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"Automatic" Review

Background

Red Velvet debuted in August of 2014. While most of us immediately think of the cupcake, the group has already gone on to explain their decision to pick such a food-related name. According to a profile article on kpoplyrics.net: "Red" represents a fierce and attractive color. "Velvet" represents a womanly and soft image. It shows their ambition to marvel the world by their independent and sophisticated image. What an interesting meaning derived from "red velvet"!

I must admit that I wasn't loving their jungle cheerleader concept when they debuted with "Happiness". However, I eventually came to appreciate the infectious cheerfulness when I realized I couldn't get it out of my head. It was a solid enough debut single.

The group's followup single was entitled "Be Natural", which is a remake of their senior group S.E.S's song. It was the polar opposite of "Happiness", delivering a more mature and sophisticated sound that not many K-Pop fans were be able to comprehend. After ending their "Be Natural" promotions, Red Velvet began to prepare for the release of their first mini album entitled "Ice Cream Cake".

The Review

SM Entertainment, the group's label, played a good card in releasing two completely different music videos. It's plain fact that everyone has their own music tastes-- some prefer upbeat songs while others enjoy more easy-listening songs. SM seemed to recognize this and, in order to build up hype for their newest female rookie group and garner attention from various music audiences, made the decision of promoting two genres of songs. Although "Ice Cream Cake" is the flagship song off of the album, I'd like to do a review of their secondary lead song: "Automatic".

Song

"Automatic" is about how a person's feelings come automatically in a relationship.

I love the way, I’m matching my footsteps to yours

It’s already decided, it just comes automatic

I want to continue to stay in the same place as you

It just comes so natural It just comes Automatic

*Read the full lyrics here.

I must say I was not expecting this type of comeback song from Red Velvet! But it was a refreshing style in contrast to the "poppy" songs that are often found in K-Pop. "Automatic" gave off a very chill vibe, taking elements from the 80s and 90s music era.  I also like to think "Automatic" is "Be Natural"'s sister song. "Be Natural" is one of my favorite songs of all time, so it should come as no surprise that I instantly fell in love with this one. I feel like I could write to this without having my focus interrupted, which happens to be what I'm doing right now!

Music Video

I LOVE how this video was done. It was very different compared to most music videos I've seen! There's something eerie about the entire thing. It seems like an actual house, but it was just the placement of the props and furniture that gave the desired effect. The colors seem very old school to me. The furniture and prop choices were reminiscent of the 70s design.

The video is somewhat chilling, if you're someone that scares easily like me! I wasn't scared, per say, but rather mystified by the concept. It made me wonder if there were some sort of underlying story throughout all this. I suppose we'll just have to leave it to imagination.

Costumes

 

The costumes suited the girls and the video perfectly! I love this style from SM. The outfits are simple, but it allows you to focus more on the unique beauty of each of the members. You'll also notice that 4/5 of them are sporting colored lenses, giving them a vastly different image compared to their previous videos. The girls had transformed in my eyes!

The hairstyles and costumes choices confirmed my thoughts on what fashion era SM had decided to use. Coupled with the props, this video definitely screams 70s to me.

Choreography

We're very limited in terms of dance shots, but I was able to see enough of it to determine that the choreography was well done. It's nothing over-the-top, but satisfactory. since it's meant to complement the calm vibe of the song.

Final Thoughts:

I had high expectations for this girl group, given the fact that they come from one of South Korea's top music companies, and they most certainly did not disappoint! I was thoroughly impressed by everything from the concept to the videos to the album itself! Everything was done to perfection. Despite being out on the music charts for quite some time already "Automatic" is still one of my top played songs on my playlist.

People say Red Velvet is a mix of their senior labelmates f(x) and Girls' Generation, but what do you classify that as, really? They've yet to have a set image, and I wonder what concept the girls will go for next! After all, they've dabbed into the cute/cheerful, and showed they can pull off maturer sounds. Hmm... What about a hip hop concept next? We'll just have to wait and see!

Song: 4/5

Music Video: 4/5

Costumes: 5/5

Choreography: 5/5

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Final Score: 18/20

Gee Rating: Ecstatic!!

"Awoo" Review

Lim Kim (alternatively known as "Kim Yerim") is a solo artist that debuted back in 2011. She was less known, however, during the first few months of her musical career. But after the release of her first official album "Goodbye 20", Lim Kim's promotions have begun to be more prominent. She is known for her soulful voice and unique sound. Her voice gives me a sort of Lee Hi vibe. I love the fact that her singing voice isn't high-pitch, which is what most music labels desire for their female artists.

Her most recent release was a mini album entitled "Simple Mind". One of Lim Kim's title track's is called "Awoo". Although it sounds like something a canine would say, the theme of the video is likened to that of a fussy cat and its owner. Initially, I wasn't interested in her newest song. But after seeing the video's thumbnail everywhere in a K-Pop social app I frequently use, I decided, "Alright. Let's see what all the hype is about!"

Song

"Awoo" was definitely a song down my alley rather than up. The song reflects the attention a girl craves from her partner, which was demonstrated quite amusingly in the video. Lim Kim's previous singles were either acoustic or smoother in sound. I'm more of a pop or R&B kind of girl, so when I heard "Awoo" for the first time, it was a little odd to me.  The melody is somewhat jarring at first. It has a contemporary sound mixed with subtle beats and catchy lyrics. But instead of clicking away from the video, I stayed to finish the rest of the song! I loved the weirdness of it, and it gets stuck in your head!

Music Video
The creepiness factor is definitely amplified in this video thanks to Lim Kim's intense, color-contacted gazes at the camera, the simple set designs, and the light color schemes chosen for the backgrounds. However, it complements the song perfectly!

In the video, Lim Kim shows some very catlike habits. She can be found lounging in odd places and even playing around with some goldfish from a distance-- a very catlike thing to do.

One of the main highlights of the video is Lim Kim and her boyfriend. He seems to be busy putting his puzzle piece together while Lim stares at him from across the table, as if expecting something from him.

In the video, we get to see that he is nearly done with the puzzle; he just needs the final piece to complete it. But where is this puzzle piece?

Aha! It's with her! Do you see how clever the producers were in trying to make this video similar to what you would see in a relationship with a cat and its owner? Lim Kim wants his attention. She's playing with him. I'm not much of a cat person, but I am aware that felines are known to behave a little naughty when they want someone to notice them.

As a result, he goes off to find Lim while in search of his missing puzzle piece, finally paying her some notice.

Over all, I was charmed by this simple, yet intriguing music video! I remember thinking to myself "What in the world is going on??" It makes you want to stay for the entire video and figure out the meaning of the whole thing.

Costumes
I can't say much about costumes in this video since the choice of outfits are pretty simple. I liked the coziness and simplicity of it all. That's pretty much it. It makes you focus more on the song rather an any excessive flashiness. I also love Lim Kim's nail art and rings, which was probably the only "flashy" thing in this video.

Final Thoughts:
"Awoo" was definitely a great choice in attracting more K-Pop fans (and even music lovers of all sorts) in search of something new! "Simple Mind" is a solid album! I love the unique sound of every track. Nothing sounds like a recycled song that was thrown in there just for the sake of making the finished product a complete mini album. This could very well be Lim Kim's breakout song in finally making her mark on the music scene! I look forward to whatever she has in store for us in the future.

Song: 4/5

Music Video: 4/5

Costumes: 5/5

Choreography: N/A

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Final Score: 13/15

Gee Rating: Contained feelings

"Catch Me If You Can" Review

Girls' Generation is finally back with their new single "Catch Me If You Can!" The SoShi girls are my number one girl group, and I was super excited to see them again! They had it a little rough last year (nearly all of SMent's artists did, actually, except for SHINee), but they've managed to pull through and show the true power that is So Nyeo Shi Dae!

Song

It's very upbeat. The sound at the beginning vaguely reminds me of another K-Pop song, but I just can't put my finger on it.

I'm going to find my heart~ 

I love the pre-chorus and the bridge, but that's pretty much all that struck me about this song! I understand that this is more of a dance track, but I was hoping we'd get a song that we could listen to during down time, in the car, etc., like Mr.Mr. Sure, Mr.Mr was also a good dance track, but there were more vocals than beat drops.

Taeyeon's vocals~ ON POINT~! My Queen never disappoints! I love how Yuri opens up the song. I was half-expecting it to be Hyoyeon, but choosing Yuri was just as great. I'm also glad the dance line got a lot more lines this time! Good job, SM!

Music Video

0:26 seconds into the video, and I hear nothing except cars racing against the wind. Are they trying to pull another Flower Power on me? Good thing I didn't max out my volume, or else the beat would have caught me by surprise again! I was a little disappointed at the numerous, weirdly-angled shots of the "Catch Me if You Can" sign. Like, okay! I get it! Can we please move onto the song and the girls?

The video is quite simple, as are most of their Japanese singles. I wasn't expecting to be blown away with a story line or individual face shots of the members singing. The camera work is alright; though, I have to admit I was getting a little dizzy in the middle. The set is odd, but very different! So, plus points for that, GG! The fire blazing in the background gives a nice effect, too. The daytime set kind of reminds me of Terminator: Salvation. I don't know why.

Yuri, Hyoyeon, and Sooyung (otherwise known as SHY due to the sub-unit rumors spreading these says) really stood out to me in this video! I completely forgot about the other members.

Costumes

I could say I like both outfits equally because the construction worker one has color on it, but I'm actually leaning more towards the crop top, military-ish concept! The girls are looking fierce! The dog tags were a nice touch, and the highlighter gloves add just enough hint of color-- much like Paparazzi and the infamous pink dish washing gloves! Haha! I kid. The construction worker outfits on the other hand.... Well, let's just say I was waiting for one of them to whip out an orange LED baton and start directing traffic!

All cars to the left!

Choreography

Powerful! Fierce! In this video, you really get to see their dancing skills shine! It was definitely a nice change compared to their Mr.Mr. choreography, which was somewhat disappointing because it was slow and too simple! My favorite bit is probably at the 1:18 mark where the members gradually join in the swaying move. On a side note, I found the ending pose a little amusing. It reminded me of Pacman.

Final Thoughts:

Solid enough comeback, though I did expect more. Nevertheless, the girls look great, they look like they're having fun, and they are continuously reminding us fans that they're no longer teenage girls but mature young women ready to take on the next era of Girls' Generation!

Song: 4/5

Music Video: 4/5

Costumes: 5/5

Choreography: 5/5

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Final Score: 18/20

Gee Rating: Contained feelings

Life Before K-Pop.: My First Encounter with The K-Pop World (Feat. SHINee's Ring Ding Dong)

I'll be starting a new series titled L.B.K, Life Before K-Pop! Or more specifically, life before I watched a certain music video, or life before I became the knowledgeable K-Pop fanatic I am today! You get the gist. ^_^

My first exposure to K-Pop

My first K-Pop encounter was when I arrived at theater class early one morning. Two of my friends were watching a video of a dance practice. (The dance studio had a sky background.) I thought the dance routine was pretty impressive! One of my friends told me she really wanted to learn it. I also liked the song, so I made sure to ask her what it was called. 

""Genie" by Girls' Generation," she replied.

I searched it when I got home and came across the Japanese version of Genie. While I was a bit confused as to why there were two versions of the song-- a Korean one and a Japanese one-- I found myself loving both of them, and I downloaded the songs instantly!

---

Flash forward to a month later.

I was never interested in K-Pop, until one day I kept hearing the word "shiny" being spoken of among my theater classmates! Later on, I found out they were talking about a Korean boy group called "SHINee". It was always "shiny this" and "shiny that" during break time! So when I got home, I decided to search them up on YouTube. I clicked the first music video I saw:

I only knew Key, after seeing my friend watching a Korean variety show of him on her laptop. Apart from that, I knew nothing else about this SHINee group. So from a non K-Pop fan's perspective, my reactions at certain points in the video were:

"What's with this guy's hair?"

"What is going on???"

"Um... drinking milk?? Okay..?"

"Okay, new outfits... Dancing on water now..."

"What's with the fake butterfly?"

"We're exploring now? What are they looking for?"

"WHOA! Look at that hair! Did this guy get electrocuted?"

"Baybehh~ askjdkasjdgfkl Crayzeehh~"

"What is up with these poof-y hairstyles?"

"Wait why are they saying Cola over and over?"

"Ling ding dong Ling ding dong...."

O_O "So... they have wings now?"

Long story short, I became addicted to this song and downloaded it! I don't know why I liked it so much. It's inexplicable, especially with all the heavy use of autotune. But, hey. That was the trend in the music industry back in those days....

After that, I began to grow a little more curious about these guys. There were a bunch of other music videos on the Suggestions list, so naturally I just decided to click on this one:

Oh. My. Goodness. As soon as I heard that beat drop at the 0:02 mark, that's when I knew I was trapped. There was no escaping the K-Pop domain after that. Once you set foot inside, there's no turning back..

And that's where it all began! I'm sure you all have some interesting K-Pop testimonies, too! Leave a comment and share your first K-Pop encounters!