Strategies of incoherence
On the latest 4minute EP, four* different sets of producers/writers make the same decision (or follow the same instructions), which is to create songs that have lots of empty space, highlighting each singer and song segment without worrying too much about tying sections together musically or emotionally. These tracks belong to a strange and interesting trend: strategies of incoherence, also being employed to a lesser or greater extent by G-Dragon ("Crayon"), SNSD ("I Got A Boy"), GLAM ("I Like That"), 4minute subunit 2Yoon ("24/7"), plus some others I can't think of this second.
Works pretty well. None of 4minute are bravura-type vocalists, but they're each distinct and can handle the spotlight. HyunA dominates, with bits of incantation and scraps of rap. She really enjoys being a star. The two Yoons twirl their melodies like lassos. Lots of fun. Mat complains regarding "What's Your Name" that "lalalas" are no good for this group, but I disagree. The lalalas fit 4minute's general demeanor of cheerfully contentious salaciousness, are just more seduction. I do find Brave Brothers' beats a bit weak and chintzy. If you're gonna go spare you need strong and dramatic architecture, not just mild percolation.** But the hook has stuck more than I expected. I do prefer "Whatever" (credited to the unknown-to-me Seo Jae Woo, D3O, and Aileen De La Cruz, the latter two being Canadian if my Internet search is steering me right):
*The fifth track, "Domino," is more standard and rather dull.
**I still don't know what I think of Brave Brothers. He's got four MAJOR tracks that I know of, which is a lot: Sistar's "Alone," Sistar19's "Gone Not Around Any Longer," Big Bang's "Last Farewell," and Son Dam-bi's & After School's "Amoled." On those two Sistar tracks, the chintz kind of counterbalances Hyorin's precisely aching and gorgeous vocals, prevents the singing from being too exquisite and respectable, as does all the dumb bending over with ass out in the videos. My defense of "Amoled" is that it's a phone commercial, and you know on mobiles the sound is tinny, ditto the song, which incorporates the old tin of science fiction past.
Click to viewWorks pretty well. None of 4minute are bravura-type vocalists, but they're each distinct and can handle the spotlight. HyunA dominates, with bits of incantation and scraps of rap. She really enjoys being a star. The two Yoons twirl their melodies like lassos. Lots of fun. Mat complains regarding "What's Your Name" that "lalalas" are no good for this group, but I disagree. The lalalas fit 4minute's general demeanor of cheerfully contentious salaciousness, are just more seduction. I do find Brave Brothers' beats a bit weak and chintzy. If you're gonna go spare you need strong and dramatic architecture, not just mild percolation.** But the hook has stuck more than I expected. I do prefer "Whatever" (credited to the unknown-to-me Seo Jae Woo, D3O, and Aileen De La Cruz, the latter two being Canadian if my Internet search is steering me right):
*The fifth track, "Domino," is more standard and rather dull.
**I still don't know what I think of Brave Brothers. He's got four MAJOR tracks that I know of, which is a lot: Sistar's "Alone," Sistar19's "Gone Not Around Any Longer," Big Bang's "Last Farewell," and Son Dam-bi's & After School's "Amoled." On those two Sistar tracks, the chintz kind of counterbalances Hyorin's precisely aching and gorgeous vocals, prevents the singing from being too exquisite and respectable, as does all the dumb bending over with ass out in the videos. My defense of "Amoled" is that it's a phone commercial, and you know on mobiles the sound is tinny, ditto the song, which incorporates the old tin of science fiction past.