The New All Purpose SNSD Thread

[sadude]

[quote name='Mugi' timestamp='1318973603' post='110713']English Version[/quote]

You stupid dumbshits, how are you going to debut in the U.S. and not make the Youtube video available to THE US?!?



Fail.

[Ap2000]

[quote name='sadude' timestamp='1319087699' post='110843']

[quote name='Mugi' timestamp='1318973603' post='110713']English Version[/quote]

You stupid dumbshits, how are you going to debut in the U.S. and not make the Youtube video available to THE US?!?



Fail.

[/quote]



They also disabled access from Austria.

[moralar]

[quote name='Anderei' timestamp='1318975924' post='110720']

I used to think that Kissing You was their worst single. But now it can give up it's title to The Boys.

[/quote]

I thought they had jumped the shark with Kissing You, but they came back really strong in 2009. Until now, 2010-2011 ranged from OK to "meh" for me, but perhaps this time the shark has been jumped for real...

[Anderei]

[quote name='sadude' timestamp='1319087699' post='110843']

[quote name='Mugi' timestamp='1318973603' post='110713']English Version[/quote]

You stupid dumbshits, how are you going to debut in the U.S. and not make the Youtube video available to THE US?!?



Fail.

[/quote]



SM (and DSP) does this to a lot of their videos. That or they make it completely private. I'm not sure why.

[surasshu]

[quote name='Mukuro' timestamp='1319079784' post='110835']

[quote name='showraniy' timestamp='1319078864' post='110833']

Guess I'm the only one who loves the whole package of image, song, and video. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... hawhaw.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hawhaw:' /> Seohyun's a fucking beast and I love her and her perfect English.

[/quote]

You aren't the only one, I love it all too.

[/quote]

Me too. Seohyun is my least favorite member, probably, but she really owned this song. Although I like her too, and I knew she's one of the better singers in the group, she just always struck me as a boring person. Her early gimmick of being "the awkward person/doesn't like boys" didn't help, at all.



My skeptical attitude is towards their debut in the US, I never for a second doubted they would smash it in Korea. In a lot of ways, TR made a really Kpop-ish song. Makes me wonder how long he studied the Kpop scene (especially if you consider his previous efforts, Demon and Dr. Feelgood, are quite Kpoppy too, and those are his first efforts I believe).



EDIT: Also I am really enjoying the whole album. They always put on a song like "Girlfriend" or "Day By Day", which is kinda unusual in Kpop nowadays, to have so much structure in a song. "My J" is like that this time around. Anyway, the album is really good overall to me.

[Ap2000]

[quote name='Anderei' timestamp='1319109372' post='110863']



SM (and DSP) does this to a lot of their videos. That or they make it completely private. I'm not sure why.

[/quote]



Maybe an annoying strategy to make hype because not everybody can see it and people are frantically searching for it on the web.

[Kaworu]

Some people are saying that it was disabled because they are going to put it up on VEVO, so we'll see.

[showraniy]

Me too. Seohyun is my least favorite member, probably, but she really owned this song. Although I like her too, and I knew she's one of the better singers in the group, she just always struck me as a boring person. Her early gimmick of being "the awkward person/doesn't like boys" didn't help, at all.

Oh man, seriously?! I find her unbelievably cute and badass all at the same time. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' /> But then again, I also love Mizuki, so I think I flock to the "boring" idols. Did you watch her at all on We Got Married with Yonghwa? They were a hilariously awkward-to-adorable thing to watch, and I think that sparked a lot of the screentime/solo lines Seohyun gets now.

My skeptical attitude is towards their debut in the US, I never for a second doubted they would smash it in Korea. In a lot of ways, TR made a really Kpop-ish song. Makes me wonder how long he studied the Kpop scene (especially if you consider his previous efforts, Demon and Dr. Feelgood, are quite Kpoppy too, and those are his first efforts I believe).

I'm naturally skeptical about their success in the US as well simply because there's too much evidence pointing to the contrary, but I'd be interested if a "Kpop-ish song" were responsible for that. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' /> I'm not familiar enough with music to probably understand all the ways something could be "Kpop-ish" versus Western pop-ish, etc., because the two are very similar to me, but I'm curious about what feels Kpop-ish about this song? My first impression was that it sounded like what I'm used to hearing all the time stateside in hip-hop/pop culture, so it's interesting you make a distinction between the two and say it leans more toward the Kpop side.







And:

Some people are saying that it was disabled because they are going to put it up on VEVO

That's what I thought the moment they blocked it too. I'm guessing they want a legit US/Western/? Youtube channel to put it on to keep things all neat and organized.

[surasshu]

[quote name='showraniy' timestamp='1319152025' post='110895']

Oh man, seriously?! I find her unbelievably cute and badass all at the same time. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' /> But then again, I also love Mizuki, so I think I flock to the "boring" idols. Did you watch her at all on We Got Married with Yonghwa? They were a hilariously awkward-to-adorable thing to watch, and I think that sparked a lot of the screentime/solo lines Seohyun gets now.

[/quote]

I actually can't really explain what bugs me about her. It's not like I hate her at all, mind you... Anyway, I did watch some of that, but the awkwardness never appealed to me, even there. I actually like it in REAL people just fine. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' /> Though I might like her a bit more nowadays so she might be like in 5-6th or so place now, it's hard to rank them. It was easier when she was really boring (unrelated, I like Mizuki too, actually).



[quote name='showraniy' timestamp='1319152025' post='110895']it's interesting you make a distinction between the two and say it leans more toward the Kpop side.

[/quote]

Sure, I'll indulge in a bit of an analysis. It's certainly not a universe apart from the American pop music by any means, but there are some things that set it apart, and it all leans towards "kpop-style".



The most noticable thing in my opinion is the tempo of the song, American pop music right now is all "party"/club pop (I really, really hate this stuff though, so I can't say THAT much about it--seems to be kinda on the way out too). This and the minimal but tonal production. I know Teddy Riley produced it, but it really is similar to stuff Janet Jackson was doing around the Rhythm Nation time, except more updated into modern production styles, with the saw synths and all that. And I do mean that other groups are doing this too, it's not just this song, in a lot of ways this song is just a continuation of trends already in place. What it definitely is NOT, is new jack swing (Teddy's staple from the 90s). But it does borrow from those concepts, also as interpreted by the Neptunes in early 2000s, but notably not picking up on some of the US musical trends after that (like Bangladesh's hyper-sparse, sometimes grotesquely atonal production style).



The shout-march-rap/cheerleader type stuff is bordering on quaint in how old-fashioned it is in American pop music (there's a difference between that and whatever the fuck Ke$ha is doing, I might add <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' /> ), but it's very popular in Kpop. Lots of groups are doing singles like that, I can think of After School, f(x), 2NE1, and there are probably many others. I really like this stuff, so I'd love to see this make a comeback outside Korea.



Also, the way the song "sticks" in a base tone, rather than hovering over a vamp of 2 to 4 chords like nearly every US hit these days, is kind of a kpop thing, there are a lot of big hits that do that.



None of these things are exclusive to Korea by any means, and not all Kpop songs go by this like it's some kinda checklist, but they kind of add up to a certain type of sound, which is at least a bit distinct from Jpop and US pop (and presumably other places as well).



And yeah as someone who likes the song itself, SNSD in general, and more diversity (musical and cultural, and racial too while we're at it) in mainstream music as a whole, I'd love for this song to become a smash hit in America and worldwide. Don't get me wrong, I want it to succeed, I'm just a bit skeptical.



I'm just rambling now, ain't I...

[sadude]

Nice analysis, sura. Knowing nothing of this stuff and not being able to point out individual characteristic trends of songs, I nevertheless quite enjoy reading about it. Almost as much as I enjoy saying "nevertheless".



Also, I didn't know W from W&Whale is now in Girls' Generation.

[surasshu]

Haha, I wish! Though W and Sunny are pretty much equally awesome for different reasons.

[showraniy]

[quote name='///' timestamp='1319156755' post='110900']

Interesting stuffs

[/quote]



Haha! <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... R#>/XD.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':XD:' /> I feel bad having asked you for all that when I barely understood a lot of it, but thank you--it was very cool reading! <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /weeeh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':weeeh:' />





And I really love Sunny's new 'do, so she can look like W forever as far as I'm concerned.

[surasshu]

I should've added some links to examples, but I was a little drunk, it was hard enough to spell correctly. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />



SM posted the Music Bank performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9YFncRmZdM In my opinion it's really awesome live.

[Farrah]

Seohyun really blew me away in that performance. Thank you, Seohyun, for reminding me why I give a crap about you.



I like this song a lot more live, for some reason. It amuses me that Hyoyeon is the only member lipsyncing, when she doesn't even really have any singing.



Is it just me or does this haircut make Taeyeon somewhat resemble 2007-era Tiffany from some angles?

[Ap2000]

[quote name='///' timestamp='1319234468' post='110965']

I should've added some links to examples, but I was a little drunk, it was hard enough to spell correctly. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />



SM posted the Music Bank performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9YFncRmZdM In my opinion it's really awesome live.

[/quote]



There's also one thing I really like about that performance.



And Jessica is really sexy in the thing she's wearing.

[Mugi]

[quote name='Farrah' timestamp='1319315342' post='111006']

I like this song a lot more live, for some reason. It amuses me that Hyoyeon is the only member lipsyncing, when she doesn't even really have any singing.

[/quote]



Hyoyeon was singing live like everyone else. Check here. They all did really good live. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[showraniy]

Bringin' the boys out, now with better outfits! Seriously, I can't describe the awkward feelings I get every time I see Jessica's dress in the MV. I think Sunny and Yoona have the best outfits here, but image aside, the overall sound is better for this live performance too.



Oh, and in case no one knew yet, they're also promoting Korean Mr. Taxi for their The Boys comeback too.

[surasshu]

That intro before the first Mr. Taxi sounds super cool. SM, what is it with you guys and throwing away awesome intros? <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... pyeyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':puppyeyes:' />



The new outfits come off to me as pretty bad, but maybe that's just me. The Mr. Taxi cowgirl outfits are... puzzling... But the Boys outfits are a bit weird too. Bell boys? ¯\(°_0)/¯



Also this is the first time I focused a bit on the dance for The Boys... It's really bad, I think. Not that I really care about dancing (it's a complete waste of energy in my opinion), but it seems like they just change positions randomly and have really awkward arm movements all over the place. I know that's nitpicking and an uneducated opinion, but yeah.

[Shoujo Q]

In Korea, the taxi men are dressed as cowboys? I don't know how you consider those outfits to be cowgirl inspired at all? Unless I'm missing a video?



Also, Sunny with short blonde hair works surprisingly well on her. But to be honest, I didn't even know it was her at first and was wondering where Sunny went in the The Boys MV.

[Pflaume]

What on earth are those Mr. Taxi outfits? Also, the second outfits for The Boys were okay, but they really dropped the ball on poor Tiffany. It looks so ill-fit.



Sunny looks good good good in everything so far, and I am all about that hair. I love her with long hair too, mind you, but I dig the pixie cut for now. Yay girls making short hair look good!



I'm torn on this comeback. I think the whole English release is a bit of a joke, and I feel like The Boys sounds like a series of catchy segments strung together really haphazardly. It's a whole lot better live, at least. The MV would have been okay without that dove scene, and at least they put in more effort than for Hoot and Mr. Taxi.



One thing is certain: those plastic tiaras can go die in a fire. This is not a pageant or a homecoming dance. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... hatthe.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':whatthe:' />



PS: I am all for Seohyun and Hyoyeon getting some more lines. That is probably the best thing about this entire comeback.

[surasshu]

[quote name='Shoujo Q' timestamp='1319373323' post='111055']

In Korea, the taxi men are dressed as cowboys? I don't know how you consider those outfits to be cowgirl inspired at all? Unless I'm missing a video?

[/quote]

Perhaps? This one? I mean, I guess it's not too cowgirly, more like country girl outfits, but anyway. That would be totally fine if this was HAM's So Sexy (although look at how much more elegant and stylish those outfits are!), but for this song it's ridiculously out of place.



The transformation of Sunny to the "cool chick" of the group is pretty radical, but I love it, I think she pulls it off really well.

[Shoujo Q]

Ah! Okay, I missed that video. Yeah those a totally not Mr.Taxi outfits. They should be singing Morning Gyuunyuu or something.



But seriously, these girls are at a level like AKB, they can put out crap and it would still sell.

[showraniy]

Yeah, I was gonna say something about the Mr. Taxi cowgirl outfits, but I decided against it just because I had no idea WHAT to say. It wouldn't be the first time SM has made highly questionable styling choices for a group.



@slash: The live performance outfits for The Boys are awkward in their own way too, but I seriously hate Jessica's midriff-bearing dress in the MV and want to kick whoever decided to put it on her. It's not even showing off anything sexy because it's covering the entire waistline--it's showing off her freaking ribcage for crying out loud. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... hatthe.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':whatthe:' /> But enough about that since I could complain about SNSD styling choices forever.



I really like The Boys' dance too, so it's funny that we disagree again on that one. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />

[Farrah]

This single is making me so gay for Seohyun, it is ridiculous.



On the styling note, although the cowgirl outfits don't fit Mr. Taxi at all, I'm just happy SM doesn't go the J-Idol route of simply throwing them on stage in poofy, neon skirts and calling it a day.

[moralar]

Taeyeon, Jessica, and Tiffany went on Radio Star yesterday (click through for writeup and some performance cuts). Maybe I'm odd, but I often vastly prefer when they sing random songs like this in a quiet studio setting, rather than when they're performing their own material. It's much easier to get a sense of what their singing is actually like.

[surasshu]

I totally agree, I love those live radio performances too. They showcase such a high level of skill when they sing there, I think. And a lot of the times they cover interesting songs, seemingly stuff they like, which gives an insight into what kinda stuff they listen to, sometimes I'm surprised what they've heard/like. Like Sunny doing a cover of Sk8r Boi. :)



But for my favorite setting, it has to be cool studio lives (in the style of Music Travel LaLaLa).

[moralar]

And here's some Tiffany footage from the showcase for the Fame musical. I've always loved her vocal timbre, but I didn't watch this clip for a while because I kind of doubted she could pull it off. Now I feel bad for having underestimated her. But it's kind of ironic that they cast her as a dancer, then had to bring in a double for the dance break...

[sadude]

So SMEnt had a remix contest for The Boys, and there are some pretty fantastic entries in it. My favorites are the first and last link:



The Boys Remix by ruuvari

The Boys (Bending Your Frequencies Edit)

The Boys - DJ Huygens remix

The Boys [Epitone Club Remix]

The Boys [Korean Version Epitone Club Remix]

The Boys (ATC Remix)

[surasshu]

Yeah, that last one is excellent! Thanks for the links, the other ones weren't that good to me, especially the winner seems really meh to me. D;

[Ap2000]

[quote name='sadude' timestamp='1322107873' post='112822']

So SMEnt had a remix contest for The Boys, and there are some pretty fantastic entries in it. My favorites are the first and last link:



The Boys Remix by ruuvari

The Boys (Bending Your Frequencies Edit)

The Boys - DJ Huygens remix

The Boys [Epitone Club Remix]

The Boys [Korean Version Epitone Club Remix]

The Boys (ATC Remix)

[/quote]



Somehow all these songs feel like they'd be a lot better without the lyrics.

Which is usually not a good sign for a remix. But in this case, the lyrics are just horrible to remix, so I rather put the blame on the original than the remixes.