Hi Suhyun, Almeng, and 1PUNCH?!

Most K-Pop artists I've rambled on about so far are groups. Group members range from having three, to nine, to 17 members! And sometimes they go beyond that. I know a J-Pop group that has 48 members! (To infinity and beyond!!) Having a lot of members can be a good thing, since people tend to like selecting a bias from the bunch. But I decided to go for a different topic this time, and that's the power of two-- famous K-Pop duos! This week's Ramble features sassy power vocal duo Hi Suhyun, hip hop duo Almeng, and rookie rap duo 1PUNCH! One thing these three K-Pop artist have in common is that they're fairly new to the music scene in Korea. However, they each show a lot of promise with their songs' unique colors and concepts.

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Hi Suhyun is named for its members: Lee Hi (pronounced Ha-yi) and Lee Suhyun. While the duo name itself is new, the lovely ladies of Hi Suhyun have managed to secure their rightful places in the K-Pop hall in just a matter of days following their individual debuts.

Much like Suhyun (who is part of Akdong Musician and competed in K-Pop Star Season 2), Lee Hi competed in the first season of K-Pop Star. Lee Hi finished the competition as runner up behind 15&'s Jimin. Her debut was extremely successful. Having gained instant popularity and numerous awards with her debut song "1, 2, 3, 4", Lee Hi has been dubbed the "monster rookie" of 2012.

Hi Suhyun's debut single is titled "I'm Different", which is a jazzy, R&B song about how they're not like typical girls. The girl(s) really wants to convince the boy that she's special, and that he won't meet another one like her. Upcoming boy group iKon's Bobby plays the love interest, who is a neighbor that's recently moved in and is a classmate of the girls.

This is probably on my list of favorite music videos. No choreography, no back-up dancers, no kaleidoscope-like costumes. It's simple, has a cute storyline, and the performance of the girls makes it all the more charming.

Song: 7.5/10
Music Video: 8.5/10
Costumes: 5/5

Choreography: N/A
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Final Score: 21/25
*New rating system!

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Almeng is a hip-hop duo that competed in K-Pop Star Season 3. They placed in the Top 5 by the end of the show. The members are somewhat older than most K-Pop artists these days, which makes them stand out to me a little more. Choi Rin and Lee Haeyong were both born in 1990!

Before I meet you, I changed my profile picture
I try on my prettiest clothes, making myself prettier
As I wait for your call, I think about what I'm gonna say

In my small window, I draw you, phone in love

Inside is the small you and me, phone in love

Oh Phone in Love, oh oh Phone in Love

I send my heart when I send a message, phone in love

"Phone In Love" pokes fun at how a couple's cell phone plays a huge factor in the development of a relationship. I think it also relates to online dating, as well. As you get to know the person through chatting and whatnot, you begin to form this picture in your head of what and how he/she may be like. Rin does not know what the guy looks like, but, already head over heels in love, she decides to go on a date anyway. What she finds is not exactly what she was expecting...

What? The person in my phone, in my head

Is not who's sitting there but some big dude

My eyes are half shut out of awkwardness

Where is the small and white person of my imaginaton?

Your jokes that I used to think were so funny

Now it's making me uncomfortable, put it away

You seemed like you'd be so cute based on our texts, but where did you go?

The date ends up going completely wrong, and the two storm off. However, the two eventually (and amusingly) reconcile and unconsciously start their process of falling in love through the phone all over again.

I wonder if this has ever happened to someone. Considering how our world is so heavily absorbed in social media nowadays, I wouldn't be surprised if it did! I like to think the situation between Rin and Haeyong gives us all something to ponder on. Invest too much time and energy into someone you meet online, and things might not turn out the way you imagined. Texting them for days on end does not mean you truly know the person, either! My favorite line is definitely:

Our love got connected with data

But after our date, we become strangers

But I really meant it for a moment

We wanted each other back then

Almeng: already serving up some food for a thought with their debut song!

Song: 9.5/10
Music Video: 8.5/10
Costumes: 5/5

Choreography: N/A
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Final Score: 23/25

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And now this brings us to our third and final duo: 1PUNCH! They are under Brave Entertainment and D-Business Entertainment, and their debut song is titled "Turn Me Back". The older boy is called 1, while the younger boy is called PUNCH. (Odd name, in my opinion.) I don't know very much about 1, but I do know quite a bit abut PUNCH.

Fun fact: He is half Mexican and half Korean. PUNCH's real name is Samuel, and he used to be a trainee for the upcoming K-Pop boy group Seventeen. However, he left the training program for unknown reasons. Being a follower of Seventeen since 2012, I was genuinely surprised to see Samuel show up after 2 or 3 years. Rumors say his mom didn't want him to become a singer anymore, and they ended up returning to the U.S. All that aside, the now 13 year old Samuel (14 in Korean years) is back with a new attitude and a new style! I really can't get used to calling him PUNCH. He will always be the adorable 10 year old Samuel of Seventeen to me. Samuel boy, you're now the official baby of the K-Pop industry.

I can't exactly articulate everything I just watched. Perhaps it's the dreadlocks. I cannot get past those dreads!!!!! Why, 1PUNCH, whyyyy? But I understand the concept is supposed to be 90s. According to 1theK (one of the main hubs of Korean Entertainment): "The title song 'Turn me back' is an old school swing genre that led the main street pop scene of United Scates in the 80s and 90s. It is a retro hip hop dance song, and has great piano line and voice sample that shows the old school sentiments of that time."

1theK, thank you for clarifying.

The set is pretty cool. The song itself is pretty catchy, and the choreography looks like a lot of fun. Samuel's dancing skills have definitely improved, even though his skill level before was already amazing for his age. I checked out their EP on iTunes, and I took a liking to "Nightmare" a lot more than their flagship song. If it weren't for the cursing in the middle, I might like it even more. Too bad it's only a 1 minute and 45 seconds long.

Over all, I can say I'm less than a casual fan. It's just not my cup of  milk tea. For some, maybe it is. They're unlike any other duos I've seen so far in the industry, what with their six year age gap. Will the dreads be here to stay? We don't know. But I do hope the 90s concept is JUST a concept, and that the boys move onto something else. We'll just have to sit tight and see what 1PUNCH has in store for us later on!

Song: 6.5/10
Music Video: 8/10
Costumes: 4/5

Choreography: 8.5/10
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Final Score: 26.5/35

Next "Rambling": A special Rambling post. Hopefully I'll have it up by the end of today or tomorrow! Next week's Rambling TBA!