Up for review this time is a pretty nice batch of K-pop songs. We’ve got songstress Lee Hae Ri ofDavichi, Park Jung Min of SS501, and rookie group Teen Top.
Do keep in mind that if it’s a song, and if it was released in one way or another (preferably in 2011), it is totally eligible to be reviewed. Except Japanese versions of Korean songs, because, well, this isallkpop.
Anyway, here’s to peace and tranquility (and still having all my limbs intact)!
Lee Hae Ri (Davichi) – “때난사는거야”
Controlled, dynamic, and something only a ‘diva’ of a singer like Lee Hae Ri can pull off. Lee Hae Ri has such a nice timbre, it hurts. There’s a certain classic feel to her singing that gives this song a slight throwback to Korean pop circa early 2000s.
“때난사는거야” is a big epic ballad and it’s nice to hear one (for once) sung and executed exceptionally well. Instrumentally, it’s also amazing, but again, Lee Hae Ri commands the entire song from beginning to end. In a way, that’s how it should be. If the instrumental is more interesting than the artist singing over it, we’ve got a problem.
Overall, I loved all of the ascending and descending of the song and how effortlessly it transitioned between verse and chorus. Thumbs up, E-Tribe. Of course, Lee Hae Ri sounds awesome, but that really goes without saying.
4.5/5
Park Jung Min – “Not Alone”
When I listen to “Not Alone,” the intro strings instantly grab my attention. You can recognize that they’re telling a story by the way they progressively get intense as the song moves along.
There are certain parallels between the sharp violins and the swooping orchestration, which I find to be a fascinating way of adding depth to what is going on behind Jung Min’s vocals. And when the snare kicks in, it really starts coming together.
It’s essentially a march. The entire piece isn’t necessarily over the top with random artillery SFX, but it has that majestic feel you’d associate with a battalion scene.
It’s quite the take away from the usual Disneyland-esque approach to an orchestration, and I really like it. It doesn’t hurt that Jung Min sounds great either.
4.1/5
Teen Top – “Supa Luv”
Last year, Teen Top debuted with their EP, “Come Into The World“, and while I wasn’t too keen on jumping on their bandwagon (they’re ridiculously young, feels weird), they did capture my attention when I first saw them on stage. Performances are distinct in that they can flip the reception of a song, and if it’s done just right, it can breathe a completely different energy into a track.
Well that’s what Teen Top did with their 2010 single, “Clap.” The recorded version wasn’t special by any means, but seeing it live was something else. Teen Top work surprisingly well together for a rookie group, and for that, I give them props.
The six member boy band is now back with “Supa Luv“, and they have seemingly grown since the last time we saw them. Granted, Niel is still singing the majority of the lines, but the song is definitely a step higher than “Clap.” The vocals could have done without the processing, and that little tid-bit of talking at the end throws the structure off a little.
All Teen Top need to do is tap into their singing potential; I’m sure Niel isn’t the only one with a competency for singing, right? And if that’s not the case, then it’s a real shame, because Teen Top could easily knockout big-shot boy bands if they continue to develop.
3.5/5
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