I will post a fan account for #T1STORY that happened during the weekend, but first I want to talk about Love in the Ice.. Because quite honestly.. If I could, I would go to every single #T1STORY they have just to hear this song again..
LITI is one of my FAVORITE ballads of TVXQ. I love the melody, the mood, the way it was sung, and the harmonizations throughout the song. Even when there were still 5 members, I LOVE the part where Jung and Shim harmonized the most, because their voices just blends it’s very beautiful.
To finally hear that THE WHOLE SONG is just something that made me really happy and grateful they decided to continue as a duo.
For me, this song really sums up their whole collaboration and partnership. Why? Because neither of them are one-upping the other.
Jung has a low voice, in LITI he sings a lot of the lower harmonization. When you have a low voice (bass), your voice don’t get projected as much, because it is on the low register. Shim, on the other hand, has a higher voice (he reaches higher notes than I do and I am a female Soprano, so hahahaha). While it is easier for you to project your voice, for those really high notes, you really need a lot of breath and power, because you won’t be able to hit it otherwise.
In LITI, during the parts where they sang together, you can parts where Shim voice is the one more prominent one, while Jung is more of a steady base. But then in the next line, Shim’s voice became softer and Jung’s lower voice shines through. This is what I love about these two, they really know how to blend their voices and let the other shines.
Trust me when you are singing, sometimes it’s very easy to become selfish, because your voice is the easiest for you to hear. To always be aware of the other person and make sure their voice can be heard is not easy, but these two makes it seem effortless.
I have waited 4 years to listen to this song again, and I am very proud to see these two made it their own. I really hope SM release a studio version of this song.. Will definitely go and buy it, hahahahaha
1. J-Min - Shine
2. Kangta & J-Min - My Endless Love
3. Kangta Stage
4. Lee Dong Woo Stage
5. Lee Dong Woo, Sunny - Fly Me To The Moon Link 1 | Link 2 |
6. Zhoumi & Victoria (Tao, Xiumin, Sehun) - Loving You Link 1 | Link 2 |
7. Zhang Liyin - Agape
8. Henry & Chanyeol - Bad Girl Link 1 | Link 2 |
9. f(x) - Rum Pum Pum Pum Link 1 |
10. Luna, Krystal, Amber, D.O - Goodbye Summer
Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
11. Tiffany, Key - Bang Bang Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
12. Eunhyuk & Donghae - Motorcycle Link 1 |
13. Seohyun & Amber - Problem Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
14. Boys’ Day - Something (Girl’s Day) Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
Changmin Link 1 | Link 2 |
Minho Link 1 |
Kyuhyun Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
Suho Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
15. SMRookies Stage
16. SMRookies Stage
17. SMRookies Stage
18. Henry - Fantastic Link 1 |
19. Super Junior - Swing Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
20. SNSD - Into The New World Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
21. SNSD - Hoot Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
22. SNSD - Kissing You Link 1 | Link 2 |
23. SMRookies (Boys) - Growl
24. Red Velvet - Happiness Link 1 |
25. Kangta & Tiffany - Say Something Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
26. EXO - Let Out The Beast Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
27. EXO - Growl Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
28. f(x) - Jet Link 1 | Link 2 |
29. SHINee - Green Rain Link 1 |
30. EXO - Lucky Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 |
31. SNSD - Gee + Can’t Take My Eyes Off You Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
32. TVXQ - Always With You + Hug + Dream
Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 |
33. Henry, Chen, Luna, Wendy - That’s What Friends Are For Link 1 | Link 2 |
34. SHINee - Why So Serious
35. f(x) - Vacance + Hot Summer Link 1 |
36. SSND - I Got A Boy Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
37. EXO - Machine Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
38. SMRookies Boys - TOP
39. EXO - MAMA Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 | Link 8 | Link 9 |
38. SMRookies Boys
39. SHINee - Lucifer Link 1 |
40. TVXQ - Rising Sun Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
41. BoA - Girls On Top
42. BoA - No.1 Link 1 |
43. BoA - My Name Link 1 |
44. Taemin - Ace Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
45. Taemin - Danger
Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 | Link 8 |
46. Taemin & Kai - Pretty Boy
Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 | Link 8 | Link 9 | Link 10 |Link 11 | Link 12 |
47. Ryeowook, D.O, Fly To The Sky - Missing You
Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 | Link 8 |
48. Fly To The Sky - You, You, You Link 1 | Link 2 |
49. EXO - Wolf Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
50. SHINee - Dream Girl
51. SHINee - Sherlock
52. Super Junior - Sorry Sorry Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 |
53. Super Junior - Mr. Simple Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
54. Super Junior - Shining Star Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
54. Super Junior - Shake It Up + Oppa Oppa + Rockstar
Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 | Link 8 | Link 9 |
55. Changmin, Taemin, D.O, Jaehyun - You Needed Me
Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 | Link 8 | Link 9 | Link 10 |Link 11 |
56. Eunhyuk, Kai, Sehun, Lay, Hyoyeon, Luna - Dance Stage Link 1 |
Hyoyeon Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
Luna Link 1 |
Eunhyuk Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
Lay Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
Sehun Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |
Kai Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
57. Super Junior - I Believe Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 |
58. TVXQ - Keep Your Head Down (Why) Link 1 | Link 2 |
59. TVXQ - Spellbound Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
60. TVXQ - Something Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
61. EXO - Overdose Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
62. f(x) - Red Light Link 1 |
63. BoA & Eunhyuk - Only One
Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 |
64. SHINee - Everybody Link 1 |
65. SNSD - Mr. Mr Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |
66. TVXQ - Catch Me Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
67. SMTown - Hope Closing Stage Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 |
EXO Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 |
SNSD Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 |
SHINee Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 |
Super Junior Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 | Link 6 | Link 7 | Link 8 |
f(x) Link 1 |
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100% swiped from [x] but I thought people on here would appreciate it too aka if you’re a lazy butt like me
[Review] Girls' Generation 'Mr.Mr.' Fourth Korean Mini Album
This review is solely my opinion, written based on my own taste and preferences. I am not a professional music critic, I can be very harsh and biased, please don’t take my reviews too seriously, the most important opinion is your own.
By RageX @HeartofThe9
Introduction
With the Divine Nine having just dropped 'Love & Peace' in Japan late last year, and then turn around in short notice to make their Korean comeback, history seem to have repeated itself as they did in late 2012 with 'Girls & Peace' and then early 2013 with 'I Got A Boy'. Only this time, 'Mr.Mr.' is a mini album, to the dismay of some who hoped for a full length album. SM teased the comeback at Girls' Generation's Marchen Fantasy concert, amping up anticipating far too early, and then managed to have the comeback marred by a series of operational mistakes surrounding the album and MV release. No one cares to hear again about these unacceptably baffling blunders, it was definitely not SM's shining moment, and an agonizing couple of weeks fans would rather forget. But alas, the album was dropped on schedule, by accident and not by design I might add. SONEs around the world breathed a collective sigh of relief, as it was time to finally just enjoy the comeback before the ninesome embark on another Japan tour just like last year.
The Album
‘01. 'Mr.Mr' - Last year SM took a big gamble with 'I Got A Boy', and it'd be unfair to say it didn't at least somewhat pay off when it won Video of The Year at Youtube Music Awards as it amassed nearly 90 million views (at the time of writing) and earned numerous accolades from prominent western media. But the song was a not a win with the Kpop community, the unorthodox structure and jarring composition was widely panned by avid Kpop fans and critics. Thus, it made a lot of sense this time they'd go with a tried and true formula, something more easily digestible and immediately satisfying, in 'Mr.Mr.'. On the surface, the song is a standard made-for-dance electro-pop, although the opening distorted synths quickly announces its urban presence. By the end of the verse, as the song starts to climb, the heavy distortion recedes, making way for a glitzy showering of stylish synths and claps as the song ascends to its feel-good chorus. While that contrasts with the verse's dark undertones, it nevertheless stays true to the urban vibe with rap inserts and background chants. The pattern repeats in the second stanza, per classic AABA structure, and sets itself up for the most interesting part of the song - the middle 8. A supercharged version of the beat drops for an injection of pace and brings forth the ferocious dance break, and it's the most deliberate of any GG song in its intent, successfully forcing the listener to envision a dance break even without seeing the performance. I particularly liked this section not only for that but also for how it resolves itself and propels the song into its final chorus, which is a treat with heightened intensity mixed with powerful ad-libs. The Underdogs have done a good job here with a proven pop music approach. The effort that went into crafting this tailored piece for GG is evident in nearly every aspect. While 'Mr.Mr.' is nowhere as earth shattering as 'I Got A Boy', it shows that you don't need to reinvent the wheel to achieve good results.
02. 'Goodbye' - Just the other day I saw someone say this song sounds like it came straight out of 'Hairspray', and I will shamelessly steal this description. This mid-tempo track has the making of a musical show tune with big band instrumentation and funk vibe. But the old habits of GG Korean albums creeps back in, with a nonsensical transition from the urban and electro 'Mr.Mr' to the clean and funky 'Goodbye', the pendulum swings so far it feels like you're hearing a different album or a different artist entirely. I am not the biggest fan of GG doing this particular style of music. That's not to say they don't do it well, they do. The vocal arrangement is the highlight here, the first two choruses are delivered uniquely with just one member singing (Taeyeon & Jessica), and the rest harmonizing on short phrases, and the final chorus turns to full harmonization with ad-libs. The delivery is effortless and unstrained, showing off their capable range and ability. However, I will sound like a broken record in saying this song is better suited for sub-unit work than Girls' Generation proper. It's one of those songs that will sound great on a live radio show, but lacking and unimpactful in concert setting, if you can imagine (unless the it's musical themed with live acoustics). 'Goodbye' is a good song, it's sassy and grown up. But thematically it doesn't connect with the title track, and as my taste for GG music become more defined and narrow, it falls outside of the sweet spot.
03. '유로파 (Europa)' - The opening of the song quickly surrounds you with a blissful, vacation-like atmosphere. Named after Jupiter's sixth moon, this uptempo track talks about circling and admiring a love interest that one could never be with, and lyrically that’s a sad contrast to the rather joyous tone of the music. Stylistically '유로파 (Europa)' is an obligatory ode to GG-style uplifting dance tracks of years past, particularly resembling a prior Kenzie production 'Express 999'. The verses had the hint of spiraling into one of those mindless bubblegums but Kenzie skillfully turned it around with an airy and euphoric yet restrained kind of chorus, maintaining a level of sophistication that separates it from otherwise generic cutesy bubblegum. Is the song a highlight of the album? No, but I find myself more often not skipping the song when I play the album in order, probably more as a guilty pleasure than anything else.
04. 'Wait A Minute' - This song is like the slightly inferior sibling of 'Goodbye', similar vibe, similar arrangement, but slightly more uptempo and happy. The girls do a great job of what they're given, churning out sweet and soulful vocals that carry the song. Again, this isn't a bad song on its own merits, but I personally think the choice of soft rock/band style of instrumentals on songs like 'Goodbye' and 'Wait A Minute' is becoming overused at this point in GG's career. They don't give off strong impressions but instead leave me feeling like they're just newer versions of a dozen other safe and nondescript pop songs GG did in the past. Rather than wasting more time criticizing elements I don't care for, I want to stress that the girls do this type of songs well, they offend no one and are decent fanservice. It's just my opinion that these songs are simply not strong enough productions to show off GG's greatest strengths. At the end, how I look at it is, will I still want to listen to this song three months, six months, or a year down the road? The answer is probably no.
05. '백허그 (Back Hug)' - Admittedly, being a sucker for Girls' Generation ballads, I probably love this song before I even heard it. If there's one thing that GG has consistently done well, it's these lovely ballads that beg for your adoration like a Sunny pout. With every GG release, Korean or Japanese, I can always find one or two ballads that really stick around for a long time. '백허그 (Back Hug)' extends the tradition, embracing you with a laid-back tempo and warm instrumentation like its title suggests. The melodic guitar and sentimental strings set the foundation, the crisp drums add the dynamics, together with the easy yet competent vocal delivery, they form the song that continues to shift the style of ballads GG is taking on. No longer are they over-dramatic with heartwrenching harmonies and high-flying ad-libs, '백허그 (Back Hug)' is molded in the likeness of '낭만길 (Romantic St.)' and ‘リンガ・フランカ (Lingua Franca)’, relaxed and effortless, but still emotional and relentless in delighting the listener. It is in many ways very cliché, highly saccharine, yet totally irresistible, probably something only a SONE ballad-lover like myself will truly appreciate.
06. 'Soul' - So SM got lazy and remade the ‘Blade & Soul’ theme song into Korean, what else is new? The good news is I never bothered to listen to the Chinese version, as with most SM produced Chinese songs, I cringe upon hearing them. In hindsight, I am so glad I didn’t, without even listening to the “original” version, I already know the girls will sound ten times better in their natural tongue, and I'd never have to deal with the awkwardness of getting use to a remake. It didn't take me more than a couple of listens to feel thankful for this Korean remake, this song deserves it. This highly energetic dance track is a product of DSign Music, the talented production team has had a long working history with GG. The tenacious rhythm of the song has "performance" written all over it. The gritty electric guitar-driven arrangement and potent bassline lead the adrenaline rush, and the fast tempo keeps you constantly engaged, there's nary a boring part in the song. The vocal execution is one of the highlights, with fierce delivery of high notes and aggressive rap lines, it complements the tone of the music extremely well. 'Soul' is one of the most compelling examples among b-sides on a GG album, and a great way to close the EP. Considering that a choreography already exist for the song, it’s truly puzzling why they did not promote this song in any fashion during this comeback.
Conclusion
As Girls’ Generation settles into kind of an annual promotion pattern (Japan album, Korean album, Japan tour, “world” tour, repeat), history will probably continue to repeat itself, and I feel like I will be repeating myself from past reviews again here. After weeks of dissecting ‘Mr.Mr.’, I regretfully report that this album still suffer the same symptoms that plague prior GG releases. While the lack of bad filler material and the absence of meaningless aegyo-pop is a highly encouraging sign, what we have here again is a seemingly random conglomeration of songs. When analyzed individually, every song bring something good and different to the table, ‘Mr.Mr’ is an admirable attempt on urban electro-dance that takes full advantage of GG’s forte without turning everything upside down, while the supporting cast demonstrates their various strengths and versatility in a mature and no-nonsense kind of way. For someone who just want decent songs any way they can, the quality is there and it’s about as good as it gets for their Korean songs. However, when the album is assessed collectively, you quickly sense the lack of synergy between the six songs, as it bounces from seemingly one musical extreme to another. The urban influences of the title track was one-and-done and never resonated again, with the rest of the album falling back to classic GG upbeat tracks and ballads, and worse, SM keeps stealing TaeTiSeo’s thunder as if they have no other possible avenue to fill up a GG album. The shortage of truly performance oriented material is unfortunate, and the fact that the A&R team believe a song like ‘Wait A Minute’ is worthy of promotion over the much stronger ‘Soul’ precisely epitomize a lackadaisical approach that’s really been GG’s achilles’ heel in Korea. It is the reason why Girls’ Generation tours have been heavily anchored by their Japanese material and not their Korean material, thank goodness.
I am well aware of my reputation as a harsh and uncompromising critic of Girls’ Generation’s music, advocating, praying and begging for SM Entertainment to finally turn the corner and put more emphasis on the theme and cohesiveness of GG’s album releases, not to mention shaping a more solid music identity that can only prolong their singing careers. All because I believed in the potential of GG’s musicality, they can be so much more if the power that be just push the right buttons. While ‘Mr.Mr.’ was a solid effort, it’s just not good enough to be a game changer. It is painfully obvious now that SM is content with GG being a “do everything” group, parlaying their versatility into a “one size fit all” solution that appeals to the lowest common denominator of tastes, nothing less, nothing more, as long as it sells. And that’s just sad, because I believe being a fan should be the natural result stemmed from good products, not from being coerced by deliberate catering. No fan would want this national girl group to be remembered by a series of artistic efforts that can only be described as “safe”. Messed up promotion and botched music video aside, something has to drastically change, a new set of eyes, a new strategy, whatever it may be, it shouldn’t be afraid to rub people the wrong way, it needs to take some chances and be more audacious. And that doesn’t mean with just one song like ‘I Got A Boy’, it needs to be a comprehensive, top to bottom approach. Excuses are running out for a 7 year veteran band to still be meddling around without any clear artistic direction. How many more of Girls’ Generation’s golden years does SM want to waste? For the sake of their legacy, I hope changes are happening soon.
The Verdict
With this review I am using a new scoring system to break down four different aspects of the album and rate each component accordingly, while keeping the overall score that is not an average of the component scores.
Potential Score (album’s potential relative to the best work the artist has previously done): 6.5/10
Competitive Score (album’s competitiveness relative to the work by the artist’s closest rivals and contemporaries): 5.5/10
Music Quality Score (album cohesiveness, creativeness, originality, advancement in sound and style within artist’s primary music segment): 6/10
Production Quality Score (quality of execution, arrangement, vocal direction, sound mixing and engineering; independent of genre, style, and personal preferences): 8.5/10
Related Articles:
[Review] Girls’ Generation ‘Love & Peace’ Third Japan Album
[Single Review] Girls’ Generation ‘GALAXY SUPERNOVA'
[Review] Girls’ Generation ‘I Got A Boy’ Fourth Korean Album
[Review] Girls’ Generation II ~Girls & Peace~ Second Japan Album
[Review] Girls’ Generation-TTS - “Twinkle” Mini Album
[Single/MV Review] TVXQ 'Spellbound' 7th Album Repackage
This review is solely my opinion, written based on my own taste and preferences. I am not a professional music critic, I can be very harsh and biased, please don’t take my reviews too seriously, the most important opinion is your own.
By RageX @HeartofThe9
Since TVXQ was reinvented as a duo, one style stood out among their impressive repertoire is R&B, something that I think is capable of extending their singing careers by another decade or two if they so choose. It’s no secret I wanted more of it ever since 'Before U Go'. Subsequent efforts like 'Destiny', 'Good Night', and 'Love Again' became some of my favorite K-R&Bs. But I always wondered if they can do a more upbeat and “dance-y” take on R&B, something that showcases their superior energy and performing ability, and be sufficiently different from a song like 'Replay'. Although I could not imagine how it would sound, producer Yoo Young Jin seems to know exactly what I wanted and delivered it in ‘수리수리 (Spellbound)’ - a brilliant mid-tempo contemporary R&B seamlessly integrated with jazzy tones of 'TENSE'. The key, like any successful R&B, is a crisp and catchy beat, but leaving enough room for the saxophone and trumpets to come through and give the melody personality and depth; the two sides worked to complement each other instead of one dominating the entire song. Completing the picture is the usual excellent vocal arrangement and execution. The verses are delivered in staccato to accentuate the pace, with different ranges and segments designed to highlight both Yunho and Changmin’s voices, and Yoo Young Jin’s own voice chiming in with the “surisurimasuri susuri saba” in between, followed by an alluring chorus and trademark Changmin high note ad-libs. Few mid-tempo ballads/dance-ballads achieve this near perfect blend of elements and maintain a high level of substance and class like 'Spellbound'.
Perhaps even more impressive is the music video. A typical “SM box” style video in a dazzling poker room setting with dark background and contrasting lines, which I thought was very fitting visually for the music, and shot in a 'Growl'-style single take (save two cut scenes). What made the video come alive is the NappyTabs designed choreography (prior work: 'Humanoids', BoA 'Only One', GG 'I Got A Boy') along with, for the first time in TVXQ’s career, an entirely female dance team. Unlike most dance routines with backup dancers, these girls were not relegated to anonymous background dancing, but instead be a focal point of the performance. Notice their constant eye contact with the camera, and non-stop interactions with the main characters. There was hardly a moment in the verse sections when Yunho or Changmin wasn’t interacting with a single or a group of dancers. Add to that some interesting formations and visual cues to allow Yunho and Changmin to take turns being the lead, as well as a dance break all to themselves. The dance is hot and sharp, with some sensual parts, and some technical parts incorporating tutting and miming; a routine only seasoned veterans like TVXQ can truly pull off, aided in no small part by the decision to let the dancers play almost as big a part as TVXQ themselves. All of these make it endlessly entertaining to watch, and they actually look like they’re having a lot of fun performing it, a rare feat among SM’s typically formulaic videos.
If ‘Spellbound’ turns out to be TVXQ’s last act before their pending hiatus, as a fan, I must admit I’m extremely satisfied and thankful, it’s a song and performance worthy of TVXQ. What better way go out in style than with this A+ effort.
Overall Score: 10/10
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I would like to ask something. Will SONE do anything to not let 2ne1 top the music charts this coming 27th? Do you think SM will drop the MV in the time or before YG release 2ne1's album in iTunes/digital singles?
What exactly can SONEs do to not let 2NE1 top the music charts? I don't know, and I'm the worst person to ask because I've never been interested in manipulating the charts. Sure there are SONEs who will do "anything", but sorry I don't know what that entails. And since I'm writing this after Mr Mr MV has released, SM obviously did not release the MV in time before 2NE1's album dropped.
What K-netizens said has a point. I think they're pretty sure correct. Do you think so too? Care to share your thoughts about this? (Referring to netizenbuzz article about SNSD comeback possibly delayed due to MV data corruption. Can't share the link here.)
Sorry for not checking my tumblr often, this must have been submitted long ago. I’m answering this after the MV has released and I must say, judging from how the MV turned out, SM most likely did have issues with the MV data, sadly.
I realised that you like Etude, despite it being one of the most cutesy & childish songs of SNSD after their transformation from teenagers (pre-Gee) to young women (post-Gee), and it doesn't help being in the same (mini) album with Genie. May I ask why? I think Etude is in the same group with those cutesy fillers song that you don't like in They Boys album.
I'll try my best to explain but you'll probably end up disappointed with my reasons. In my opinion, that "transformation" did not fully take place until the first Japan album. They were going through phases of the transition with Genie, Oh, RDR, and Hoot. Genie was just the very beginning of it, if you listened to the entire Genie album, it's very much in line with the previous Gee album in terms of style. I personally think Etude has a very nice melody, it helped that they promoted it alongside Genie; yes it's cute and childish, but at least it was age appropriate in 2009. And it's not like I hated every single Soshi cute song ever since, I liked Snowy Wish on Hoot, Telepathy on The Boys, Goodbye, Hello on Twinkle. Etude happened early in Soshi's careers, and it was one of the first songs I heard after becoming a fan, so my standards were not the same then. Had they put Etude on The Boys or I Got A Boy, I'd probably end up not liking it very much either.
Cassiopeia has a Mission, to reach 5M views of their new MV Something until Sunday (midnight KST -14/01/19).
if we reach before the deadline SM will release a secret video of TVXQ! with unreleased material. Right now we have 3.505.181 views, we don’t have much time and it’s a big number. We need all the help we can get, if you could spread the word , reblog and help, we would be so thankful.
Please, spread the word and go watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9HBT6sRSZ8 .
Thank you in advance, i know we can count on other SMT fans to help us!
Rage, if it's not a bother, there's an earphone related question I'd like to ask. I've previously owned UE400 but am now looking for a replacement. What would you suggest to one who likes female voices in their full treble glory, strings yet likes a smattering of bass as well. Not too overpowering bass, accurate enough so I can listen to Imagine Dragon's 'Radioactive' without finding the bass too messy. Non-UE alternatives will do too, and preferably below USD80. Thanks in advance!!
Within the UE range, the only model would fit the bill is the UE600, which is listed at $120USD but are sold at around $80USD at most places. It has the cleanest treble of all UEs (sans maybe UE900), and and slightly recessed bass which is well restrained. You picked a great song to gauge as Radioactive has a crazy thumping bass. I listened to Radioactive with both my UE500 (same as 400) and UE600, and indeed the UE600 sounds tighter all around, but personally I still prefer the UE500 with a looser bass simply because I’m more of a bass head. Distortion is also better controlled with the UE600, it has a slight advantage in clarity and has less tendencies to crackle at high frequencies.
I can’t speak too much about the other brands, but I’ll try. My experience with Skullcandy models at the $50-80 range tell me that they’re more geared towards mainstream (bassy) sounds rather than what you’re looking for. I’ve also tested the Klipsch S4i (also around $80) and I find it to be strong and well balanced, with good treble and bass, but my biggest gripe is that it distorts and cracks too much in the highs, which bothers me a lot, it could not handle one of my favorite songs AMLIFY. A bit above $80 is the Shure SE215 (~$100) which I admittedly have no experience with but from what I’ve heard it is one of the best earpieces you can get for under $100, though I have also heard that it is slightly on the bass heavy side. Other safe choices include the Bose MIE2i and the Sennheiser MM70, though I have nothing to go off of other than reviews and their brand reputation. If you can find a store that will let you test them before you buy, by all means do so before you decide.
How long do you think SNSD and TVXQ can stay on the top for? Proximately how many more years?
SNSD for 100 years, and TVXQ for 100 years. LOL right, I wish I knew the answer to that. It really depends on what you mean by "stay on the top", what's the criteria? Album sales? Digital sales? Tour attendance? Total revenue? Fanclub size? Reputation as a "national group"? There are just so many ways to measure the success and what's consider as being on top. It's nearly impossible to answer that question.
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