What producers do y'all want ur faves to work w/ for their next comeback?
SISTAR: Anyone who isn't Brave Brothers. I want something different.
Spica: Back to their debut roots so whoever produced for them
SNSD: E. Kidd Bogart (He produced You-Aholic and Great Escape)
The funny thing about their japanese album is the fact it was produced by americans
1. Crush | 8.5/10 - Good God. Now all of you know I'm not particularly liberal with the praise, even with songs I love to death, but let me tell you, when I finally got online and sat down to listen to the album and hit play on track 1...it felt like my soul had left my body. I was sitting there, listening to some wonky synths, wondering what the hell CL was saying when suddenly - "THEY LOVE ME CAUSE I'M HOT / THEY LOVE ME CAUSE I'M COLD / THEY LOVE ME CAUSE I'M REAL / THEY LOVE ME CAUSE I KILL". I was so taken with the rhythm of the song I literally didn't know what to do with myself. Possibly the most intensely boppable track I have EVER heard. Well, recently, but still. I felt like a damn Quaker listening to this for the first time cause I was dancing so intensely in my chair. Awesome production, awesome beat, insanely catch melody, and the vocals. CAN WE JUST. Bom in the beginning of the first verse sounds amazing. I've never heard her sound so confident and compelling, I literally couldn't stop smiling after I heard it. They all sound amazing. And the sound - it's like IATB mixed with Fire but not because it's something completely new and it's amazing and I love it. So much. If I had to lodge a complaint with the song, it would only be that CL's verse is a bit rough, as in it kind of disrupts the flow because it's so melismatic. Especially her really awkward "eh!" in one of the lines, it just kind of comes out of nowhere. Overall, awesome track, and definitely one of my favorites on the album.
2. Come Back Home | 8/10 - I'm not 100% sure how to feel about this song. I know I like it, quite a bit, in fact, but I'm also not immersed in it. The midi synths in the beginning definitely caught my attention, and the verses with their strong vocals and reggae influence are definitely a strong point. The overall vibe of the track is hard to place, though - it's upbeat, but it's melancholy. The chorus is extremely catchy and weirdly beautiful, but, just when it seems like there's going to be an emotional peak, it suddenly goes into a trap-influenced drop. I've warmed up to the idea of minimalistic instrumental drops lately, but here it just sounds out of place. The "come back hoe-em" is also kind of grating. I don't know how to express it exactly, I feel like the drop isn't thematically cohesive with the rest of the song. It negates the shimmering pop quality that the rest of the track carries and kind of makes the otherwise sincere emotional quality in the chorus negligible. The parts individually are both really good, but together they are...not necessarily LESS than the sum of their parts, but not more, as is the goal with songs such as this. The constant juxtaposition between the drop and the more delicate pop sound in the chorus doesn't really elevate each part like the production probably intended; it's more startling than anything else. However, while the two different themes don't necessarily mesh, they also don't detract too much from one another. Come Back Home is still extremely enjoyable, and definitely one of the strongest/most interesting tracks on the album.
3. Gotta Be You | 9/10 - I fell in love with this song on the first listen. It's bouncy and dazzling, but also poignant, and unlike Come Back Home, the changing tempos and rhythms aren't jarring and instead tie the individual components of the song together well. The vocals are also a strong point, since we get to hear Bom's head voice making its studio debut. Additionally, the mixing of Bom and Minzy's vocals is a bold production choice which definitely pays off, because they sound massive together. I don't have much to say about this track: it's simply really good. A straight-forward, bright, smooth pop gem with a bit of urban influence in the verses. The chorus also evokes a bit of the trot craze which was K-pop's foundation, as does the instrumental hook which makes for an interesting touch. Everything about this song is just great. It's not Song of the Decade or anything, but it's content with being unassumingly amazing, wherein lies its strength.
4. If I Were You | 7.75/10 - Of the downtempo songs on the album, this is definitely my favorite. It evokes a chiller, smoother "It Hurts" but still maintains dynamics, especially the chorus which is enhanced by the especially poignant vocals. The production on this track is also especially detailed in the placement of the backing vocals and how the members' voices were arranged. They all sound quite beautiful, with the exception of Bom's second high note in the chorus which sounds really thin every time she sings it. It doesn't detract from the song as a whole, though. The highlight I think would be Dara's intro, Bom's adlibs, and CL's outro. Overall, one of the most soulful tracks in their discography.
5. Good To You | 7.75/10 - I expected many things from Crush, but this certainly wasn't one of them. This song and If I Were You are like two sides of the same coin, but where If I Were You chooses to go the more soulful, bold route, Good To You chooses subtle, hushed tones to leave just as strong an impression. My favorite part of the track is Dara's chorus - anyone who has ever doubted her place in 2NE1 need only listen to this track to have their doubts alleviated. She executes it with delicacy, and the result is beautiful. CL's "cause I'm so good to you" followed by Bom's little spoken bit is actually kind of heartbreaking, and the whole song is rounded out by CL's very Tablo-esque rap (!!!). Something new for them, but they own it, without a doubt.
6. MTBD | 7.5/10 - This genre isn't exactly my thing, but CL made me really like this. Which is saying something. Very much an improvement over The Baddest Female; her rapping is exponentially better, which is weird since it was such a short time ago that that song was released. The karma line is amazing.
7. Happy | 7.5/10 - Where did this even come from? I mean, it's good, but it's just so random. I'm not really sure what to say about this track. It's just kind of really good in a camp way, with a little of little quirks (CL's entire rap, it's so cute ) that elevate it past being boring. Dara's part is also well placed, and Bom's chorus is respectably huge. The bridge is like a gayer version of Go Away's. This is a really...walkable song. I would listen to this while walking around on a sunny day.
8. Scream | 7.25/10 - As much as I love this song in all its forms, I can't help but feel that the original is much better. Scream is a song that's meant to be in Japanese. As a standalone bop, it's still catchy and high quality which is I give it a high rating, but it really doesn't belong on this album, and at this point, sounds a little dated for a 2014. It doesn't mesh well with the rest of the songs, and overall, is kind of a cheap addition to the album. Again, I give the song a good rating because it's enjoyable individually. In the context of the album, it's honestly like a 6/10.
9. Baby I Miss You | 7.5/10 - This song is really...lounge-y. Honestly, I wasn't that taken with it on first listen, and I'm still not, but I can appreciate what it adds to the album. It's also giving me more laid back Stay Together, which is a good thing. For my taste though, it's a bit bland. That's about it.
10. Come Back Home (Unplugged ver.) | 8.5/10 - Now this is fab. The new arrangement minus the drop really does the song justice in highlighting the melody and members' vocals. Plus the building orchestral arrangement is bliss. I just wish it grew even more at the end to a full-on string accompaniment. I think I prefer this to the original, but again, both are enjoyable. I'm surprised by how full and rich Dara's voice sounds here, at least, compared to how she usually sounds. It really ties the song together where it otherwise might have sagged. CL's rap is also well-placed and a nice addition from the original version. Wonderful album closer.
Altogether, an exceptionally strong album in content, but I can't help but feel that it's still a bit short after all this time. The inclusion of Scream is extremely unnecessary and definitely drags the entire thing down a bit, but the quality of all of the new tracks is undeniable.
What producers do y'all want ur faves to work w/ for their next comeback?
SNSD: Anybody then who they're currently working with. Whoever did Karma Butterfly. SISTAR: Not Brave Brothers. Maybe like something like dark r&b like 40 or Weeknd. Afterschool: Disclosure DEFINITELY. After Shh resembling a track of theirs it would be perfect. BESTie: I feel like they're new enough to work with anyone but I want them to stay away from Brave Brothers also.
That packaging is beautiful. The gold embossed effect at the side especially, but I wouldn't buy it. The music/whole purpose of it's existence is whack as f***
Quote:
Originally posted by I Am Music
SISTAR: Anyone who isn't Brave Brothers. I want something different.
Spica: Back to their debut roots so whoever produced for them
SNSD: E. Kidd Bogart (He produced You-Aholic and Great Escape)
The funny thing about their japanese album is the fact it was produced by americans
I gotta say I'm not feeling SM's choice of producers for their comebacks lately. It's like they're attempting to make them more globally appealing, or trying to give them an American "release", all while they never leave Korea. Like for Mr Mr, it's so obvious they worked with American producers - but I wasn't even aware their Japanese album was mostly produced by Americans. They weren't chasing an American sound or producers who worked with X, Y & Z. They were just recording great songs and that's what the focus should be, no?
The Boys, IGAB and Mr Mr (I notice a pattern ) were all produced by non-Koreans, yet we're still waiting for that [proper] English debut. It's kind of annoying tbh. While I am MORE than happy they're not recording everything with Double Sidekick, Brave Bros or Sweetune, I wonder why they can't find better material since SM's A&R is extending their reach further than Korea? I mean 2NE1's album obliterates Mr Mr and that was all homegrown, so... what are GG actually looking for in producers that they can't find in Korea?
I really like GG, but I'm starting to need more than "quick lil singles". I need them to develop. 6 studio albums, 4 mini's, with some single tracks thrown in and songs from their latest release sound like they could be on their first album.
That's exactly why I find it so funny.
Their best material were produced by western people who were just focusing on making good music.
Their korean material is chasing for something and failing at it.
That's exactly why I find it so funny.
Their best material were produced by western people who were just focusing on making good music.
Their korean material is chasing for something and failing at it.
Right? I want a good track, not a list of past collaborations. The producers merits are amazing and I'm happy KPop has come so far, but I ain't spending 1.29 on The Underdog's CV sis
Quote:
Originally posted by Rominho.
Rise up, newtoptiergroup, rise.
This is the beginning
Don't know what those numbers mean, but whatever it is, it's 2-for-1. The total for Sunmi is a little under what Girl's Day's "Something" was doing when it was coming in #1 on the streaming chart after a zillions weeks.
A review, sort of.
) that elevate it past being boring. Dara's part is also well placed, and Bom's chorus is respectably huge. The bridge is like a gayer version of Go Away's. This is a really...walkable song. I would listen to this while walking around on a sunny day.
) were all produced by non-Koreans, yet we're still waiting for that [proper] English debut. It's kind of annoying tbh. While I am MORE than happy they're not recording everything with Double Sidekick, Brave Bros or Sweetune, I wonder why they can't find better material since SM's A&R is extending their reach further than Korea? I mean 2NE1's album obliterates Mr Mr and that was all homegrown, so... what are GG actually looking for in producers that they can't find in Korea?
