Album Review: MAMAMOO's "Hello"

Let me be frank about how I feel about the new girl group debuts this year: I'm completely unimpressed. The year started out great with Kiss&Cry's fierce and promising "Domino Game," but I haven't felt really passionate about any of the other new ladies to come on the scene, especially since with the glut of new debuts in the K-Pop market, a good portion of them are going to disband over this year and the next. The Korean music industry is small, and even the big labels need to sustain themselves with Japanese debuts and additional promotions. Smaller boy groups can survive because they have better album sales going for them due to the fact that fans of the industry are predominantly female, but the girls have to build up strong single sales to make it (which is why we see so many turning to sexy concepts as an effort to get noticed and boost revenue).

However, MAMAMOO came on the scene and restored my faith a little bit. The four singers-- Moonbyul, Solar, Wheein, and Whasa-- aren't pulling on used up concepts to get by. They are packing some pretty powerful vocals, which could blow even the rising middle tier female groups of K-Pop out of the water. All four are quite beautiful, of course, but more than that, they're voices are purely sexy, making any additional glitz and glimmer thrown on them an accessory rather than a focal point, which is something I've been wanting to see for awhile in the industry.

How does their full first release stack up? Let's check it out:

Hello: Now this is how you do an intro! Some groups feel like they throw them on just to have them, but others create short little openers that are so good that you want to listen to them just as much as the rest of the album. In their 43 second long lead off track "Hello," MAMAMOO pulls out their silky, breathy vocals throwback style, even incorporating a little bit of scat which suits them just as divinely as it did Ella Fitzgerald. It almost makes you wish it wasn't just an intro and lasted just a little bit longer!







Mr.애매모호 (Mr. Ambitious): If I have any grief with MAMAMOO, it's the fact that their name sounds a bit like they're insulting someone's mother-- like "your mama's a milktank" or something like that-- but they manage to make it sound like the sexiest word ever when they're singing it in this track, their title single from Hello. Once again, the feel of the song is well done throwback, complete with the spot-on background "ssh-shoos" and "ooh oohs" we used to have back in the Motown era. The video is also a gem thanks to fun cameos by artists like Wheesung, Baek Jiyoung,  and even K.Will. Looks like these ladies are pretty well connected in the industry, which should bode well for fans hoping they'll make it for the long run. But even without their all-star guests, their vocals still give them enough fire power to propel them forward as a rookie group.

히히하헤호(Hehehahaeho) with Geeks: Speaking of cameos, the girls waste no time in pulling in a featured vocalists with hip-hop duo Geeks early off in their record. The inclusion of Geeks helps MAMAMOO find a sweet spot in this more R&B geared number, as thus far on the album, the group's vocals have far outshined their rapping. With the additional help, MAMAMOO focuses on their smooth as butter delivery, which even made me a little bit flustered, and I'm a female fan! Their sensuality comes off as very genuine, and nothing feels forced when their singing, which is magic some groups have to work at it, so it's great that it seems to come naturally for this one.




Baton Touch: This one's a shorter, fast paced number which gives the group a chance to harness some sass alongside their classic style. Once again, it's easy to pull some Motown comparisons in this number given how well the back-up accents highlight the main vocals, and it's hard to beat the kind of instrumentation this track delivers. Unfortunately, they once again incorporate their MAMAMOO name into the lyrics in the middle, and this time it really does sound like they're insulting someone's innocent mother. All in all, it's a good number, though perhaps too short. They build up plenty of momentum with the song's spirit, and it feels like they could stand to take it further.

 

내맘이야 (My Heart) Whasa solo: I was a bit surprised that the group would include a solo track on their first major release, but since they're only a four member group, I guess it is a bit more fitting since the other members have already had ample opportunity to show off. Whasa's solo here gave the album a particular boost, since I mentioned earlier, the vocals have thus far been stronger than the rapping. "My Heart" shows that Whasa is definitely not a weak rapper-- in fact, she's got a lot going for her with her HyunA-esque sexy tone and CL-esque irreverence. The song also plays around with the tempo and pacing to keep it interesting, and that beat will make you want to bring your bad girl out.



행복하지마 (Don't Be Happy) with Bumkey: Omo omo Bumkey. That man has sex pouring out of his vocal chords, and the earlier tracks on this album haven't put you in a sexy mood, this one sure will. It takes until the 1:30 mark for MAMAMOO to actually show up, so the song is almost half a Bumkey showcase, but luckily MAMAMOO brings enough of their own individual power when they do appear so as not to get too overshadowed. The song truly hits its magic when Bumkey and MAMAMOO come together near the end, bringing their gorgeous R&B tones into perfect harmony. Dat high note though. It's hard to say who hit it better, as it gives goosebumps all around.

This debut gets a big giant P for the most promising girl group debut of the year thus far. As much as I like Kiss&Cry, they haven't released enough material yet to best this, and I've got to admit, I'm a sucker for this kind of throwback style. The four members clearly know how to carry a melody, and Whasa also shows plenty of promise in the rap department, although she'll need to figure out how to bring out the boldness she showed in "My Heart" into MAMAMOO's more funky and classic tracks. I usually end up concerned about new debuts sustaining themselves in the tough industry, but I think MAMAMOO has this in the bag: not only do they have people lining up to collaborate with them, but they're easily keeping up with these big names with their own powerhouse vocals.