2018 MAMA Hot Picks (Part 4) The Fight for the Daesangs
The Daesang. This is the upper echelon of Korean Awards. The award that all artist aspire to have. Like all other years, selecting the final roster of idols to compete for these categories is the hardest part. 2018 has been an amazing year for Kpop, which makes it very complicated to choose. It gets more complex when you try to narrow it down to 3 or 4 players who would, should and could given the Daesangs. So for the final part of this four-part blog series, I will run down 6 artists who are strong contenders for top awards this year.
4 Sisters and a Winner. That is the arch for this year's Song of the Year contenders. For a year that was dominated by female artists, there is only one male group that stands-out. Not surprisingly it is the biggest hit of the year. However, I believe it takes more than virality and popularity to win this award. Previous winners of Song of the Year aren’t necessarily viral hits. Some were just very powerful anthems that made a mark on their own. The musicality and unique character of the son is also considered for this win. So putting everything together, the Song of 2018 must be an anthem for everyone.
There is no doubt in my mind, Love Scenario is the biggest song of 2018. While iKon is no stranger to fame, it is safe to say that this song propelled them to superstardom. As I have mentioned in part 2, this song is literally sung by almost anyone in Korea. The most solid validation to this is its ban to be sung on Elementary Schools. It is a song that begs to be sung. And if you look back on the tracks that won this award, Love Scenario fits the bill perfectly. It went viral, it's musically creative and unique, and each verse makes sense. There is also something about this mid-tempo hip-hop pop ballad that draws people to sing it. Maybe, it’s because of love. And love is something that everyone can relate to. Its an anthem for love, to say the least. So if there was an artist that should expect a major win come awards night, it should be iKon.
Black Pink - Ddu Du Ddu Du
If iKon doesn’t win this, it is for sure Black Pink who will take the crown. While the impact is less to that of Love Scenario, Ddu Du Ddu Du has its own strong following. It's an understatement to call Ddu Du Ddu Du as a viral hit. The song was a global phenomenon. It more than made up for the long hiatus of the group. And to top it all up, this song solidified their ground in the competitive industry. No longer are they the girl group that shocked the industry. They are now new generation queens ready to take over, thanks to Ddu Du Ddu Du. And like Love Scenario, DDDD has all the makings of a Daesang. It captures the traditional elements that make the song popular. A non-kpop fan friend of mine said that DDDD has a structure similar to Gangnam Style and Nobody. This may account to why the song is so catchy. And yet, while it follows a norm, it also sets a trend for girl groups. Gone are the days of the sweet safety net. Thanks to DDDD, girl groups today are more daring.
Siren may be more known for its choreography and contextual analogies, but Siren is a song that needs to be recognized. For one, it was a decade in the making. Sunmi always mentions how the song was written when she was part of the Wonder Girls. Sadly, it didn't fit the concept, so she waited for the right time. And the right time it was. Thru this narrative, it frames the song as a epic story itself. It creates a deeper understanding to what the lyrics dictate. I commend Sunmi for this subtle conduct of artistry. It should be noted that besides the long wait, Siren is also the conclusion to a trilogy that started with GASHINA. Comparing each comeback, it is clear the GASHINA was the superior one. However, Siren culminates it perfectly. So unlike other nominees. It not just a song. It's an epic.
She isn't called the Digital Queen for nothing. While Bbibbi was released later than any of the songs I placed as contenders, I feel like it still has a fighting chance to score. Score an upset, maybe? It has everything that MNET rewards, but also has everything it wants to avoid. Clearly, Bbibbi has the more intriguing lyrical content among the nominees. Usually, a Daesang isn't rewarded to a song that has his dark undertones. When it awards songs, it either dark or light. No in between. But I think this song could break that mold. Bbibbi masks itself with a lofi urban sound, but hits hard when the lyrics progress. Especially with a message as strong as the #MeToo movement, it's hard to ignore. If MNET wants MAMA to gain more respect, then IU is the best way to move forward.
Bad Boy started the year right, and I feel like it will likely lead Red Velvet to the path they deserve. It not only started the year right for Red Velvet, but for the whole industry. It set the standard for all the songs that will be released for the rest of the year. And come to think of it, almost the whole year has passed yet Bad Boy remains as one of the most played songs in Korea. Furthermore, it often goes over our head that Bad Boy is actually a feminist anthem. It is not an in-your-face girl power song like that of Western artists (e.g. POWER by Lil Mix), but it gets the message across loud and clear. So, if there is a wildcard that could upset the likes of iKon, Black Pink and Sunmi, it would most definitely be Red Velvet.
Admittedly, I am not a TWICE fan. Needless to say, I love their music. It's the standard sound of Kpop today, and it's less likely to change anytime. Why fix what's not broken, right? And while their sound is the common in Kpop today, they still have a unique charm that only TWICE can do. This is captured perfectly in What is Love? Previously, I thought LIKEY is the song that defines TWICE's sound. However, when WIL? came out, I changed my mind. This is TWICE and this is the music that people love about them. Add to that the MV that only them can pull off. This song was a one, two punch from a kawaii girl you didn't know could kill. So, if that means something.. then TWICE should anticipate a nod for this magic.
With EXO out of the picture this year, Album of the Year is anyone’s ball game. But what makes an album a great album? It should have a title track that gives the overall impression of the album. It should contain B-side tracks that can stand its ground as title tracks. Each song is not monotonous and has a different concept. Most importantly, it should present that sound that artist stands for. To make it clear, Sound and Concept are two different things. While the concept is important, an artist’s individual sound is often compromised to make up for a style. However, if we look back on previous winners (ahem, EXO), the album must contain a plethora of concepts but the sound of the group or the artist stays the same. And while sales and popularity have an impact on this, creativity still plays a heavy role to earn this daesang.
With just four tracks, Black Pink’s Square Up is able to deliver a knock-out punch that leaves everyone wanting for more. From its Ddu Du Ddu Ddu to See Yah Later, all four tracks were bangers. I've never heard an album wherein all tracks could have been easy choice as title track. More than that, it shows a very solid representation of the YG sound, and the style that Black Pink is known for. It is Girl Crush at its finest. With all of that in account, I think BP has a Daesang soon.
Red Velvet - The Perfect Red Velvet
If I was to describe this album in one word, it would have to be Masterpiece. The Perfect Red Velvet is a uniquely curated album that showed the many sides and talents of Red Velvet. it is not called the PERFECT RED VELVET for nothing. I think this album is the most musically creative out of all the contenders. It plays with instrumentation. The references and hybrid of genres work amazingly well. In fact, The Perfect Red Velvet captures the very essence of what is MAMA usually rewards for Album of the Year - creativity. You can see this with the successive wins of EXO for this category. While Red Velvet has a distinct sound, this album was able to play with their voices, and explore areas of music rarely heard in Korea. It is playful in a way that it gives you a ride as you listen to every song. It is not monotonous. Rather each song is a concept different from the last. That alone screams creativity. Red Velvet should be rewarded because of this.
I would prefer that Blooming Days merit EXO-CBX their first Daesang, and most “likely to be the first unit to win a Daesang. For one, “Blooming Days” comes from a trio that has been the most successful group for this category. As such, the album ticks all the criteria for a Daesang. It is a well-arranged album. I mean, it's almost genius that each song was arranged according to the days of the week. Rightfully so, each song captures such vibes. Since its release, it has been my go-to song to listen to on the way to work, and even while working. You could listen to this album for hours on end and not even realize that time had gone by at all. It’s the kind of album that can get you dancing a little bit no matter what you're doing. It also shows how versatile EXO-CBX is. It comes to no surprise since 3 vocalists are members of this unit. So anyone can expect a vocal masterclass. As a whole, this album is the best of the year and it MUST be rewarded.
BTS - Love Yourself: Answer / Love Yourself: Tear
I can’t choose from either of the two. But needless to say, both albums were able to show unique features of BTS. Both albums are great. Tear gave as Anpanman, Airplane Pt.2, and Singularity, while Answer introduced the bop that was Trivia 轉: Seesaw and The Truth Untold. If given the chance, I would have edited the line-up, but these are some B-side tracks that were really amazing. And since BTS is the biggest ban in the world, they can expect to win this award. I won’t go to further details, this has got to be one of their best albums to date.
“Return” was a comeback made at the right time. A lot is said about iKon’s music, and it was all addresses in this comeback album. And I must say, they did it really well. While it is far from perfect, the album is composed of tracks that shows a dialed down hip-hop group. Safe to say, iKon kept it safe and it works really well.
I am very torn to decide who will take top honors this year. Even when I already narrowed down my top 6 contenders, I was still stuck that I had to review what all of them had done in 2018. I went beyond their 2018 discography, Music Show wins, Album charts and the like. I considered everything and how it impacted the whole industry for 2018. They way I see it, the artist to receive this Daesang should have done more than promote to promote their music. To be the artist of the year, you should leave a Legacy.
If we are talking about hard work, no other group can top what Red Velvet has done for the year. The girls had 3 comebacks for the year, a Japanese debut, three sold-out, numerous fan-meetings around the world and many more. To simply say it, RED VELVET was busy. And it can’t be denied. The sound of the group remains very relevant even as the year ends. Likewise, their global fanbase is also bigger than ever. Should I remind you that SM was forced to release a full English version of Bad Boy after it went hot during the group’s KCon LA stage?
However, there is probably one thing that no other group can brag about. RED VELVET PERFORMED IN NORTH KOREA AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN FORGING PEACE. It has been a long while since an Idol group was invited to North Korea to perform for a peace initiative by the government. In fact, RV is only the 5th group to ever go to North Korea since the first generation leaders like SHINWA, Baby VOX, FInKL, and Sechkies. These say a lot about the level of talent. This will go down in Red Velvet’s legacy. They were the first group to perform in North Korea, in 16 years.
So if you look back, Red Velvet dominated the industry in a subtle yet powerful manner. They didn’t stop. Continued working even when SM seemed to put all effort on NCT. They did all the hard work. Add to that their remarkable record as the only idol group of their generation to perform in North Korea while tensions remain high, then you have a group that deserves all the accolades they can get - including this daesang.
Politics aside, if there is one artist that can rival Red Velvet for this Daesang it would only be Sunmi. Unlike RV, Sunmi performed mostly in Korea and only had two comebacks; Heroine and Siren. However, diving in deeper will show that Sunmi, in her quiet efforts, single-handedly owned the industry like it was her toy. Even with just two comebacks, Sunmi cemented her reign as the current Queen of Kpop. I mean, Heroine had foreign press spinning. And Siren was a sensation in Korea. It may be short of Love Scenario phenomenon but it was a sure-fire hit. And to think Sunmi wrote that song when she was still the Maknae of Wonder Girls. Besides that, Sunmi's promotional effort for her album is also admirable. For someone of her caliber, she still goes to variety shows and the like. Plus, she is not afraid to get messy for her fans. She even fainted during a recording because of the hard work she up out. So if ever there is a more perfect time to award her a Daesang, it is now.
Black Pink really came to fight. All aspects of their much-awaited comeback hinted that they were going to hit hard. And they really hit hard. Their efforts this year were small but hard to ignore. It was impactful. Just like the song, they made sure we feel that gunshot, that Ddu Du Ddu Du. They served a recipe for success. Owning the girl crush concept, Black Pink pulled out all the stops with killer tracks after killer tracks. If that doesn't scream artist of the year, I don't know what will.
They are the world's biggest boy band, and the flag bearers of the Kpop industry. As such they are the current reigning Kings. If we compare their record from last year, it is safe to say the BTS outdid themselves. Basically doing better at everything, it hard to put their work on the side. I wouldn't be surprised if they win again. I mean, they literally exceeded what is expected of them. What is not to love?
Like all other contenders for this Daesang, TWICE's efforts were hard to ignore. For one, Twice literally toured the world and made an impressive impact on the global market. While they are very polarizing, what Twice did this year had the makings of a perfect representative group. I mean, they did not stop. Unlike other artists that debuted in Japan, TWICE came back twice. While in Korea, they had a comeback for every season and owning each of it. They also present a very versatile look this year. The bubblegum pop theme still remains but the group was able to play up with their looks this year. They were quite daring in DTNW, mellow in What is Love? And mysterious in Yes or Yes. This year, TWICE lived up to their label and it should not come to a surprise if they win this one.
In previous parts, I have said that one song does not merit a win. And I stick to that, which is also why I think iKon can win this award mainly because of their grit. Love Scenario was truly a great song. B.I really wrote a masterpiece. However, this often drowns out the rest of iKons 2018 activity. Love Scenario put them on the Kpop map, but they did not stop. They had successive comebacks afterward, and we were just as impressed. They had a track that had the world singing, an album that was equally impressive and promoted their image at their best. They did not rely on the impact of Love Scenario, and I think it merits them to become a contender.
