside whenever I hear that line, but "New World" is actually a pretty good song for SISTAR standards, and even for kpop standards.

The instrumental is just there, doesn't do much by itself, but paired with the melody it manages to make the singing stand out a lot more, which is a good thing in this case.

We have to talk about that string section. We have to. It's very evident at the beginning, but once the verse comes in it's as if it just disappears. Wrong. It's there, being gorgeous and all, and it really gives the song a much-needed lift. And a bit of class, which SISTAR are in dire need of, both in their stage deportment and their songs.

[#47] Kim Hyun Joong - "Smile"

2011-12-04T15:47:00.001+08:00

Enough emoting about my Philippine Blog Award, and back to our regular programming this December. ^_^

From: "Lucky" (Mini Album)
Released: October 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.35

Kim Hyun Joong can't sing. That is a fact. But that doesn't stop modern recording from making it seem like he can. And "Smile" is a pretty song, so it's only right for them to make it sound as if Hyun Joong has some semblance of a voice. (He should totally hang out with Jaejoong more, maybe absorb some of JJ's godly vocals.)

"Smile" is on the list because it's a pretty song, very soothing, very calming, and actually, if someone with a more capable voice were to sing it, the calm aspect would probably be in danger. That is, if the voice wasn't 100% capable. So actually, the combination of Hyun Joong's voice and the song is pretty good.

And the reason why this is on my list is because it's a really, really, really pretty song. Not gorgeous or stunning. Pretty. The type that makes you want to smile like a creep because it's too pretty. The guitar lines, the water droplet sounds, the pretty flute, the very lax dynamics -- pretty. If you depend too much on technology, one day it will become obsolete and you will be left with the parts of the song which weren't dependent on technology. While Kim Hyun Joong isn't the most talented of the bunch, at least when technology disappears he still has an actual song.

You are now reading an award-winning blog.

2011-12-04T07:54:00.000+08:00

I know, I STILL can't believe it either, but it's true. All those times I whined about never winning an award (EVER), all those times I broke down because I thought I wasn't good enough, and all those times I was brought down by other, older, people, well, to put it simply, they were worthless. I just won a national blogging award. I'm not just one of the best culture and arts blogs/bloggers. In the words of 2NE1 (even if I hate the song LOL), I AM the best.

I went there, armed with five nominations. Even if I walked away with only one win, that one win was the first award I have ever won, for anything. The first time I've been dubbed the best at something.

I started Pop Reviews Now when I was thirteen. Four years later, I stood on that stage last night and claimed an award given to me by an elite panel of judges who deemed PRN as THE best culture and arts blog for Luzon. To you guys it may not be a big deal, and to other bloggers it might just be another day in the life, but to me it isn't. I waited four years for this, I went through the haters, I went through so many different insecurities, I went though people who never failed to remind me that I was never good enough because I was a young girl in a field dominated by older writers. To say that success is sweet is an understatement - it's so much more than that.

Tagumpay. Ang tamis ng tagumpay. Ngayon ko lang lubos na naintindihan ang totoong ibig-sabihin ng apat na salitang iyon. Matamis ang tagumpay. Napakatamis. Apat na taon akong naghintay. Apat na taon akong naghirap. At apat na taon akong walang-sawang umasa. Ito ang katapusan ng paghihitay ko.

I feel like DB5K at Tokyo Dome. After five years of hard work in Japan, from the ground up no less, they get to the stage of their dreams, and to be honest with you I'm in awe at how they weren't crying from the very beginning, because the minute PRN was called I practically lost it. It's a miracle how I managed to say actually words. Excuse the reference, but I'm a pop music blog, so I guess you should be used to it now. :D

I could say enough "thank you"'s to last me a lifetime, but I don't mind. To know that people actually care enough to congratulate me, to know that real people, and not just spam bots, take time out of their busy lives to write comments, talk to me on Twitter and Tumblr and FB, and even vote for me when needed -- that's an even greater vindication of my success, and once again, I thank you ALL so much, but even this simple "thank you" wouldn't be enough to show how grateful I am for you guys.

I screwed up my speech, yes, but in hindsight, I am a blogger, not a public speaker. I wanted to tell the people at the awards show last night that young writers shouldn't be looked down on, but I realize now that the best way to put the message across is by putting it on my now award-winning blog. After all, isn't this what blogging is for?

For the past four years I've been blogging for myself, for my own personal gain, but I realize how fortunate I am, and from now on I will not only blog for myself, but for a cause. For all the young writers who are too afraid to try and match their seniors, who were looked down on and judged because of their age - I'm writing for them. And I'm writing to encourage them to write, to never give up.

You start young, you get farther. You won't get better by just listening to lectures all day, you get better by actually writing and making use of what you learned. Being a young writer isn't something to be ashamed of, it's something extraordinary and something to be proud of. I hope both young writers, and older writers who look down on us, realize that time is of the essence in writing.

Tagumpay. Success.

2011-12-03T22:41:00.001+08:00

(English version to come tomorrow, when I'm more sane)

Hindi ko alam kung bakit lumalabas sa wikang Filipino yung mga iniisip ko, pero ayun, Filipino ang gagamitin ko.

Tagumpay. Ang tamis ng tagumpay. Ngayon ko lang lubos na naintindihan ang totoong ibig-sabihin ng apat na salitang iyon. Matamis ang tagumpay. Napakatamis. Apat na taon akong naghintay. Apat na taon akong naghirap. At apat na taon akong walang-sawang umasa. Ito ang katapusan ng paghihitay ko.

(switching back to English now ;D)

Pop Reviews Now was named the best Culture and Arts blog (Luzon) at the 2011 Philippine Blog Awards. Pop Reviews Now is now an award-winning blog. I am now an award-winning blogger and writer.

I'll get to all the nitty gritty tomorrow morning when I'm less sleepy and more aware of things, but I'd just like to thank EVERYONE for not only putting up with me and my absenceS, but going the extra mile and supporting me. It means so much.

[#48] 4Minute - "Mirror Mirror"

2011-12-03T04:51:00.000+08:00

From: "4Minutes Left" (Album)
Released: April 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.28

2011 for 4Minute pales in comparison to 2010, in my humble opinion, because "HuH" will forever be the best 4Minute single ever. Unless of course they shape up and Cube decides to invest on some better songs for them. But "Mirror Mirror" was okay.

The song's very 4Minute, slightly cheap and whiny, but Jiyoon's bridge changes everything. If I could, I'd just put her bridge on the list and scrap the rest of the song, because the hook, albeit a bit melodic (A BIT), is annoying and too repetitive.

But enough of the bad points, this is, after all, the 48th best song of the year. One thing that's good about "Mirror Mirror" is that, although the song's still extremely packed with so many things happening at the same time, it still has some semblance of dynamics, with the verse going to that stunning bridge and straight into the far too repetitive hook, and back to "earth" with the second verse. It sounds like a fair compromise.

But really, 4Minute should sing more. Cube already knows what songs fit 4Minute, the problem is that it's like they always have this urge to slip in some of the most annoyingly horrid hooks. The verses and THE BRIDGE are perfectly fine, well-produced and well-done even, but all hell breaks loose when the chorus comes in.

Give me better material in 2012, 4Minute. That's an order.

YOUR Favorite Song of the Year

2011-12-02T10:52:00.000+08:00

I think it's no secret to any of us that the people who read PRN, and who comment on my reviews, are very outspoken, and have a lot to say about music. That often leads of debates and heated discussions on the blog, which I generally welcome. Well, I'm taking advantage of that this year, because I'm asking YOU guys to choose YOUR favorite songs of 2011.

One of my "missions" on PRN is to encourage other music fans to think critically about the music they listen to, regardless of genre or style - I'm not the only one who does the thinking here, you guys should too. And so, while I'm coming up with a list of my 50 favorite songs from the year, I think you guys should too. Well, not fifty songs, but close!

So here's what to do. Choose your favorite Korean (language, nationality, etc.) release of the year, adhering to majority of the rules of my top 50 countdown (apart from the rules about multiple releases). In 3-5 sentences explain why it's your favorite song of the year, but make it as packed and as complete as possible. Why do you like it? What do you like? What DON'T you like? Please keep in mind that you have to justify your opinion in a musical manner -- melody, arrangement, style, etc. You may also discuss it from the standpoints of why it became a hit (if it was) or why it flopped (if it did), as long as you can justify your opinion.

Once you have your 3-5 sentences, either comment on this post with your review, or send it in to popreviewsnow@gmail.com with the subject "My Favorite Song of 2011". Please include your name (no anonymous comments please!) and a way I can contact you, preferably an e-mail address or a Twitter username.

You have until Christmas day, December 25, to send in your entries! I'll choose the top five entries and post them up on December 31, after revealing my favorite song of the year.

Go go go! ^_^

[#49] X-5 - "쇼 하지마"

2011-12-02T10:46:00.000+08:00

From: "Xenos" (Mini Album)
Released: April 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.20

I've made it very clear from the beginning that in terms of talent, I choose X-5 over B1A4, and I think I proved my point when B1A4's second single came out. From the makers of the brilliance that is DGNA/The Boss, X-5 are being pushed as the young(er), more performance-heavy boyband. So basically if you put The Boss and X-5 together you have something like DB5K.

But that's beside the point. Anyway.

"쇼 하지마" is a strong enough song to debut with - it has a slightly dark, heavy sound with very packed vocals and probably the strongest production their agency can afford, but over-all it's a strong effort. Catchy yet melodic hook, actual, pretty good, singing, and a very clear direction. They know what they are, I just hope they know what they want to be.

Another thing I really appreciate with this song is that you see they're really trying. Hard. From the performances earlier this year, and even just the song, they're doing things that are probably beyond them (not just financially), and they're coming out pretty okay.

It's a song that makes you *want* to look to the future. It's not TOO good that you worry about how their next release might not live up to it, but it's not a complete disaster that makes you want to completely erase them from the industry.

[#50] Nine Muses - "Figaro"

2011-12-02T06:28:00.000+08:00

From: "Figaro" (Digital Single)
Released: July 2011, South Korea
Rating: 2.00

The product of a sudden surge in "retro"-inspired releases this year courtesy of Secret's "Shy Boy", "Figaro" was surprisingly one of the better songs to come out of the fad.

Considering that 2010's "No Playboy" was a complete and utter disaster and that the girls gave of the impression of being completely talentless with the single, "Figaro" provided the group with a much-needed resurrection. It's not the best, no, but it does have qualities that make it the right fit for them, and in general, your run-of-the-mill "talentless" girl group.

Yes, it's got singability. Despite some of the bits being a bit higher than usual, the melody is in a very comfortable range for majority of female "singers", and doesn't demand very strenuous use of vocals - the high notes are done with a slight falsetto instead of being on the more powerful side, so to say.

You could call it cheating, and for a while I did too, but listen to the song. Just listen to it. Does anything sound really wrong? Or off? Nope. If anything, the melody fits the instrumental really well, and although it's nothing new or fresh, or extremely strong, it's a song that was put together well and sounds good, even when it's sung by sub-par vocalists.

And face it, it's catchy. There's little anyone can do about that.

The Best of 2011: Intro and Rules

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000+08:00

Yes, people, it's that time of the year again! I would like to apologize for missing 3/4 of the year in terms of blogging, and I know I always say I'll change and I never do, but as I've said before, 2011 is a turning point in my life away from PRN. PRN is important to me, yes, but I have a life away from this as well, and there are so many things I have to do before PRN becomes my entire life (3 1/2 years to go!), so please bear with me while I sort things out.

That said, TIME FLIES SO FAST! I honestly can't believe it's year-end list time, I just blinked and we have to go through the rules all over again! I've made some major revisions to the rules, and I've also added new rules to better explain everything, as well as to adapt to new trends in k-pop. But before that, a little introduction for those who just started reading PRN this year.

December for PRN has always been year-end countdown time. Every year, without fail, I chose my favorite songs from the past 11/12 months and featured them on the blog. In 2008 I made a list of 70+ songs and chose my favorite song, in 2009 I had this whacked out format which even I don't understand anymore, and in 2010 I decided to keep it simple by counting down my 50 favorite songs from the year.

This year will be a lot like 2010 in terms of format, because 50 songs is a realistic number and accurate enough to cover a year's worth of releases. That said, I would like to stress a few things about this list, or special, or whatever you'd like to call this. First, this is in no way a definitive list of the "best songs of 2011", because I didn't hear every single release this year and I am in no position to call my favorites "the best". The songs featured here are my personal favorites and the rankings have no factual basis, they are ranked by how much I like the songs.

That said, because I am only covering 50 songs, that does not mean that, one, I didn't hear certain songs, and two, I did not like more. They are the top 50 songs, but I didn't only like 50 songs this year. This list initially had 136 songs that all followed the rules stated below, but had I featured all of them I would've died trying to put all the posts together, so I trimmed it down to 50, and by November 25th I locked the list, with 50 songs, from any edits.

1. The song must be on an album, single, EP (mini-album in Korean vocab) or digital single released and promoted anytime between January 1, 2011 and November 25, 2010.

2. The song must have been either written, composed, performed, or any combination of, by a Korean artist, songwriter or composer, regardless of the territory it was released in, e.g., Japan, US, etc. For example, KARA's "Winter Magic" was written by Japanese, however KARA themselves are Korean, so the song is eligible.

3. One UNIQUE entry per artist, per territory/country/language. However, this does not mean that the artist only had one good song this year, he/she/they could have had a whole album full of fantastic songs. The purpose of this rule is to show the variety in pop this year. I'm sure you wouldn't want to see the list full of DBSK. So for example, SNSD had Japanese, Korean and English releases this year - the list allows one song per language/country.

4. Solo and sub-group work by (an) artist(s) in a group is eligible, and will be counted separately from whatever material the group releases in the same year. For example, JYJ released "IN HEAVEN" as a group this year, but all three members also recorded solo songs for Drama OSTs. All three solo songs are eligible, and so is any song from "IN HEAVEN". Also, After School Red, After School Blue and Orange Caramel are counted independently of After School, so "In The Night Sky" and "Wonder Boy", "Shanghai Romance", as well as any After School song released this year, are *all* eligible.

5. Duets are not given special exception. For example, "Journey", HoMin/DBSK's duet with SNSD's Seohyun for "Paradise Ranch", counts as a Korean release from DBSK, and Korean solo work from Seohyun, therefore if "Journey" is on the list, "Dreams Come True", Seohyun's duet with Donghae, and any other Korean song from DBSK (as a duo), are no longer eligible.

6. If an album released prior was given a re-release in 2011, only the singles released for and after the re-release PLUS the added tracks will be eligible. Tracks that were on the previous album released before 2011 will be disqualified.

7. Japanese releases of songs originally released prior to 2011 are eligible as well, as long as the original Korean version was officially released before January 1, 2011. For example, the Japanese version of After School's "Bang!" is eligible because although the Korean version was a 2010 release, the Japanese version was released in 2011. However, if, for example, I choose to put in the English version of "The Boys", the Korean version is no longer eligible, and vice versa, because they were both released in 2011.

8. Live performances are eligible only if they are featured on an album officially released by the record label or can be bought via iTunes or other digital music stores.

9. Covers and songs from compilations are also eligible, however all previous rules still apply.

Phew. I hope the rules are clear to everyone, because we start with song number 50 tomorrow, and finish with my favorite song of 2011 on New Year's Eve, December 31. Here we goooooo!

This is a little more serious than usual, but of great importance to me.

2011-11-30T20:09:00.001+08:00

I'm only now writing this because never did it cross my mind that people who judge writers just because they're young existed. I've been under the impression that on the internet, age is merely a number and talented writers can get jobs, regardless of their age. And to know that people actually discriminate against young writers, in all honesty, sickens me to the bone.

Now that I'm somewhat in a position of influence (I hope!), this is something that I have always believed in -- that the younger you start writing, the more leverage you will have over other writers in the future.

In 2007, at 13, I began taking writing seriously. Throughout grade school I had been praised for my English skills, but I never really took it seriously, until I needed it the most. 2007 was my first year of high school, and simply going from a star student in grade school to someone who just got by in high school was enough to bring me over the edge, but I also experienced a lot of hatred and hurt, from someone I regarded as a friend.

Because of that, I took to writing -- it was the one thing that allowed me to close myself off from the world and just be myself. I wasn't judged by my class rank or my looks, because paper never talked back to me, and never has. Putting my thoughts down on paper was not only a way to let them out, being the introvert that I am, it let me be myself, amidst all the dirt high school was throwing at me.

However whenever I wrote, I always had my iPod in tow. My trusty first generation iPod nano was my best friend during that time, playing songs I liked, and songs that matched my mood. It was during all that time alone that I began thinking of music as more than just something I was forced into.

It was only in early 2008 though that I got the message. I loved to write and I not only loved music but knew so much about it, that I would've been crazy not to think of putting my knowledge and my passion together into one venture. That venture was Pop Reviews Now.

I was still 13 when I started PRN in 2008, but even then I knew that I was diving into the unknown -- there was a HUGE possibility that this new venture of mine would never see the light of day, and I would eventually tire of it.

Well, did I? Of course not. I'm still here, aren't I?

Less than a year later, in 2009, I had established PRN among other, bigger and older music bloggers. I was part of an elite circle of writers, critics and generally amazing people, and I was barely 15. Needless to say, I was the youngest of them all, but I was just a little behind, if not equal, to them.

Finally, later that year in October, Pop Reviews Now was named one of the top entertainment blogs in the country. Top. In the country. I had just turned 15 then, and trust me, that was the best 15th birthday gift ever, to know that a year's worth of hard work was not in vain. After my win, I began writing, as a permanent senior editor, for omgkpop, a major Korean entertainment news site. I had gotten that job because of my credentials with PRN, and my then-recent blog awards stint. I kept that job for 6 months, before stepping up as editor-in-chief and network administrator of The Kpop Nation, a major Korean entertainment network, in 2010.

I turned 16 in 2010, and it so happened that 2010 was also an eventful year for me, away from my awarded blog. I started my senior year of high school, and in the Philippines that was the time when we all took entrance examinations for major universities in the country. I only took two exams - to THE two top universities - University of the Philippines and Ateneo De Manila University. The pressure to get in to these schools is immense, as literally every valedictorian, every whiz kid and every single high school senior vies for the limited slots in these two universities.

You can imagine the stress I was going through, just trying to prepare for these tests. But it got worse. At the beginning of the school year, less than 2 months before I was to take the exam of my life, my grandmother was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. We spent countless nights at the hospital, and I suddenly let go of my studies. I collapsed in school due to stress and fatigue, I'd get panic attacks left and right, and it was all too much for me.

So what did I do? I turned to writing. Like always. I let everything out, then shut the world out. For a few hours at a time I'd just make myself oblivious to everything, and it helped. It helped me get through my grandmother's death, it helped my stay strong for my mom, and it helped me ace those exams. The top two universities in the country admitted me to their prestigious literature programs in early 2011.

Which brings us to now. It's 2011, and I'm now studying Comparative Literature with a concentration in Asian Literatures at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, the university's flagship campus. I'm also a columnist for soompi.com, one of the oldest and biggest K-pop entertainment networks. A few days ago, I found out that I'm nominated for not one, nor two, but THREE Philippine Blog Awards, alongside some of the most established blogs in the country. Because you know what, Pop Reviews Now IS an established blog.

But wait. Why am I telling you my "life story"? Because I did all that. Because I was THIRTEEN when I started writing, and look where I've come.

The reason why K-pop news is like that is because people put down other writers just because they're young. Just because they "have no experience" and "are kids". As someone who was, and IS, a young writer, I am so, so, offended when people look down on me just because I'm "only 17". Where do you think we're going to get the next generation of news writers?

Unlike other fields, in the arts, the younger you start, the more extraordinary you are, and the more time you have to home your craft. Do you honestly think I got to where I am now by just sitting in a classroom all day and solving math problems? No. I got here because I worked hard for it. I'm a competent writer now because I started young, and because I dared to enter a world dominated by people older than me. The internet allowed me to be judged by my writing, not my academic achievements or my age, and it should stay that way.

If you start young, you get ahead -- you get experience before everyone else does. Do you want to write for a site that requires strong credentials? Start early, build a portfolio, win awards. I don't mean to brag or anything, but after writing for all these years, my credentials fill an entire page. If I only started writing this year, my resume would be blank, but it's not, and now I can get virtually any writing job I want with the drop of a hat.

Your age has nothing to do with your abilities -- if you're a good writer, you're a good writer. Of course, as you grow older your writing will change (most of the time for the better), but that's another reason why you have to start young -- you have to keep writing so you keep getting better.

To everyone who has ever looked down on me, or other young writers, and called people like me "naive" or "inferior", this is for you. I hope this is a slap on the face to you, because that girl who was looked down on for being a kid, just got nominated for three national blog awards.

People looking down on you are never right about anything - they don't have to be the reason why you stop writing, they can be the reason why you keep on writing. So before you have doubts about pursuing writing just because of your age, remember that there's no harm in trying, and that you will get somewhere with a bit of talent and a lot of hard work. Please, we need more good writers around.

Awards all around!

2011-11-26T16:20:00.001+08:00

Edit: If you'd like to vote for Pop Reviews Now (only if you want to!), simply like this photo on Facebook! Aaaaaaaaaaaand, PRN is also a finalist for not only one, or two, but THREE awards! If you have your own blog, here's how to vote for PRN! Voting ends on December 2, 11:59PM Philippine standard time.

Before you all kill me for disappearing again, and before you all hound me with questions about the year-end special (which WILL push through), I'd like to announce something big. Really big. And unexpected.

As you know, in 2009 I was a finalist for the Philippine Blog Awards. I didn't win, but simply becoming one of the top ten entertainment blogs in the country was something huge, and something that pushed me to do even better. In 2010 I didn't get past the initial stage, but of course that didn't stop me from trying again this year. And succeeding.

Although the finalists for the other, non-voting, awards haven't been released yet, the list of finalists for the 2011 Philippine Blog Awards Bloggers’ Choice award have. And Pop Reviews Now is on it. And I freaked out this morning. And I almost died.

The award is special because this is where bloggers vote for bloggers. In short, it's an award given solely by my/your peers. Even if I don't win (because let's face it, not a lot of people are gonna vote for me), it's an honor simply to be a finalist for such an important award.

But none of this would've been possible without you guys constantly badgering me to write more and begging me to do more vocal commentaries (I'll get to them, I promise. and/or hope), and basically driving me to actually bring PRN places.

If I'm a finalist again for any of the other categories, I swear I might just die. ;D

But I'll see you guys on December 1, when I kick-off my countdown of my 50 favorite songs of the year!

Wonder Girls - "Wonder World"

2011-11-07T15:43:00.000+08:00

Before this album came out in full, I had mixed feelings about it because the first teaser stunned, the second was underwhelming, and "Be My Baby" was boring. However, my doubts were put to rest when I finally heard the whole album, because really, it's one of the strongest k-pop albums in a long time, and one of the few I can listen to from start to finish and not skip a track. (I can't even do that to majority of DBSK albums!)

No matter what I say about JYP being one-dimensional and forcing his singing style down his idol groups' throats, we all have to remember that JYP was once an idol himself. Although I doubt they called him an idol, he was making pop music for himself before he branched out into mentoring, and because of that he not only understands the concept of a song, but the concept of a performance. Unlike other songwriters who merely adapt to trends, JYP understands that at the end of the day, the songs he makes will be sung by people, with strengths and exceptional talent, yes, but who also have limitations. He understands that because he went through that before, and it shows in the album.

"Wonder World" is a pop album through and through, but the quality of the songs is really something else. And they're actual songs, with actual melodies and actual singing, which can actually be performed live. Each and every song has a purpose on the album, even the ones I didn't like that much, they make sense. I never thought I'd say this, but "Wonder World" is, hands-down, one of the best k-pop albums of the year. I listened to it for the first time a few hours ago, and honestly I found myself giving almost every song 5 stars. I don't do that - like, the most 5-star songs I've given an album is probably two or three. I gave "Wonder World" five perfect scores out of twelve. In terms of the album as a whole, the Wonder Girls, and JYP, did not fail to deliver.

However, the single choice is as much an epic fail as the album is brilliant. Whose BRILLIANT idea was it to choose boring, whiny and generic, "Be My Baby" as the lead single, when there are like five other songs that are easily more amazing and more attention-grabbing than "Be My Baby"? Huh? The single, in theory, is supposed to sell the rest of the album, but when the lead single is out of place with the rest of the album, how's it supposed to sell? The only people who will end up listening to the brilliance that is "Wonder World" are the people who knew WG before "Be My Baby".

"G.N.O." is the song that everyone has been pulling the "why wasn't this the single?" on, and for reasons I do understand. I mean come on, the song is so Max Martin/Maratone Euro(dance) and it's practically a club remix in itself - everybody loves some Eurodance. When I heard the preview I was one of those people who were wondering why the song isn't the lead single, but hearing the entire song, I do understand why this isn't the single -- it's too hard to sing live. It's not that the Wonder Girls are vocally incapable, they aren't, they have Ye Eun and Sun Ye for heaven's sake, it's that the dynamics on this song are too constant and packed. It sounds like a club song for a reason, and the focus of this song isn't the group and their singing, but the song and the style. It's more style that substance, and although it's not overpowering in dangerous levels, a single like this is more fit for US promo, where the focus is on radio and TV airplay, not systematic live performances.

However, "G.N.O." not being single material still doesn't excuse the fact that "Be My Baby" should never have been the lead single in the first place. Just listening to it, "Be My Baby" sounds like those cheap/slightly slutty Christmas songs that warrant performances like how they did "Jingle Bell Rock" in "Mean Girls" -- but I don't know if I mean it in a good or bad way, so I'll leave it to you guys. It's catchy but boring, melodic but whiny, almost like they're yodeling or something, but one thing you can't deny is that it sounds like a Wonder Girls song. And it's a song. Weak and generic, it's still a song, and seeing as a lot of acts these days forget the song part of their music, not bad. HOWEVER, the more I listen to it, the more I'm convinced that whether JYP was conscious of this or not, "Be My Baby" was inspired in some way, shape or form, by Girls' Aloud's brilliant, brilliant, "Biology". It is, for lack of a better term, rather cheeky, and has the slightly dry British snappy-ness to the melody and the instrumental.

"Girls Girls" is the pretty kind of stunning. It's not the epic kind of stunning, it's the "oh my god this is sReeo pretty I'm gonna cry" kind, and that's my favorite kind -- it reminds me of "You I Do", my favorite song from "Dreamgirls", which in itself is one of my favorite movies. It's a simple song with simple verses, but the chorus is gorgeous and they have the vocals to pull it off properly, apart from the fact that it actually matches all their vocals. Actually, it's one of those easy to sing melodies, and that's why it's so gorgeous. Try humming it -- unlike other songs it's not only possible, but it will also sound good for a lot of people. The instrumental is playful yet gorgeous, and all the instruments are so graceful and really fall into place with each other. In an age where majority of the songs out these days are overproduced and loud, songs like this remind me that people still actually make music. It's a gorgeous song, but it doesn't leave out that element of fun, of enjoyment. It's songs like this that remind me of why I like music in the first place, and why I never resisted my family's insistence that I develop a strong musical background -- because music is fun, and it's meant to be enjoyed.

It came to my attention that "Me, In" is in fact a cover of an old-school Korean rock song, and Ree let me hear the original before the Wonder Girls version came out. My GOD is this an amazing cover. JYP really knows how to one, choose songs to cover, and two, make them DAMN good. Apologies for the informal language, but there's really no other word to describe how I feel about this cover. It's got attitude, spunk and kick, but without losing the clean pop sound of the rest of the album. The verses are so, so, SO strong, almost too strong, actually, that the chorus ends up sounding a bit flat. I mean it's an epic cover, but the way they treated the chorus (as in group of people singing, not the chorus chorus) vocals just ruined it for me. Still one of the better songs on the album though, and one of the five-star songs.

If Atomic Kitten were to come back in 2011, "Sweet Dreams" would be their lead single. If S Club 6/7/8 were to come back in 2011, "Sweet Dreams" would be their lead single. If all these European pop groups were to come back in 2011/2012 and this was written by Savan Kotecha or Max Martin or a Swedish production house, they'd ALL be fighting for this song. It's so Euro-pop, from the synths to the bits of "oo whoa whoa" autotune, to the melody, that for a while I was convinced I was listening to Atomic Kitten's "Feels So Good" and that it was 2002 again. But I wasn't, and that's what makes this so brilliant. It's like a more bass-y, fuller-sounding version of something off an Atomic Kitten/Later S Club album, and in case you've forgotten, before I got into kpop I was a British pop fan/critic/slight-expert. Like "Sweet Dreams", if all these European pop groups were to come back this year, they'd all be fighting over "Stop!" as the b-side, or a lesser act will get it for a single, like Play or something. Or No Angels. (are they still alive?) Again, the synths, the structure of the song, and basically everything about it makes it sound SO Euro, not that I'm complaining.

It's like after "Me, In", the songs on this album go in pairs. Another pair of pretty songs, slightly slower -- "Dear. Boy" and "두고두고". They're very mid 2000's R&B, like watered down versions of the songs they give to all these girls with okay voices but who never really manage to hit it big, like Cassie or Paula DeAnda. "Dear Boy" is a bit more on the hip-hop/top 50 and below single side, but "두고두고" is more like the ballads on those small-time, but major label, albums.

The final pair is "SuperB" and "Act Cool" -- the edgy songs. They're less melody, more hook and style, but even then they're still good songs. Well, "SuperB" is. After the two slower songs, it's a good song to get you back into uptempos and kind of leaves you hanging to go listen to the album again. From what I'm hearing, "Act Cool" sounds like just Hye Rim rapping, and remember, I hate Hye Rim's voice. It's an interesting song though, and a good filler track. In a sense I think the album does need these slightly less good tracks to one, keep you listening, but at the same time, while you're listening to these, all you're thinking about is re-listening to the previous songs. Apart from that (rather random) kinda interesting singing part at the end of "Act Cool", that's exactly what these songs are -- fillers.

"Nu Shoes" is entirely in English, so I'm guessing this is going on that English album they're working on? Putting aside that it sounds like Christmas (Why do so many songs on this album sound like Christmas? Is it just me?), I really like it. It's catchy, it's very trendy and edgy, but it actually has a pretty melody, a real bass line, and it doesn't just go in a straight line dynamics-wise, which keeps people interested. It's kind of a compromise to the loudness war -- the choruses are packed like crazy, but the song still has a sense of loud and soft.

I stand by what I said at the beginning -- "Wonder World" is, hands-down, THE best k-pop album of the year. It's an album, the songs make sense together, but the songs were also outstandingly produced, delivered and sung. It has its flaws, no album is 100% perfect and we all have our own preferences, but this is the closest k-pop has gotten to perfection.

The best song: "Girls Girls", hands-down
The better songs: "G.N.O.", "Me, In", "Sweet Dreams", "두고두고"
The worst song: "Act Cool", but that's because there's hardly any singing on it.
The rating: 4.9/5 - the highest rating I've given to an album all year.

[Edited] DBSK/HoMin - "Winter Rose"

2011-11-05T19:22:00.000+08:00

I couldn't help myself, I really couldn't. The minute I heard this song it's like I was enlightened. (LOL) I'll try to be back later today for a MuCore recap, but no promises. It's Saturday today, errands day. We'll see.

(continue reading for the edits)

If you were with me through at least one set of Christmas-themed posts, you know that I'm very picky with my Christmas pop songs, and that's partially because Christmas is a very big deal here in the Philippines, plus the fact that I grew up (professionally) singing pieces like Handel's Messiah and classics by Filipino greats. Christmas songs are not just Christmas songs because they mention snow or gifts in the lyrics, and one of my missions in life is to make everyone understand that!

Christmas songs are all about familiarity, about good memories from the past Christmases. They are one of the best examples of the fact that music is half-heard and half-felt -- hearing a Christmas song should make you warm and fuzzy and, well, Christmassy. And how do you do that? With familiarity. Familiar melodies, familiar instruments, chymes and bells, anything that *feels* like Christmas. Why do you think Ray Conniff arrangements/albums still sell big? Because they're familiar, because people already equate them to Christmas.

Christmas songs are as familiar as they are fresh, and so if you try too much to change the arrangements, you lose the feel, and I think I've made it very clear that the feel is everything when it comes to these songs. Pop songs are usually like that - they try too hard to deviate from the formula, but they fail to realize that once you deviate from that formula, you deviate from Christmas. And aren't you making a Christmas song in the first place?

The best Christmas songs are those that can take the formula, take the familiarity, and keep it, while delivering something that much more fresh. Let's just say that "Winter Rose" is exactly that.

The song has this sweeping melody, and it's in waltz-time. WALTZ-TIME. Christmas songs are not just in standard 2-4 or 4-4 time, some of them have really whacked out time signatures, actually. I know. Like I said, I've sung Handel's Messiah a gazillion times. You think he stuck with 4-4 all the way? Hell no!

So the chorus. It's familiar, isn't it? I can't put my finger on exactly what it mirrors, but the time signature mixed with the melody itself are enough to get you all tingly inside. And they're gorgeous. So, so gorgeous. But also, if you were to take this melody alone, without the bells and chymes, it would still actually sound like a Christmas song and not just a random pop song.

The bells, the chymes, THE STRING SECTION, the way they all have a mini-explosion at the chorus when that gorgeous melody takes over, I'm ready to die now. And that middle 8. Holy mother of heaven and earth and maybe even hell that middle 8.

*edit*

I cannot believe I based this morning's review on what I heard from my crappy MacBook Pro speakers. I cannot believe it. I can't believe I missed what is possibly the most important part of this song - the bass line. You know me, I'm very picky with the intensity of my bass, and when songs become bass-fests they're instantly put on my bad list, but if I hate a certain type of bass, I have to like another, right? Right. As a kid, one of the many things I learned from my dad was that you can identify a song by its bass line, and that, in a noisy crowd, all you have to listen to in a song is the bass line. He was dead-right too.

But what does that have to do with anything? Well, I like very unassuming bass lines, just like the one I didn't hear on my laptop speakers this morning. I *like* looking for the bass line, like what my dad and I used to do to pass time in a noisy restaurant. And I also like bass lines that sound like they were played live then just slapped on to the song with minimal processing. I like REAL bass lines, because they actually have emotion.

The bass line on "Winter Rose" gives the song so much dimension, and it makes it real. Why do you feel all warm and fuzzy? Because you feel real. Because the bass line sets your heart racing. Like I said, Christmas songs are more about what they make you feel than they are about the technical aspects of a song. So close your eyes for a bit and just listen - listen to the real bass line, to the familiar melody, to the gorgeous strings. Don't you feel all nice and warm and fuzzy? Mission accomplished, then.

This is, without a shadow of a doubt, THE best original pop Christmas song I have ever heard.

5/5

[November 5, 2011] MBC Music Core Highlights + Commentary

2011-11-05T18:45:00.000+08:00

YAY! I made it through another recap! I'm pleasantly surprised with the sound and mics on today's show, MuCore is actually ahead of MuBank in terms of sound guy-competency this week! I really have been away for that long.

Video credit goes to CrazyCarrotNew210.

Boyfriend - "Don't Touch My Girl"
Well I guess their vocals are that much better than they were yesterday, but their vocals have no punch, and the song is lazy to start with, so it does nothing to hide that fact. I almost fell asleep while watching this, I'm afraid.

B1A4 - "Beautiful Target"
We'll talk when all of you go back to actually singing, B1A4.

Orange Caramel - "Shanghai Romance"
When the Taekwondo back-up dancers rolled onto the stage, I LOL-ed. When they just disappeared after a while, I LOL-ed again. That was probably the best part of the entire performance.

Infinite - "Paradise" + "Be Mine"
I will say this until your ears bleed, but I was on the Infinite bandwagon before everyone else, and I'm so proud of how far they've come, music-wise! Of course there are still members who can't sing, like their maknae, but the members who *do* sing, have gotten miles better, and really, as performers they really deliver. They have the material, some of them have the voice, and they have that unity on stage. The makings of a great band - it's all a matter of time. And more better material.

Secret - "Love is MOVE"
I admit that I was never the biggest fan of this song, nor was I jumping for joy over the video, so I never really bothered watching their live performances. I was dead wrong through, because this song is made for the stage. Secret's vocals have become increasingly better, and very consistent, which makes it even better to watch live. Even if their material has strayed from what I personally like, they pull it off well, they can sing, and they know what works for them.

U-Kiss - "Someday"
I believe that, once again, I predicted a post-album single. However, I do not have the honor of predicting that their live vocals will be a complete and utter disaster. Gorgeous song, but my God, what kind of vocals are those, U-Kiss, seriously. You've been around as long as SHINee, and they can sing something like this without batting an eyelash (and Jonghyun screaming his way though, but we'll save that for another time). I mean that guy in the glasses is fine, and the guy singing at the chorus (who I assume is the guy who has a throat problem so he can't sing that much) is great, so is the guy who does the middle 8, but everyone else, which is like, more than half of the band? Yeah, NO.

Davichi - "Love Oh Love"
Oh Davichi, you two are brilliant as always. Even if you get double-tracked like hell at the chorus you still push through and fight the stupid idea. YAY. Flawless performance, pretty song, why isn't this winning anymore. Oh right, because this is a popularity contest. I'm sorry, I forgot.

SNSD/Girls' Generation - "The Boys"
Apart from the fact that the entire intro was mimed and Jessica's mic didn't work until much later, I CANNOT BELIEVE MY EARS AM I HALLUCINATING OR SOMETHING. Because SOMEONE has finally gotten the levels on an SNSD performance right. This is how they should sound, and believe me, if they sounded like this all the time I wouldn't hate them as much as I do. I understand that their previous blunders had a lot to do with stupid sound guys behind big, shiny equipment they probably don't know how to use, but nothing is an excuse for bad singing, and if you are talented you will find a way. But the past is the past, and now you can actually hear their voices over the excessive bass! Best music show performance of this song so far.

[November 4, 2011] KBS Music Bank Highlights + Commentary

2011-11-04T19:37:00.000+08:00

Watching today's show made me realize how long it's been since I've watched more than a few cuts from a music show, let alone write a recap. You'll have to excuse me if I'm REALLY rough around the edges and allow me to slowly ease back into this routine, but hey, this is a start! I hope I make it out of this week alive, for the sake of my year-end countdown!

It's really no surprise who won today, but honestly I'm surprised at all the acts I've never heard of before! Oh well. Since it's been months since my last recap, for new readers, my music show recaps focus on idols and idol groups whose singles I've already heard prior to performance.

Video credit goes to UnknownCarrot180.

Boyfriend - "Don't Touch My GIrl"
It may be a quaint song, but my God, these guys really can't sing this song live, can they? It's like they equate singing well to singing loudly. No. They end up sounding like they're whining and/or sing-song-ing, and I'm sorry but that just doesn't really quality as actual singing. I watched one of their earlier performances of this though, and it was even worse, so I suppose this is the best they can do.

The Boss - "Lady"
Stunning song, gorgeous vocals, but inexperienced vocalists. Don't get me wrong, they are lightyears ahead of their peers, but looking at their vocals alone there is much to be improved. Everything up to the part just before the high note parade is perfectly fine - strong vocals, solid, consistent delivery and stunning harmonies - but the guy who does the high note, no matter how much his voice shone on that live video they released the other day, when left to his own devices he's not as sure as Mika or Karam. First of all, he cut the note in half. On one hand I appreciate that he had the foresight to not push the sustain, but after hearing that disaster of a note that came after that pause, I get the feeling that he stopped to "gain momentum" for a train wreck. My throat hurts after hearing it - you're overdoing the husk(y). Not really something praise-worthy. Try again, DGNA.

Orange Caramel - "Shanghai Romance"
We'll talk when you people stop putting out such cheap songs, coupled with horrid choreography and bad vocals, Orange Caramel.

Secret - "Love is MOVE"
I never thought the day would come when Sunhwa would become the second-best singer in the band. I always thought it would be the other girl. But then again, they've all really improved over the years, and Ji Eun can now sing her own songs with that pretty voice of hers! Strong performance this week, very explosive and consistent, except for that girl who now cannot sing. And I really like how the entire thing is perky and fun, but still melodic. It's one of those songs that does best live.

Brown Eyed Girls - "Cleansing Cream"
I finally understand how BEG challenge the k-pop norm, and it's not just in the song, it's in the entire package of the comeback. The song itself isn't anything groundbreaking, it sounds like several other songs, but the way they pull it off, and of course the fact that they're actually mainstream whether they like it or not, makes the entire idea of this release, somewhat off. In a good way of course. And the performance - of course it has to be different from everyone else who prances around stage or stands there - they're sitting down. Thrones, maybe? Again, the outstanding vocals get perfect marks, but the performance as a whole is really something else.

Kim Hyun Joong - "Lucky"
Whoever says that Hyun Joong can sing live clearly has no ears. He's gotten much more stable since going solo, but it's not like he has a voice to start with, so there's only so much he can do before. And why isn't he singing during the chorus? I don't care if the choreography is hard, you are a singer, you SING, you do not dance and randomly chant English. Oh Hyun Joong, when will you ever realize that singing solo is not for you.

SNSD/Girls' Generation - "The Boys"(WINNER)
The only thing on my mind while watching this was how I could accurately describe my rage over the excessive bass on today's performance. Let's just say that no, I haven't found an English word, but I do have a rather stinging rant in my native tongue, which I put on Twitter. As for the vocals, I don't know, there's always something off about EVERYONE's vocals, and I think that has to do with THAT STUPID BASS LINE DROWNING EVERYONE OUT. If everything was evened out on the recording, I'm afraid studio tricks mean nothing in the real world. Seriously, they all sound like they're being strangled, regardless of whether or not any of them are singing well. I'm sorry, but that really puts me off.

Great things can happen when the industry forces an idol group with a limited budget to stand out.

2011-10-31T20:30:00.001+08:00

So much money, time and effort goes into idol group release these days - flashy music videos, heavily produced and processed singles, and whatever else money can buy - but at the end of the day, all that really matters is how the group delivers all that flash. There are some who can pull it off, but many (and I mean MANY) fall short - the endless gimmicks have become a way to hide the fact that majority of groups these days have next to no solid musical talent.

Cue DGNA/The Boss.

As an idol group they fall short of a lot of things, they're not under a major talent agency, flashy music videos and overseas producers are out of the question, they've hardly promoted in Korea, they've never won any music shows, they don't consistently top charts and whatever else the standard idol group has to do these days, they most probably don't. But you see, that situation made them the group they are. That's why they're special.

In a sense, because the best their talent company can give them are a bunch of generic songs, they have to find another way to stand out and not be another kpop casualty. They have to push themselves, and in turn, the industry's boundaries, in order to stand out. And what's that way? Well, for starters they all have to actually have good voices.

All five of them can sing. Three of them have stunning yet flexible voices. Of course they're still very young and they haven't been around for long so there are so many things they have to even out in terms of their individual vocals and their group dynamics, but they have their foundations strongly planted. They know how to pull off five-part harmonies without out-singing each other, but they also know how to make their voices shine as soloists. Does that remind you of anyone? Of course it does. ;D

These never-ending DBSK comparisons exist for a reason. DGNA are being compared to DBSK, for me at least, because both groups are lightyears ahead of their peers and because both groups take the current sound of the industry and do it better than their counterparts. The two groups, despite debuting and promoting under different circumstances, are the best voices of their generations.

However, it took DBSK a long time to reach that level, and it will take DGNA long as well. Prior to "O Jung.Ban.Hap.", the reason why DBSK always lip-synced their performances was because they simply didn't have the vocals to do it. Watch any live performance of "Hi Ya Ya", and I promise you 3 minutes of horror. Before becoming the best vocal group kpop has ever seen, DBSK was just like everyone else - nurtured by SM Entertainment, so they never had to challenge themselves vocals-wise. Until Japan came along.

The Japanese industry is rigorous, it's cut-throat, and being signed to a major label does not guarantee success, much like the American industry. DBSK had to stand out, and the only way to do that was to sing, and sing well. DGNA have to stand out in Korea because of their agency's limited budget, and the only way to do that is to sing, and sing well.

"Lady" just solidifies the theory. It's a simple release - generic ballad with all the stereotype elements, simple video, limited promotion and not-so-staggering sales - but what makes it better is that they can sing it well. Live. With minimal accompaniment.

This is the first time since DBSK that I've heard such strong five-part harmonies from an idol group. Each voice is very clear, very sure of what it's doing, and what has to be done, and trust me, after years of singing a middle voice, being sure of your harmonies while being on the same wavelength as the rest of the group is extremely difficult.

Their harmonies are not 100 percent smooth yet and their voices are only about 85 percent on the same level of intensity with each other, but those qualities are not the type of things you can just learn in a day - they take years of singing together, and years of pushing yourself as a singer. In short, they take time.

As individual singers they are outstanding. Mika and Karam have always been the stellar voices, but that guy who does the middle 8, when he goes up for that high note his voice is so bright. If it was up to me, that guy will be their permanent high note-hitter. Seriously, I cannot stress how stunning a bright voice is, and that high note he hit was almost blinding-bright. Well, before he closed his mouth and lost it.

Even with the rough edges, the are easily the most talented group of their generation. They just have to keep going and keep pushing and keep standing out until they actually get somewhere, because if talent is any basis they'd be sweeping charts left and right, and I'd like to think at least a small fraction of the Korean buying public still puts a premium on actual talent.

-------
*drops to my knees and begs for forgiveness* I can't even begin to fully explain why I haven't been writing, so I'll try to give you guys a condensed explanation. Basically, college has drained my brain more than I thought it would so I spent the past few weeks of semestral break just not thinking seriously about anything partially to rest from my first semester in college and partially to brace myself for the second semester where I have four lit subjects, intermediate Japanese, and geography. (LOL that was a long sentence) That and I now have a weekly column on soompi, so if you've been reading the single reviews and you wondered why it sounded a lot like me, well, it IS me. ;D

So what's in store for PRN during the last stretch of 2011? A lot. If you've been reading my tweets lately, yesterday I was starting to finalize the 50 songs for my "best of 2011" countdown. I don't have rankings or anything yet (which I should probably start on already, actually), but I have revised the rules and right now there are 54 songs on the list. The 50 songs will be locked by November 25, to give me time to start writing the reviews. Like the previous years, the rules will be released on December 1, the countdown starts on December 2 with song #50, and ends on December 31, New Year's Eve, with song #1.

Between now and December, I'm also thinking of bringing back my music show recaps, just as a way to ease myself back into writing on a regular basis, since 50 reviews in less than a month isn't exactly an easy task. If all goes well, I'll probably start this Friday with Music Bank! :D

And, as always, thank you so much for sticking with me. I haven't been the most consistent blogger around, and I'm really really sorry about that. D:

I guess it's time for explanations.. yet again.

2011-10-14T20:51:00.001+08:00

Even if it hasn't been that long since my last review, I know that I haven't been paying too much attention to PRN, and in all honesty that's killing me, but other things are killing me as well, and commitments are commitments. I'll wrap up my first semester of college on Monday afternoon, when I take the last of my exams, and then I'll be home free. To focus on PRN? Hopefully.

I'll spare you the long story, but in all honesty, I'm so drained from school and work that when I finally get some free time for myself, the last thing I want to do is think. It has caused me to seriously reconsider my job over at soompi, but I just started slowly climbing the ladder. Hopefully by the end of the year I'll be in a position of that much more power.

I think it's also important for you guys to know that I'm not just a contributor for Soompi anymore - I'm a columnist. Which means every week I have to write a single review, and that's both a blessing and a curse for PRN. It's a curse because obviously, my attention will go to the Soompi single reviews over my reviews here in PRN, but it's also a blessing because once I get the hang of this weekly thing, it will hopefully get me back to writing reviews regularly.

And lastly, if you really want to read my reviews (I doubt you will though. hahah!), here's where:

SOOMPI - I have a weekly column, and all articles that are titled "Single Review: Artist - 'Title'", are mind. I only do SINGLE reviews, not album reviews. I also write hard news, mainly about JYJ/HoMin, under the username writer_girl.
The Kpop Panel - Mel, McRoth and I are trying to make this a weekly thing again, so I'm putting more effort into this. I've linked to The Kpop Panel before on my music show recaps, so I think majority of you guys know the drill.

I don't know when I'll be writing regularly again, but like I always say, I can assure you that no matter how busy I get, no matter how long I don't write reviews for PRN, there is no way in heaven or hell that I will let PRN go. Pop Reviews Now started it all for me, I've built a career and a name for the past three years because of PRN, so frankly, I'd be crazy to let it go.

JYJ - "IN HEAVEN"

2011-10-03T09:12:00.000+08:00

Initially I was against the idea of reviewing "In Heaven", mainly because I thought that if I did it would just turn into a screaming, gushing, freaking out-fest. Let's just say that a lot of things happened between the release and now that writing a review is probably the best thing to do now. That said, it's also a good thing I didn't review "Their Rooms" earlier this year, because if I did you'd be left with half a review and the same opinions for the other half.

Speaking of "Their Rooms" brings me to my first point. It's both a good thing and a bad thing that they included the songs from that EP, and even I'm not so sure myself if it's more good than bad, or the other way around. It's not getting my full praise because it means that they're recycling songs and majority of the cuts on the album were from "Their Rooms". However, it's been less than a year since they put that EP out, and that's hardly enough time to write 9 brand-new songs between everything the three had to do, and this is no longer SM where everything is handed to them on a silver platter. I would rather they put previously-released, stronger, songs on the album than even more half-baked, crammed "songs".

I'll spare you guys of the full "oh my god they're back do you know what this means" speech, but really, what this album has already achieved is jaw-dropping, considering the circumstances. It just shows how people still value good music, and that no matter how SME tries to wipe the three of the face of the earth, at the end of the day it's the music that matters, as it should.

This album is not without it's flaws though, as JYJ are relatively inexperienced songwriters. Argue with me all you want, cite polls or whatever, but you cannot deny that next to the likes of Yoo Young Jin, the Brave Brothers and Teddy, JYJ are little dots on the Korean songwriters' map. Yeah sure Jaejoong and Yoochun "wrote" a few songs on "The Secret Code" and "Mirotic", but you have to remember that during those times the songs that actually got put out went through grueling A&R and re-arrangements before they were even considered for the albums. Now, as JYJ, because the three are taking the lead, they have to do everything that was once done for them.

And I think what they fail to realize is that you cannot just sing a random song in a random key with some random instruments and expect it to sound good, no matter how gorgeous a voice you have. JYJ have the basics of songwriting pretty much clear in their heads - the structures, the melodies, etc. - but what they don't have is the technical proficiency. When they were under SME everything was done for them by engineers, producers, arrangers, A&R executives - everything from choosing the songs, matching them to the band, assigning the solo parts, to post-prod. Now they have to do almost all of that, and that's no easy task. Believe me, being able to do that is not something you can just take up in school and expect to master in a few weeks - it takes years and years of actually writing songs and working with different voices to get it right, and even sometimes you slip.

Choosing songs to sing is like shopping for clothes - different people have different measurements and you can't wear something that's too tight or too loose, it has to be just right. I think they probably know they have to match the songs to their voices, but I don't think they know how to do it. My prime example: Yoochun's part in "Nine". MY GOD is that a complete disaster. If that's the only song you hear off the album, the assumption would be that Yoochun cannot sing. At all. Which we all know is not true, but my point is that every single part of the song has to be meticulously, painstakingly paid attention to, because the minute you forget something, it's downhill from there.

You cannot force a song to fit your voice, the same way you can't force yourself into a size 0 dress when you're a size 3 or something. Of course you'll probably be able to put it on, with lots of effort and squeezing, but it won't look very pleasing, would it? That's my point. It's not that it's not possible to have a song that doesn't fit your voice, it's that it makes for a bad song, and gives off the impression that you don't know what you're doing.

So basically my comment on this entire album is that this is JYJ trying to do everything, for once in their careers. It's not a bad thing, and they did okay, but not good enough. For a bunch of guys who just went from being spoon-fed by Korea's biggest money-making entertainment agency machine to being on their own, writing all their songs, it's actually pretty good, bar a few slips here and there. But just because I like a band, doesn't mean I'm blind to the fact that they make mistakes too, or I just overlook their flaws.

Due to the fact that they ARE relatively inexperienced songwriters, all the songs on "IN HEAVEN" work around set formulas. We've heard all of the stuff on this album before, and it's not in the sense of this being a continuation of identity, it's in the sense that we've honestly really heard stuff like this before. I'm pretty sure they're not plagiarized, even for flimsy kpop standards. The album can be divided into three, very VERY distinct groups - the uptempos, the mid-tempos and the ballads. And these divisions are not only applicable to the tempos, I get the impression that JYJ only have one concept of an uptempo, one concept to a midtempo, and one concept of a ballad. They're okay songs, and the focus is really on their vocals, but the album as a whole is not creative enough. "IN HEAVEN" is for people who really like JYJ to start with.

There is only one type of uptempo on this album - and it's the synth-laden, autotune-fest of an uptempo. Second-rate talent agency production, overused synths, that type.

When "Get Out" was first released, let's just say I wasn't freaking out over it as much as I would've liked to, and that was partially because of the bad quality rip I got. Listening to it now, I realize that the song's so-called "main points" are neither the melody nor the vocals. It's the arrangement and dynamics that carry the song, and so obviously with a bad quality rip you don't hear much of the dynamics and build-ups and the little details here and there. The melody and the vocal treatment on this was rather bland, to be honest - it's nothing special if those are the only things you pay attention to, however coupled with strong production and a good arrangement with just enough kick to keep you on your toes, it's actually a good song. It's one of those songs that sounds best with thousands of fangirls screaming their heads off in the background. It just works. There are some technical slips, like how they processed Jaejoong's vocals during the break down, which is just plain annoying and And come to think of it, earlier this year I was saying that JYJ may have all these pretty melodies and nice harmonies, but they hadn't yet mastered this side of songwriting - it's not just about what you think sounds good, it's about what works.

To me, "Mission" sounds a bit like the prototype for "Get Out". The production is a lot stronger, more on the cheesecake side of things (see: my analogies for Japanese and Korean production), but there are a lot of similar elements in the two songs, that sometimes it freaks me out. Repetitive choruses, really heavy synths, all these things going on in the background - see the similarities? "Mission" is either of two things, the way I see it. One, either they're trying to do everything they learned from working with Korean and Japanese songwriters, but they still manage to leave some things out, or two, this song is a parody of all the second-rate talent agency songs, a way for JYJ to go "hey, we can do it too - and sing better". Take your pick.

I cannot stand the synths on "I.D.S.", and no, you're not the only one who heard "I want you in my pants" - it's become a running gag for fans, and I can't stop giggling every time I hear it. Again, the melody is pretty, but there's something off about how they put everything together. They way the processed the vocals, how I have no idea who's singing that "ideal scenario" part, mixed with the synths I can't stand and all these stereotypical brean-downs and build ups. Everything about this song is far too generic, and it goes right through me. I start listening to it and by the end I'm like, "wait, that's it? so where's the song?"

The ballads are also very similar to each other - they all sound like they came straight out of a K-drama sound track.

Stunning. "In Heaven" is the right mix of lead single-material and show-stopping ballad, with the likes of "Love In the Ice", and it confuses me as to whether I should laugh or cry when I hear this. It's not 100% a ballad, but it's as if they took all the things that make ballads gorgeous and put them in a single. The verses are all ballad with the single piano lines and vibratos courtesy of Jaejoong and Yoochun, but the bridges have that ever so slight bit of punch and edginess, courtesy (again) of Junsu and Jaejoong's gorgeous voices. Even the voices they chose for the specific parts are the other way around - when you say ballad, it's usually Junsu or Jaejoong sometimes, and when you say edgy, it's usually Yoochun or Jaejoong sometimes too, but on the song they switched it. That's not to say that the three of them can't do the other and this is a "first time", because they have and they can, but it's not what you'd normally expect. And the middle 8, that jaw-dropping, stunning, gorgeous middle 8 with Jaejoong just soaring while Junsu tries to pull everything back down to earth - I'll go out and say it now but that is really THE most gorgeous middle 8 I've heard all year. Is 2011 the year of the middle 8's or something? Not that I'm complaining!

So "Fallen Leaves" was one of the songs on "Their Rooms", and honestly, the beginning reminds me way too much of "Don't Say Goodbye", from "Mirotic". And because they played this song a lot on "3HREE VOICES", all I can think of now when I listen to this is scenes of Jaejoong waking up. The song itself is a really quaint song. Very short lines, with ever so slightly audible breaths, for the verses, and then when Junsu comes in it's stunning. This is, in theory, Junsu's song - he really takes the lead and gives it attitude. But after a while it does become like every other boring ballad you only really listen when you're sad.

"Boys Letter" sounds a little like Junsu's song for "Scent of A Woman" AND Yoochun's song for "Miss Ripley" AAAAAAAND Jaejoong's song for "Protect The Boss", and obviously this is the one that belongs on a K-drama the most. It's really formulaic k-drama OST, with the piano line at the beginning, the strings slowly leading to a small explosion at the chorus, all the way up to Jaejoong's part at around 2:42 and that stunning chorus, complete with backup vocals, and the high note parade all the way to the end. And that abrupt slow-down that surprisingly leads to Junsu screaming his head off. I can vividly imagine how this song is gonna be cut up and placed at random parts of an episode of a romance drama. Like, really - it's more like this song was made to be spliced up. The melody's gorgeous though, and I like how they thought out of the usual box in terms of the song's structure.

They're singing in the wrong key on "NINE", and that has annoyed me to no end ever since the blasted song came out. This is what I mean when I say they don't know how to produce songs. Junsu and Jaejoong are singing in an okay key, even if Jaejoong sounds more like a girl and he's probably struggling every time he tries to sing it, but Yoochun? What the hell Chun? Just because it works for the other two, doesn't mean you just have to force Yoochun into a song he clearly cannot sing. He has a nice voice, and that has been proven countless times before, but my god his part at the beginning is excruciatingly painful. How did that even get past mixing? Their production staff must've been drugged all the way, because I cannot understand how that's supposed to sound any good. The song in itself is gorgeous, with a sweeping melody that literally soars, gorgeous harmonies that help a lot, and a simple instrumental, but it's just not for Yoochun, and that pretty much ruins the entire experience. Please, JYJ, I beg you, have someone with experience do your A&R for you while you're still learning, please? I appreciate how you want to be as hands-on as possible, but at this point I'd rather you put out songs that work for you.

I don't know where to put "Untitled Song part 1", but to me it's just a jumble of Yoochun rapping stuff about SME, and Jaejoong and Junsu adding random adlibs here and there, set behind a loop and some piano lines here and there. Nothing much.

The mid-tempos!

"You're" SCREAMS SM TOWN for me. If this is not SM Town, I don't know what is. Come on, how can you not imagine Shindong and Eunhyuk rapping and joking around during Chun's part? And the chorus is so cotton candy sweet that SNSD would have no problem hogging the cameras while "singing" it. I should've figured they'd do something like this though, because after all, Junsu had been in SM for a decade (he entered in 1999, left in 2009) before they left, and Jaejoong and Yoochun were pretty close - the SME style is pretty much all they know. It's a pretty song, very catchy, slightly Christmas-y with the way the strings were put in, strong vocals, strong production, but I can't shake off the fact that it sounds so SM Town. I had this on loop for like a week though!

I liked the idea of "Pierrot" initially, but once "Their Rooms" came out, I quickly realized that after you listen to it once there's nothing much to the song, and the verses go from stunning to okay. The chorus becomes boring and lacks some kick, and the entire song just becomes a bore. What you initially hear is all it really is, and most of the time that bores people to death. I mean the melody, minus the chorus, is pretty, and the vocals strong, but that's not enough to draw you in for more listens. However, I'll just say that KBS banning the song is another addition to the crazy interpretations those people come up with. I though they were crazy when they banned Rain's "Love Song" because he ran through a stoplight, but now they're just plain stupid for making something up, just to ban it.

3.9/5, the melodies are there, but the ideas and technicalities are not.

KARA - Step

2011-09-06T20:39:00.001+08:00

So I tweeted a while ago that I was/am on the verge of a break down and that I couldn't relax because I had so much to study. Well, I tried studying, but nothing's sticking to my brain so whether or not I study tonight I'm most probably just gonna fail anyway, so I'd rather get something done than just laze around, and since writing is supposed to relax me, I'm gonna give it a shot. Time to try and forget the fact that I have to get up at 5AM tomorrow, that 2/3 of my subjects tomorrow have tests, and that I'm probably gonna fail them. Oh well.

So anyway. Enough about the break down I have to forget, on to business. I was too distracted with the JYJ teaser this morning to bother with the KARA song/album, but now that I've seriously listened to the song, I really, really like it. Out of all these "vintage"-themed singles or whatever - e.g., "Roly Poly", "Figaro", you get the point - I like this the most, probably because it's more than just "vintage".

So the synths and loops throughout the song, as well as the percussion and some parts of the melody, would possibly class this among the "Roly Poly"s of the world, and at first glance it really does fit this girl group trend, but the thing is that KARA have a strong enough back catalogue and musical identity to not just completely surrender themselves to the trend.

If you notice their previous singles and when they came out, they follow whatever the trend was at that time - "Lupin" had that dark thing going, "Jumping" was out during the time when everyone was going techno, or some derivative, and now "Step Up" is following the "vintage" trend. And just a side note, but I listened to the instrumental and the synths are SO "Take On Me"/"Never Gonna Give You Up".

But if you also noticed, all three singles have something that ties them together. Of course as time passed the synths got noisier, the orchestrations grander and the vocals ever so slightly better, but they all still sound like KARA. There's a specific style, sound and combination of vocals, instrumentation, structure and arrangement that just clicks and links the three songs together. There's no before or after, no "shocking transformation", there's only KARA songs.

It's nice to know that after all the complaining I've been doing these past few years about the fact that all these idol groups have no sense of musical identity and cohesion, everyone in kpop is finally, slowly, finding their ground, and their niche. I've been waiting for more than 2 years for this, it's about time!

So on the song proper. So now that I've made it clear that it's a KARA song, I assume you know what goes in to the now-standard KARA single. It's synth-heavy, it's got those pretty trumpets behind all that chaos, and the melody is infectious. It's fast enough to build choreography around, but it's relaxed enough for an actual melody to surface. Strong production - rich instruments, float-y but firm vocals and a well pulled-off resolution. However if their past singles are anything to go by on, they probably can't pull this off live, which will, again, be a pity.

So what did it get from the current trend? The fun. It's such a fun, happy, light song, but it's not the "I wanna puke" kind of cute either. There's enough seriousness for it to be taken seriously, but with everything going on in the background, the vocals just manage to tie everything up nicely and give it that light sound. The chorus in particular honestly just sounds like one big riot of a party - the vocal treatment, the trumpets, the chords and harmonies - I don't see how you cannot dance, or attempt to, when you hear something like this.

So from now on, whenever someone makes an excuse that they wanted to make a light and fun song but end up making a sickeningly cute track, I will use this as proof that you don't need to make everything cute for it to be the light kind of fun.

The last point I want to raise, and probably my favorite part of the song, is the middle 8. I'll go ahead and say it - although short, this is one of the most brilliant middle 8's I've heard in a very long time. It's a very welcome break from the rest of the noisy, but fun, parts of the song, and it comes at the right time, but in itself it's gorgeous. Although a little throatily delivered, the melody is so pretty and the transitions are perfect. It just zooms in and out and only when it's gone do you realize how gorgeous it is.

Definitely one of the best singles this year, I'm not gonna lie. And my first perfect review in quite a while!

5/5

U-KISS - Neverland

2011-09-02T21:17:00.003+08:00

It's been a hectic week for me, that's for sure. I got sick on Tuesday night, but forced myself to go to class on Wednesday and Thursday, weak and all. I've been writing papers and essays for class for the past 3-4 days, and right now my brain is all over the place, but I think writing a review will help sort out my brain, in preparation for the mountainS (yes, multiple mountains) of schoolwork I have to face this weekend. That and I have so much frustration with the way things are going with my writing "career" at the moment, so I really need to vent. ANYWAY.

This U-Kiss album was one of those albums I listened to just for the sake of saying that I heard it, but in all honesty it really exceeded my expectations. It's not amazing or anything, I'll say that flat-out, but it does have quite a few good points, that are enough to win me over.

The recurring theme throughout the entire album is the fact that it really sounds like a U-Kiss album through and through - there's no mistaking the sound. There are many other groups with the same producers, songwriters and whatnot, but they are at the stage where it's either they develop an identity, or fizzle away with all the other ill-fated boybands. In short, it's sink or swim. And they swam. Figuratively speaking, if this was a race they probably wouldn't have come out in first place, but they would most definitely make it to the finish line.

And what I was most surprised with was the presence of quite a number of really gorgeous songs. Not nice songs, not okay songs, the album actually had songs I would gladly listen to even after the initial hype of the album is over.

I tweeted yesterday, when I initially heard the album, that the first half was really good, and I still stand by that. The second half, however, is rather boring and just doesn't have enough impact to leave a lasting impression. Even now, I can hardly remember any of the songs in the second half, apart from that disastrous duet with Paran. I always say, if a song fails to make me stop what I'm doing at that moment, it's not worth listening to when I'm conscious of it, and only the first half really made me stop and listen.

In all honesty, I hardly ever pay attention to intros on kpop albums because most of the time they have nothing to do with the rest of the album and either set the bar too high or put me off listening to the album proper, but by the intro of this album alone, there was no mistaking that this was a U-Kiss album. It has the right attitude but enough melody, and it's familiar, but fresh enough to draw you in. It's an actual cut on the album and not just some random loops thrown together last-minute and put at the beginning of the album.

"Neverland" isn't half bad, I'll give them that. Again, it sounds like a U-Kiss song, everything from the vocal treatment to the structure to the way the chorus was phrased, yet it's fresh and new. My first impression of it was that it was some kind of hybrid of "0330" and "Bingeul Bingeul" because although the autotune was very much in place and there were parts of the song that just went on and on, parts of the song were treated in a way similar to "0330", with a lot less autotune and a lot more melody. You still have the standard syllables repeating, but the melody is more prominent and stronger than your usual "ADD Song", as I like to call it. It's catchy, it's repetitive, it's simple, but a good enough melody exists to carry the song. The video is such a disappointment though, but it's just a video - the song's good enough.

The first of the gorgeous songs I was talking about a while ago is "Baby Don't Cry". It's very k-pop boyband and will have no problem fitting in with the BEAST repertoire, but the vocals shift it right back into the U-Kiss territory. Initially it came off as a very heavy song - if I were to compare it to food it would be something like super creamy and deadly chocolate ice cream. But actually, the melody, the vocals, and the treatment, floats over the really heavy, thick almost, instrumental, so it's a very nice balance, and an absolute pleasure to listen to, if I may say so.

"Some Day" was the first track we heard in full, when it came out a few days before the rest of the album, and I've noticed that all the tracks they release before a formal album comes out, which is this and "Without You" from "Only One", are the really pretty songs on the eventual album. My only problem with "Some Day" is that at times it seems like it's too slow and the vocals end up either chasing the instrumental or sound like they're lagging, which still doesn't take away the fact that it's a pretty song. Still, there's something slightly off about some parts of the song. I like how it ends though, with that strong, slightly high, note and just one chord - it reminds me a lot of choir+piano arrangements of songs.

And we move on to my favorite song on the album - "Take Me Away". Stunning. I never thought I'd say that about a U-Kiss song, but really, it's stunning to the point where you get all warm and fuzzy when you hear the song. I'd class this with the "Angel"'s (Sarah McLaughlan) of the world, with the simple but stunning piano line, the minimal use of other instruments, and the tame vocals. The absence of high note parades and screaming is partially because U-Kiss are not really the best people to do those, but I think also because that's the point of the song - to not hit people over the head. The harmonies, although very obviously tinkered with during post-production which kinda makes them sound like robots, aren't half bad, although I wouldn't call them good. Nice try though, U-Kiss. As a whole though, the song is really the type to literally pull at your heartstrings - the echo they used on the vocals, the dynamics, and even the harmonies, all make for probably the most stunning kpop song I've heard in the past few months.

However, I was really disappointed to find out that after my favorite song, the album goes downhill. It's a gradual fall, but a fall nonetheless.

"ON THE Floor" (strange capitalization) actually has a pretty decent melody and it's very catchy even not during the hook, but it's rather generic - I can readily name several other groups who've done, or could do, something very similar to this. Just taking the song alone though, it's something I'd definitely listen to twice or thrice more, but I'm not too sure if it'll stay in my iPod for longer than a few weeks. Same goes for "친구의 사랑" - it's a really pretty song, and I mean really quaint and pretty, but not gorgeous enough to stand beside the first few tracks. I like the melody, and the arrangement is very apt, but taking the entire album into consideration it's too much 90's boyband ballad and not enough U-Kiss.

"4월 이야기" is really out of place on the album, to be honest. So it's a duet between someone from the band, and a girl from Brave Girls, who has a gorgeous voice (I actually thought she was Haeri for a while, until she started hitting high notes and it sounded different) but really, it's a little too fairy tale with butterflies and princesses to be in a U-Kiss album. It sounds like a slightly better-produced drama OST, actually.

"Obsession" seemed like an interesting song at the beginning, but the vocal treatment at the chorus really, really, annoyed me, and it just goes on and on and on and it doesn't even have a pretty melody. The entire song's all over the place, and it just goes through you when you listen to it. "Top That" is every so slightly more U-Kiss, but something about the song just isn't right - it sounds more like a girls' song than a boyband song. That's not saying they can't sing girls' songs, but the way it was delivered is just off.

"Tell Me Y" is another one of those songs that just goes on and on and on. It does have a melody, but the long, slightly shrill, notes hurt my ears more than soothe them, and all the talking/screaming in the background is no help. Please go back to singing, U-Kiss, I kind of prefer the autotune over this.

So the duet with Paran is preceded by this extremely long part where all the guys do is fool around and cough and whatever, which is completely unnecessary. I know they're friends, but in case you've forgotten, this is a song, you know, with a melody and instrumentation? Yeah. So once the song actually starts after two and a half minutes, you'd think it's this really stunning or mind-blowing package, but it's actually quite boring. If you really listen intently, it's a pretty melody and the simple guitar at the beginning is kinda like the piano in "Take Me Away", but once the chorus hits it becomes a drag. It's average, boring and very predictable. I'm very disappointed, because not only is this the last track on an album I liked at the beginning, but these guys can actually sing.

Basically, the album slowly builds up to "Take Me Away", and then after that it just goes downhill all the way. The first half was really good, and the cuts are definitely going on this weekend's study playlist, but the second half was so disappointing. It's as if they put all their effort in to 5 tracks and then just got lazy for the rest of the album, or forgot the point/concept in the middle of recording and just did whatever.

The Best Track(s): "Take Me Away"
The Okay Tracks: "Baby Don't Cry", "Neverland", "Some Day", "친구의 사랑"
The Worst Track(s): "Obsession"
The Rating: 4.1/5

JoJo - Disaster

2011-08-30T07:48:00.000+08:00

It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I'm REALLY REALLY sorry for not writing anything in ages, but between the mountain of schoolwork I have to do (I'm a lit major, go figure) and my soompi job which is not only an obligation to myself but to an entire team, I neither have time nor energy or brain juice to write. Until now. Perfect timing, actually, it's a four-day weekend and I need to relax because I'm about to go nuts thinking of how I'm gonna get all this schoolwork done when I have a really bad cold. :D

I know I sound like a broken record already when I say this, but I cannot stress enough the fact that JoJo was the act who started my interest for pop music altogether, and even if I've branched out from her long ago, I've always been waiting - she was more than just a part of my childhood, she was my childhood. She was a role model, yes, but she also allowed me to explore music on my own, away from the (very strong) influence of my family, especially my dad. She brought me where I am today, and the least I can do is wait for her to come back.

AND SHE'S BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!! For real this time - "Disaster" is the official first single from the new album. We don't have the song in HQ yet, but just by the MQ rip I can safely say that this will be fierce competition for my favorite song of the year! (Unless of course she betters this on the album, which is highly possible) "Jumping Trains" was good, it sparked interest in her again, and after waiting for so long it was more than welcome, but listening to it now it's more of an album track than it is a single. "Disaster" sounds like single-material.

It's also been a while since I've written about Western music, and with the industry rapidly changing, forgive me if I overlook some things or make mistakes. Majority of my brain is still stuck in 2009, I'm sorry.

There's so much going on in the song, but the main point of the song is that when I was listening to it, it's as if I was taken back to 2006. If someone put this in to "The High Road" before telling me it's the new single, I would've thought it was some hidden track I never heard. It's as if the 5-year gap between albums never happened, and we're all still in 2007 or something. Of course her voice has matured, and that's the big giveaway, but just taking the song itself - the arrangement, the melody, the choice of instruments - it's so 2006. The melody is gorgeous, yes, but also the way it was put together in relation to each part has a distinct sound. The guitars at the beginning sound like they came from Jesse McCartney's first album (which was my guilty pleasure back then, thank you very much) or a Disney pop star single, the arrangement, with the strings at the middle 8 that slowly build up to the explosion at the end - whoa.

I missed this.

So back to the "it's like she never stopped" point. That just shows that the JoJo we heard back then is still the JoJo we hear now - no "radical transformations", nothing shocking, she just grew up. And when you grow up you don't completely change yourself - you better what you think should be improved, but you're still the same person. With the same brain, the same identity. That's what the point of "Disaster" is - to show us that the JoJo we heard on "The High Road" may have grown up, but she's still JoJo, and even back then she was sure of who she was musically.

It's also such a powerful song. When you think acoustic guitar you usually think boring, laid-back and not really gutsy or anything, but like I said, there's something about the combination of everything that just sounds, and feels right. And we're back to my favorite statement - music is half heard, half felt. What you hear will determine what you feel, and after the nostalgia, the song is very fluid, but it has punch, I was smiling like a madwoman at the melody, but at the same time the very heavy, gutsy instrumentation was a welcome contradiction. It's not one-dimensional - I've listened to it almost a dozen times now and every time I listen to it I hear something new. It has enough detail to keep us listening, but the major parts - the melody, the arrangement, the instruments - are strong enough to leave an impression.

For fans who've been with her since the very beginning, me included, this is like a trip down memory lane. This is what we've been waiting for, and it most definitely does not fail to impress. For new listeners, this single will show off not only her gorgeous voice (which not has such a beautiful, deep timbre) but her musical identity - this is who she is, and who she's always been. And she's back.

5/5

After School: Blue vs. Red

2011-07-27T20:45:00.000+08:00

I've been meaning to write a review on either and/or both of the singles since they came out last week, but I was swamped with schoolwork and all I wanted to do this past weekend was sleep, shop and eat. Then, last Sunday I thought of a decent excuse for not writing a review earlier, so I decided to write this post up anyway. So here I am. My excuse? I was waiting for them to wrap up their comeback stages, and although they haven't gone on Music Bank yet, they've done 2/3 of the shows - that's good enough. This will be a little more than just two single reviews slapped together, because it's an analysis of the sub-groups as a whole - the members, the single, the delivery.

After School Blue

The Concept:

According to Pledis, they're supposed to be the cute ones. Cute, "fresh" (whatever that's supposed to be) - mainly cute. When I first heard of this, I instantly knew this was the AS sub-group that would make cringe. And the sub-group with Raina in it. I was right!

The Line-up:

Raina - Fits this subgroup like a glove, and you need someone in this subgroup who can actually hold a melody, so Raina it is. I would've been more surprised if they put her in Red, where she most definitely does not belong. That and they finally took her away from Jung Ah so Jung Ah can finally get majority of the vocals.
Lizzy - Lizzy's pretty versatile, to be honest. She's young so you would assume she'd fit more in Blue, but actually I'd like to see her in Red. She has the vocals to do it, seeing as they thought UEE was okay for Red. But we'll get to UEE later.
Jooyeon - Thank goodness she's here and not in Red. At least she can hide her non-existent vocals with cuteness, which isn't really happening but you can tell they tried.
E-Young - It's too early to really judge E-Young's voice, seeing as she's only been around for 1 single (plus this) and she gets minimal lines, but at least here in Blue, if she's really good it'll show. We'll see.

Who should have been included:

UEE - Enough said. I'll talk about her more when we get to AS Red, but UEE should've really been in Blue.

The Single:

"Wonder Boy"

Plagiarism issues aside (Have you people not gotten tired of all these stupid plagiarism claims already?), it's not a bad song. To put it in modern terms, it's very SNSD circa-2007-meets-Orange Caramel. For the people who have bothered to learn their kpop history, I do agree when people say it kinda reminds them of "Forever Love" (the Fin.K.L version, not the DBSK one), but I wouldn't go as far as to say that it was plagiarized. There are similarities, yes, but the melody isn't a 100% copy. Humor me. Anyway. It matches the entire idea of this subgroup, and seeing as majority of them really do this type of singing in the first place, the vocals were decent, when taken in context. Cute with a bit of spunk - come to think of it, that kind of matches what the new generation of After School are being marketed as.

The Performances:

Because majority of the members are really made for this kind of material, it doesn't surprise me that they can actually pull it off, again relative to the material. And, there were quite a few revelations - E-Young actually has a voice, Lizzy has a nice timbre but not that much of a voice, and Jooyeon still can't sing. Unlike the Orange Caramel performances which were really exaggerated and annoying, their first set of performances for "Wonder Boy" were pretty strong. Not my personal taste, but they did it well.

After School Red

The Concept:

Basically the opposite of AS Blue. Fierce, sexy - that type. Even before the song came out, I was already placing my bets on AS Red. As if I'd bet on AS Blue. Really now.

The Line-up:

Gahee - Duh. As if they'd even attempt to put Gahee in Blue - not gonna happen, Pledis. Gahee is the epitome of the entire idea of AS Red, she cannot not be in this sub-group.
Jung Ah - They finally let Jung Ah show off her vocals again after ages. Red is definitely the right subgroup for her, even if I was a bit disappointed with what she got on the song. But I'll get to that later.
Nana - Interesting member choice here. I don't know who else to put in Red either, so I guess Nana will have to do. She isn't that bad, in fact she's a lot better than she was when she first joined, it's just that there are better and more consistent singers in the group. And she tends to sound squeaky.
UEE - What. The. Hell. Why is this girl even in this subgroup. Why. She should be in Blue. Come to think of it, all of the members who weren't in the original line-up, bar Jooyeon because she's always been the useless one, should be in Blue, because basically they turned After School into a cute-fest plus Jung Ah and Gahee. UEE is on the useless side, but maybe we can put her on the cute side to save face. And training fees.

Who should have been included:

I'm not too sure of this myself, to be honest. No one for now.

The Single:

"In The Night Sky"

When I first heard the song, I was rather disappointed because this is hardly sexy or fierce or whatever they'd been telling us that AS Red would be. Of course I wasn't expecting them to strip or pole dance or anything, but for "fierce", this is really tame. Really tame. People have compared it to "Shady Girl" because of the loop and the synths and the talking guy in the background (who I assume is the same guy) and to a certain extent it does sound like the SISTAR song (the only one I can stand, to be honest), but again - it's not plagiarism if a significant part is not a 100% copy of another song. So anyway. After the initial "but this isn't fierce!" stage, it's not a bad song either, and I like it a lot better than the AS Blue song. But then again I hate anything that's in a similar realm to the AS Blue song. The chorus is extremely catchy while keeping a pretty melody throughout the entire song, and it's actually very pleasant to listen to - I've had just this on loop all weekend and I'm not sick of it yet. However, like I said a while ago, I was disappointed with the melody because it didn't give Jung Ah a chance to show off those stunning vocals I know she has, but never get shown. Jung Ah needs something like her "Bang!" verse, only longer - that was what I wanted, and what she needed to prove to everyone that she still has the upper hand in AS when it comes to vocals. But alas, they made her squeaky.

The Performances:

I was really disappointed with the live performances for this. Really disappointed. First you have UEE, who can't sing. At all. Then you have Gahee, who does have a voice, but isn't the most stable singer around. You have Jung Ah, who's singing in a pre-meditated cutesy voice most probably demanded by the agency. And you have Nana who really sings cute and isn't the best live singer either. Such a let-down. They carry themselves really well, even without backup dancers, but I'm afraid they, once again, cannot pull this song off live. PLEASE, Pledis, I beg you - give these girls a song they can actually sing live. For their sake. And your money's sake.

So now that I've laid down all the important points - which side are you on, Red or Blue? I think you know which side I'm on. :D