TCA Kpop Review - Summer Hits Kpop

It's summertime!  The time for bare midriffs, bright colors (so many bright colors), and fluffy fun kpop videos.  Come join Kmuse and Dongsaeng as they review the latest and brightest MV's and let you know what worked and why.  Or in some cases, what didn't work, since all Kpop MV's are not created equal.

 As Requested--TCA YOUTUBE SUMMER PLAYLIST LINK
 
BIGBANG "Sober"

KMUSE: I'll be brief since I know my blogner (blog partner) and she is going to talk the heck out of this MV.  Dongsaeng is definitely the Big Bang savant out of the two of us.  I will say that I loved the dreamlike feel of the MV and the tune is very easy to listen too.  It might eventually even work its way up to the top of my list.  I also loved that we got to see more Daesung in this MV, sadly still with that annoying hairstyle.  And even when we did see his whole face, his eyes were closed.  WAE?????? 

DONGSAENG: *cracks knuckles* Okay, you ready? Let's go!  OH. MY. VIP. HEART!!!! It is bursting with joy and pride and love at this latest installment in our fabulous Summer of Bigbang! For those living under a rock, on July 1st, Bigbang released their "D" album as part of the MADE series. D, like M and A before it, consisted of two tracks - 'Sober' and 'If You'. 'Sober' got a MV while 'If You' did not (we'll touch on that in a sec). The Sober video is a beautiful work of art to accompany a song that I absolutely am enthralled with. It just all is perfect. Perfect scenery, perfect music, perfect boys. Am I biased? Uh, HECK YEAH! Sure, I could get all negative and remark on TOP and his beastiality creepiness or Taeyang's unfortunate return to bad dreads. Or then there's Daesung and that atrocious woman's blouse he's sporting.

First he humps the ground while staring down the goat, then does whoknowswhat to the rocking horse. I don't think that the flipping car is all that has that poor goat freaked out. Run, goat, run! TOP, I'd say it's safe to assume that he does indeed does "not like".

Why dread the dreads when we have Taebae trapped in a shower box? Who cares about the hair when there are abs pressed up against glass?? Priorities people.

Ahjumma blouse and Muppet eyes. Yup. Nothing odd here.

But I'm not going to go there. I don't want to detract from all that was so very right with this video by pointing out the few little 'huh?'s. What MV is ever without its 'huh?'s anyway? I mean, bizarre and music videos have always gone hand in hand. Silly artsy fartsy types. Point is, this video rocks in all the right ways and the few issues I have with it are nothing and do nothing to destroy my love.

 

P.S. I said we'd touch on the lack of "If You" video. Initially, I assumed it would just be late again like "We Like 2 Party" was last time (so worth the wait by the way), but I assumed incorrectly. The official word is that there will not be a MV for it, which makes me so happy to hear. The song is absolute utter and total perfection as is and doesn't need the video. As I was listening to the song, I was sad thinking about the video and how there was no way they could film anything that would enhance the perfection that it already was all on its own. I was delighted to hear that my wish came true and super pleased to see that, even without a video, it's still topping the charts, even above Sober. See, we don't need a video. The only downside is that I have nothing to share with you here, so all I can say is that if you haven't given it a listen yet, please go and do so. It's amazing and one of the best BigBang songs of all times. Top 2 or 3 for me, easy. I am sure I will turn into a melty puddle of goo when they sing it at the concert in October. Can't wait!

Okay, I guess I should go talk about other songs now. :(  Bye BigBang. I love you!

SISTAR "Shake It"

KMUSE: This song is crazy addicting.  I constantly want to put it on whenever I think about it.  (Guess what is playing as I type this? *laugh*)  I originally checked this out because SISTAR is one of the groups performing at KCON this year.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really love this song.  Also the MV is fun with cute dancing and a total summery feel despite them being in a school setting.

DONGSAENG: I like SISTAR and agree that their songs do tend to be very catchy. This one is no exception. It's cute and happy with a lot of silly mixed in with all the shaking booties. They sure are big fans of the cartoon-y videos.

BTS "Dope"

DONGSAENG: The BTS boys remind us again of just why we love them so.... Those moves! Their choreo and dance skills (when added to their sound of course) won me over initially and I'm glad to see that this new release from them does not disappoint! Not my absolute favorite of all-time songs or videos from them, but I am still very happy with it and look forward to many repeats.

KMUSE: I'm with Dongsaeng on this one, it is all about the choreography.  I literally watched it once all the way through, just staring at their feet....IT WAS AMAZING.  Their dance talent is unrivaled and they deserve all the accolades they receive.  I loved the song as well, it is high energy with great solos for all the members.  It will definitely be one I also repeat often.

Mamamoo "Um Oh Ah Yeh"

DONGSAENG: This was my first foray into Mamamoo. I know what you're thinking, with a name like "Mamamoo", how can that even be possible? The name of the group alone should have caught my attention ages ago. So, what'd I think? Not bad. I'll have to give it some more listens to form a fuller opinion.

KMUSE:  I highly suggest you check out their other stuff.  Usually they go a bit more jazzy and their vocals as well as their MV's are really good.  I like this MV a lot, tons of fun with the cross dressing theme. But vocally, in comparison to their older stuff, it does come off a little weak.  So while I enjoy it, I probably won't be adding it to my playlist anytime soon.

Teen Top " Ah Ah"

DONGSAENG: I fully admit that the first (and second) time through this video, I was mostly playing "Find C.A.P" since he's my Teen Top bias and oddly hard to find in most of their videos. Kinda odd considering he's the leader, but whatever. I will search for him as much as I need to. {The sunglasses he wore through nearly the entire thing didn't help and bummed me out. Eyes! I wanna see your eyes CAP!} Now, as far as this MV and song? Meh. I don't hate it or anything, but I also wouldn't put it as their best song of all time either. It's fine. It'll get the job done. But it will probably be forgettable as the summer songfest continues. It just didn't instantly grab me. No, not even with the crotch and butt grabbing going on. Nothing wrong with that though. I don't need to gush over every release that ever comes out, right? The pastel tones used throughout most of the video and the playful, lightness of it gave it a very summery and fun feel. I guess these guys are just destined to be the Peter Pan group, never quite growing up. With a name like TEEN Top that doesn't really come as a surprise though. Interesting little side note for ya - the youngest member (Changjo) turns 20 this year, which means that soon, Teen Top will officially be teen free. But Twenties Top just doesn't have the same ring to it. Not a whole lotta foresight went into the naming of this group as far as longevity. But no matter, even if the group name is a little limited, their talent is not, and I'm sure they'll be going strong long after their teen days.

KMUSE: I like it, not as much as a bunch of their other stuff, but it is cute and fluffy.  Perfect for summer.  Their cute dorky dancing contest in the soda shop was a lot of fun to watch, as was their sexier scenes in the parking lot. I plan on being a fan of theirs for the long haul.  They are always enjoyable and I envy the KCON NY fans who get to see them live this year.

2BiC "It's Summertime"

KMUSE:  This might officially be my summertime jam.  It just makes me happy and brings back memories of watching old movies like "Gidget" and "Beach Blanket Bingo" as a kid.  The Hawaiian print shirts, the old 70's style van, the summertime tropical beat.  Everything just screams "Summer" (including the title).  It makes me want to chuck my responsibilities out the window and go hang out at a pool.  Don't let the lack of pretty boys deter you from giving this great song a chance.

DONGSAENG: Wait. What? No pretty boys??? WAHHHH!  ;) Nah. I really love songs from non-idol groups. They don't get the international attention and are therefore harder to come by for those of us who rely on buzz to know what's what on the other side of the planet, but when they are found, they're like a wonderful treasure. This is a great song. And forget the pool - let's run to the beach! I'm now in the mood for some sand and waves and a fruity drink in my hand.

*This song has parts that remind me of one of my favorite non-idol song examples - Shannon Williams' "Why Why".

AOA "Heart Attack"

KMUSE - Soooooooo.....  Remember where I said all summertime MV's were not created equal?  Well this is a prime example.  The song is OK, but as someone of the female persuasion, this video makes my head hurt.  I can understand that men might not have the same feelings about the MV as i do.  It is pretty much made to be a step by step male fantasy come to life.  Like for example, the lack of any type of protective gear on the girls playing lacrosse against the tough boy team.  I guess their short skirts and boobs are enough protection against teenage males.  Than you have the cheerleader theme coming into play during the chorus.  But I could forgive both of those aspects (it is a girl group MV after all) if they had left out the corny slow motioned locker room stretching segment.  I don't know about anyone else, but I have yet to be in any locker room where woman were doing stretches like that before a sporting event.  Kind of surprised they didn't throw in a pillow fight scene just to make the male fantasy checklist complete.

DONGSAENG: The way I see it, those girls are so tough that they don't need wussy protective gear like those soft boys. And don't worry, if all else fails and your training still isn't enough to win the game, you can always use your feminine charms to distract and make the boys fall to their knees on the field with a simple wink. As far as the locker room stretching goes, I don't know about you, but that's how I feel when I stretch. Not how I actually look mind you *shudder*, but how I feel I look. Like you said, girl group MV, these silly things come with the territory and not too much about this one shocked me. I can't say too much though, I mean, after all, how many times did I watch the body roll in History's last video? Sexy sells. Fanboys can rejoice right along with us fangirls. It's an equal opportunity horn fest out there. This song is...shrug. It's okay I guess. Kind of forgettable for me in the long run, but catchy in the short.

KMUSE- OK, I can understand that.  I sure did enjoy History's ab rolls.  Still roll my eyes though.

We hope you enjoyed this selection of some of the summer hits in KPoplandia. How about you? What are your summertime jams this year? What's got you dancing and keeping your days and nights hot, hot, hot? Or what tunes are you chillin to as temps rise? Let us know in the comments below or come chat with us on our page!

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