Music Reviews: TVXQ's return with Something
So as a way to open up the new year, we have ten year strong male duo, TVXQ/DBSK/Dong Bang Shin Ki returning with their latest Korean single Something. Being K pop, that single came with a video.
Does the song hold up to be a 10th anniversary song? Is it strong enough for a group who is on their seventh album, and are basically legends in K pop?
Well...
Personally I think the song is good. It's very lively. There is live instrumentation going on, and in my opinion, instruments just make everything better musically. There is a pep in its step that electronic resources cannot duplicate (though they have their own uses themselves).
Something has this jazzy swing vibe that allows for this smug ass attitude that TVXQ takes on. We gonna talk about that in a minute let me just revel in this beat. It fun, it stays consistent, it is layered, and not a mess. I know last year was SM's "lets experiment and hope for the best" year.Sometimes they got it right, and then other times they got it wrong.
2013 was a mess for everyone...let's be honest.
Regardless I appreciated it because it set them apart. Now entering 2014, they still got the balls to try to be different in a sense. While this may not be different for K Pop in a sense (how many retro songs popped up last year?) This is different for TVXQ, and they handle it with class.
The boys themselves give a very energetic, workable performance. Once again, I have less than an inch worth of a fuck for this group, so I don't know what they are like on the regular outside of the started as a five member acapella group, turned into big things in K pop, went to Japan and got big (before and after) and then...controversy. Basing any sort of opinion off of just this, I think they did a good enough job. Not even just good, a fantastic job. I have seen that some are upset that Changmin did not do a high note (yes a gratatious high note is worth it everytime), but they have energy and deliver well.
They never lose energy in a song that maintains high energy.
Now lyrically...This is where the issue comes in.
I don't understand...
Well I do... to an extent. I know that the song itself is about a girl that Changmin and Yunho like (two different girls), but Homin does not think that they are worthy of their time. Like the song is basically asking these girls to step their game up.
Basically: Homin the shit and they don't want them ordinary birds.
I can appreciate that, I just think at some parts (the beginning, and the chorus) where things feel muddled. The beginning is talking about going out that night. Then chorus hits and we don't have a seque into it. We just go from talking about how tonight about to be that night, and then...SHE GOT THAT SOMETHING!!!!
Like give me a chance to breathe before you send me left field. After that the song is more cohesive lyrically. We still talking about how tonight about to be great, but now they added finding a girl that will match them.
Now the other part that gets me is the fact that they are saying she has something, but at the same time she does not.
Like I did not sign up to be confused about this.
Maybe something is that they are lacking. She has something, but she needs to get on their level to really be about it. Like they are basically saying she ain't there yet, and they know it, but they willingly going along with it...because...it Friday.
I don't know. The lyrics got me.
The lyrics are overall cocky and I appreciate that.
When looking at the video, once again it is a step up from last year.
First...we have a plot...and a dance...in the same video. And it wasn't in a box.
2014 is already doing better.
Regardless of that it was a little clunky for me. The storyline...boys walk through hall, enchanted picture, shenanigans ensue. The story obviously takes a back seat to the song and performance aspect itself, But in my opinion it is still there.
The overall video takes place in this gold ballroom. Opulence is a real thing in your ten year. Part of it takes place on the street, with a car whose rims turn into speakers. Beautiful.
The scenery works. There is a level of....I don't know how to describe it. But it feels shiny. Like this is obviously meant to be impressive. Even being in that trashy looking street looked glamorous.
They looked like they were having fun, and that is good...
The performance aspect is where they shine. They were energetic, and smug (which fits the song), and cute. I don't know. A problem is the dance not being as prominent as I could have wanted.
It did not have to be the entire video, but I would have loved to see the dance more, to get a feel of it. It felt too disjointed for the sake of trying to be smug, and flashiness. I hope a dance version comes out so I can see what we are actually working with...I mean we will see when they perform it in a week or so. But eh...there are some cool moments such as the string moments, and the dance break, but I need to see the entire thing.
About the dance break...I really do think that we could have maybe extended that...a little...
It was cool. I really do think that moment was actually great, and allowed the guys to take lead on their own moments. But it felt...short. Like Yunho was getting it...then it ends and Changmin comes in...and he was getting it...and...back to the song. They were giving me something and it just...goes.
Teasing...
The only thing I really didn't care for without any sort of hesitation was those ugly ass scenes with them floating instruments. That was ugly. Never again.
Also the styling was meh. It had moments, and then it had shame. Those temp tats need to not happen. Be about shit and get real ones, that don't look like Lisa Frank drew them on you.
Other than that, the video matches the energy of the song, and plays up on the whole jazzy vibe with the dance, and the scenery, and such.
The song is fun, and while I do think it doesn't completely hit the mark, it still is a nice way to start 2014.
Does the song hold up to be a 10th anniversary song? Is it strong enough for a group who is on their seventh album, and are basically legends in K pop?
Well...
Personally I think the song is good. It's very lively. There is live instrumentation going on, and in my opinion, instruments just make everything better musically. There is a pep in its step that electronic resources cannot duplicate (though they have their own uses themselves).
Something has this jazzy swing vibe that allows for this smug ass attitude that TVXQ takes on. We gonna talk about that in a minute let me just revel in this beat. It fun, it stays consistent, it is layered, and not a mess. I know last year was SM's "lets experiment and hope for the best" year.Sometimes they got it right, and then other times they got it wrong.
2013 was a mess for everyone...let's be honest.
Regardless I appreciated it because it set them apart. Now entering 2014, they still got the balls to try to be different in a sense. While this may not be different for K Pop in a sense (how many retro songs popped up last year?) This is different for TVXQ, and they handle it with class.
The boys themselves give a very energetic, workable performance. Once again, I have less than an inch worth of a fuck for this group, so I don't know what they are like on the regular outside of the started as a five member acapella group, turned into big things in K pop, went to Japan and got big (before and after) and then...controversy. Basing any sort of opinion off of just this, I think they did a good enough job. Not even just good, a fantastic job. I have seen that some are upset that Changmin did not do a high note (yes a gratatious high note is worth it everytime), but they have energy and deliver well.
They never lose energy in a song that maintains high energy.
Now lyrically...This is where the issue comes in.
I don't understand...
Well I do... to an extent. I know that the song itself is about a girl that Changmin and Yunho like (two different girls), but Homin does not think that they are worthy of their time. Like the song is basically asking these girls to step their game up.
Basically: Homin the shit and they don't want them ordinary birds.
I can appreciate that, I just think at some parts (the beginning, and the chorus) where things feel muddled. The beginning is talking about going out that night. Then chorus hits and we don't have a seque into it. We just go from talking about how tonight about to be that night, and then...SHE GOT THAT SOMETHING!!!!
Like give me a chance to breathe before you send me left field. After that the song is more cohesive lyrically. We still talking about how tonight about to be great, but now they added finding a girl that will match them.
Now the other part that gets me is the fact that they are saying she has something, but at the same time she does not.
Like I did not sign up to be confused about this.
Maybe something is that they are lacking. She has something, but she needs to get on their level to really be about it. Like they are basically saying she ain't there yet, and they know it, but they willingly going along with it...because...it Friday.
I don't know. The lyrics got me.
The lyrics are overall cocky and I appreciate that.
When looking at the video, once again it is a step up from last year.
First...we have a plot...and a dance...in the same video. And it wasn't in a box.
2014 is already doing better.
Regardless of that it was a little clunky for me. The storyline...boys walk through hall, enchanted picture, shenanigans ensue. The story obviously takes a back seat to the song and performance aspect itself, But in my opinion it is still there.
The overall video takes place in this gold ballroom. Opulence is a real thing in your ten year. Part of it takes place on the street, with a car whose rims turn into speakers. Beautiful.
The scenery works. There is a level of....I don't know how to describe it. But it feels shiny. Like this is obviously meant to be impressive. Even being in that trashy looking street looked glamorous.
They looked like they were having fun, and that is good...
The performance aspect is where they shine. They were energetic, and smug (which fits the song), and cute. I don't know. A problem is the dance not being as prominent as I could have wanted.
It did not have to be the entire video, but I would have loved to see the dance more, to get a feel of it. It felt too disjointed for the sake of trying to be smug, and flashiness. I hope a dance version comes out so I can see what we are actually working with...I mean we will see when they perform it in a week or so. But eh...there are some cool moments such as the string moments, and the dance break, but I need to see the entire thing.
About the dance break...I really do think that we could have maybe extended that...a little...
It was cool. I really do think that moment was actually great, and allowed the guys to take lead on their own moments. But it felt...short. Like Yunho was getting it...then it ends and Changmin comes in...and he was getting it...and...back to the song. They were giving me something and it just...goes.
Teasing...
The only thing I really didn't care for without any sort of hesitation was those ugly ass scenes with them floating instruments. That was ugly. Never again.
Also the styling was meh. It had moments, and then it had shame. Those temp tats need to not happen. Be about shit and get real ones, that don't look like Lisa Frank drew them on you.
Other than that, the video matches the energy of the song, and plays up on the whole jazzy vibe with the dance, and the scenery, and such.
The song is fun, and while I do think it doesn't completely hit the mark, it still is a nice way to start 2014.