f(x) - NU ABO

FAIL title aside, NU ABO is everything I've learned to despise and more. They haven't exactly impressed me with any of their previous material but as a band half of them are vocally capable in some way, shape or form and for that very reason I've been giving them a chance over the past few months. I've had enough though.


Lachata was strong enough for a debut single and it's mistakes were forgivable, Chu was a mistake, and now NU ABO is just an EPIC FAIL. I'm sorry f(x), I know you girls are talented and all but this song is just not doing it for me. They are singers, they sing SONGS, they don't "chant" to boring loops, nor do they have their vocals processed and fixed like it's perfectly normal because it's not.

Krystal can sing, Amber can a bit and Luna just blows everyone away - where's all that talent going? To a song whose melodic lines make up 35% of the song at the very least? A song that's processed beyond belief and depends on a hook no one will even be able to properly hum along to in real life? Give me a break.

Pop music is made for the masses - so "regular" people can sing along and realize that "hey, maybe I can do this too" with hopes of making them buy the song. Simple melody, pretty instrumental, a structure people can remember - verse-chorus-verse-chorus-midde8-chorus. That's what pop is and what pop should be but if these girls can't even do that, what's the use? It's probably the most "unintellectual" type of music if you ask a fundamentalist, because all you have to do is create a melody anyone can sing along to. SME can't even do that and they're supposed to be "good" at "selling pop"? Puh-lease.

The only good part is the middle 8, which is, in the words of Simon Cowell, forgettable. It's good because someone actually sings on that part (I believe it's Luna) and sings well, albeit vocoder-ed like crazy.

Yes, the hook is very infectious - it's so damn infectious that even I can't get it out of my head. The song has a relatively clear structure if you think about it really well and the melodic parts, when they're there, are decent but as a whole this song is an EPIC FAIL.

1/5

9 comments:

  1. AGREEEEEEEEEEEE.
    What an annoying song D:

    ReplyDelete
  2. I actually like "NU ABO" but I fully understand why some people don't like it. I just find the song really... interesting.

    What do you think of the other song on the mini-album? I really like Sorry and Surprise Party. I pretty much like the whole album, even Ice Cream is kind of lol-worthy and ME+U's chant-sing can get irritating (although I'm sure that you'll hate the whole song xD). Oh well, I like songs from Katamari video games and those are the weirdest things I've ever heard.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I never really liked them much when they first debuted. The only song I ended up liking by them was Lollipop and that was not even in Korean.

    This new song of theirs is just a pain to the ears. And the vid is worse.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was originally not a fan of NU ABO because it sounded weird and like you said, it wasn't a lot of singing.

    But the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. I think the chorus is reallllllly addicting and I hum it all the time (mystery~, mystery~...). And the chanting parts are growing on me as well. When I first heard this song, I figured that this probably wasn't going to be a chart topper like Gee or Sorry Sorry or any of those other songs. But I really respect f(x) or SM (or whoever) that is taking a risk with these girls and trying something pretty different from what every other group out there is doing. But I think the song really reflects the image and energy of the girls in f(x).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sadako - hahah.

    Ann - I have a review up on Virgin Music. It's here: http://www.virgin.com/music/top-music-blogs/pop-reviews-now-f-x-nu-abo

    Diana Dang - *sigh* lol.

    Ringo - Good point! I never thought of it like that. hahah.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, Nikki...

    Geraldi's here (aldibhas on Twitter). Yes, totally agree with your opinion.

    f(x) is such a kind of what we called with "wasting talent" or in other words SM put wrong person in wrong place.

    As a term of girlband that singing (and it should be their main job), f(x) is Luna and Luna is f(x). But what we see until Nu Abo is released are: fashion disaster, title with no special meaning, and weird lyrics.

    f(x) should deserve more than it. They need to continue the popularity of SM group regardless its controversy, and make it the tradition for SM

    ReplyDelete
  7. The song is pretty bad when you actually think about it. Its too chanty, the only part i could bear was the chorus and Luna's part. Krystal's voice was very shrill in this song and Sulli was bad. However, this song was very catchy and i learned the dance to it XDD.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I just understand, I can see where you're coming from, but I simply have to say it; Nu ABO is my favorite K-pop song of all time, besides 'The Boys'.I love the upbeat electronic-like instrumental. I can easily cherograph and dance to it, I guess I just like that kind of music. I usually hate slow songs (like sunflower by SNSD) so I guess I'd make sense that I love this song, I am a HUGE f(x) fan.

    ReplyDelete
  9. i'm a guy n this is my 2nd fx music i heard after electrik shock. not totally crazy about kpop but i love kpop with catchy music to test my booming stereo speakers n all kpop soundbeat are awesome!

    the 1st 30 secs i hear this song is omg this not going well and will not go in my list but after the 'mystery2 n nanananana', plus i kinda like the slow, basic n catchy dance ( especially that 'make up face' dance ) so this song pass my list test. cheers

    ReplyDelete

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