[MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW] SISTAR - Lonely (2017)

After seven years of their career, SISTAR announced disbandment on May 23^rd, 2017. This decision was quite unexpected by public. SISTAR’s songs still received well and they still active performing in various events recently. Then the members’ relationship was good between each other too.

However, SISTAR felt that it’s time to put an end for the group and focus on their individual path. It’s sad, but the girls tried to cover it up by giving us one last comeback. On May 31^st 2017, SISTAR released their goodbye single called Lonely.

So, are you ready to say goodbye to SISTAR? Check out my review for Lonely below………………

Lonely proves that SISTAR is not just one-dimensional group. This song is far from SISTAR usual cheerful and upbeat singles. Lonely offers more medium tempo sound with simple instrumental. It has acoustic and electronic guitar melody that dominated the whole song.

The vocal treatment was different from other SISTAR singles too. Hyorin, Soyu, and Dasom plays out with their softer voice while Bora maintained her signature rap style. SISTAR voices mixed well with instrumental sound. This makes Lonely soothing and pleasant to listen.

Lonely deals with how relationship change based on its lyrics. SISTAR feels that their relationship is not the same again. Their partner becomes distant and makes SISTAR lonely. The girls express this condition during catchy refrain part. I am sure you will easily remember ‘Lonely, lonely, lonely’ hook.

At the same time, Lonely lyrics also represent SISTAR career. They decide to end their relationship just like their career. Still, SISTAR does not want to bury themselves in sorrowful situation. The girls want to cherish their happy memories through Lonely music video.

SISTAR bond is the highlight of Lonely music video. We see how each member looks close and enjoy each other company. It’s bittersweet to see them play around in hotel room, laugh along on the street, and take picture together.

Lonely music video also creates homage to their signature sexy concept. One scene shows SISTAR walk in beach with sleeveless shirt and hot pants. This reminds us with SISTAR previous video clip such as Loving U or Alone. Our memories comeback again when SISTAR decide to dance their previous hits during beach scene.

Since Lonely theme is more melancholy, music video tone tries to capture this mood.  The usage of color seems softer instead of bright like SISTAR previous video clip. Lonely music video also focuses on showing quiet scenery in Macau setting. Take a look at how the shot of empty streets dominated throughout music video.

Lonely is a beautiful goodbye from SISTAR. The song was nice to listen while the music video complements it well. It’s nice to see SISTAR tries something fresh at the end of their career. They choose melancholy song instead of the usual bright summer songs.

Still, I wish SISTAR release another summer anthem beside Lonely.  It would be great to see SISTAR smashes with their last summer comeback and leaves their legacy. But, I take what I get and I am glad with it. It’s better than left with nothing, right?

SISTAR will always be one of my favorites girl group. Thank you for lighting up K-Pop music scene with your catchy yet fun summer tracks for the past seven years. Thank you for letting people know that it is not wrong to be sexy as long as you are comfortable. At last, thank you for setting example that every woman is beautiful no matter how different their skin colors, body shapes, concepts, and mannerisms are. You will be missed.

Rating:            3.5/5

PS: While reminiscing old SISTAR hits, check out my review of their various summer comebacks here.

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[MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW] SISTAR - I Like That (2016)

If there is one thing that cannot be separated from SISTAR, the answer is summer time. This four-member girl group has consistently released new song every summer since their debut.

This year is no exception. On June 21^st, SISTAR made a comeback with their fourth mini album called Insane Love. They choose I Like That as the title track for this album.

Based on the teaser, I Like That shows something different from SISTAR past summer releases. No more colorful outfit, beach scenery, and cheerful song. SISTAR is back with more mellow and sultry theme just like what they did with Alone, a song that elevated their career.

How much does I Like That differ from SISTAR previous summer releases? Check out my review below………………………………………………………………..

Since the beginning of the song, we know that I Like That will sound different from their previous summer releases. It has strong drumbeat and saxophone sound that goes all the way throughout the verse. The saxophone sounds heavier, which gives off darker vibe compare to similar sound in previous releases.

The vocal goes well with the verses. Hyorin is great as usual while we finally hear more of Dasom vocal. I like that the vocal and music able to complement each other and capture SISTAR anger to a guy who cheat on them. The verse is basically the best part of I Like That.

The music slows down a bit in the bridge, but the drumbeat is still there. Hyorin and Soyu exchange lines and reassure themselves that they are fine without the guy. I like that this part shows their vulnerability that contrast to their strong verse. Soyu shines the most in I Like That despite having lesser lines. Her husky yet airy voice match well with the anger theme while also gives off a little fragile touch to it.

Then, the drumbeat goes faster along with guitar riff to build up the chorus. The chorus is catchy and you will easily remember it after listening for the first time. Personally, I Like That is one of the few SISTAR songs that grab my attention in the first place

Unfortunately, the second part of the chorus quite disturb the strong dynamic of I Like That. It’s a let down when they decide to only sing one line and let the beat drop.

The rap part on the second verses is also the weakest link of the song. Bora is not the strongest rapper in K-Pop, but her weak flow becomes obvious this time. Her tone suits fun and cheerful song more than this type of song.

Thankfully, the bridge spices up the song again with its harmonization. It’s a nice change to I Like That before it becomes too repetitive.

I Like That Music video is the best SISTAR music video so far. It’s visually stunning from the cinematography, tone, setting, to the styling. The red tone captures the essence of sexy, sultry with a hint of anger.

The shots are great although the constant zooming in dance part is a bit jarring. My favorite shots are during Dasom solo part with lanterns, Soyu solo part with red roses, and during SISTAR part on the bed. It’s beautiful.

SISTAR gorgeous styling also contributed to the visually pleasing music video of I Like That. Their outfits suit the concept and we finally see them has decent outfits after six years of their debut. Still, their choreography is too simple and unchallenging. It’s also interesting to see them having natural black hair color instead of the usual crazy color in K-Pop idols.

The whole concept of I Like That music video seems to be inspired by Chinese and Japanese culture. Those lanterns, architectures, and letters remind me of Chinese culture, but the kimono resembles Japanese one. It’s quite risky for them to take this kind of concept, especially if they kind of hinted brothel setting.

SISTAR tackles classic theme in K-Pop with different approach through I Like That. It has gloomy and sultry vibe, but the song itself doesn’t become sad and melancholic. SISTAR takes a strong approach with its music and lyrics in I Like That. This also accompanied by visually stunning music video that capture SISTAR sexiness well without looking cheap.

I Like That reminds people that SISTAR doesn’t just become a hit after one concept, but they are capable to be more than that in their seasonal release.

Rating:           4/5

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Sexy Summer Showdown : Girl's Day VS SISTAR

Summer time is here! Are you excited for it? I am excited about it because summer means more new releases from K-Pop.

Summer time is one of the times where you get more comebacks from K-Pop idols. This means that the competition will be tighter then usual. This also happens this year. So far, Beast, F(X), Infinite, B1A4, K.Will, Hyuna, Girl’s Day, SISTAR, and JYJ already geared up for summer comeback.

People have anticipated all of their releases. But, there are two names that sparked lot of interests, which are Girl’s Day and SISTAR.

Girl’s Day and SISTAR have lot of similarities. Both groups come from small agency, debuted in 2010, and have four members (Girl’s Day used to have five, but one member left). Their popularity rises to top after having sexy concept. SISTAR with Alone and their summer anthem, Loving U, in 2012 followed by Give It To Me in 2013 while one year later, Girl’s Day attracts attention with Expectation and Female President followed by Something in early 2014. Because of these, both of them often considered as “rival”.

On this summer, both groups are having a comeback with sexy and bright summer concept. Girl’s Day released Darling on July 14^th, 2014. They worked with Duble Sidekick, who apparently produced SISTAR summer hit’s Loving U. As for SISTAR, they worked with Rado and Choi Kyu Sung and released Touch My Body on July 21^st, 2014.

Then, which group nailed their summer comeback the most? Just read my review for both on the next paragraphs…

Girl’s Day – Darling

One thing that I love the most from summer concept is its fun aspect. With Darling, Girls’ Day is able to convey that from their song, music video, and the whole concept itself.

Darling tells a story about a girl who felt shy around a boy since she fell in love with him. It is a catchy song with addictive chorus. You will constantly sing a long with its “call me your darling, darling, darling” line.

But what makes Darling stands out for me is its retro music vibe. Retro itself is quite a new thing for Girl’s Day since they have been known with their modern electronic music style. That is why it is nice to see them expanding into another branch of music instead of playing safe.

The retro vibe can be seen on its musical instruments such as bass, brass, trumpet, and piano. I personally love the piano line that appears throughout the song. It is gorgeous.

Beside that, each part of the song flows smoothly too. As for the vocal, the girls sing within their range. That is why their voice sounds pleasant to ear for each part.

Meanwhile for the music video, I like it! I really love the coloring, which dominated by yellow color. It shows the cheerful and fun vibe of summer. Also, I love the girls’ styling too. Their make up, hairstyle, and wardrobe are on point. Minah, Sojin, Yura, and Hyeri look beautiful on the music video. Lastly, I like how they make us of various settings from bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, to pool although if you look closely to it, all of them are not really represent summer.

But, I still find the exploitation of their sexiness as unnecessary such as the close up shoot of the girls’ body or the revealing costumes. But for costumes, they get a pass this time since it is summer. I also think that their “shaking bottom” dance for the chorus is a bit forced since it does not really go well with the song melody.

Overall, I like their Darling comeback; addictive song, fun music video, and lovely concept.

SISTAR - Touch My Body

Just like Darling, Touch My Body is able to capture the bright and fun aspect of summer.

Touch My Body tells a story about a girl who falls in love with a boy and grows closer to him. It is an upbeat catchy song that will automatically lift up your spirit. The  “Touch my body” line is addictive too. You will constantly repeating it.

This song still showcases heavy R&B beat, which is SISTAR signature style. But this time, it accompanied by classic saxophone sound, which is not a new thing for SISTAR.

They have saxophone for their sub-unit song, SISTAR19 with Gone Not AroundAny Longer. But instead gave a sultry vibe like on Gone Not Around Any Longer, the saxophone on Touch My Body played to give a funky vibe throughout the song. Personally, I love it! It is unique and able to bring out the fun aspect of the song.

The flow of the song also sounds smooth. But if you listen closely to it, you will hear that the song is actually disjointed between the verses, chorus, and rap part. Thankfully, it does not really visible when you listen to it in general.

As for the vocal, I am glad that Hyorin does not carry the whole song alone again. It is now divided with Soyu, who keeps improving. Dasom is decent, but it is a pity that she keeps getting short line. Meanwhile, Bora unfortunately is a weak link on this song. Her rap part falls flat.

However, there are several issues that I find on this song. The first one would be too much “Touch my body” words. Yes, this part is addictive, but at the same time, it prevents you to remember the rest of the song since you will only focus on this word. The second issue would be how the song ended quite abruptly. I think it would be better if they sing the chorus once again at the end.

Moving on to the music video, it is really pleasing to eyes and brings up the summer theme with its bright and colorful tone. If Darling is dominated by yellow color, Touch My Body is dominated by pink and blue color. Blue represents the ocean color while pink gives a feminine touch.

Blue and pink color also appeared on the girls styling. From hair, soft lens, make up, and wardrobe, all of them represents this color. The styling is on point too, which makes the girl looks gorgeous.

I also like the usage of various settings. However, I hope they shows the outside studio setting more although it seems that they avoid it to make it too similar to Loving U.

As for the dance, it is a bit weird though haha. But, I have a feeling that the dance will become a hit just like their previous dance ;)

But the most important thing is Touch My Body shows how SISTAR becomes more comfortable doing the sexy concept. Actually, most of their wardrobes on this music video are too revealing. But, the girls, especially Hyorin, wears it with confidence, so you do not really mind with that.

Touch My Body once again shows that SISTAR is capable in making another summer jam. From the song, music video, and the whole concept itself, it screams fun summer party.

Overall, I love both Girl’s Day and SISTAR summer comeback. Both of them are able to capture the fun and bright element of summer time. Both have catchy song, fun concept, and great music video.

But if I really have to choose, I go with Girl’s Day this time. What makes them slightly better in this concept is because of the song itself. Darling is catchier than Touch My Body. You only need to listen it once to like it. As for Touch My Body, it took several times to make you like it.

Also, it is a bit harder for SISTAR since they already had Loving U, which is one of the best K-Pop summer anthems. People expect a lot from them. Touch My Body is a good song, but unfortunately, it cannot top Loving U.

Still, it is a great comeback for both of them! 

Girl’s Day – Darling

Rating                         : 4/5

SISTAR – Touch My Body

Rating                         : 3/5

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