Korean freestyle Friday part 2: KARA and SOOLj

[koganbot]

Mentioned in my last post that Korean freestyle rapper SOOLj has a leaning towards riffs out of the other freestyle as well, the great '80s postdisco dance music from Miami and NY and Jersey and Philly. Wouldn't be surprised if those riffs were all over Korea these days, though owing to the paucity of my knowledge, I've only found a few others, one

Comments

[askbask]

I don't really know, either, but then I've never knowingly listened for it.

Have you kept up with new releases during April? It seems like all the best and/or most high-profile k-pop has come this month.

[koganbot]

Not much up on new releases at all, though I did listen to several numbers you and Maddie linked on the ilX thread; and the new After School album is playing as I type (thoughts about tracks 1 --> 5: "Let's Step Up" is a good percussive dance track, "Shampoo" is more like conditioner (i.e., too smooth), "Virgin" is an excellent moody track w/ a Mideast sound we might have gotten from Storch in the mid-'00s (I'll look for an Eng Sub version so as to find out what the words are about, though I'll do so with trepidation), "Bang!" is supposed to be a new recording, though I can't say I hear any difference right off, is still a powerhouse, and "Play Ur Love" is an r&b sex dream that seems a lot less dreamy and sexy than equivalents by, say, Ciara). Also have tried to catch up with recent Big Bang: "Tonight" is the giant of the bunch, combines the punch of GD&TOP and the group's boyband prettiness; rest are pretty disappointing on first hearing, esp. given that so many of 'em are G-Dragon's babies

[askbask]

Hyori's single is probably mush because it's a tie-in for an animal rights affair. Mostly agree about Big Bang. Disappointingly pleasant.

I disagree about Shampoo, it's sweet summer poetry. I expected something else for a lead single, took some time for it to settle. I think what's not apparent at first is how danceable it is.

I also expressed admiration for the lyrics' loyalty to its metaphor:

The laid-back groove of it reminded me of Jessica's underrated 'Sweet Delight'

Then there's f(x), who still sound very much like f(x), and enjoyment of the song depends on how you like their character. I love it, they've got a style of delivery all of their own.

Rainbow - To Me

Then there's the juxtaposition of in-your-face-sexy Rania and the sickly sweet A Pink.

[askbask]

Went and forgot SNSD - they released their first original Japanese single. One of their safest single choices so far, but I like the bridge and the dance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN5v61brFKk

[askbask]

RnB growers from Jay Park and (2 out of 4 of) Sistar.

Starts out gentle, finds pace with the help of heavy bass thumps, takes it down again. Pretty thrilling.

His mini-album is highly recommended.

A slinky beat, a sexy song. I don't know to what extent I've been manipulated by the video, but like the pelvic swing in Ciara's 'Promise', once you've seen the moves they become inextricably linked with the song.

[askbask]

This is even better than Abandoned

[askbask]

To comment on Kara, since I derailed discussion so badly - I put 'Jumping' on my 2010 list, and said that it's the kind of song Kara should release. 'Bright and lite' is what the group is, and even though they've been around since 2007 they've always come off as anonymous, without particular strong points or unique features.

Somehow they've become mega-popular in Japan. Perhaps because they've spent so much time there and feel fully Japanese to the public, more so than SNSD, but probably also because of pure crowd-pleasers like this. They're not explosive enough as performers to sell anything less bright.

[koganbot]

For all four of the girl group tracks/groups that made my first third singles top twenty (Girl2School, Kara, Rainbow, T-ara) I'd rate their attributes as: excellent songs, excellent style, good dancing (except for Girl2School), passable singing.

Who in the current Korean girl groups would you say is special as a singer or rapper, in the way that Lee Hyori* and IU are special? Or even who are special in a group (e.g., I don't know if anyone in 2NE1 is individually special, though I do like Dara's single from 2009; but together they've got something, in the way that a classic freestyle group like the Cover Girls had something, hit me with their vocals, not just the arrangements but the basic character of the singing).

*Who began in a girl group herself.

[askbask]

You're being very kind to the Girl2School girls' style! Although most girl groups do. Great style, and great styling. Absolutely a part of the appeal.

I think T-ara do girl group-rapping (which is something different from hip hop rapping) better than others, and Eunjung sticks out. Often it's just talking, isn't it, but she (and they) add exciting speed and compactness. "Ma Boo" from the album you put on your list is a good example, with Hwayoung sharing the rap there. Soyeon is their belter.

CL is the main rapper in 2NE1, the one with the most swag as well. The star. Like her label she leans more hip hop, so I won't compare her to the likes of Eunjung. Short clip. She's lived in Japan and France, but how did she get this good at English?. So CL is the rapper, Bom the pipes, Minzy the dancer, Dara the character. Dara is the one who's not all that strong a vocalist live

[askbask]

Just for solo star potential, though, I'd go with 4Minute's Hyunah.

[askbask]

I tried to remember where I'd written about this before, but can't right now. (Pop/American Idol copy) Superstar K2 second runner up Jang Jae In just released her debut mini-album. This is her single

What I noted before was that these talent shows, ironically in light of mainstream criticism against them in the West, have boosted the popularity of singer/songwriter types on the chart in Korea. It's only in recent years the shows have taken off and now they're piling on with various iterations.

[koganbot]

Interestingly American Idol was veering in the singer-songwriter direction from 2008 to 2010 (and ratings were suffering because of it, I think), which is ironic given that the show is based on people singing cover songs. In any event, Brooke White and Didi Benami gave some of the best performances ever on the show, and Crystal Bowersox nearly won. It turned out that the problem with Brooke, who's got a wonderful voice, is that she doesn't write very good songs. I got the Bowersox album last year and listened to three songs and then stopped, though I should try again. Don't know if Didi will ever get an album, unless she self-releases.

Oh, and Jason Castro set an impressive standard on Idol for stoner anti-professionalism, and last year put out an album on Atlantic, with a forgettably pleasant singleHaven't come to an opinion on the Jang Jae In yet. Like her deep voice, but the arrangement is too much the International Indie Cute. (But then, this problem may be peculiar to someone like me: I feel massive dissonance when organ styles

[askbask]

Bowersox a real 90s throwback with those dreads. What I know about American Idol contestants is limited to choice names that I've liked and then found out had their start on the show, like Fantasia. Never followed the show as I've followed British X Factor, a poor decision in hindsight considering how little of value have come out of those shows compared to the American counterparts, and I enjoy reading your analysis in the other posts. And the performance videos.

I don't hear j-pop*, but I don't know much about j-pop indierock-ish singer songwriters. I'm guessing she is indeed influenced by the International Indie Cute to some extent. Her voice is unique, though, and the song has some nice melodic parts. Looks a bit like Norwegian rock chick Ida Maria, who I don't like much but got her fair share of international blog love.

* Of course I wouldn't be sad to see a Korean Utada Hikaru emerge.

[askbask]

I wasn't going to post this song, since I don't think it's anything special, but it fits here. IU just released her first 'sole writing credit' song, for a tv series soundtrack.

It's already on top of the online charts, of course, like all things with her name attached to it. One thing I guess it does prove is her ability to professionally churn out a light and inoffensive song when asked for it. It was accompanied by an article titled "IU's aim is to be a singer-songwriter", informing us she'd written quite a lot and that she would be the composer for future albums and singles.

[anonymous]

SNSD "you-aholic"

[koganbot]

This feels early '90s, a time when '70s-'80s smooth soul was being rerun over harder beats. This is very nice, though not exciting (I suppose 'cause it's not meant to be exciting). I like how starting at 2:25 the "oh" and "dit dit dit" etc. are run through the K-pop cuisinart and finely diced.

[anonymous]

I don’t find their Japanese album very “exciting”, even if there is this sort of display of craftsmanship, different styles and let’s say it in that way, “international” textures and timbres, but to me it comes as a series of consumerist clichés, the things that are supposed to listen “young”, “modern”, “free” women in their 20s, which is a genre in itself in Japan, Namie Amuro has some nice albums in this mode, the best new song over here (“The Great Scape”) resembles her sound, but to me (as an album) it comes as quite dull.

[askbask]

I really like the album. It doesn't deviate much from what you'd imagine the standard girl group electro pop template would be, but all the songs are catchy.