GOT7: "A"
My take: I'm a big JYP fan, namely because the label does an excellent job of highlighting member talent, and, you know, actually having legitimately talented members. The label's girl groups Wonder Girls and miss A have enjoyed the freedom of being more than just "sexy girls" by embracing a diverse range of concepts ("Like This", "I Don't Need a Man") and 2PM is about as divine of a pop/R&B group as you can hope for when you consider the range of vocals and dancing ability (and beast-like bodies) among the members. New group GOT7 shows plenty of potential, but I was admittedly a bit disappointed by lead off single "Girls Girls Girls," not because it was bad, because it certainly wasn't, but because it didn't deliver as much in the way of vocals as I was hoping for. Everyone in the group has flawless dance ability, and their hip-hop flavor is good enough to compete against the plethora of hip-hop artists we've been seeing lately, but the straight up vocals seemed to be missing from their overall vibe.
Once again, I think "A" could have had more in the way of vocals that make me go "hot dayum, sing that high note boooooiiii" (I say this a lot, just so you know), but I do like the chill nature of the track. And who doesn't love the swagger of the "It's not working, stop fronting, I know you want me, let's start talkin'" line? This group has a lot of great tracks already, but I think I'm still waiting for a huge breakthrough number. I don't think "A" was it, but it's a step in the right direction, and is simply a fun and likable track for the summer.
CROSS GENE: "Amazing- Bad Lady"
My take: Okay, so K-Pop groups have had Chinese members from early on, but we haven't had much in the way of K-Pop groups with Japanese members. Possibly because the Japanese music industry is one of the world's biggest, and J-Pop singers can earn more money by being active only in Japan, but I still like the inter-country collabs, so I was happy when Japan was represented in Cross Gene's line-up. Thus far, their songs have been good, but mid-tier. They aren't wild and over the top, but solid, and good picks for older listeners who run in fear of too much dubstep. "Amazing- Bad Lady" is frankly their catchiest number to-date, and though they aren't huge in Korea, the track is more than enough to keep them steady in the "skilled-but-under-appreciated" middle ground of K-Pop. As for their Japanese career, I'm eagerly awaiting for them to release more original tracks and take the group to the next level!
BIGFLO: "Delilah"
My take: When I first heard about BIGFLO, my first reaction was "Do we need even more hip-hop idol groups?" Personally, I'm quite satisfied with the ones we have, and the fact that they are "in" right now has led many groups who should stay true to their own identity to cop their style. BIGFLO might have a little too much in common with Block B for some K-poppers' taste, but I'm personally prepared to hear more from them after listening to "Delilah" and the rest of their mini-album. Their main rappers may gave off Zico or PO vibes, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because the Zico comparisons also includes the fresh songwriting that actually incorporates subjects beyond boy-meets-girl romances. I love a little bit of creativity in the industry, and based on the overall mini-album, I'm thinking BIGFLO will be able to find their place without sounding too much like their competition.
HISTORY- "Psycho"
My take: Mmmm, is that a little bit of funk I hear? HISTORY has done their share of flying under the radar, but their sound is quite likable, and they do a lot of fun things throughout "Psycho" that you don't hear a lot from other groups-- the blending of synth sounds with a funk beat, and even adding a little bit of piano. It's a refreshing song, but the chorus doesn't push them as far as they can go vocally, much like GOT7's "A." The song doesn't build up to that "hot dayum" moment vocally, although that instrumental breakdown near the end is quite lovely. This group clearly has something different to offer, but in this particular track, they just needed that extra bit of oomph.
100%: "U Beauty"
My take: The fact that I still have to call these guys rookies is a bit frustrating to me because they're one of my favorite groups, but they're still reaching out to achieve the level of fame their labelmates Teen Top have. Following up on "Beat," they return again with a five member line-up (Minwoo is in the military, Sanghoon's future still seems fairly unclear). This time around, the song isn't as intense of a number, but is more chill like "Guy Like Me," while still maintaining a dance beat for them to deliver their trademark synchronized choreo. This song is very no-frills in comparison to many K-Pop singles, and that in itself is refreshing because it leaves the room to sing and harmonize. Their voices simply sound gorgeous together, so this is exactly what I wanted from them, and I wasn't disappointed. Bonus points to TOP Media for actually doing their part and promoting their secondary group often unlike some labels I know (....yeah, DSP, who are A-JAX and Rainbow, even?)
LU:KUS: "So Into U"
My take: Remember X-5? Well, they're back... kinda! Donghyun, J.ONE, and Jinwan returned to the scene with two new members to bring their talents back to the industry, and all I have to say is YAY. I liked X-5 and was disappointed when they disbanded, but if LU:KUS is as catchy and enjoyable as this single promises, maybe it wasn't all bad. It's a nice blend of hip-hop and dance, loaded with just the right amount of infectious hooks to keep it in your head. Once again, there's probably a lot more vocals in the group than they're showing off here, but for a lead-off single, it's got good elements. Let's stay together, LU:KUS, so you can continue to grow this time around!
My winner: When it comes to overall production and memorability, it's clearly GOT7, but if we're talking about the less-JYP supported group, I would have to pick 100%, though I really love the direction Cross Gene is going in. Not a bad crop of rookies all around, though, so it'll be interesting to see if anyone will break out of the middle-tier level and go for the top!
No comments:
Post a Comment